Linga Purana

ज्ञानस्यैवेह माहात्म्यं प्रसंगादिह शोभनम् एवं पाशुपतं योगं कथितं त्वीश्वरेण तु

Here, only the greatness of knowledge is auspicious by its connection; thus, the Pāśupata yoga has been taught to you by the Lord.

न देयं यस्य कस्यापि शिवोक्तं मुनिपुङ्गवाः दातव्यं योगिने नित्यं भस्मनिष्ठाय सुप्रियम्

O foremost of sages, what has been spoken by Śiva should not be given to just anyone; it is to be given only to a yogin who is ever devoted to ash and is truly dear.

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि संसारशमनं नरः स याति ब्रह्मसायुज्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Whoever recites or even hears this, which brings an end to worldly existence, that person attains union with Brahman—of this, there should be no doubt.

निशम्य ते महाप्राज्ञाः कुमाराद्याः पिनाकिनम् प्रोचुः प्रणम्य वै भीताः प्रसन्नं परमेश्वरम्

Having heard this, the wise ones—Kumāra and the others—approached the wielder of the bow, bowed in fear before the gracious Supreme Lord, and spoke.

एवं चेदनया देव्या हैमवत्या महेश्वर क्रीडसे विविधैर्भोगैः कथं वक्तुमिहार्हसि

O Great Lord, if you sport in such ways with this goddess, the daughter of Himavat, through various enjoyments, how are we to speak of this here?

एवमुक्तः प्रहस्येशः पिनाकी नीललोहितः प्राह ताम् अंबिकां प्रेक्ष्य प्रणिपत्य स्थितान् द्विजान्

Thus addressed, the Lord, blue-throated and bearing the bow, laughed and, looking at Ambikā and the twice-born standing after bowing, spoke.

बन्धमोक्षौ न चैवेह मम स्वेच्छा शरीरिणः अकर्तज्ञः पशुर्जीवो विभुर्भोक्ता ह्यणुः पुमान्

Bondage and liberation here are not at all according to my will for embodied beings; the soul is bound by ignorance, the individual is the experiencer, and the Supreme is the enjoyer—this is the distinction.

मायी च मायया बद्धः कर्मभिर् युज्यते तु सः ज्ञानं ध्यानं च बन्धश् च मोक्षो नास्त्यात्मनो द्विजाः

Bound by māyā, the soul is joined to actions; knowledge, meditation, bondage, and liberation do not truly belong to the Self, O twice-born.

यदैवं मयि विद्वान् यस् तस्यापि न च सर्वतः एषा विद्या ह्यहं वेद्यः प्रज्ञैषा च श्रुतिः स्मृतिः

When one knows me in this way, even for him it is not so in every respect; this is the knowledge—indeed, I am the one to be known—this is the wisdom, the Veda, and the tradition.

धृतिरेषा मया निष्ठा ज्ञानशक्तिः क्रिया तथा इच्छाख्या च तथा ह्याज्ञा द्वे विद्ये न च संशयः

This is steadfastness, my own state, the power of knowledge, and likewise action; so too is what is called will, and command—these two knowledges are without doubt.

न ह्येषा प्रकृतिर्जैवी विकृतिश् च विचारतः विकारो नैव मायैषा सदसद्व्यक्तिवर्जिता

This is not nature, nor is it a modification, upon reflection; this māyā is not a transformation, nor is it manifest or unmanifest.

पुरा ममाज्ञा मद्वक्त्रात् समुत्पन्ना सनातनी पञ्चवक्त्रा महाभागा जगतामभयप्रदा

Long ago, my eternal command arose from my mouth, five-faced and most glorious, granting fearlessness to the worlds.

तामाज्ञां सम्प्रविश्याहं चिन्तयन् जगतां हितम् सप्तविंशत्प्रकारेण सर्वं व्याप्यानया शिवः

Entering that command, contemplating the welfare of the worlds, I, Śiva, pervaded everything in twenty-seven ways through it.

तदाप्रभृति वै मोक्षप्रवृत्तिर्द्विजसत्तमाः एवमुक्त्वा तदापश्यद् भवानीं परमेश्वरः

From that time onward, O best of twice-born, the pursuit of liberation began; having spoken thus, the Supreme Lord beheld Bhavānī.

