Linga Purana

येन केनापि वा देहं संत्यजेन् मुच्यते नरः श्रीपर्वते वा विप्रेन्द्राः संत्यजेत्स्वतनुं नरः

By whatever means a man gives up his body, he is liberated; O best of Brāhmaṇas, if he gives up his body at Śrīparvata, too.

स याति शिवसायुज्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा अविमुक्तं परं क्षेत्रं जन्तूनां मुक्तिदं सदा

He attains union with Śiva—on this there should be no doubt; Avimukta is the supreme field, always granting liberation to beings.

सेवेत सततं धीमान् विशेषान्मरणान्तिके

The wise should always serve it, especially at the approach of death.

एवं वाराणसी पुण्या यदि सूत महामते वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं तत्प्रभावं हि सांप्रतम्

Thus, O wise Sūta, if Vārāṇasī is so holy, you ought now to tell us of its power.

क्षेत्रस्यास्य च माहात्म्यम् अविमुक्तस्य शोभनम् विस्तरेण यथान्यायं श्रोतुं कौतूहलं हि नः

We are eager to hear, in detail and according to tradition, the splendid greatness of this field, Avimukta.

वक्ष्ये संक्षेपतः सम्यक् वाराणस्याः सुशोभनम् अविमुक्तस्य माहात्म्यं यथाह भगवान् भवः

I shall properly recount, in brief, the glorious greatness of Avimukta at Vārāṇasī, as spoken by the blessed Lord Bhava.

विस्तरेण मया वक्तुं ब्रह्मणा च महात्मना शक्यते नैव विप्रेन्द्रा वर्षकोटिशतैरपि

Even in hundreds of millions of years, O best of Brāhmins, neither I nor the great-souled Brahmā could fully describe it in detail.

देवः पुरा कृतोद्वाहः शङ्करो नीललोहितः हिमवच्छिखराद्देव्या हैमवत्या गणेश्वरैः

Long ago, when Śaṅkara, blue and red in hue, was newly wed, he came down from Himavat's peak with the goddess Haimavatī and the lords of the hosts.

वाराणसीमनुप्राप्य दर्शयामास शङ्करः अविमुक्तेश्वरं लिङ्गं वासं तत्र चकार सः

Arriving at Vārāṇasī, Śaṅkara revealed the liṅga of Avimukteśvara and made his dwelling there.

वाराणसीकुरुक्षेत्रश्रीपर्वतमहालये तुङ्गेश्वरे च केदारे तत्स्थाने यो यतिर्भवेत्

In Vārāṇasī, Kurukṣetra, Śrīparvata, Mahālaya, Tuṅgeśvara, and Kedāra, wherever an ascetic may reside—

योगे पाशुपते सम्यक् दिनमेकं यतिर्भवेत् तस्मात्सर्वं परित्यज्य चरेत् पाशुपतं व्रतम्

If an ascetic practices the Pāśupata yoga rightly for even a single day, then, renouncing everything, he should undertake the Pāśupata vow.

देवोद्याने वसेत्तत्र शर्वोद्यानमनुत्तमम् मनसा निर्ममे रुद्रो विमानं च सुशोभनम्

There, in the divine garden, he should dwell—Śarva's unsurpassed garden, which Rudra conceived in his mind, along with a splendid palace.

दर्शयामास च तदा देवोद्यानमनुत्तमम् हैमवत्याः स्वयं देवः सनन्दी परमेश्वरः

At that time, the supreme Lord himself, accompanied by Nandī and Haimavatī, revealed that unsurpassed divine garden.

क्षेत्रस्यास्य च माहात्म्यम् अविमुक्तस्य शङ्करः उक्तवान्परमेशानः पार्वत्याः प्रीतये भवः

For the delight of Pārvatī, the supreme Lord Bhava, Śaṅkara, spoke of the greatness of this field, Avimukta.

प्रफुल्लनानाविधगुल्मशोभितं लताप्रतानादिमनोहरं बहिः विरूढपुष्पैः परितः प्रियङ्गुभिः सुपुष्पितैः कण्टकितैश् च केतकैः

It was adorned with blooming bushes of many kinds, enchanting with trailing vines, and all around were lovely flowers—priyaṅgu in full bloom and thorny ketaka.

तमालगुल्मैर्निचितं सुगन्धिभिर् निकामपुष्पैर्वकुलैश् च सर्वतः अशोकपुन्नागशतैः सुपुष्पितैर् द्विरेफमालाकुलपुष्पसंचयैः

It was filled everywhere with fragrant tamāla thickets and clusters of fully blossomed vakula, and with hundreds of flowering aśoka and punnāga trees, their blossoms swarming with bees.

क्वचित् प्रफुल्लाम्बुजरेणुभूषितैर् विहङ्गमैश् चानुकलप्रणादिभिः विनादितं सारसचक्रवाकैः प्रमत्तदात्यूहवरैश् च सर्वतः

In some places, birds dusted with pollen from blooming lotuses sang melodiously, and the air resounded everywhere with the calls of cranes, ruddy geese, and intoxicated dātyūha birds.

क्वचिच्च केकारुतनादितं शुभं क्वचिच्च कारण्डवनादनादितम् क्वचिच्च मत्तालिकुलाकुलीकृतं मदाकुलाभिर् भ्रमराङ्गनादिभिः

Elsewhere, it echoed with the auspicious cries of peacocks, or the calls of waterfowl, or was filled with swarms of intoxicated bees, their buzzing mingling with the songs of female bees.

