Linga Purana

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.

आषाढे मौक्तिकं लिङ्गं श्रावणे नीलनिर्मितम् मासि भाद्रपदे लिङ्गं पद्मरागमयं शुभम्

In Āṣāḍha, a pearl liṅga; in Śrāvaṇa, one made of sapphire; in Bhādrapada, an auspicious liṅga of padmarāga gem.

आश्विने चैव विप्रेन्द्राः गोमेदकमयं शुभम् प्रवालेनैव कार्तिक्यां तथा वै मार्गशीर्षके

And in Āśvina, O foremost Brāhmaṇas, an auspicious liṅga of gomedaka; in Kārtika, one of coral, and likewise in Mārgaśīrṣa.

वैडूर्यनिर्मितं लिङ्गं पुष्परागेण पुष्यके माघे च सूर्यकान्तेन फाल्गुने स्फाटिकेन च

In Puṣya, a liṅga made of vaidūrya gem; in Māgha, one of sūryakānta gem; and in Phālguna, one of crystal.

सर्वमासेषु कमलं हैममेकं विधीयते अलाभे राजतं वापि केवलं कमलं तु वा

In all months, a single golden lotus is prescribed; if that is not available, then a silver one, or at least a lotus alone.

रत्नानाम् अप्यलाभे तु हेम्ना वा राजतेन वा रजतस्याप्यलाभे तु ताम्रलोहेन कारयेत्

If gems are not available, it should be made of gold or silver; if silver is not available, it should be made of copper or other metals.

शैलं वा दारुजं वापि मृन्मयं वा सवेदिकम् सर्वगन्धमयं वापि क्षणिकं परिकल्पयेत्

Or it may be made of stone, or of wood, or of clay with a base, or even of fragrant substances, or fashioned temporarily.

हैमन्तिके महादेवं श्रीपत्त्रेणैव पूजयेत् सर्वमासेषु कमलं हैममेकमथापि वा

In the winter season, one should worship Mahadeva with a Śrī-patra leaf; in all months, a golden lotus, or even just one, may be offered.

राजतं वापि कमलं हैमकर्णिकमुत्तमम् राजतस्याप्यभावे तु बिल्वपत्रैः समर्चयेत्

Or, a silver lotus with a golden center, the best kind, may be used; if silver is not available, then worship should be performed with bilva leaves.

सहस्रकमलालाभे तदर्धेनापि पूजयेत् तदर्धार्धेन वा रुद्रम् अष्टोत्तरशतेन वा

If a thousand lotuses are not obtainable, one may worship with half that number, or with half of that, or with one hundred and eight.

बिल्वपत्रे स्थिता लक्ष्मीर् देवी लक्षणसंयुता नीलोत्पले ऽंबिका साक्षाद् उत्पले षण्मुखः स्वयम्

Lakṣmī, the goddess endowed with auspicious marks, abides in the bilva leaf; Ambikā herself is present in the blue lotus, and Ṣaṇmukha is in the lotus.

पद्माश्रितो महादेवः सर्वदेवपतिः शिवः तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन श्रीपत्त्रं न त्यजेद्बुधः

Mahādeva, the lord of all gods, Śiva, is established in the lotus; therefore, the wise should never neglect the Śrī-patra leaf under any circumstance.

नीलोत्पलं चोत्पलं च कमलं च विशेषतः सर्ववश्यकरं पद्मं शिला सर्वार्थसिद्धिदा

The blue lotus, the regular lotus, and especially the red lotus, are all highly effective; the stone lotus grants success in all endeavors.

कृष्णागरुसमुद्भूतं सर्वपापनिकृन्तनम् गुग्गुलुप्रभृतीनां चैव दीपानां च निवेदनम्

That which arises from black agaru wood destroys all sins; offerings of incense such as guggulu and others should also be presented.

सर्वरोगक्षयं चैव चन्दनं सर्वसिद्धिदम् सौगन्धिकं तथा धूपं सर्वकामार्थसाधकम्

Sandalwood removes all diseases and grants all attainments; fragrant incense likewise fulfills all desires and purposes.

श्वेतागरूद्भवं चैव तथा कृष्णागरूद्भवम् सौम्यं सीतारिधूपं च साक्षान्निर्वाणसिद्धिदम्

Incense made from white agaru and black agaru, as well as gentle sītārī incense, directly bestows the attainment of liberation.

श्वेतार्ककुसुमे साक्षाच् चतुर्वक्त्रः प्रजापतिः कर्णिकारस्य कुसुमे मेधा साक्षाद्व्यवस्थिता

In the white arka flower, Prajāpati, the four-faced creator, is present; in the flower of the karṇikāra, the goddess of wisdom herself abides.

करवीरे गणाध्यक्षो बके नारायणः स्वयम् सुगन्धिषु च सर्वेषु कुसुमेषु नगात्मजा

In the karavīra flower is Gaṇādhyakṣa; in the bakula, Nārāyaṇa himself; and in all fragrant flowers, the daughter of the mountain dwells.

तस्मादेतैर्यथालाभं पुष्पधूपादिभिः शुभैः पूजयेद्देवदेवेशं भक्त्या वित्तानुसारतः

Therefore, according to what is available, one should worship the Lord of gods with these auspicious flowers, incense, and the like, with devotion and according to one's means.

निवेदयेत्ततो भक्त्या पायसं च महाचरुम् सघृतं सोपदंशं च सर्वद्रव्यसमन्वितम्

Then, with devotion, one should offer sweet rice and great cooked food, with ghee and with portions, containing all kinds of ingredients.

शुद्धान्नं वापि मुद्गान्नम् आढकं चार्धकं तु वा चामरं तालवृन्तं च तस्मै भक्त्या निवेदयेत्

Or, pure rice or mung-bean rice, even half or a full measure, and a yak-tail fan and palm-leaf fan should be offered to him with devotion.