Linga Purana

अकालिके त्वधर्मे च अनर्थे वारिसूदन एवमुक्त्वा ददौ चक्रं सूर्यायुतसमप्रभम्

But when the time is not right, or in unrighteousness or calamity, O slayer of foes, having spoken thus, he gave the discus, shining like ten thousand suns.

नेत्रं च नेता जगतां प्रभुर्वै पद्मसन्निभम् तदाप्रभृति तं प्राहुः पद्माक्षमिति सुव्रतम्

He also gave an eye, the leader of the worlds, resembling a lotus; from that time, O steadfast one, he was called 'Lotus-eyed'.

दत्त्वैनं नयनं चक्रं विष्णवे नीललोहितः पस्पर्श च कराभ्यां वै सुशुभाभ्यामुवाच ह

Having given him the eye and the discus, Nīlalohita touched Viṣṇu with his beautiful hands and spoke.

वरदो ऽहं वरश्रेष्ठ वरान्वरय चेप्सितान् भक्त्या वशीकृतो नूनं त्वयाहं पुरुषोत्तम

I am the bestower of boons, choose the highest boons you desire; by your devotion, O best of men, I am truly won over by you.

इत्युक्तो देवदेवेन देवदेवं प्रणम्य तम् त्वयि भक्तिर्महादेव प्रसीद वरमुत्तमम्

Thus addressed by the god of gods, he bowed to him and said: 'May I have devotion to you, O Mahādeva; grant me the supreme boon.'

नान्यमिच्छामि भक्तानाम् आर्तयो नास्ति यत्प्रभो तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य दयावान् सुतरां भवः

I desire nothing else; for your devotees, O Lord, there is no distress. Hearing these words, he became exceedingly compassionate.

पस्पर्श च ददौ तस्मै श्रद्धां शीतांशुभूषणः प्राह चैवं महादेवः परमात्मानमच्युतम्

He touched him and bestowed faith upon him, the one adorned with the cool-rayed moon; and Mahādeva spoke thus to Acyuta, the supreme self.

मयि भक्तश् च वन्द्यश् च पूज्यश्चैव सुरासुरैः भविष्यसि न संदेहो मत्प्रसादात्सुरोत्तम

By my grace, you shall be devoted to me, worshipped and honored by gods and demons alike, O best of the gods—there is no doubt.

यदा सती दक्षपुत्री विनिन्द्यैव सुलोचना मातरं पितरं दक्षं भविष्यति सुरेश्वरी

When Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa, with beautiful eyes, reproaches her mother and father, Dakṣa, she will become the queen of the gods.

दिव्या हैमवती विष्णो तदा त्वमपि सुव्रत भगिनीं तव कल्याणीं देवीं हैमवतीमुमाम्

O virtuous one, at that time, the divine daughter of Himavat, your auspicious sister, the goddess Umā, will also be yours, O Viṣṇu.

नियोगाद् ब्रह्मणः साध्वीं प्रदास्यसि ममैव ताम् मत्संबन्धी च लोकानां मध्ये पूज्यो भविष्यसि

By the command of Brahmā, you shall give that virtuous one to me; and being thus related to me, you will be honored among all beings.

मां दिव्येन च भावेन तदाप्रभृति शङ्करम् द्रक्ष्यसे च प्रसन्नेन मित्रभूतमिवात्मना

From that moment on, you will see me, Śaṅkara, in a divine form, gracious and friendly to you as to your own self.

इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे रुद्रो भगवान्नीललोहितः जनार्दनो ऽपि भगवान् देवानामपि संनिधौ

Having spoken thus, the blessed Rudra, blue and red in hue, disappeared; and the blessed Janārdana, in the presence of the gods,

अयाचत महादेवं ब्रह्माणं मुनिभिः समम् मया प्रोक्तं स्तवं दिव्यं पद्मयोने सुशोभनम्

Together with the sages, he requested the great god Brahmā for the splendid divine hymn to the Lotus-born, which I have recited.

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि श्रावयेद्वा द्विजोत्तमान् प्रतिनाम्नि हिरण्यस्य तत् तस्य फलम् आप्नुयात्

Whoever recites, hears, or causes the best of twice-born to hear this, obtains for each name the fruit of gold.

