Linga Purana

तथैनां पुत्रकामस्य ध्यायतः परमेष्ठिनः प्रददौ देवदेवेशः चतुष्पादां जगद्गुरुः

Thus, to Brahma, who was meditating with the desire for a son, the Lord of gods, the teacher of the world, gave her, four-footed.

ततस्तां ध्यानयोगेन विदित्वा परमेश्वरीम् ब्रह्मा लोकगुरोः सो ऽथ प्रतिपेदे महेश्वरीम्

Then, knowing her through the yoga of meditation as the supreme goddess, Brahma, the teacher of the world, accepted the Great Goddess.

गायत्रीं तु ततो रौद्रीं ध्यात्वा ब्रह्मानुयन्त्रितः इत्येतां वैदिकीं विद्यां रौद्रीं गायत्रीमीरिताम्

Then, compelled by Brahma, he meditated on the Raudrī Gāyatrī; thus, this Vedic knowledge called the Raudrī Gāyatrī was revealed.

जपित्वा तु महादेवीं ब्रह्मा लोकनमस्कृताम् प्रपन्नस्तु महादेवं ध्यानयुक्तेन चेतसा

Having recited prayers to the great goddess, who is revered by the worlds, and having taken refuge in the Great God with a mind absorbed in meditation—

ततस्तस्य महादेवो दिव्ययोगं बहुश्रुतम् ऐश्वर्यं ज्ञानसंपत्तिं वैराग्यं च ददौ प्रभुः

Then, the Great God granted him divine yoga, vast knowledge, lordly power, attainment of wisdom, and detachment.

ततो ऽस्य पार्श्वतो दिव्याः प्रादुर्भूताः कुमारकाः पीतमाल्यांबरधराः पीतस्रगनुलेपनाः

After that, from his side, divine boys appeared, adorned with yellow garlands and garments, and anointed with yellow unguents.

पीताभोष्णीषशिरसः पीतास्याः पीतमूर्धजाः ततो वर्षसहस्रान्त उषित्वा विमलौजसः

With yellow turbans on their heads, yellow faces, and yellow hair, they, possessing pure brilliance, dwelt there for a thousand years.

योगात्मानस्तपोह्लादाः ब्राह्मणानां हितैषिणः धर्मयोगबलोपेता मुनीनां दीर्घसत्त्रिणाम्

Endowed with yoga, delighting in austerity, wishing for the welfare of the Brahmins, and possessed of the strength of dharma and yoga, they were sages performing long sacrificial rites.

उपदिश्य महायोगं प्रविष्टास्ते महेश्वरम् एवमेतेन विधिना ये प्रपन्ना महेश्वरम्

After instructing in the great yoga, they entered into the Great Lord; in this very manner, those who take refuge in the Great Lord—

अन्ये ऽपि नियतात्मानो ध्यानयुक्ता जितेन्द्रियाः ते सर्वे पापमुत्सृज्य विमला ब्रह्मवर्चसः

Others too, with controlled minds, absorbed in meditation, and having mastered their senses, all of them, abandoning sin, become pure and radiant with the brilliance of Brahman.

प्रविशन्ति महादेवं रुद्रं ते त्वपुनर्भवाः

They enter the Great God, Rudra, and do not return to rebirth.

ततस्तस्मिन्गते कल्पे पीतवर्णे स्वयंभुवः पुनरन्यः प्रवृत्तस्तु कल्पो नाम्नासितस्तु सः

Then, when that kalpa had passed, in the golden age, the self-born one again began another kalpa, called the Asita.

एकार्णवे तदा वृत्ते दिव्ये वर्षसहस्रके स्रष्टुकामः प्रजा ब्रह्मा चिन्तयामास दुःखितः

When a thousand divine years had passed in that single ocean, Brahma, desiring to create beings, pondered in distress.

तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य पुत्रकामस्य वै प्रभोः कृष्णः समभवद्वर्णो ध्यायतः परमेष्ठिनः

As he, the lord, was thinking, longing for sons, the color of the supreme creator, as he meditated, became black.

