Linga Purana

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत् सर्वतो ऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् सर्वतः श्रुतिमल् लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति

That one has hands and feet everywhere, faces, heads, and mouths everywhere; with ears everywhere in the world, pervading all, he abides.

युक्तो योगेन चेशानं सर्वतश् च सनातनम् पुरुषं सर्वभूतानां तं विद्वान्न विमुह्यति

United with yoga, the wise one knows the Lord, eternal, everywhere, the Puruṣa of all beings, and is not deluded.

भूतात्मानं महात्मानं परमात्मानमव्ययम् सर्वात्मानं परं ब्रह्म तद्वै ध्याता न मुह्यति

He who meditates on the self of all beings, the great self, the imperishable supreme self, the all-self, the supreme Brahman, does not become deluded.

पवनो हि यथा ग्राह्यो विचरन्सर्वमूर्तिषु पुरि शेते सुदुर्ग्राह्यस् तस्मात्पुरुष उच्यते

Just as the wind, though present in all forms, is difficult to grasp and dwells within the body, so too is the person called 'puruṣa'—subtle and hard to comprehend.

अथ चेल्लुप्तधर्मा तु सावशेषैः स्वकर्मभिः ततस्तु ब्रह्मगर्भे वै शुक्रशोणितसंयुते

If, however, one departs with residual karma remaining, then, united with semen and blood, one enters the womb of Brahma.

स्त्रीपुंसोः संप्रयोगे हि जायते हि ततः प्रभुः ततस्तु गर्भकालेन कललं नाम जायते

Indeed, from the union of man and woman, the lord is born; then, in due time, what is called the 'kalala' (embryonic mass) arises.

कालेन कललं चापि बुद्बुदं सम्प्रजायते मृत्पिण्डस्तु यथा चक्रे चक्रावर्तेन पीडितः

In time, the kalala becomes a bubble, just as a lump of clay is shaped by the turning of a wheel.

हस्ताभ्यां क्रियमाणस्तु बिंबत्वमनुगच्छति एवमाध्यात्मिकैर्युक्ता वायुना संप्रपूरितः

When shaped by the hands, it takes the form of a sphere; thus, endowed with inner energies and filled by the vital wind, it develops.

यदि योनिं विमुञ्चामि तत्प्रपद्ये महेश्वरम् यावद्धि वैष्णवो वायुर् जातमात्रं न संस्पृशेत्

If I leave the womb, I will seek refuge in the great Lord; until the Vaiṣṇava wind touches the newborn, one should contemplate worshipping Mahādeva.

तावत्कालं महादेवम् अर्चयामीति चिन्तयेत् जायते मानुषस्तत्र यथारूपं यथावयः

For that duration, one should think, 'I will worship the great god'; then, a human is born there, according to form and age.

वायुः संभवते खात्तु वाताद्भवति वै जलम् जलात् सम्भवति प्राणः प्राणाच्छुक्रं विवर्धते

Wind arises from space, water is produced from wind, life arises from water, and from life, semen increases.

रक्तभागास् त्रयस्त्रिंशद् रेतोभागाश् चतुर्दश भागतो ऽर्धफलं कृत्वा ततो गर्भो निषिच्यते

There are thirty-three parts of blood and fourteen parts of semen; taking half of these together, the embryo is then formed.

ततस्तु गर्भसंयुक्तः पञ्चभिर् वायुभिर् वृतः पितुः शरीरात्प्रत्यङ्गं रूपमस्योपजायते

Then, united with the embryo and enveloped by the five winds, each limb of the body develops from the father's body.

ततो ऽस्य मातुराहारात् पीतलीढप्रवेशनात् नाभिदेशेन वै प्राणास् ते ह्य् आधारा हि देहिनाम्

Then, from the mother's food, through the intake of digested nourishment, the vital airs enter by way of the navel, for they are the supports of embodied beings.

नवमासात् परिक्लिष्टः संवेष्टितशिरोधरः वेष्टितः सर्वगात्रैश् च अपर्याप्तप्रवेशनः

After nine months, afflicted and with head and neck bent, with all limbs compressed, the being is unable to move freely.

