Linga Purana

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.

मातृदेहोत्थितान्येवं पितृदेहे च पातकम् संहरामि न संदेहः सर्वं पातकजं विभो

Thus, I remove sins arising from the mother's body, and from the father's body as well—there is no doubt, O Lord, that I destroy all sins.

लक्षं जप्त्वा ह्यघोरेभ्यो ब्रह्महा मुच्यते प्रभो तदर्धं वाचिके वत्स तदर्धं मानसे पुनः

By reciting the Aghora mantra one hundred thousand times, a Brahmin-killer is freed, O Lord; with half that for verbal sin, and half again for mental sin, O child.

चतुर्गुणं बुद्धिपूर्वे क्रोधादष्टगुणं स्मृतम् वीरहा लक्षमात्रेण भ्रूणहा कोटिमभ्यसेत्

For intentional sin, four times that amount is prescribed; for sin out of anger, eight times is remembered. A slayer of a hero is purified by one hundred thousand recitations; a slayer of a fetus should practice a million times.

मातृहा नियुतं जप्त्वा शुध्यते नात्र संशयः गोघ्नश्चैव कृतघ्नश् च स्त्रीघ्नः पापयुतो नरः

A mother-killer is purified by reciting ten million times—there is no doubt of this. A cow-killer, an ingrate, a woman-killer, or a man tainted by sin—

अयुताघोरमभ्यस्य मुच्यते नात्र संशयः सुरापो लक्षमात्रेण बुद्ध्याबुद्ध्यापि वै प्रभो

—is freed by reciting the Aghora mantra ten thousand times—there is no doubt. One who drinks liquor is purified by one hundred thousand recitations, whether knowingly or unknowingly, O Lord.

मुच्यते नात्र संदेहस् तदर्धेन च वारुणीम् अस्नाताशी सहस्रेण अजपी च तथा द्विजः

There is no doubt he is freed; with half that, from drinking Varuni. One who eats without bathing is purified by a thousand recitations, as is a twice-born who does not recite.

अहुताशी सहस्रेण अदाता च विशुध्यति ब्राह्मणस्वापहर्ता च स्वर्णस्तेयी नराधमः

One who eats without offering, or who does not give, is purified by a thousand recitations; a thief of Brahmins' property, or a vile man who steals gold—

नियुतं मानसं जप्त्वा मुच्यते नात्र संशयः गुरुतल्परतो वापि मातृघ्नो वा नराधमः

—is freed by reciting mentally ten million times—there is no doubt. One who violates the teacher's bed, or a mother-killer, O worst of men—

ब्रह्मघ्नश् च जपेदेवं मानसं वै पितामह संपर्कात्पापिनां पापं तत्समं परिभाषितम्

A Brahmin-killer should likewise recite mentally, O Grandfather. Sin arising from association with sinners is declared to be equal to that.

तथाप्ययुतमात्रेण पातकाद्वै प्रमुच्यते संसर्गात्पातकी लक्षं जपेद्वै मानसं धिया

Still, by reciting ten thousand times, one is freed from sin; for association with sinners, one should recite mentally one hundred thousand times with intent.

उपांशु यच्चतुर्धा वै वाचिकं चाष्टधा जपेत् पातकादर्धमेव स्याद् उपपातकिनां स्मृतम्

One should recite the mantra in a low voice fourfold, and audibly eightfold; for those guilty of grave sins, only half the merit is obtained, and for those guilty of lesser sins, it is so declared.

तदर्धं केवले पापे नात्र कार्या विचारणा ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं सुवर्णस्तेयमेव च

Half of that merit applies in the case of a single sin; there should be no doubt regarding this—such as the slaying of a Brahmin, drinking of liquor, theft of gold, and so on.

कृत्वा च गुरुतल्पं च पापकृद्ब्राह्मणो यदि रुद्रगायत्रिया ग्राह्यं गोमूत्रं कापिलं द्विजाः

If a Brahmin commits a grave sin, such as violating the teacher’s bed, he should take Kapila cow urine with the Rudra-Gāyatrī, O twice-born ones.

गन्धद्वारेति तस्या वै गोमयं स्वस्थम् आहरेत् तेजो ऽसि शुक्तम् इत्याज्यं कापिलं संहरेद्बुधः

With the mantra 'gandhadvāre', he should take fresh cow dung; with 'tejo'si śuktam', he should take clarified butter, as prescribed by the wise.

आप्यायस्वेति च क्षीरं दधिक्राव्णेति चाहरेत् गव्यं दधि नवं साक्षात् कापिलं वै पितामह

With the mantra 'āpyāyasva', he should take milk; with 'dadhikrāvaṇa', he should take fresh curd from a Kapila cow, O Pitāmaha.

देवस्य त्वेति मन्त्रेण संग्रहेद्वै कुशोदकम् एकस्थं हेमपात्रे वा कृत्वाघोरेण राजते

With the mantra 'devasya tvā', he should collect water with kuśa grass, placing it together in a golden vessel or, with the Aghora mantra, in a silver one.

ताम्रे वा पद्मपात्रे वा पालाशे वा दले शुभे सकूर्चं सर्वरत्नाढ्यं क्षिप्त्वा तत्रैव काञ्चनम्

Or in a copper or lotus-leaf vessel, or in a pure palāśa leaf, with a bundle of kuśa grass, adorned with all kinds of gems, and gold placed there as well.

जपेल्लक्षमघोराख्यं हुत्वा चैव घृतादिभिः घृतेन चरुणा चैव समिद्भिश् च तिलैस् तथा

He should recite the Aghora mantra one hundred thousand times, and offer oblations with ghee and other substances, with ghee, with a cooked offering, with sacred sticks, and with sesame seeds.

यवैश् च व्रीहिभिश्चैव जुहुयाद्वै पृथक्पृथक् प्रत्येकं सप्तवारं तु द्रव्यालाभे घृतेन तु

With barley and rice, he should offer separately, each seven times; if these materials are unavailable, then with ghee alone.

हुत्वाघोरेण देवेशं स्नात्वाघोरेण वै द्विजाः अष्टद्रोणघृतेनैव स्नाप्य पश्चाद्विशोध्य च

Having offered oblations to the Lord with the Aghora mantra, and having bathed with the same, O twice-born, he should then bathe the Lord with eight droṇas of ghee, and purify thereafter.