Linga Purana

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.

वामदेवं ततो ब्रह्मा ब्रह्म वै समचिन्तयत् तथा स्तुतो महादेवो ब्रह्मणा परमेश्वरः

Then Brahmā contemplated Vāmadeva as Brahman; thus praised by Brahmā, the supreme Lord, Mahādeva, was worshipped.

प्रतीतहृदयः सर्व इदमाह पितामहम् ध्यायता पुत्रकामेन यस्मात्ते ऽहं पितामह

With his heart completely understood, he spoke to Pitāmaha: 'Because you, desiring sons, have meditated upon me, O Pitāmaha—'

दृष्टः परमया भक्त्या स्तुतश् च ब्रह्मपूर्वकम् तस्माद्ध्यानबलं प्राप्य कल्पे कल्पे प्रयत्नतः

'I have been seen with supreme devotion and praised in accordance with Brahman; therefore, by the power of meditation, you shall attain, in every kalpa, through effort—'

वेत्स्यसे मां प्रसंख्यातं लोकधातारमीश्वरम् ततस्तस्य महात्मानश् चत्वारस्ते कुमारकाः

'You will know me as the one counted, the Lord, the supporter of the worlds.' Then, from him, those four great-souled Kumāras were born.

संबभूवुर्महात्मानो विशुद्धा ब्रह्मवर्चसः विरजाश् च विबाहुश् च विशोको विश्वभावनः

They were born as great souls, pure, radiant with the brilliance of Brahman: Virajā, Vibāhu, Viśoka, and Viśvabhāvana.

ब्रह्मण्या ब्रह्मणस्तुल्या वीरा अध्यवसायिनः रक्तांबरधराः सर्वे रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनाः

Devoted to Brahman, equal to Brahmā, heroic and resolute, all wearing red garments, adorned with red garlands and unguents.

रक्तकुङ्कुमलिप्ताङ्गा रक्तभस्मानुलेपनाः ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते ब्रह्मत्वे ऽध्यवसायिनः

Their bodies smeared with red saffron and anointed with red ashes, at the end of a thousand years, they attain the state of Brahma.

गृणन्तश् च महात्मानो ब्रह्म तद्वामदैविकम् अनुग्रहार्थं लोकानां शिष्याणां हितकाम्यया

And those great souls praise that supreme, dual, divine Brahman, wishing for the welfare of the worlds and their disciples, out of compassion.

धर्मोपदेशमखिलं कृत्वा ते ब्रह्मणः प्रियाः पुनरेव महादेवं प्रविष्टा रुद्रमव्ययम्

Having imparted all the teachings of righteousness, those dear to Brahma again enter into the imperishable Rudra, the Great God.

ये ऽपि चान्ये द्विजश्रेष्ठा युञ्जाना वाममीश्वरम् प्रपश्यन्ति महादेवं तद्भक्तास् तत्परायणाः

And other excellent twice-born ones, who worship the left-sided Lord, see the Great God—devoted to him, they are dedicated to him.