Linga Purana

तस्य शृङ्गं महेशस्य भूषणत्वं कथं गतम् एतत्सर्वं विशेषेण सूत वक्तुमिहार्हसि

How did his tusk become the ornament of the great Lord Maheśa? Sūta, you ought to tell all this here in detail.

हिरण्यकशिपोर्भ्राता हिरण्याक्ष इति स्मृतः पुरान्धकासुरेशस्य पिता कालान्तकोपमः

Hiraṇyākṣa is remembered as the brother of Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the father of Andhaka, the lord of demons, terrible as Death itself.

देवाञ्जित्वाथ दैत्येन्द्रो बद्ध्वा च धरणीमिमाम् नीत्वा रसातलं चक्रे वन्दीम् इन्दीवरप्रभाम्

Having conquered the gods, the lord of the demons bound this earth, took her to the netherworld, and made her his captive, shining like a blue lotus.

ततः सब्रह्मका देवाः परिम्लानमुखश्रियः बाधितास्ताडिता बद्ध्वा हिरण्याक्षेण तेन वै

Then the gods, along with Brahmā, their faces faded and distressed, were oppressed, struck, and bound by Hiraṇyākṣa.

बलिना दैत्यमुख्येन क्रूरेण सुदुरात्मना प्रणम्य शिरसा विष्णुं दैत्यकोटिविमर्दनम्

By that powerful, cruel, and wicked chief of the demons, they bowed their heads to Viṣṇu, the destroyer of millions of demons.

सर्वे विज्ञापयामासुर् धरणीबन्धनं हरेः श्रुत्वैतद्भगवान् विष्णुर् धरणीबन्धनं हरिः

All of them petitioned him regarding the binding of the earth; hearing this, the blessed Viṣṇu, Hari, learned of the earth's captivity.

भूत्वा यज्ञवराहो ऽसौ यथा लिङ्गोद्भवे तथा दैत्यैश् च सार्धं दैत्येन्द्रं हिरण्याक्षं महाबलम्

He became the sacrificial Boar, just as at the emergence of the Liṅga, and together with the demons, confronted the mighty demon king Hiraṇyākṣa.

दंष्ट्राग्रकोट्या हत्वैनं रेजे दैत्यान्तकृत्प्रभुः कल्पादिषु यथापूर्वं प्रविश्य च रसातलम्

With the tip of his tusk he slew him; the lord, destroyer of demons, shone forth, and as before at the beginning of the kalpa, entered the netherworld.

आनीय वसुधां देवीम् अङ्कस्थामकरोद्बहिः ततस् तुष्टाव देवेशं देवदेवः पितामहः

He brought up the goddess Earth, placed her on his lap, and then the god of gods, Pitāmaha, praised the Lord.

शक्राद्यैः सहितो भूत्वा हर्षगद्गदया गिरा शाश्वताय वराहाय दंष्ट्रिणे दण्डिने नमः

Together with Indra and the others, with a voice choked with joy, he offered homage to the eternal Boar, the Tusked One, the Wielder of the Staff.

नारायणाय सर्वाय ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने कर्त्रे धर्त्रे धरायास्तु हर्त्रे देवारिणां स्वयम् कर्त्रे नेत्रे सुरेन्द्राणां शास्त्रे च सकलस्य च

Homage to Nārāyaṇa, the All, to Brahmā, the Supreme Self, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Uplifter of the Earth, the Destroyer of the enemies of the gods, the very leader and guide of the lords of gods, and the author of all scripture.

त्वमष्टमूर्तिस्त्वमनन्तमूर्तिस् त्वमादिदेवस्त्वमनन्तवेदितः त्वया कृतं सर्वमिदं प्रसीद सुरेश लोकेश वराह विष्णो

You are the One with eight forms, you are the One with infinite forms, you are the primordial god, you are known by the infinite; all this is done by you—be gracious, Lord of gods, Lord of the world, Boar, Viṣṇu.

तथैकदंष्ट्राग्रमुखाग्रकोटिभागैकभागार्धतमेन विष्णो हताः क्षणात् कामद दैत्यमुख्याः स्वदंष्ट्रकोट्या सह पुत्रभृत्यैः

Thus, in a moment, the chief demons, along with their sons and servants, were slain by you, O wish-fulfilling one, with just a fraction of the tip of your single-tusked mouth.

त्वयोद्धृता देव धरा धरेश धराधराकार धृताग्रदंष्ट्रे धराधरैः सर्वजनैः समुद्रैः सुरासुरैः सेवितचन्द्रवक्त्र

By you, O Lord, the earth was lifted, O Lord of the earth, with the mountains held on your prominent tusk, attended by all beings, oceans, gods, and demons, with your moon-like face served by them.