निषेवितं चारुसुगन्धिपुष्पकैः क्वचित् सुपुष्पैः सहकारवृक्षैः लतोपगूढैस्तिलकैश् च गूढं प्रगीतविद्याधरसिद्धचारणम्

In some places, it was frequented by beautiful, fragrant flowers and blossoming mango trees, hidden by vines and tilaka trees, and filled with the songs of Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas.

प्रवृत्तनृत्तानुगताप्सरोगणं प्रहृष्टनानाविधपक्षिसेवितम् प्रनृत्तहारीतकुलोपनादितं मृगेन्द्रनादाकुलमत्तमानसैः

There, groups of Apsarases danced, accompanied by joyful birds of many kinds; the calls of dancing parrots resounded, and the place was filled with the roars of lions and the cries of excited waterfowl.

क्वचित् क्वचिद् गन्धकदम्बकैर् मृगैर् विलूनदर्भाङ्कुरपुष्पसंचयम् प्रफुल्लनानाविधचारुपङ्कजैः सरस्तडागैरुपशोभितं क्वचित्

In some places, herds of gandhaka and kadamba deer grazed, scattering sprouts and clusters of flowers; elsewhere, ponds and lakes shone with blooming lotuses of many kinds.

विटपनिचयलीनं नीलकण्ठाभिरामं मदमुदितविहङ्गं प्राप्तनादाभिरामम् कुसुमिततरुशाखालीनमत्तद्विरेफं नवकिसलयशोभाशोभितं प्रांशुशाखम्

Thick with clusters of trees, charming with blue-throated peacocks, gladdened by the joyful cries of birds, delightful with the sounds that have arisen, filled with intoxicated bees swarming on blossoming branches, adorned with the beauty of fresh shoots, and tall with lofty boughs.

क्वचिद्विलासालसगामिनीभिर् निषेवितं किंपुरुषाङ्गनाभिः

In some places, it was frequented by playful, graceful women, the maidens of the Kimpurusha race.

पारावतध्वनिविकूजितचारुशृङ्गैर् अभ्रङ्कषैः सितमनोहरचारुरूपैः आकीर्णपुष्पनिकरप्रविभक्तहंसैर् विभ्राजितं त्रिदशदिव्यकुलैरनेकैः

Its lovely peaks echoed with the cooing of doves, its white, enchanting forms like shining clouds, resplendent with flocks of swans dividing the heaps of flowers, and crowded with many celestial beings of the gods.

फुल्लोत्पलांबुजवितानसहस्रयुक्तं तोयाशयैः समनुशोभितदेवमार्गम् मार्गान्तराकलितपुष्पविचित्रपङ्क्तिसम्बद्धगुल्मविटपैर् विविधैरुपेतम्

It was adorned with thousands of blooming lotuses and water-lilies, beautifying the divine pathways with pools, and filled with various thickets and groves, lined with rows of brilliantly colored flowers along the paths.

तुङ्गाग्रैर् नीलपुष्पस्तबकभरनतप्रांशुशाखैर् अशोकैर् दोलाप्रान्तान्तनीलश्रुतिसुखजनकैर् भासितान्तं मनोज्ञैः रात्रौ चन्द्रस्य भासा कुसुमिततिलकैरेकतां सम्प्रयातं छायासुप्तप्रबुद्धस्थितहरिणकुलालुप्तदूर्वाङ्कुराग्रम्

With tall branches weighed down by clusters of blue flowers, the lofty Ashoka trees shone, their dark, swinging ends bringing delight, their lovely forms illuminated at night by the moon’s light, mingled with blossoming Tilaka trees, where herds of deer, awakened from sleep in the shade, nibbled at the tender blades of grass.

हंसानां पक्षवातप्रचलितकमलस्वच्छविस्तीर्णतोयं तोयानां तीरजातप्रचकितकदलीचाटुनृत्यन्मयूरम् मायूरैः पक्षचन्द्रैः क्वचिदवनिगतै रञ्जितक्ष्माप्रदेशं देशे देशे विलीनप्रमुदितविलसन्मत्तहारीतवृन्दम्

The waters, clear and wide, were stirred by the wind of swans’ wings, and on the banks, young plantains danced as peacocks performed, their moon-like tails coloring the earth in places, while in others, flocks of joyous, playful parrots vanished into the landscape.

सारङ्गैः क्वचिदुपशोभितप्रदेशं प्रच्छन्नं कुसुमचयैः क्वचिद्विचित्रैः हृष्टाभिः क्वचिदपि किन्नराङ्गनाभिर् वीणाभिः सुमधुरगीतनृत्तकण्ठम्

In some places, the region was adorned by deer, elsewhere hidden by heaps of flowers, and in yet others, delighted Kinnara maidens sang and danced sweetly with their lutes.

संसृष्टैः क्वचिदुपलिप्तकीर्णपुष्पैर् आवासैः परिवृतपादपं मुनीनाम् आ मूलात् फलनिचितैः क्वचिद्विशालैर् उत्तुङ्गैः पनसमहीरुहैरुपेतम्

In some spots, the dwellings of sages were surrounded by trees, their roots heaped with fruit, and everywhere the ground was covered with scattered, mingled flowers, with tall jackfruit and mahua trees rising high.