Linga Purana

ततस्तैर्गतैः सैष देवो नृसिंहः सहस्राकृतिः सर्वपात् सर्वबाहुः सहस्रेक्षणः सोमसूर्याग्निनेत्रस् तदा संस्थितः सर्वमावृत्य मायी

Then, after they had gone, that god Narasiṃha, of a thousand forms, all-pervading, with a thousand arms, a thousand eyes, with the moon, sun, and fire as his eyes, stood there, pervading all, the master of illusion.

तं तुष्टुवुः सुरश्रेष्ठा लोका लोकाचले स्थिताः सब्रह्मकाः ससाध्याश् च सयमाः समरुद्गणाः

The best of the gods, stationed in the worlds and on the world-mountains, along with Brahmā, the Sādhyas, Yama, and the hosts of Maruts, praised him.

परात्परतरं ब्रह्म तत्त्वात् तत्त्वतमं भवान् ज्योतिषां तु परं ज्योतिः परमात्मा जगन्मयः

'You are the Supreme beyond the supreme Brahman, the essence beyond all essences; you are the supreme light among all lights, the supreme self, the one who pervades the universe.'

स्थूलं सूक्ष्मं सुसूक्ष्मं च शब्दब्रह्ममयः शुभः वागतीतो निरालंबो निर्द्वन्द्वो निरुपप्लवः

Gross, subtle, and most subtle, composed of the sound-Brahman, auspicious, transcending speech, unsupported, beyond duality, and free from disturbance.

यज्ञभुग्यज्ञमूर्तिस्त्वं यज्ञिनां फलदः प्रभुः भवान्मत्स्याकृतिः कौर्मम् आस्थाय जगति स्थितः

You are the enjoyer of sacrifices, the very form of sacrifice, the giver of fruits to sacrificers, O Lord; you have assumed the forms of the fish and the tortoise and are established in the world.

वाराहीं चैव तां सैंहीम् आस्थायेहव्यवस्थितः देवानां देवरक्षार्थं निहत्य दितिजेश्वरम्

Assuming the forms of the boar and the lion, you have stood firm, and for the protection of the gods, you slew the lord of the Daityas.

द्विजशापच्छलेनैवम् अवतीर्णो ऽसि लीलया न दृष्टं यत्त्वदन्यं हि भवान् सर्वं चराचरम्

By the pretext of a brahmin’s curse, you have descended playfully; for there is nothing other than you, O Lord, all that moves and does not move is you.

भवान्विष्णुर्भवान् रुद्रो भवानेव पितामहः भवानादिर्भवानन्तो भवानेव वयं विभो

You are Viṣṇu, you are Rudra, you are indeed the Grandfather; you are the beginning, you are the end, and you, O Lord, are indeed us.

भवानेव जगत्सर्वं प्रलापेन किमीश्वर मायया बहुधा संस्थम् अद्वितीयमयं प्रभो

You alone are the entire universe; what is the use of further speech, O Lord? By your māyā you exist in many forms, yet you are the non-dual essence, O Master.

स्तोष्यामस्त्वां कथं भासि देवदेव मृगाधिप स्तुतो ऽपि विविधैः स्तुत्यैर् भावैर्नानाविधैः प्रभुः

How shall we praise you, O God of gods, Lord of beasts? Even when praised with various hymns and with manifold feelings, you remain the Lord.

न जगाम द्विजाः शान्तिं मानयन्योनिमात्मनः यो नृसिंहस्तवं भक्त्या पठेद्वार्थं विचारयेत्

He who, with devotion, recites or reflects on this hymn to Nṛsiṃha for its meaning, O twice-born, does not attain peace or another birth for his soul.

श्रावयेद्वा द्विजान्सर्वान् विष्णुलोके महीयते तदन्तरे शिवं देवाः सेन्द्राः सब्रह्मकाः प्रभुम्

Or if he causes all the twice-born to hear it, he is honored in the world of Viṣṇu; meanwhile, the gods with Indra and Brahmā worship the Lord Śiva.

सम्प्राप्य तुष्टुवुः सर्वं विज्ञाप्य मृगरूपिणः ततो ब्रह्मादयस्तूर्णं संस्तूय परमेश्वरम्

Having approached, they praised him entirely, informing the one in the form of a beast; then Brahmā and the others quickly praised the Supreme Lord.

आत्मत्राणाय शरणं जग्मुः परमकारणम् मन्दरस्थं महादेवं क्रीडमानं सहोमया

For the protection of themselves, they took refuge in the ultimate cause, the great god dwelling on Mandara, sporting with Umā.

