Linga Purana

पश्य पुण्यानि लिङ्गानि सर्वकामप्रदानि तु एवमेतानि पुण्यानि मन्निवासानि पार्वति

Behold these meritorious liṅgas, which indeed grant all desires; in this way, O Pārvatī, these sacred places are my abodes.

कथितानि मम क्षेत्रे गुह्यं चान्यदिदं शृणु चतुःक्रोशं चतुर्दिक्षु क्षेत्रमेतत्प्रकीर्तितम्

I have described these in my field; now hear another secret: this field is said to extend four krośas in all directions.

योजनं विद्धि चार्वङ्गि मृत्युकाले ऽमृतप्रदम् महालयगिरिस्थं मां केदारे च व्यवस्थितम्

Know, O beautiful one, that it measures a yojana; at the time of death, it bestows immortality. I am established on the great mountain and in Kedāra.

गणत्वं लभते दृष्ट्वा ह्य् अस्मिन्मोक्षो ह्यवाप्यते गाणपत्यं लभेद्यस्माद् यतः सा मुक्तिरुत्तमा

By seeing this, one attains the state of a Gaṇa; here, liberation is indeed obtained. From this, one attains the state of Gāṇapatya, for that is the highest liberation.

ततो महालयात् तस्मात् केदारान्मध्यमादपि स्मृतं पुण्यतमं क्षेत्रम् अविमुक्तं वरानने

Therefore, O beautiful-faced one, among Mahālaya, Kedāra, and Madhyama, the most sacred field is remembered as Avimukta.

केदारं मध्यमं क्षेत्रं स्थानं चैव महालयम् मम पुण्यानि भूर्लोके तेभ्यः श्रेष्ठतमं त्विदम्

Kedāra, the central field, and the place called Mahālaya—these are my sacred places on earth, but this one is the most excellent among them.

यतः सृष्टास्त्विमे लोकास् ततः क्षेत्रमिदं शुभम् कदाचिन्न मया मुक्तम् अविमुक्तं ततो ऽभवत्

Because these worlds were created from here, this field is auspicious; I have never abandoned it, and thus it is called Avimukta.

अविमुक्तेश्वरं लिङ्गं मम दृष्ट्वेह मानवः सद्यः पापविनिर्मुक्तः पशुपाशैर्विमुच्यते

By seeing my liṅga called Avimukteśvara here, a person is instantly freed from sin and released from the bonds of saṃsāra.

शैलेशं संगमेशं च स्वर्लीनं मध्यमेश्वरम् हिरण्यगर्भम् ईशानं गोप्रेक्षं वृषभध्वजम्

Śaileśa, Saṃgameśa, Svarlīna, Madhyameśvara, Hiraṇyagarbha, Īśāna, Goprekṣa, Vṛṣabhadhvaja—

उपशान्तं शिवं चैव ज्येष्ठस्थाननिवासिनम् शुक्रेश्वरं च विख्यातं व्याघ्रेशं जम्बुकेश्वरम्

Upaśānta, Śiva, the resident of the most ancient place, the renowned Śukreśvara, Vyāghreśa, and Jambukeśvara—

दृष्ट्वा न जायते मर्त्यः संसारे दुःखसागरे एवम् उक्त्वा महादेवो दिशः सर्वा व्यलोकयत्

Upon seeing these, a mortal is not born again in the ocean of suffering that is saṃsāra. Having spoken thus, Mahādeva gazed in all directions.

विलोक्य संस्थिते पश्चाद् देवदेवे महेश्वरे अकस्मादभवत्सर्वः स देशोज्ज्वलितो यथा

After seeing the great Lord of gods, Maheshvara, established there, suddenly that entire place became radiant, as if illuminated.

ततः पाशुपताः सिद्धा भस्माभ्यङ्गसितप्रभाः माहेश्वरा महात्मानस् तथा वै नियतव्रताः

Then the accomplished followers of Pashupati, their bodies shining white with sacred ash, the great-souled devotees of Maheshvara, steadfast in their vows, appeared there.

बहवः शतशो ऽभ्येत्य नमश्चक्रुर्महेश्वरम् पुनर्निरीक्ष्य योगेशं ध्यानयोगं च कृत्स्नशः

Many hundreds approached and bowed to Maheshvara, and again gazed upon the Lord of Yoga, wholly absorbed in yogic meditation.

