Linga Purana

इन्द्रियाणि मनश्चित्तबुद्ध्यहङ्कारसंज्ञितम् तथा सर्वमयं चैव आत्मस्था ख्यातिरेव च

The senses, mind, thought, intellect, and what is called ego, as well as that which is all-pervading, established in the self, and known as perception.

संयोग एव त्रिविधः सूक्ष्मेष्वेव प्रवर्तते पुनरष्टगुणश्चापि सूक्ष्मेष्वेव विधीयते

The union is threefold and occurs only in the subtle; and the eightfold division is also established only in the subtle.

तस्य रूपं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथाह भगवान्प्रभुः त्रैलोक्ये सर्वभूतेषु यथास्य नियमः स्मृतः

I will describe its form, as the Blessed Lord has spoken—how its regulation is regarded among all beings in the three worlds.

अणिमाद्यं तथाव्यक्तं सर्वत्रैव प्रतिष्ठितम् त्रैलोक्ये सर्वभूतानां दुष्प्राप्यं समुदाहृतम्

Beginning with aṇimā and so on, the unmanifest is established everywhere; among all beings in the three worlds, it is said to be difficult to attain.

तत् तस्य भवति प्राप्यं प्रथमं योगिनां बलम् लङ्घनं प्लवनं लोके रूपमस्य सदा भवेत्

That becomes attainable for them; the first power of yogis is the ability to leap and move in the world—this is always its form.

शीघ्रत्वं सर्वभूतेषु द्वितीयं तु पदं स्मृतम् त्रैलोक्ये सर्वभूतानां महिम्ना चैव वन्दितम्

Swiftness among all beings is considered the second stage; in the three worlds, it is honored by all beings for its greatness.

महित्वं चापि लोके ऽस्मिंस् तृतीयो योग उच्यते त्रैलोक्ये सर्वभूतेषु यथेष्टगमनं स्मृतम्

Greatness in this world is called the third yoga; in the three worlds, it is known as going wherever one wishes among all beings.

प्राकामान् विषयान् भुङ्क्ते तथाप्रतिहतः क्वचित् त्रैलोक्ये सर्वभूतानां सुखदुःखं प्रवर्तते

He enjoys objects at will, unobstructed anywhere; in the three worlds, pleasure and pain arise for all beings.

ईशो भवति सर्वत्र प्रविभागेन योगवित् वश्यानि चास्य भूतानि त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे

He becomes the lord everywhere, the knower of yoga by distinction; all beings in the three worlds, moving and unmoving, are subject to him.

इच्छया तस्य रूपाणि भवन्ति न भवन्ति च यत्र कामावसायित्वं त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे

By his will, forms come into being or do not; wherever desire is fulfilled at will, in the three worlds, among moving and unmoving beings.

शब्दः स्पर्शो रसो गन्धो रूपं चैव मनस् तथा प्रवर्तन्ते ऽस्य चेच्छातो न भवन्ति यथेच्छया

Sound, touch, taste, smell, form, and likewise mind—these arise according to his wish, or do not, as he desires.

न जायते न म्रियते छिद्यते न च भिद्यते न दह्यते न मुह्येत लीयते न च लिप्यते

He is not born, nor does he die; he is not cut, nor is he split; he is not burned, nor does he become deluded; he is not dissolved, nor is he stained.

न क्षीयते न क्षरति खिद्यते न कदाचन क्रियते वा न सर्वत्र तथा विक्रियते न च

He is not diminished, nor does he decay; he is never afflicted; he is not made, nor is he transformed everywhere in that way.

अगन्धरसरूपस्तु अस्पर्शः शब्दवर्जितः अवर्णो ह्यस्वरश् चैव असवर्णस्तु कर्हिचित्

He is without smell, taste, or form; without touch, devoid of sound; without color, without tone, and sometimes without any characteristic.

स भुङ्क्ते विषयांश्चैव विषयैर्न च युज्यते अणुत्वात्तु परः सूक्ष्मः सूक्ष्मत्वाद् अपवर्गिकः

He enjoys the objects, yet is not bound by them; being subtler than the subtle, he is supreme; because of subtlety, he is liberating.