अथापश्यन्महातेजाः प्रादुर्भूतं कुमारकम् कृष्णवर्णं महावीर्यं दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा

Then, the one of great splendor saw a boy appear, black in color, of great might, shining with his own radiance.

कृष्णांबरधरोष्णीषं कृष्णयज्ञोपवीतिनम् कृष्णेन मौलिना युक्तं कृष्णस्रगनुलेपनम्

Clad in black garments and turban, wearing a black sacred thread, adorned with a black topknot, garland, and unguents—

स तं दृष्ट्वा महात्मानम् अघोरं घोरविक्रमम् ववन्दे देवदेवेशम् अद्भुतं कृष्णपिङ्गलम्

Seeing that great-souled one, terrible yet not terrifying, the lord of gods, wondrous and black-tawny, he bowed down.

प्राणायामपरः श्रीमान् हृदि कृत्वा महेश्वरम् मनसा ध्यानुयुक्तेन प्रपन्नस्तु तमीश्वरम्

Absorbed in breath-control, glorious, having placed the Great Lord in his heart, and with a mind engaged in meditation, he took refuge in that Lord.

अघोरं तु ततो ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मरूपं व्यचिन्तयत् तथा वै ध्यायमानस्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः

Then Brahma conceived of Aghora as having the form of Brahma; thus, as the supreme creator was meditating—

प्रददौ दर्शनं देवो ह्य् अघोरो घोरविक्रमः अथास्य पार्श्वतः कृष्णाः कृष्णस्रगनुलेपनाः

The god Aghora, of terrible might, granted him a vision; then, at his side, black boys appeared, adorned with black garlands and unguents.

चत्वारस्तु महात्मानः संबभूवुः कुमारकाः कृष्णः कृष्णशिखश्चैव कृष्णास्यः कृष्णवस्त्रधृक्

Four great-souled boys were born: Krishna, Krishna-shikha, Krishna-asya, and Krishna-vastradhṛk.

ततो वर्षसहस्रं तु योगतः परमेश्वरम् उपासित्वा महायोगं शिष्येभ्यः प्रददुः पुनः

Then, after a thousand years, through yoga, they worshipped the Supreme Lord, and again imparted the great yoga to their disciples.

योगेन योगसम्पन्नाः प्रविश्य मनसा शिवम् अमलं निर्गुणं स्थानं प्रविष्टा विश्वमीश्वरम्

Perfected in yoga through yoga, they entered with their minds into pure, attributeless Śiva, attaining the abode of the Lord of the universe.

एवमेतेन योगेन ये ऽपि चान्ये मनीषिणः चिन्तयन्ति महादेवं गन्तारो रुद्रमव्ययम्

In this way, by this yoga, other wise ones also contemplate the great god; they reach Rudra, the imperishable.

ततस्तस्मिन् गते कल्पे कृष्णवर्णे भयानके तुष्टाव देवदेवेशं ब्रह्मा तं ब्रह्मरूपिणम्

Then, when that aeon had passed, in the dreadful dark age, Brahmā praised the Lord of gods, who had assumed the form of Brahman.

अनुगृह्य ततस्तुष्टो ब्रह्माणमवदद्धरः अनेनैव तु रूपेण संहरामि न संशयः

Then, being pleased, Hara said to Brahmā: 'With this very form, I bring about dissolution—there is no doubt.'

ब्रह्महत्यादिकान् घोरांस् तथान्यानपि पातकान् हीनांश्चैव महाभाग तथैव विविधान्यपि

O highly fortunate one, I destroy terrible sins such as the killing of a Brahmin, and other transgressions, as well as various lesser faults.

उपपातकमप्येवं तथा पापानि सुव्रत मानसानि सुतीक्ष्णानि वाचिकानि पितामह

In this way, O virtuous one, I also remove secondary sins, and severe mental and verbal wrongs, O Grandfather.

कायिकानि सुमिश्राणि तथा प्रासंगिकानि च बुद्धिपूर्वं कृतान्येव सहजागन्तुकानि च

Bodily sins, mixed ones, incidental ones, those done deliberately, and those that are innate or accidental—I remove them all.