Linga Purana

कन्यार्थी लभते कन्यां जयकामो जयं लभेत् अर्थकामो लभेदर्थं पुत्रकामो बहून् सुतान्

One who desires a bride obtains a bride; one who seeks victory attains victory; one who desires wealth gains wealth; one who wishes for sons obtains many sons.

विद्यार्थी लभते विद्यां भोगार्थी भोगमाप्नुयात् यान्यान्प्रार्थयते कामान् मानवः श्रवणादिह

One who seeks knowledge attains knowledge; one who desires enjoyment obtains enjoyment; whatever other desires a person has, by hearing or reciting here, he attains them.

तान्सर्वान् शीघ्रमाप्नोति देवानां च प्रियो भवेत् पठ्यमानमिदं पुण्यं यमुद्दिश्य तु पठ्यते

He quickly obtains all those desires and becomes dear to the gods, when this meritorious hymn is recited with a specific intention.

तस्य रोगा न बाधन्ते वातपित्तादिसंभवाः नाकाले मरणं तस्य न सर्पैरपि दश्यते

Diseases arising from wind, bile, and the like do not afflict him; he does not die untimely, nor is he bitten even by serpents.

यत्पुण्यं चैव तीर्थानां यज्ञानां चैव यत्फलम् दानानां चैव यत्पुण्यं व्रतानां च विशेषतः

Whatever merit comes from pilgrimages, whatever fruit comes from sacrifices, whatever merit comes from gifts, and especially from vows—

तत्पुण्यं कोटिगुणितं जप्त्वा चाप्नोति मानवः गोघ्नश्चैव कृतघ्नश् च वीरहा ब्रह्महा भवेत्

That merit, multiplied a crore-fold, a person obtains by reciting; even a slayer of cows, an ungrateful one, a hero-slayer, or a Brahmin-killer is purified.

शरणागतघाती च मित्रविश्वासघातकः दुष्टः पापसमाचारो मातृहा पितृहा तथा

One who kills a refugee, betrays a friend’s trust, acts wickedly and sinfully, or kills mother or father—

व्यपोह्य सर्वपापानि शिवलोके महीयते

Having cast off all sins, he is honored in the world of Shiva.

व्यपोहनस्तवं पुण्यं श्रुतमस्माभिर् आदरात् प्रसंगाल्लिङ्गदानस्य व्रतान्यपि वदस्व नः

We have attentively heard this meritorious hymn of dispelling; now, in connection with the giving of the liṅga, please tell us also about the vows.

व्रतानि वः प्रवक्ष्यामि शुभानि मुनिसत्तमाः नन्दिना कथितानीह ब्रह्मपुत्राय धीमते

I shall declare to you the auspicious vows, O best of sages, as told here by Nandin to the wise son of Brahma.

तानि व्यासादुपश्रुत्य युष्माकं प्रवदाम्यहम् अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां पक्षयोरुभयोरपि

Having heard them from Vyasa, I shall relate them to you; on the eighth and fourteenth days of both lunar fortnights—

वर्षमेकं तु भुञ्जानो नक्तं यः पूजयेच्छिवम् सर्वयज्ञफलं प्राप्य स याति परमां गतिम्

Whoever, eating only at night for one year, worships Shiva on those days, attains the fruit of all sacrifices and reaches the supreme state.

पृथिवीं भाजनं कृत्वा भुक्त्वा पर्वसु मानवः अहोरात्रेण चैकेन त्रिरात्रफलमश्नुते

By making the earth a vessel and eating on festival days, a person attains in one day and night the fruit of a three-night vow.

द्वयोर् मासस्य पञ्चम्योर् द्वयोः प्रतिपदोर्नरः क्षीरधाराव्रतं कुर्यात् सो ऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

On the fifth day of both lunar months and on the first day of both fortnights, a man should perform the milk-stream vow and obtains the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice.

कृष्णाष्टम्यां तु नक्तेन यावत्कृष्णचतुर्दशी भुञ्जन्भोगानवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोकं च गच्छति

On the dark eighth, by eating only at night until the dark fourteenth, one attains enjoyments and goes to the world of Brahma.