अश्वमेधसहस्रेण फलं भवति तस्य वै घृताद्यैः स्नापयेद्रुद्रं स्थाल्या वै कलशैः शुभैः

He attains the fruit of a thousand horse sacrifices; and if he bathes Rudra with ghee and other offerings in a pure vessel or pot,

नाम्नां सहस्रेणानेन श्रद्धया शिवमीश्वरम् सो ऽपि यज्ञसहस्रस्य फलं लब्ध्वासुरेश्वरैः

By worshiping Śiva, the Lord, with this thousand names in faith, he too obtains the fruit of a thousand sacrifices, as did the lords of the Asuras.

पूज्यो भवति रुद्रस्य प्रीतिर्भवति तस्य वै तथास्त्विति तथा प्राह पद्मयोनेर्जनार्दनम्

He becomes worthy of worship by Rudra, and gains his favor; thus, the Lotus-born spoke to Janārdana.

जग्मतुः प्रणिपत्यैनं देवदेवं जगद्गुरुम् तस्मान्नाम्नां सहस्रेण पूजयेद् अनघो द्विजाः

Having bowed to him, the Lord of gods, the teacher of the world, they departed; therefore, O sinless twice-born, one should worship with the thousand names.

जपेन्नाम्नां सहस्रं च स याति परमां गतिम्

He who recites the thousand names attains the highest state.

संभवः सूचितो देव्यास् त्वया सूत महामते सविस्तरं वदस्वाद्य सतीत्वे च यथातथम्

O wise Sūta, you have indicated the origin of the goddess; now tell in detail, as it truly happened, about her as Satī.

मेनाजत्वं महादेव्या दक्षयज्ञविमर्दनम् विष्णुना च कथं दत्ता देवदेवाय शंभवे

How did Menā become the great goddess, how was Dakṣa's sacrifice destroyed, and how was she given by Viṣṇu to Śaṃbhu, the god of gods?

कल्याणं वा कथं तस्य वक्तुमर्हसि सांप्रतम् तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सूतः पौराणिकोत्तमः

How did her auspiciousness come about? You should now tell this. Hearing their words, Sūta, the foremost of narrators,

संभवं च महादेव्याः प्राह तेषां महात्मनाम् ब्रह्मणा कथितं पूर्वं दण्डिने तत् सुविस्तरम्

Described to those great souls the origin of the great goddess, as it was formerly told by Brahmā to Daṇḍin, in full detail.

युष्माभिर् वै कुमाराय तेन व्यासाय धीमते तस्मादहमुपश्रुत्य प्रवदामि सुविस्तरम्

That was then told by you to Kumāra and by him to the wise Vyāsa; therefore, having heard it, I will now relate it in full detail.

वचनाद्वो महाभागाः प्रणम्योमां तथा भवम् सा भगाख्या जगद्धात्री लिङ्गमूर्तेस्त्रिवेदिका

By your command, O highly fortunate ones, I bow to Umā and Bhava; she, called Bhaga, the sustainer of the world, is the threefold altar of the liṅga form.

लिङ्गस्तु भगवान्द्वाभ्यां जगत्सृष्टिर्द्विजोत्तमाः लिङ्गमूर्तिः शिवो ज्योतिस् तमसश्चोपरि स्थितः

O best of twice-born, the liṅga, the blessed one, together with the two, is the source of creation; Śiva, the liṅga form, is the light standing above darkness.

लिङ्गवेदिसमायोगाद् अर्धनारीश्वरोभवत् ब्रह्माणं विदधे देवम् अग्रे पुत्रं चतुर्मुखम्

By the union of the liṅga and the altar, Ardhanārīśvara came into being; he created the god Brahmā first, his four-faced son.

प्राहिणोति स्म तस्यैव ज्ञानं ज्ञानमयो हरः विश्वाधिको ऽसौ भगवान् अर्धनारीश्वरो विभुः

He, Hara, who is composed of knowledge, imparted knowledge to him; that blessed Ardhanārīśvara, the all-pervading Lord, surpasses the universe.