Linga Purana

तपसा विद्यया वापि योगेनेह वद प्रभो निशम्य वचनं तस्यास् तथा ह्यालोक्य पार्वतीम्

Is it through austerity, knowledge, or yoga here? Tell me, O Lord, having heard her words and thus looking upon Parvati.

आह बालेन्दुतिलकः पूर्णेन्दुवदनां हसन् स्मृत्वाथ मेनया पत्न्या गिरेर्गां कथितां पुरा

He, marked with the crescent moon and having a face like the full moon, smiling, remembered the story once told by Menā, wife of the mountain.

चिरकालस्थितिं प्रेक्ष्य गिरौ देव्या महात्मनः देवि लब्धा पुरी रम्या त्वया यत्प्रष्टुमर्हसि

Seeing the long-standing presence on the mountain of the great-souled goddess, O Devi, you have obtained this delightful city; you are worthy to ask about it.

स्थानार्थं कथितं मात्रा विस्मृतेह विलासिनि पुरा पितामहेनापि पृष्टः प्रश्नवतां वरे

For the sake of the place, it was told by the mother, forgotten here, O playful one; formerly, even Pitamaha asked, being foremost among questioners.

यथा त्वयाद्य वै पृष्टो द्रष्टुं ब्रह्मात्मकं त्वहम् श्वेते श्वेतेन वर्णेन दृष्ट्वा कल्पे तु मां शुभे

Just as you now ask me to see the Brahman-essence, O pure one, in the Kalpa, Brahma saw me, white in color, with a white form.

सद्योजातं तथा रक्ते रक्तं वामं पितामहः पीते तत्पुरुषं पीतम् अघोरे कृष्णमीश्वरम्

Sadyōjāta appeared in white, Vāmadeva in red, Pitamaha saw Tatpuruṣa in yellow, and Aghora, the Lord, in black.

ईशानं विश्वरूपाख्यो विश्वरूपं तदाह माम्

Īśāna, called the universal form, then spoke of me as the universal form.

वाम तत्पुरुषाघोर सद्योजात महेश्वर दृष्टो मया त्वं गायत्र्या देवदेव महेश्वर केन वश्यो महादेव ध्येयः कुत्र घृणानिधे

Vāmadeva, Tatpuruṣa, Aghora, Sadyōjāta, Maheshvara—by Gayatri I was seen by you, O god of gods, Maheshvara. By what means is Mahadeva made subject, meditated upon, and where, O source of radiance?

दृश्यः पूज्यस् तथा देव्या वक्तुमर्हसि शङ्कर अवोचं श्रद्धयैवेति वश्यो वारिजसंभव

He is to be seen and worshipped; thus, O Devi, you should speak, O Shankara. I said: Only by faith is he made subject, O lotus-born.

ध्येयो लिङ्गे त्वया दृष्टे विष्णुना पयसां निधौ पूज्यः पञ्चास्यरूपेण पवित्रैः पञ्चभिर्द्विजैः

He is to be meditated upon in the linga, seen by Vishnu in the ocean of waters, worshipped in the five-faced form by five pure Brahmins.

भव भक्त्याद्य दृष्टो ऽहं त्वयाण्डज जगद्गुरो सो ऽपि मामाह भावार्थं दत्तं तस्मै मया पुरा

I was seen by you today through devotion, O egg-born, teacher of the world. He also spoke to me, and formerly I gave him the meaning of devotion.

भावं भावेन देवेशि दृष्टवान्मां हृदीश्वरम् तस्मात्तु श्रद्धया वश्यो दृश्यः श्रेष्ठगिरेः सुते

With devotion, O goddess of the gods, he saw me as the Lord in the heart. Therefore, by faith one is made subject and seen, O daughter of the supreme mountain.

पूज्यो लिङ्गे न संदेहः सर्वदा श्रद्धया द्विजैः श्रद्धा धर्मः परः सूक्ष्मः श्रद्धा ज्ञानं हुतं तपः

He is always to be worshipped in the linga, without doubt, by Brahmins with faith. Faith is the highest, subtle dharma; faith is knowledge, offering, and austerity.

श्रद्धा स्वर्गश् च मोक्षश् च दृश्यो ऽहं श्रद्धया सदा

Faith is heaven and liberation; I am always seen by faith.