यो ऽब्दमेकं प्रकुर्वीत नक्तं पर्वसु पर्वसु ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोधः शिवध्यानपरायणः

Whoever performs for a year, eating only at night on each festival, remaining celibate, self-controlled, and devoted to meditation on Shiva—

संवत्सरान्ते विप्रेन्द्रान् भोजयेद्विधिपूर्वकम् स याति शाङ्करं लोकं नात्र कार्या विचारणा

At the end of the year, feeding foremost Brahmins according to rule, he attains the world of Shankara; there is no doubt about this.

उपवासात् परं भैक्ष्यं भैक्ष्यात् परम् अयाचितम् अयाचितात् परं नक्तं तस्मान् नक्तेन वर्तयेत्

Fasting is superior to alms-food; alms-food is superior to food not begged; food not begged is surpassed by eating only at night; therefore, one should live by eating at night.

देवैर्भुक्तं तु पूर्वाह्णे मध्याह्ने ऋषिभिस् तथा अपराह्णे च पितृभिः संध्यायां गुह्यकादिभिः

Food is consumed by the gods in the forenoon, by the seers at midday, by the ancestors in the afternoon, and by beings like the Guhyakas at twilight.

सर्ववेलामतिक्रम्य नक्तभोजनमुत्तमम् हविष्यभोजनं स्नानं सत्यमाहारलाघवम्

Surpassing all times, eating at night is best; eating sacrificial food, bathing, truthfulness, and moderation in food are to be observed.

अग्निकार्यमधःशय्यां नक्तभोजी समाचरेत् प्रतिमासं प्रवक्ष्यामि शिवव्रतमनुत्तमम्

One who eats at night should perform fire rituals and sleep on the ground; I will now describe, month by month, the supreme vow of Shiva.

धर्मकामार्थमोक्षार्थं सर्वपापविशुद्धये पुष्यमासे च सम्पूज्य यः कुर्यान्नक्तभोजनम्

For the sake of righteousness, desire, wealth, and liberation, and for the purification from all sins, whoever worships in the month of Puṣya and observes night-eating—

सत्यवादी जितक्रोधः शालिगोधूमगोरसैः पक्षयोरष्टमीं यत्नाद् उपवासेन वर्तयेत्

Speaking truth, controlling anger, subsisting on rice, wheat, and cow's milk, one should carefully observe fasting on the eighth day of both lunar fortnights.

भूमिशय्यां च मासान्ते पौर्णमास्यां घृतादिभिः स्नाप्य रुद्रं महादेवं सम्पूज्य विधिपूर्वकम्

At the end of the month, on the full moon, having bathed Rudra, the great god, with ghee and the like, and worshipped him according to the rite, one should sleep on the ground.

यावकं चौदनं दत्त्वा सक्षीरं सघृतं द्विजाः भोजयेद् ब्राह्मणाञ्शिष्टाञ् जपेच्छान्तिं विशेषतः

Giving barley and cooked rice with milk and ghee, one should feed worthy Brahmins and especially recite the Śānti hymn.

तथा गोमिथुनं चैव कपिलं विनिवेदयेत् भवाय देवदेवाय शिवाय परमेष्ठिने

Likewise, one should offer a tawny cow and calf to Shiva, the god of gods, the supreme lord, for the sake of well-being.

स याति मुनिशार्दूल वाह्नेयं लोकमुत्तमम् भुक्त्वा स विपुलान् लोकान् तत्रैव स विमुच्यते

O best of sages, he attains the excellent world of Vāhneyas; having enjoyed vast worlds there, he is liberated there itself.

माघमासे तु सम्पूज्य यः कुर्यान् नक्तभोजनम् कृशरं घृतसंयुक्तं भुञ्जानः संयतेन्द्रियः

In the month of Māgha, whoever worships and observes night-eating, eating rice porridge mixed with ghee, with controlled senses—

सोपवासं चतुर्दश्यां भवेदुभयपक्षयोः रुद्राय पौर्णमास्यां तु दद्याद्वै घृतकम्बलम्

Fasting on the fourteenth day in both lunar fortnights, one should, on the full moon, give a ghee-soaked blanket to Rudra.