तस्थुरात्मानमास्थाय लीयमाना इवेश्वरे स्थितानां स तदा तेषां देवदेव उमापतिः

They stood, established in their own selves, as if merging into Ishvara; and at that time, the Lord of gods, the husband of Uma, was present among them.

स बिभ्रत्परमां मूर्तिं बभूव पुरुषः प्रभुः कृत्स्नं जगदिहैकस्थं कर्तुम् अन्त इव स्थितः

He, bearing the supreme form, became manifest as the Lord, as if standing alone to encompass the entire world within himself.

तस्य तां परमां मूर्तिम् आस्थितस्य जगत्प्रभोः न शशाक पुनर्द्रष्टुं हृष्टरोमा गिरीन्द्रजा

When the Lord of the world assumed that supreme form, the daughter of the mountain, her hair standing on end, was unable to look upon him again.

ततस्त्वदृष्टमाकारं बुद्ध्वा सा प्रकृतिस्थितम् प्रकृतेर्मूर्तिमास्थाय योगेन परमेश्वरी

Then, realizing that form was unseen by you and abiding in her own nature, the supreme goddess, through yoga, assumed the form of Prakriti.

तं शशाक पुनर्द्रष्टुं हरस्य च महात्मनः ततस्ते लयमाधाय योगिनः पुरुषस्य तु

She was then able to see again both him and the great-souled Hara; and the yogis, having established dissolution, beheld the Purusha.

विविशुर्हृदयं सर्वे दग्धसंसारबीजिनः पञ्चाक्षरस्य वै बीजं संस्मरन्तः सुशोभनम्

All of them, their seeds of worldly existence burned away, entered the heart, beautifully remembering the five-syllabled seed-mantra.

सर्वपापहरं दिव्यं पुरा चैव प्रकाशितम् नीललोहितमूर्तिस्थं पुनश्चक्रे वपुः शुभम्

That divine form, destroyer of all sins, which had been revealed before, again took on an auspicious body, abiding in the blue-red form.

तं दृष्ट्वा शैलजा प्राह हृष्टसर्वतनूरुहा स्तुवती चरणौ नत्वा क इमे भगवन्निति

Seeing him, the daughter of the mountain, her whole body thrilled with joy, praised him, bowed at his feet, and asked, 'O Lord, who are these?'

तामुवाच सुरश्रेष्ठस् तदा देवीं गिरीन्द्रजाम् मदीयं व्रतमाश्रित्य भक्तिमद्भिर् द्विजोत्तमैः

Then the best of gods spoke to the goddess, daughter of the mountain: 'O beautiful one, by following my vow, these devoted and excellent twice-born ones—'

यैर्यैर्योगा इहाभ्यस्तास् तेषाम् एकेन जन्मना क्षेत्रस्यास्य प्रभावेन भक्त्या च मम भामिनि

'By whatever yogas have been practiced here by them, in a single birth, through the power of this sacred place and by devotion to me, O lovely one—'

अनुग्रहो मया ह्येवं क्रियते मूर्तितः स्वयम् तस्माद् एतन् महत् क्षेत्रं ब्रह्माद्यैः सेवितं तथा

'Thus, by my own form, I grant favor; therefore, this great sacred place, served by Brahma and others—'

श्रुतिमद्भिश् च विप्रेन्द्रैः संसिद्धैश् च तपस्विभिः प्रतिमासं तथाष्टम्यां प्रतिमासं चतुर्दशीम्

'By learned brahmins, by accomplished ascetics, every month on the eighth and fourteenth days, it is worshipped.'

उभयोः पक्षयोर्देवि वाराणस्यामुपास्यते शशिभानूपरागे च कार्तिक्यां च विशेषतः

'On both fortnights, O goddess, in Varanasi it is worshipped, especially during the eclipses of the moon and sun, and in the month of Kartika.'

सर्वपर्वसु पुण्येषु विषुवेष्वयनेषु च पृथिव्यां सर्वतीर्थानि वाराणस्यां तु जाह्नवीम्

'At all sacred festivals, solstices, and equinoxes, all the holy places on earth are found at Varanasi, and the Jahnavi there—'

उत्तरप्रवहां पुण्यां मम मौलिविनिःसृताम् पितुस्ते गिरिराजस्य शुभां हिमवतः सुताम्

'The sacred river flowing north, issuing from my crest, and your father's, O daughter of the Himalaya, the auspicious daughter of the snowy mountain.'