व्यापकस्त्वपवर्गाच्च व्यापकात्पुरुषः स्मृतः पुरुषः सूक्ष्मभावात्तु ऐश्वर्ये परमे स्थितः

Because it is all-pervading and leads to liberation, the all-pervading one is called the Puruṣa; due to its subtle nature, the Puruṣa abides in supreme sovereignty.

गुणोत्तरमथैश्वर्ये सर्वतः सूक्ष्ममुच्यते ऐश्वर्यं चाप्रतीघातं प्राप्य योगमनुत्तमम्

Transcending the qualities and in sovereignty, it is called the most subtle everywhere; attaining sovereignty that is unobstructed, one attains the highest yoga.

अपवर्गं ततो गच्छेत् सूक्ष्मं तत्परमं पदम् एवं पाशुपतं योगं ज्ञातव्यं मुनिपुङ्गवाः

From there, one proceeds to liberation, to that subtle, supreme state; thus, O best of sages, the Pāśupata yoga is to be known.

स्वर्गापवर्गफलदं शिवसायुज्यकारणम् अथवा गतविज्ञानो रागात्कर्म समाचरेत्

It yields the fruits of heaven and liberation, and is the cause of union with Śiva; or, if one acts out of passion, having attained knowledge of the path, one performs actions.

राजसं तामसं वापि भुक्त्वा तत्रैव मुच्यते तथा सुकृतकर्मा तु फलं स्वर्गे समश्नुते

Having experienced actions born of passion or darkness, one is released there itself; likewise, one who has performed virtuous deeds enjoys the fruit in heaven.

तस्मात्स्थानात्पुनः श्रेष्ठो मानुष्यमुपपद्यते तस्माद्ब्रह्म परं सौख्यं ब्रह्म शाश्वतम् उत्तमम्

From that place, the best is again reborn as a human; from there, one attains the supreme bliss of Brahman, the eternal and highest Brahman.

ब्रह्म एव हि सेवेत ब्रह्मैव हि परं सुखम् परिश्रमो हि यज्ञानां महतार्थेन वर्तते

Indeed, one should serve Brahman alone, for Brahman is the highest happiness; the effort of great sacrifices is truly for this purpose.

भूयो मृत्युवशं याति तस्मान्मोक्षः परं सुखम् अथवा ध्यानसंयुक्तो ब्रह्मतत्त्वपरायणः

Again one falls under the power of death; therefore, liberation is the highest happiness; or, being joined with meditation, devoted to the truth of Brahman—

न तु च्यावयितुं शक्यो मन्वन्तरशतैरपि दृष्ट्वा तु पुरुषं दिव्यं विश्वाख्यं विश्वतोमुखम्

He cannot be shaken even by hundreds of aeons; having seen the divine Puruṣa, called Viśva, facing all directions—

विश्वपादशिरोग्रीवं विश्वेशं विश्वरूपिणम् विश्वगन्धं विश्वमाल्यं विश्वांबरधरं प्रभुम्

With the universe as his feet, head, and neck, the Lord of the universe, of universal form, with universal fragrance, universal garland, the Lord clothed in the universe—

गोभिर् महीं संपतते पतत्रिणो नैवं भूयो जनयत्येवमेव कविं पुराणम् अनुशासितारं सूक्ष्माच्च सूक्ष्मं महतो महान्तम्

He moves the earth with cows, and birds do not generate again in this way; thus is the ancient sage, the ruler, subtler than the subtle, greater than the great.

योगेन पश्येन्न च चक्षुषा पुनर् निरिन्द्रियं पुरुषं रुक्मवर्णम् अलिङ्गिनं निर्गुणं चेतनं च नित्यं सदा सर्वगं सर्वसारम्

He is to be seen by yoga, not by the eye; again, the sense-transcending Puruṣa, golden-hued, without mark, qualityless, conscious, eternal, always, all-pervading, the essence of all.

अपाणिपादोदरपार्श्वजिह्वो ह्यतीन्द्रियो वापि सुसूक्ष्म एकः

Without hands, feet, belly, sides, or tongue, indeed, he is beyond the senses, extremely subtle, and one alone.

स वेद सर्वं न च सर्ववेद्यं तमाहुरग्र्यं पुरुषं महान्तम्

He knows all, but is not known by all; they call him the foremost, the great Puruṣa.