त्वयैव देवेश विभो कृतश् च जयः सुराणामसुरेश्वराणाम् अहो प्रदत्तस्तु वरः प्रसीद वाग्देवता वारिजसंभवाय

By you alone, O Lord of gods, O mighty one, victory was achieved for the gods over the lords of demons; ah, the boon was granted—be gracious to the goddess of speech, born from the lotus.

निहिता रसातलगता वसुंधरा तव पृष्ठतः सकलतारकादयः

The earth, placed in the netherworld, was set behind you, along with all the stars and others.

जगतां हिताय भवता वसुंधरा भगवन् रसातलपुटं गता तदा अबलोद्धृता च भगवंस्तवैव सकलं त्वयैव हि धृतं जगद्गुरो

For the good of the worlds, O blessed one, you took the earth into the cavity of the netherworld, and then, O Lord, you alone lifted her up; indeed, you alone uphold all, O teacher of the world.

इति वाक्पतिर्बहुविधैस्तवार्चनैः प्रणिपत्य विष्णुममरैः प्रजापतिः विविधान्वरान् हरिमुखात्तु लब्धवान् हरिनाभिवारिजदेहभृत् स्वयम्

Thus, the lord of speech, having worshipped Vishnu with many kinds of praises and having bowed down with the immortals, Prajapati obtained various boons from Hari, who bears the lotus from his navel, by Hari's own grace.

अथ तामुद्धृतां तेन धरां देवा मुनीश्वराः मूर्ध्न्यारोप्य नमश्चक्रुश् चक्रिणः संनिधौ तदा

Then, the gods and great sages, having lifted up the earth, placed her upon their heads and bowed in reverence in the presence of the wielder of the discus.

अनेनैव वराहेण चोद्धृतासि वरप्रदे कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकार्येण शतहस्तेन विष्णुना

By this very Boar, O bestower of boons, you have been lifted up—by Krishna, whose actions are effortless, by Vishnu of a hundred arms.

धरणि त्वं महाभोगे भूमिस्त्वं धेनुरव्यये लोकानां धारिणी त्वं हि मृत्तिके हर पातकम्

O Earth, of great form, you are the ground, the inexhaustible cow; you are the supporter of the worlds—O clay, remove our sin.

मनसा कर्मणा वाचा वरदे वारिजेक्षणे त्वया हतेन पापेन जीवामस्त्वत्प्रसादतः

O bestower of boons, lotus-eyed one, by mind, deed, and speech, through the destruction of sin by you, we live by your grace.

इत्युक्ता सा तदा देवी धरा देवैर् अथाब्रवीत् वराहदंष्ट्राभिन्नायां धरायां मृत्तिकां द्विजाः

Thus addressed, the goddess Earth then spoke to the gods concerning the clay from the earth that had been pierced by the Boar's tusks.

मन्त्रेणानेन यो बिभ्रत् मूर्ध्नि पापात्प्रमुच्यते आयुष्मान् बलवान् धन्यः पुत्रपौत्रसमन्वितः

Whoever bears this clay on his head with this mantra is freed from sin, becomes long-lived, strong, fortunate, and blessed with sons and grandsons.

क्रमाद्भुवि दिवं प्राप्य कर्मान्ते मोदते सुरैः अथ देवे गते त्यक्त्वा वराहे क्षीरसागरम्

Step by step, having attained heaven on earth at the end of his deeds, he rejoices with the gods; then, when the god departs, having left the Boar form, he enters the ocean of milk.

वाराहरूपमनघं चचाल च धरा पुनः तस्य दंष्ट्राभराक्रान्ता देवदेवस्य धीमतः

The earth again trembled as the sinless one in the form of the Boar, whose mighty chest was pressed by the weight of the tusks of the wise Lord of gods.

यदृच्छया भवः पश्यन् जगाम जगदीश्वरः दंष्ट्रां जग्राह दृष्ट्वा तां भूषणार्थमथात्मनः

By chance, Bhava (Shiva), seeing this, the Lord of the universe, took up the tusk, having seen it, for his own adornment.

दधार च महादेवः कूर्चान्ते वै महोरसि देवाश् च तुष्टुवुः सेन्द्रा देवदेवस्य वैभवम्

And Mahadeva bore it at the end of his matted locks upon his great chest, and the gods, along with Indra, praised the glory of the Lord of gods.

धरा प्रतिष्ठिता ह्येवं देवदेवेन लीलया भूतानां संप्लवे चापि विष्णोश्चैव कलेवरम्

Thus, the earth was established by the Lord of gods in sport, both at the time of the deluge of beings and also the body of Vishnu.