सेवितं गणगन्धर्वैः सिद्धैरप्सरसां गणैः देवताभिः सह ब्रह्मा भीतभीतः सगद्गदम् प्रणम्य दण्डवद्भूमौ तुष्टाव परमेश्वरम्

Served by hosts of Gaṇas and Gandharvas, by Siddhas and groups of Apsarases, together with the gods, Brahmā, greatly afraid, with faltering speech, bowed down flat on the ground and praised the Supreme Lord.

नमस्ते कालकालाय नमस्ते रुद्र मन्यवे नमः शिवाय रुद्राय शङ्कराय शिवाय ते

Salutations to you, the ender of time, salutations to you, Rudra, the wrathful; homage to Śiva, to Rudra, to Śaṅkara, to you who are auspicious.

उग्रो ऽसि सर्वभूतानां नियन्तासि शिवो ऽसि नः नमः शिवाय शर्वाय शङ्करायार्त्तिहारिणे

You are fierce, the controller of all beings, you are our Śiva; homage to Śiva, to Śarva, to Śaṅkara, the remover of suffering.

मयस्कराय विश्वाय विष्णवे ब्रह्मणे नमः अन्तकाय नमस्तुभ्यम् उमायाः पतये नमः

Homage to the maker of delight, to the all-pervading, to Viṣṇu, to Brahmā; homage to the ender, to you, to the husband of Umā.

हिरण्यबाहवे साक्षाद् धिरण्यपतये नमः शर्वाय सर्वरूपाय पुरुषाय नमोनमः

Homage to the golden-armed, directly to the lord of gold; homage to Śarva, to the one of all forms, to the Person, repeated homage.

सदसद्व्यक्तिहीनाय महतः कारणाय ते नित्याय विश्वरूपाय जायमानाय ते नमः

To you, devoid of manifestation as existence or non-existence, the cause of the great, the eternal, of universal form, the ever-born, homage to you.

जाताय बहुधा लोके प्रभूताय नमोनमः रुद्राय नीलरुद्राय कद्रुद्राय प्रचेतसे

Born in many ways in the world, great in power, repeated homage to you; to Rudra, to Nīlarudra, to Kadrudra, to Pracetas.

कालाय कालरूपाय नमः कालाङ्गहारिणे मीढुष्टमाय देवाय शितिकण्ठाय ते नमः

Salutation to the One who is Time, who takes the form of Time, who seizes the limbs of Time; to the most generous God, to the blue-throated One, I bow to You.

महीयसे नमस्तुभ्यं हन्त्रे देवारिणां सदा ताराय च सुताराय तारणाय नमोनमः

Homage to You, the most exalted, the constant destroyer of the enemies of the gods; to the Savior, the Supreme Savior, the Deliverer—again and again, I bow.

हरिकेशाय देवाय शंभवे परमात्मने देवानां शंभवे तुभ्यं भूतानां शंभवे नमः

To the god with tawny hair, to Śambhu, the Supreme Self, to the benefactor of the gods, to the benefactor of beings—I bow to You.

शम्भवे हैमवत्याश् च मन्यवे रुद्ररूपिणे कपर्दिने नमस्तुभ्यं कालकण्ठाय ते नमः

To Śambhu, to the wrath of Pārvatī, to the one who assumes the form of Rudra, to the matted-haired One, I bow to You; to the dark-throated One, I bow.

हिरण्याय महेशाय श्रीकण्ठाय नमोनमः भस्मदिग्धशरीराय दण्डमुण्डीश्वराय च

To the golden One, to the Great Lord, to the illustrious blue-throated One, I bow again and again; to the One whose body is smeared with ashes, to the Lord of skulls and staff.

नमो ह्रस्वाय दीर्घाय वामनाय नमोनमः नम उग्रत्रिशूलाय उग्राय च नमो नमः

Salutations to the short One, to the tall One, to the dwarf—I bow again and again; to the fierce trident-bearer, to the terrible One, I bow repeatedly.

भीमाय भीमरूपाय भीमकर्मरताय ते अग्रेवधाय वै भूत्वा नमो दूरेवधाय च

To the formidable One, to the One with a terrible form, to the One delighting in terrible deeds; having become the slayer at the forefront, I bow, and also to the slayer from afar.

धन्विने शूलिने तुभ्यं गदिने हलिने नमः चक्रिणे वर्मिणे नित्यं दैत्यानां कर्मभेदिने

To You who bear the bow, the spear, the mace, and the plough, I bow; to the discus-bearer, the armored One, ever the destroyer of the deeds of demons.