कथं वै दृष्टवान्ब्रह्मा सद्योजातं महेश्वरम् वामदेवं महात्मानं पुराणपुरुषोत्तमम्

How did Brahma see Sadyōjāta, Maheshvara, Vāmadeva, the great-souled, ancient supreme person?

अघोरं च तथेशानं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि एकोनत्रिंशकः कल्पो विज्ञेयः श्वेतलोहितः

And Aghora and Īśāna as well—tell me properly. The twenty-ninth Kalpa is to be known as Śvetalohita.

तस्मिंस्तत्परमं ध्यानं ध्यायतो ब्रह्मणस्तदा उत्पन्नस्तु शिखायुक्तः कुमारः श्वेतलोहितः

In that, as Brahma was meditating on the supreme meditation, then arose Kumara, Śvetalohita, adorned with a crest.

तं दृष्ट्वा पुरुषं श्रीमान् ब्रह्मा वै विश्वतोमुखः हृदि कृत्वा महात्मानं ब्रह्मरूपिणमीश्वरम्

Seeing that illustrious Person, Brahmā, the all-faced, placed in his heart the great soul, the Lord in the form of Brahman.

सद्योजातं ततो ब्रह्मा ध्यानयोगपरो ऽभवत् ध्यानयोगात्परं ज्ञात्वा ववन्दे देवमीश्वरम्

Then Brahmā became absorbed in meditation upon Sadyojāta; having realized the supreme through meditative yoga, he worshipped the god, the Lord.

सद्योजातं ततो ब्रह्म ब्रह्म वै समचिन्तयत् ततो ऽस्य पार्श्वतः श्वेताः प्रादुर्भूता महायशाः

Then Brahmā contemplated Sadyojāta as Brahman; from this, at his side, appeared the renowned white ones.

सुनन्दो नन्दनश्चैव विश्वनन्दोपनन्दनौ शिष्यास्ते वै महात्मानो यैस्तद्ब्रह्म सदावृतम्

Sunanda and Nandana, along with Viśvananda and Upanandana, these disciples, great souls, always surround that Brahman.

तस्याग्रे श्वेतवर्णाभः श्वेतो नाम महामुनिः विजज्ञे ऽथ महातेजास् तस्माज्जज्ञे हरस्त्वसौ

Before him, shining with a white hue, the great sage named Śveta was born; then from him was born Hara, of great brilliance.

तत्र ते मुनयः सर्वे सद्योजातं महेश्वरम् प्रपन्नाः परया भक्त्या गृणन्तो ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्

There, all those sages, with supreme devotion, took refuge in Sadyojāta Maheśvara, praising the eternal Brahman.

तस्माद्विश्वेश्वरं देवं ये प्रपद्यन्ति वै द्विजाः प्राणायामपरा भूत्वा ब्रह्मतत्परमानसाः

Therefore, those twice-born who take refuge in the god, Lord of the universe, having become devoted to breath-control and with minds fixed on Brahman—

ते सर्वे पापनिर्मुक्ता विमला ब्रह्मवर्चसः विष्णुलोकमतिक्रम्य रुद्रलोकं व्रजन्ति ते

All of them, freed from sin, pure, and radiant with the brilliance of Brahman, surpass Viṣṇu's world and attain Rudra's realm.

ततस्त्रिंशत्तमः कल्पो रक्तो नाम प्रकीर्तितः ब्रह्मा यत्र महातेजा रक्तवर्णमधारयत्

Then the thirty-third kalpa, called Rakta, is proclaimed, in which Brahmā, of great brilliance, assumed a red form.

ध्यायतः पुत्रकामस्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः प्रादुर्भूतो महातेजाः कुमारो रक्तभूषणः

As Brahmā, the supreme lord, meditated desiring a son, there appeared a radiant Kumāra adorned in red.

रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरो रक्तनेत्रः प्रतापवान् स तं दृष्ट्वा महात्मानं कुमारं रक्तवाससम्

Wearing red garlands and garments, with red eyes and full of splendour, he saw that great-souled Kumāra clad in red.

परं ध्यानं समाश्रित्य बुबुधे देवमीश्वरम् स तं प्रणम्य भगवान् ब्रह्मा परमयन्त्रितः

Relying on supreme meditation, he realized the god, the Lord; bowing to him, the venerable Brahmā, greatly restrained, paid homage.