भवानी च तमालोक्य मायामहरदव्यया ते मायामलनिर्मुक्ता मुनयः प्रेक्ष्य पार्वतीम्

And Bhavānī, seeing him, removed the imperishable māyā; those sages, freed from the impurity of māyā, beheld Pārvatī.

प्रीता बभूवुर्मुक्ताश् च तस्मादेषा परा गतिः उमाशङ्करयोर्भेदो नास्त्येव परमार्थतः

They became pleased and liberated; therefore, this is the supreme state—there is truly no difference between Umā and Śaṅkara in the highest sense.

द्विधासौ रूपमास्थाय स्थित एव न संशयः यदा विद्वानसंगः स्याद् आज्ञया परमेष्ठिनः

Assuming this dual form, they remain—of this there is no doubt; when a wise one is unattached, it is by the command of the Supreme Lord.

तदा मुक्तिः क्षणादेव नान्यथा कर्मकोटिभिः क्रमो ऽविवक्षितो भूतविवृद्धः परमेष्ठिनः

Then, liberation comes instantly—not otherwise, even by millions of actions; the sequence is not intended by the Supreme Lord, who is the cause of all increase.

प्रसादेन क्षणान्मुक्तिः प्रतिज्ञैषा न संशयः गर्भस्थो जायमानो वा बालो वा तरुणो ऽपि वा

By grace, liberation comes in a moment—this is the promise, without doubt; whether in the womb, being born, a child, or even a youth.

वृद्धो वा मुच्यते जन्तुः प्रसादात्परमेष्ठिनः अण्डजश् चोद्भिज्जो वापि स्वेदजो वापि मुच्यते

Whether aged or not, a being is liberated by the grace of the Supreme Lord; whether born from an egg, from sprouting, or from moisture, all are freed.

प्रसादाद्देवदेवस्य नात्र कार्या विचारणा एष एव जगन्नाथो बन्धमोक्षकरः शिवः

By the grace of the God of gods, there is no need for further deliberation; this very Lord of the universe, Śiva, is the cause of both bondage and liberation.

भूर्भूवःस्वर्महश् चैव जनः साक्षात्तपः स्वयम् सत्यलोकस् तथाण्डानां कोटिकोटिशतानि च

The earth, the atmosphere, the heavens, the great realm, the world of progenitors, the realm of ascetics, the world of truth, and hundreds of millions of cosmic eggs—

विग्रहं देवदेवस्य तथाण्डावरणाष्टकम् सप्तद्वीपेषु सर्वेषु पर्वतेषु वनेषु च

—all these, together with the form of the God of gods, the eightfold cosmic coverings, all the seven continents, mountains, and forests—

समुद्रेषु च सर्वेषु वायुस्कन्धेषु सर्वतः तथान्येषु च लोकेषु वसन्ति च चराचराः

—and all the oceans, all the currents of air everywhere, and in all other worlds, both moving and unmoving beings dwell.

सर्वे भवांशजा नूनं गतिस्त्वेषां स एव वै सर्वो रुद्रो नमस्तस्मै पुरुषाय महात्मने

All are certainly born from Bhava; he alone is their refuge. All is Rudra—salutations to that great-souled Person.

विश्वं भूतं तथा जातं बहुधा रुद्र एव सः रुद्राज्ञैषा स्थिता देवी ह्य् अनया मुक्तिरंबिका

The entire universe, all beings, and all that has arisen in many forms—he is Rudra alone. By Rudra’s command, this goddess is established; through her, liberation is attained—she is Ambikā.

इत्येवं खेचराः सिद्धा जजल्पुः प्रीतमानसाः यदावलोक्य तान् सर्वान् प्रसादादनयांबिका

Thus, the Siddhas who move in the sky, their minds delighted, spoke together, having seen all those beings by the grace of this Ambikā.

तदा तिष्ठन्ति सायुज्यं प्राप्तास्ते खेचराः प्रभोः

Then, those sky-dwelling Siddhas, having attained union with the Lord, remain established.

केन योगेन वै सूत गुणप्राप्तिः सतामिह अणिमादिगुणोपेता भवन्त्येवेह योगिनः तत्सर्वं विस्तरात्सूत वक्तुमर्हसि सांप्रतम्

By what yoga, O Sūta, do the virtuous here attain the powers, endowed with the qualities such as aṇimā and others? You should now explain all this in detail.