अथ द्वादशवर्षं वा मासद्वादशकं तु वा दिनद्वादशकं वापि कृत्वा तद् व्रतम् उत्तमम्
Now, whether for twelve years, or for twelve months, or even for twelve days, if one observes that supreme vow—
मुच्यन्ते पशवः सर्वे पशुपाशैर्भवस्य तु दर्शयामास तान्देवान् नारायणपुरोगमान्
All beings are freed from the bonds of existence; he revealed them thus to the gods, with Nārāyaṇa at their head.
नन्दी शिलादतनयः सर्वभूतगणाग्रणीः तं दृष्ट्वा देवमीशानं सांबं सगणम् अव्ययम्
Nandī, son of Śilāda, foremost among all hosts of beings, upon seeing the imperishable Lord Īśāna together with Sāmbā and his attendants—
प्रणेमुस् तुष्टुवुश् चैव प्रीतिकण्टकितत्वचः विज्ञाप्य शितिकण्ठाय पशुपाशविमोक्षणम्
They bowed and praised him, their skin bristling with joy, and informed the blue-throated one of the release from the bonds of existence.
तस्थुस्तदाग्रतः शंभोः प्रणिपत्य पुनः पुनः ततः सम्प्रेक्ष्य तान् सर्वान् देवदेवो वृषध्वजः
They stood before Śambhu, repeatedly bowing down; then, seeing them all, the god of gods, the bull-bannered one—
विशोध्य तेषां देवानां पशुत्वं परमेश्वरः व्रतं पाशुपतं चैव स्वयं देवो महेश्वरः
The supreme Lord purified the state of bondage from those gods; the god Maheśvara himself instructed them in the Pāśupata vow.
उपदिश्य मुनीनां च सहास्ते चांबया भवः तदाप्रभृति ते देवाः सर्वे पाशुपताः स्मृताः
He taught it also to the sages, together with Ambā; from that time, all those gods have been known as Pāśupatas.
पशूनां च पतिर्यस्मात् तेषां साक्षाद्धि देवताः तस्मात्पाशुपताः प्रोक्तास् तपस्तेपुश् च ते पुनः
Because he is the lord of beings, and they are directly deities, therefore they are called Pāśupatas; and again, they performed austerities.
ततो द्वादशवर्षान्ते मुक्तपाशाः सुरोत्तमाः ययुर्यथागतं सर्वे ब्रह्मणा सह विष्णुना
Then, at the end of twelve years, the excellent gods, freed from their bonds, all departed as they had come, along with Brahmā and Viṣṇu.
एतद्वः कथितं सर्वं पितामहमुखाच्छ्रुतम् पुरा सनत्कुमारेण तस्माद्व्यासेन धीमता
All this has been told to you, as heard from the mouth of the Grandfather, formerly by Sanatkumāra, and thus by the wise Vyāsa.
यः श्रावयेच्छुचिर् विप्राञ् छृणुयाद्वा शुचिर्नरः स देहभेदमासाद्य पशुपाशैः प्रमुच्यते
Whoever, being pure, recites this to the brāhmaṇas, or hears it, being pure, is freed from the bonds of existence upon the dissolution of the body.
व्रतमेतत्त्वया प्रोक्तं पशुपाशविमोक्षणम् व्रतं पाशुपतं लैङ्गं पुरा देवैर् अनुष्ठितम्
This vow, which you have described, is the release from the bonds of existence—the Pāśupata vow, pertaining to the Liṅga, formerly practiced by the gods.
वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं यथापूर्वं त्वया श्रुतम् पुरा सनत्कुमारेण पृष्टः शैलादिरादरात्
You should tell us, just as you heard before, when you were once respectfully questioned by Sanatkumāra, O lord of the mountains.
नन्दी प्राह वचस्तस्मै प्रवदामि समासतः देवैर्दैत्यैस् तथा सिद्धैर् गन्धर्वैः सिद्धचारणैः
Nandī then spoke these words to him: I shall briefly recount it—the vow practiced by gods, asuras, siddhas, gandharvas, and accomplished cāraṇas—
मुनिभिश् च महाभागैर् अनुष्ठितमनुत्तमम् व्रतं द्वादशलिङ्गाख्यं पशुपाशविमोक्षणम्
And by the greatly fortunate sages: the supreme vow called the Twelve Liṅgas, which is the release from the bonds of existence.
भोगदं योगदं चैव कामदं मुक्तिदं शुभम् अवियोगकरं पुण्यं भक्तानां भयनाशनम्
It grants enjoyment, yoga, wishes, liberation, and auspiciousness; it brings inseparable merit, destroys fear for devotees.