नवमासोषितश्चापि योनिच्छिद्रादवाङ्मुखः ततः स्वकर्मभिः पापैर् निरयं सम्प्रपद्यते

Having dwelt for nine months, facing downward at the opening of the womb, by his own evil deeds he then attains hell.

असिपत्रवनं चैव शाल्मलिच्छेदनं तथा ताडनं भक्षणं चैव पूयशोणितभक्षणम्

He experiences the forest of sword-leaves, the cutting of the Śālmalī tree, beatings, and the eating of pus and blood.

यथा ह्यापस्तु संछिन्नाः संश्लेष्मम् उपयान्ति वै तथा छिन्नाश् च भिन्नाश्च यातनास्थानम् आगताः

Just as waters, when separated, again come together, so too those who are cut and broken reach the place of torment.

एवं जीवास्तु तैः पापैस् तप्यमानाः स्वयंकृतैः प्राप्नुयुः कर्मभिः शेषैर् दुःखं वा यदि वेतरत्

Thus, souls tormented by those self-made sins, by their remaining deeds, experience suffering or, if otherwise, something different.

एकेनैव तु गन्तव्यं सर्वमुत्सृज्य वै जनम् एकेनैव तु भोक्तव्यं तस्मात्सुकृतमाचरेत्

One must go alone, leaving behind all people; one must enjoy alone, therefore one should perform good deeds.

न ह्येनं प्रस्थितं कश्चिद् गच्छन्तम् अनुगच्छति यदनेन कृतं कर्म तदेनमनुगच्छति

For no one accompanies him who departs on his journey; only the karma he has performed follows him.

ते नित्यं यमविषयेषु सम्प्रवृत्ताः क्रोशन्तः सततमनिष्टसंप्रयोगैः शुष्यन्ते परिगतवेदनाः शरीरा बह्वीभिः सुभृशमनन्तयातनाभिः

They, constantly engaged in the realms of Yama, cry out incessantly, always afflicted by unwelcome associations; their bodies, surrounded by pain, wither under many severe and endless torments.

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा यदभीक्ष्णं निषेवते तदभ्यासो हरत्येनं तस्मात्कल्याणमाचरेत्

Whatever a person repeatedly practices through action, thought, or speech, that habit carries them away; therefore, one should perform what is virtuous.

अनादिमान्प्रबन्धः स्यात् पूर्वकर्मणि देहिनः संसारं तामसं घोरं षड्विधं प्रतिपद्यते

The chain of existence for the embodied being is without beginning, arising from previous actions; it enters the dreadful, dark cycle of transmigration in six forms.

मानुष्यात्पशुभावश् च पशुभावान् मृगो भवेत् मृगत्वात्पक्षिभावश् च तस्माच्चैव सरीसृपः

From human birth one attains the state of an animal; from being an animal, one becomes a beast; from being a beast, one becomes a bird, and from there, a reptile.

सरीसृपत्वाद्गच्छेद्वै स्थावरत्वं न संशयः स्थावरत्वे पुनः प्राप्ते यावद् उन्मिलते जनः

From being a reptile, one certainly attains the state of a plant—there is no doubt; upon reaching the plant state, one remains until a new birth arises.

कुलालचक्रवद्भ्रान्तस् तत्रैव परिवर्तते इत्येवं हि मनुष्यादिः संसारः स्थावरान्तिकः

Like a potter’s wheel, revolving endlessly, so too does the cycle of existence—from human to plant—turn again and again.

विज्ञेयस्तामसो नाम तत्रैव परिवर्तते सात्त्विकश्चापि संसारो ब्रह्मादिः परिकीर्तितः

This cycle, called tamasic, is to be understood as revolving in that way; the sattvic cycle, beginning with Brahma, is also described.

पिशाचान्तः स विज्ञेयः स्वर्गस्थानेषु देहिनाम् ब्राह्मे तु केवलं सत्त्वं स्थावरे केवलं तमः

The cycle ending with spirits is to be known as such among embodied beings in heavenly realms; in the Brahmic state, there is only sattva, and in the plant state, only tamas.