Linga Purana

तं दृष्ट्वा संस्थितं देवम् अर्धनारीश्वरं प्रभुम् तुष्टाव वाग्भिर् इष्टाभिर् वरदं वारिजोद्भवः

Seeing that god, Ardhanārīśvara, the Lord, standing there, the lotus-born praised him with chosen words, as the bestower of boons.

विभजस्वेति विश्वेशं विश्वात्मानमजो विभुः ससर्ज देवीं वामाङ्गात् पत्नीं चैवात्मनः समाम्

The unborn, all-pervading Lord of the universe said, 'Divide yourself,' and from his left side he created the goddess, his wife, equal to himself.

श्रद्धा ह्यस्य शुभा पत्नी ततः पुंसः पुरातनी सैवाज्ञया विभोर्देवी दक्षपुत्री बभूव ह

Faith, indeed, was his auspicious wife, the ancient consort of the man; by the command of the mighty one, that goddess became Dakṣa's daughter.

सतीसंज्ञा तदा सा वै रुद्रमेवाश्रिता पतिम् दक्षं विनिन्द्य कालेन देवी मैना ह्यभूत्पुनः

Then, called Satī, she took Rudra alone as her husband; after censuring Dakṣa, in time, the goddess was born again as Menā's daughter.

नारदस्यैव दक्षो ऽपि शापादेवं विनिन्द्य च अवज्ञादुर्मदो दक्षो देवदेवमुमापतिम्

Dakṣa, too, because of Nārada's curse, reviled and disrespected the god of gods, Umā's husband, out of arrogance and contempt.

अनादृत्य कृतिं ज्ञात्वा सती दक्षेण तत्क्षणात् भस्मीकृत्वात्मनो देहं योगमार्गेण सा पुनः

Knowing Dakṣa's insult, Satī immediately reduced her own body to ashes by the path of yoga.

बभूव पार्वती देवी तपसा च गिरेः प्रभोः ज्ञात्वैतद्भगवान् भर्गो ददाह रुषितः प्रभुः

The goddess became Pārvatī, by the austerity of the lord of the mountain; knowing this, the blessed Bharga, angered, burned (the sacrifice).

दक्षस्य विपुलं यज्ञं च्यावनेर् वचनादपि च्यवनस्य सुतो धीमान् दधीच इति विश्रुतः

By the word of Cyavana, the great sacrifice of Dakṣa was destroyed; Cyavana's wise son, known as Dadhīca, (was involved).

विजित्य विष्णुं समरे प्रसादात् त्र्यंबकस्य च विष्णुना लोकपालांश् च शशाप च मुनीश्वरः

Having conquered Viṣṇu in battle by the favor of Tryambaka, the sage-lord cursed Viṣṇu and the guardians of the worlds.

रुद्रस्य क्रोधजेनैव वह्निना हविषा सुराः विनाशो वै क्षणादेव मायया शङ्करस्य वै

By the fire born of Rudra's wrath, with the oblation, the gods were destroyed in an instant by the illusion of Śaṅkara.

विजित्य विष्णुना सार्धं भगवान्परमेश्वरः सर्वान्दधीचवचनात् कथं भेजे महेश्वरः

Having conquered together with Viṣṇu, the blessed Supreme Lord, by the word of Dadhīca, how did Maheśvara act?

दक्षयज्ञे सुविपुले देवान् विष्णुपुरोगमान् ददाह भगवान् रुद्रः सर्वान् मुनिगणान् अपि

At Dakṣa's great sacrifice, the blessed Rudra burned all the gods, with Viṣṇu at their head, and all the groups of sages as well.

भद्रो नाम गणस्तेन प्रेषितः परमेष्ठिना विप्रयोगेन देव्या वै दुःसहेनैव सुव्रताः

A group named Bhadra was sent by the Supreme Lord, due to the unbearable separation from the goddess, O steadfast ones.

सो ऽसृजद् वीरभद्रश् च गणेशान्रोमजाञ्छुभान् गणेश्वरैः समारुह्य रथं भद्रः प्रतापवान्

He created Vīrabhadra and the lords of the gaṇas, auspicious ones born from his hair; Bhadra, powerful, mounted a chariot with the lords of the gaṇas.