षडङ्गसहितान् वेदान् मथित्वा तेन निर्मितम् सर्वदानोत्तमं पुण्यम् अश्वमेधायुताधिकम्
Having churned the Vedas together with their six limbs, it was established by that; it is the highest of all gifts, more meritorious than ten thousand horse sacrifices.
सर्वमङ्गलदं पुण्यं सर्वशत्रुविनाशनम् संसारार्णवमग्नानां जन्तूनामपि मोक्षदम्
It bestows all auspiciousness and merit, destroys all enemies, and grants liberation even to creatures immersed in the ocean of worldly existence.
सर्वव्याधिहरं चैव सर्वज्वरविनाशनम् देवैरनुष्ठितं पूर्वं ब्रह्मणा विष्णुना तथा
It destroys all diseases and removes every fever; it was formerly performed by the gods, by Brahmā and also by Viṣṇu.
कृत्वा कनीयसं लिङ्गं स्नाप्य चन्दनवारिणा चैत्रमासादि विप्रेन्द्राः शिवलिङ्गव्रतं चरेत्
Having made a small liṅga and bathed it with sandalwood water, O foremost of Brāhmaṇas, one should observe the vow of the Śivaliṅga beginning from the month of Caitra.
कृत्वा हैमं शुभं पद्मं कर्णिकाकेसरान्वितम् नवरत्नैश् च खचितम् अष्टपत्रं यथाविधि
One should make a beautiful golden lotus, furnished with a pericarp and filaments, inlaid with nine gems, and having eight petals, according to the proper method.
कर्णिकायां न्यसेल्लिङ्गं स्फाटिकं पीठसंयुतम् तत्र भक्त्या यथान्यायम् अर्चयेद् बिल्वपत्रकैः
In the pericarp, one should place a crystal liṅga together with a pedestal; there, with devotion and in the prescribed manner, one should worship it with bilva leaves.
सितैः सहस्रकमलै रक्तैर्नीलोत्पलैरपि श्वेतार्ककर्णिकारैश् च करवीरैर्बकैरपि
With a thousand white lotuses, with red and blue water-lilies, with white arka flowers, with karavīra and bakula flowers as well,
एतैरन्यैर् यथालाभं गायत्र्या तस्य सुव्रताः सम्पूज्य चैव गन्धाद्यैर् धूपैर्दीपैश् च मङ्गलैः
And with these and other flowers as available, O steadfast ones, one should worship with the Gāyatrī hymn, and also with fragrances and the like, with auspicious incense and lamps.
नीराजनाद्यैश्चान्यैश् च लिङ्गमूर्तिमहेश्वरम् अगरुं दक्षिणे दद्याद् अघोरेण द्विजोत्तमाः
With nīrājana and other rites, one should worship the liṅga form of the great Lord; O best of Brāhmaṇas, one should offer agaru incense to the south with the Aghora mantra.
पश्चिमे सद्यमन्त्रेण दिव्यां चैव मनःशिलाम् उत्तरे वामदेवेन चन्दनं वापि दापयेत्
To the west, with the Sadyojāta mantra, one should offer divine realgar; to the north, with the Vāmadeva mantra, one should offer sandalwood or the like.
पुरुषेण मुनिश्रेष्ठा हरितालं च पूर्वतः सितागरूद्भवं विप्रास् तथा कृष्णागरूद्भवम्
O best of sages, to the east, with the Puruṣa mantra, one should offer haritāla; O Brāhmaṇas, one should also offer white agaru and black agaru.
तथा गुग्गुलुधूपं च सौगन्धिकमनुत्तमम् सितारं नाम धूपं च दद्याद् ईशाय भक्तितः
Likewise, one should offer guggulu incense, the most excellent fragrant substance, and incense called sitāra, to Īśa with devotion.
महाचरुर्निवेद्यः स्याद् आढकान्नमथापि वा एतद् वः कथितं पुण्यं शिवलिङ्गमहाव्रतम्
A great food offering should be presented, or even cooked rice by the measure; thus has the meritorious great vow of the Śivaliṅga been declared to you.
सर्वमासेषु सामान्यं विशेषो ऽपि च कीर्त्यते वैशाखे वज्रलिङ्गं च ज्येष्ठे मारकतं तथा
This is common to all months, but the special distinctions are now stated: in Vaiśākha, a vajra liṅga; in Jyeṣṭha, an emerald one.