Linga Purana

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.

सद्याय सद्यरूपाय सद्योजाताय ते नमः वामाय वामरूपाय वामनेत्राय ते नमः

To the immediate One, to the One of immediate form, to the One just born, I bow; to the leftward One, to the left-formed One, to the left-eyed One, I bow.

पुरुषरूपाय पुरुषैकतत्पुरुषाय वै नमः

To the One of human form, to the One who is the sole Supreme Person, I bow.

पुरुषार्थप्रदानाय पतये परमेष्ठिने ईशानाय नमस्तुभ्यम् ईश्वराय नमोनमः

To the Giver of the aims of human life, to the Lord, to the Supreme Creator, to the Ruler, I bow to You; to the Lord, I bow again and again.

ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्मरूपाय नमः साक्षाच्छिवाय ते सर्वविष्णुर्नृसिंहस्य रूपमास्थाय विश्वकृत्

To Brahmā, to the One of Brahmā’s form, I bow; to You, who are directly Śiva; having assumed the form of Viṣṇu and Narasiṃha, the Maker of the universe.

हिरण्यकशिपुं हत्वा करजैर्निशितैः स्वयम् दैत्येन्द्रैर्बहुभिः सार्धं हितार्थं जगतां प्रभुः

Having slain Hiraṇyakaśipu with Your own sharp nails, together with many demon lords, for the sake of the world’s welfare, O Lord.

सैंहीं समानयन्योनिं बाधते निखिलं जगत् यत्कृत्यमत्र देवेश तत्कुरुष्व भवानिह

Assuming the lion’s womb, You trouble the entire world; whatever is to be done here, O Lord of gods, do that—be present here.

उग्रो ऽसि सर्वदुष्टानां नियन्तासि शिवो ऽसि नः कालकूटादिवपुषा त्राहि नः शरणागतान्

You are fierce among all the wicked, You are our controller, You are auspicious for us; with the form of Kālakūṭa and others, protect us who have taken refuge.

शुक्रं तु वृत्तं विश्वेश क्रीडा वै केवलं वयम् तवोन्मेषनिमेषाभ्याम् अस्माकं प्रलयोदयौ

O Lord of the universe, the pure is indeed a sport for You; by Your opening and closing of the eyes are our dissolution and creation.

उन्मीलयेत् त्वयि ब्रह्मन् विनाशो ऽस्ति न ते शिव संतप्तास्मो वयं देव हरिणामिततेजसा

If You open Your eyes, O Brahman, there is no destruction; if not, O Śiva, we are tormented, O God, by the immeasurable radiance of Hari.

सर्वलोकहितायैनं तत्त्वं संहर्तुमिच्छसि विज्ञापितस् तथा देवः प्रहसन्प्राह तान् सुरान्

For the welfare of all worlds, You wish to destroy this essence; thus addressed, the god, smiling, spoke to those gods.

अभयं च ददौ तेषां हनिष्यामीति तं प्रभुः सो ऽपि शक्रः सुरैः सार्धं प्रणिपत्य यथागतम्

The Lord granted them safety, saying, 'I will slay him.' Then Indra, together with the gods, bowed down and departed as they had come.

जगाम भगवान् ब्रह्मा तथान्ये च सुरोत्तमाः अथोत्थाय महादेवः शारभं रूपमास्थितः

The blessed Brahmā went away, as did the other foremost gods; then Mahādeva arose, assuming the form of Śarabha.

ययौ प्रान्ते नृसिंहस्य गर्वितस्य मृगाशिनः अपहृत्य तदा प्राणान् शरभः सुरपूजितः

He went to the edge where the proud, beast-devouring Narasiṃha was; then Śarabha, honored by the gods, took his life.

सिंहात्ततो नरो भूत्वा जगाम च यथाक्रमम् एवं स्तुतस्तदा देवैर् जगाम स यथाक्रमम्

Then, becoming a man from a lion, he departed in due order; thus praised by the gods at that time, he went on in due order.

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि संस्तवं शार्वमुत्तमम् रुद्रलोकमनुप्राप्य रुद्रेण सह मोदते

Whoever recites or hears this excellent hymn to Śarva, having attained the world of Rudra, rejoices there together with Rudra.

कथं देवो महादेवो विश्वसंहारकारकः शरभाख्यं महाघोरं विकृतं रूपमास्थितः

How did the god, the great lord, the cause of the destruction of the universe, assume the terrifying and deformed form called Śarabha?

किं किं धैर्यं कृतं तेन ब्रूहि सर्वम् अशेषतः एवमभ्यर्थितो देवैर् मतिं चक्रे कृपालयः

What courage did he display in that? Tell me everything in full. Thus requested by the gods, the compassionate one resolved in his mind.

यत्तेजस्तु नृसिंहाख्यं संहर्तुं परमेश्वरः तदर्थं स्मृतवान् रुद्रो वीरभद्रं महाबलम्

To destroy that energy known as Narasiṃha, the supreme lord Rudra remembered Vīrabhadra, of great might, for that purpose.

आत्मनो भैरवं रूपं महाप्रलयकारकम् आजगाम पुरा सद्यो गणानामग्रतो हसन्

He himself, taking on the Bhairava form, the cause of the great dissolution, once came forth at once, laughing, before the hosts.

साट्टहासैर् गणवरैर् उत्पतद्भिर् इतस्ततः नृसिंहरूपैरत्युग्रैः कोटिभिः परिवारितः

With the chief gaṇas, roaring with loud laughter, leaping here and there, surrounded by countless extremely fierce forms of Narasiṃha.