Linga Purana

तन्माहात्म्यात् तदा लोकान् सदेवासुरमानुषान् वर्णान्वर्णविभागांश् च सर्वधर्मांश् च शोभनान्

By the greatness of that, at that time, the worlds with gods, demons, and humans, the castes and their divisions, and all the excellent dharmas came into being.

पूर्वकल्पसमुद्भूताञ् छ्रुतवन्तो यथा पुरा पञ्चाक्षरप्रभावाच्च लोका वेदा महर्षयः

Just as in former ages the worlds, the Vedas, and the great sages arose from previous cycles, so too have they heard, through the power of the five-syllabled mantra.

तिष्ठन्ति शाश्वता धर्मा देवाः सर्वमिदं जगत् तद् इदानीं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु चावहिताखिलम्

The eternal dharmas, the gods, and this entire universe remain; now I shall explain this—listen with full attention to all of it.

अल्पाक्षरं महार्थं च वेदसारं विमुक्तिदम् आज्ञासिद्धमसंदिग्धं वाक्यमेतच्छिवात्मकम्

This statement, concise in syllables yet vast in meaning, is the essence of the Veda, bestowing liberation, established by command, free from doubt, and of the nature of Shiva.

नानासिद्धियुतं दिव्यं लोकचित्तानुरञ्जकम् सुनिश्चितार्थं गंभीरं वाक्यं मे पारमेश्वरम्

Endowed with various perfections, divine, pleasing to the minds of beings, of certain meaning and profound—such is my supreme utterance.

मन्त्रं मुखसुखोच्चार्यम् अशेषार्थप्रसाधकम् तद्बीजं सर्वविद्यानां मन्त्रमाद्यं सुशोभनम्

The mantra, easily pronounced, accomplishes all purposes; it is the seed of all knowledge, the foremost and most beautiful of mantras.

अतिसूक्ष्मं महार्थं च ज्ञेयं तद्वटबीजवत् वेदः स त्रिगुणातीतः सर्वज्ञः सर्वकृत्प्रभुः

Extremely subtle yet of great import, to be known like the seed of the banyan tree; that Veda transcends the three gunas, is all-knowing, and the lord of all actions.

ओमित्येकाक्षरं मन्त्रं स्थितः सर्वगतः शिवः मन्त्रे षडक्षरे सूक्ष्मे पञ्चाक्षरतनुः शिवः

The one-syllabled mantra 'Om' is Shiva, present everywhere; in the subtle six-syllabled mantra, Shiva abides as the five-syllabled form.

वाच्यवाचकभावेन स्थितः साक्षात्स्वभावतः वाच्यः शिवः प्रमेयत्वान् मन्त्रस्तद्वाचकः स्मृतः

Abiding as both the signified and the signifier, directly by his own nature, Shiva is the signified because he is the object of knowledge, and the mantra is called the signifier.

वाच्यवाचकभावो ऽयम् अनादिः संस्थितस्तयोः वेदे शिवागमे वापि यत्र यत्र षडक्षरः

This relationship of signified and signifier is beginningless and established between the two, whether in the Veda or in the Shaiva scriptures, wherever the six-syllabled mantra is found.

मन्त्रः स्थितः सदा मुख्यो लोके पञ्चाक्षरो मतः किं तस्य बहुभिर् मन्त्रैः शास्त्रैर्वा बहुविस्तृतैः

The mantra always stands as the principal one; in the world, the five-syllabled mantra is considered foremost. What need is there for many mantras or for scriptures with much elaboration?

यस्यैवं हृदि संस्थो ऽयं मन्त्रः स्यात्पारमेश्वरः तेनाधीतं श्रुतं तेन तेन सर्वमनुष्ठितम्

For one in whose heart this supreme mantra abides, whatever is studied, heard, or practiced by him—all is accomplished.

यो विद्वान्वै जपेत्सम्यग् अधीत्यैव विधानतः एतावद्धि शिवज्ञानम् एतावत्परमं पदम्

Whoever, being learned, recites it properly after studying according to the rule—this alone is knowledge of Shiva, this alone is the supreme state.

एतावद् ब्रह्मविद्या च तस्मान्नित्यं जपेद्बुधः पञ्चाक्षरैः सप्रणवो मन्त्रो ऽयं हृदयं मम

This alone is Brahma-knowledge; therefore, the wise should always recite the five-syllabled mantra with the praṇava—this is my heart.

गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं साक्षान् मोक्षज्ञानम् अनुत्तमम् अस्य मन्त्रस्य वक्ष्यामि ऋषिच्छन्दो ऽधिदैवतम्

I shall explain the most secret, direct, unsurpassed knowledge of liberation, more secret than the secret, regarding this mantra—its seer, meter, and presiding deity.

बीजं शक्तिं स्वरं वर्णं स्थानं चैवाक्षरं प्रति वामदेवो नाम ऋषिः पङ्क्तिश्छन्द उदाहृतः

The seed, the power, the tone, the letter, the place for each syllable—Vamadeva is the seer, Paṅkti is the meter, as declared.

देवता शिव एवाहं मन्त्रस्यास्य वरानने नकारादीनि बीजानि पञ्चभूतात्मकानि च

O beautiful-faced one, I myself am Shiva, the deity of this mantra; the syllables beginning with 'na' are the seeds, and they are of the nature of the five elements.

आत्मानं प्रणवं विद्धि सर्वव्यापिनमव्ययम् शक्तिस्त्वमेव देवेशि सर्वदेवनमस्कृते

Know the praṇava as the Self, all-pervading and imperishable; and you, O goddess, revered by all the gods, are indeed the power.

त्वदीयं प्रणवं किंचिन् मदीयं प्रणवं तथा त्वदीयं देवि मन्त्राणां शक्तिभूतं न संशयः

Your praṇava is one thing, mine is another; your praṇava, O goddess, is the source of the mantras—of this there is no doubt.

अकारोकारमकारा मदीये प्रणवे स्थिताः उकारं च मकारं च अकारं च क्रमेण वै

The vowels 'a', 'ā', and 'ma' are established in my praṇava; 'u', 'ma', and 'a' are indeed in order.

त्वदीयं प्रणवं विद्धि त्रिमात्रं प्लुतमुत्तमम् ओङ्कारस्य स्वरोदात्त ऋषिर्ब्रह्म सितं वपुः

Know your praṇava as the supreme, triple-measured, and prolonged; the sage of oṃkāra is Brahma, and its form is white.

छन्दो देवी च गायत्री परमात्माधिदेवता उदात्तः प्रथमस्तद्वच् चतुर्थश् च द्वितीयकः

The meter is the goddess Gāyatrī, the supreme soul is the presiding deity; the first and fourth are udātta, and the second likewise.

पञ्चमः स्वरितश्चैव मध्यमो निषधः स्मृताः नकारः पीतवर्णश् च स्थानं पूर्वमुखं स्मृतम्

The fifth is svarita, the middle is called niṣadha; the letter 'na' is yellow in color, and its place is considered to be facing east.

इन्द्रो ऽधिदैवतं छन्दो गायत्री गौतम ऋषिः मकारः कृष्णवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं वै दक्षिणामुखम्

Indra is the presiding deity, the meter is Gāyatrī, Gautama is the sage; the letter 'ma' is black in color, and its place is to the south.

छन्दो ऽनुष्टुप् ऋषिश्चात्री रुद्रो दैवतमुच्यते शिकारो धूम्रवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं वै पश्चिमं मुखम्

The meter is Anuṣṭup, the sage is Atri, Rudra is said to be the deity; the letter 'śi' is smoky in color, and its place is to the west.

विश्वामित्र ऋषिस्त्रिष्टुप् छन्दो विष्णुस्तु दैवतम् वाकारो हेमवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं चैवोत्तरं मुखम्

Viśvāmitra is the sage, Triṣṭup is the meter, Viṣṇu is the deity; the letter 'va' is golden in color, and its place is to the north.

ब्रह्माधिदैवतं छन्दो बृहती चाङ्गिरा ऋषिः यकारो रक्तवर्णश् च स्थानम् ऊर्ध्वं मुखं विराट्

Brahmā is the presiding deity, Bṛhatī is the meter, Aṅgirā is the sage; the letter 'ya' is red in color, and its place is upward, the Virāṭ.

छन्द ऋषिर्भरद्वाजः स्कन्दो दैवतमुच्यते न्यासमस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वसिद्धिकरं शुभम्

The meter is Ṛṣi, Bharadvāja is the sage, Skanda is said to be the deity; I will declare its nyāsa, which bestows all accomplishments and is auspicious.

सर्वपापहरं चैव त्रिविधो न्यास उच्यते उत्पत्तिस्थितिसंहारभेदतस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः

It is said that the threefold nyāsa removes all sins; it is remembered as threefold according to creation, maintenance, and dissolution.