गन्तुं चक्रे मतिं यस्य सारथिर्भगवानजः गणेश्वराश् च ते सर्वे विविधायुधपाणयः

He resolved to go, whose charioteer was the blessed unborn one; and all those lords of the gaṇas, bearing various weapons, (went with him).

विमानैर्विश्वतो भद्रैस् तमन्वयुरथो सुराः हिमवच्छिखरे रम्ये हेमशृङ्गे सुशोभने

The gods followed him in all directions with auspicious aerial chariots, to the delightful and splendid golden peak on the beautiful summit of the Himalaya.

यज्ञवाटस् तथा तस्य गङ्गाद्वारसमीपतः तद्देशे चैव विख्यातं शुभं कनखलं द्विजाः

There, near the gateway of the Ganges, was the sacrificial enclosure; and in that region, O twice-born ones, the renowned and auspicious Kanakhala.

दग्धुं वै प्रेषितश्चासौ भगवान् परमेष्ठिना तदोत्पातो बभूवाथ लोकानां भयशंसनः

Then, sent by the Supreme Lord, that blessed one was dispatched to burn (the sacrifice); and a fearful omen arose, terrifying the worlds.

पर्वताश् च व्यशीर्यन्त प्रचकम्पे वसुंधरा मरुतश् चाप्य् अघूर्णन्त चुक्षुभे मकरालयः

The mountains were shattered, the earth trembled, the winds whirled violently, and the abode of the ocean was agitated.

अग्नयो नैव दीप्यन्ति न च दीप्यति भास्करः ग्रहाश् च न प्रकाश्यन्ते न देवा न च दानवाः

The fires did not blaze, nor did the sun shine; the planets gave no light, nor did the gods or the demons.

ततः क्षणात् प्रविश्यैव यज्ञवाटं महात्मनः रोमजैः सहितो भद्रः कालाग्निरिवचापरः

Then, in a moment, the blessed one, accompanied by the Bhairava hosts, entered the great soul's sacrificial enclosure, like another fire of destruction.

उवाच भद्रो भगवान् दक्षं चामिततेजसम् संपर्कादेव दक्षाद्य मुनीन्देवान् पिनाकिना

The blessed Bhadra spoke to Daksha, whose splendor is immeasurable: 'By the very contact with Pinākin, O Daksha, you, the sages, and the gods—'

दग्धुं संप्रेषितश् चाहं भवन्तं समुनीश्वरैः इत्युक्त्वा यज्ञशालां तां ददाह गणपुङ्गवः

'I have been sent to burn you along with the lords of sages.' Having said this, the chief of the Gaṇas set fire to that sacrificial hall.

गणेश्वराश् च संक्रुद्धा यूपानुत्पाट्य चिक्षिपुः प्रस्तोत्रा सह होत्रा च दग्धं चैव गणेश्वरैः

And the enraged lords of the Gaṇas uprooted the sacrificial posts and hurled them; together with the chanters and the priests, they too were burned by the lords of the Gaṇas.

गृहीत्वा गणपाः सर्वान् गङ्गास्रोतसि चिक्षिपुः वीरभद्रो महातेजाः शक्रस्योद्यच्छतः करम्

The Gaṇas seized them all and cast them into the current of the Ganges; the mighty Vīrabhadra seized Indra's raised hand.

व्यष्टम्भयद् अदीनात्मा तथान्येषां दिवौकसाम् भगस्य नेत्रे चोत्पाट्य करजाग्रेण लीलया

That fearless one restrained it, and likewise those of the other gods; he playfully plucked out Bhaga's eyes with the tips of his fingers.

निहत्य मुष्टिना दन्तान् पूष्णश्चैवं न्यपातयत् तथा चन्द्रमसं देवं पादाङ्गुष्ठेन लीलया

Striking with his fist, he knocked out Pūṣan's teeth; and in the same way, with his big toe, he playfully brought down the god Chandra.

घर्षयामास भगवान् वीरभद्रः प्रतापवान् चिछेद च शिरस्तस्य शक्रस्य भगवान्प्रभोः

The glorious and mighty Vīrabhadra began to grind, and then cut off the head of the lordly Indra with his sword.

वह्नेर्हस्तद्वयं छित्त्वा जिह्वामुत्पाट्य लीलया जघान मूर्ध्नि पादेन वीरभद्रो महाबलः

He cut off both hands of Agni, and playfully tore out his tongue; the mighty Vīrabhadra struck him on the head with his foot.