Linga Purana

लीलयैव महासेनः प्रबलं तारकासुरम् बालो ऽपि विनिहत्यैको देवान् संतारयिष्यति

By his play alone, Mahāsena, though but a child, will single-handedly slay the powerful Tārakāsura and deliver the gods.

एवम् उक्तस् तदा तेन ब्रह्मणा परमेष्ठिना बृहस्पतिस् तथा सेन्द्रैर् देवैर् देवं प्रणम्य तम्

Thus addressed at that time by Brahmā, the supreme lord, Bṛhaspati, along with Indra and the other gods, bowed to that god.

मेरोः शिखरमासाद्य स्मरं सस्मार सुव्रतः स्मरणाद्देवदेवस्य स्मरो ऽपि सह भार्यया

Reaching the summit of Meru, the virtuous one remembered Smara; by remembering the god of gods, Smara too, with his wife, was recalled.

रत्या समं समागम्य नमस्कृत्य कृताञ्जलिः सशक्रमाह तं जीवं जगज्जीवो द्विजोत्तमाः

Coming together with Rati, bowing with joined palms, he, along with Śakra, addressed that living being, the life of the world, O best of twice-born.

स्मृतो यद्भवता जीव सम्प्राप्तो ऽहं तवान्तिकम् ब्रूहि यन्मे विधातव्यं तमाह सुरपूजितः

Remembered by you, O Jīva, I have come into your presence; tell me what I must do—so he spoke, honored by the gods.

तम् आह भगवाञ्छक्रः संभाव्य मकरध्वजम् शङ्करेणांबिकामद्य संयोजय यथासुखम्

Then the blessed Śakra, honoring the bannered one of desire, said: 'Today, unite Śaṅkara and Ambikā as you wish.'

तया स रमते येन भगवान् वृषभध्वजः तेन मार्गेण मार्गस्व पत्न्या रत्यानया सह

By the path through which the Lord with the bull-banner delights with her, so too should you, with your wife Rati, follow that way.

सो ऽपि तुष्टो महादेवः प्रदास्यति शुभां गतिम् विप्रयुक्तस्तया पूर्वं लब्ध्वा तां गिरिजामुमाम्

Then, pleased, Mahādeva will grant you an auspicious state; once separated from her before, he obtained that Girijā, Umā.

एवमुक्तो नमस्कृत्य देवदेवं शचीपतिम् देवदेवाश्रमं गन्तुं मतिं चक्रे तया सह

Thus addressed, bowing to the lord of gods, the husband of Śacī, he resolved to go, together with her, to the hermitage of the lord of gods.

गत्वा तदाश्रये शंभोः सह रत्या महाबलः वसंतेन सहायेन देवं योक्तुमना भवत्

Then, reaching the abode of Śambhu, together with Rati and aided by Spring, the mighty one set his mind on influencing the god.

ततः सम्प्रेक्ष्य मदनं हसन् देवस् त्रियंबकः नयनेन तृतीयेन सावज्ञं तम् अवैक्षत

Then, seeing Madana, the three-eyed god, smiling, looked at him with his third eye, glancing at him with disdain.

ततो ऽस्य नेत्रजो वह्निर् मदनं पार्श्वतः स्थितम् अदहत्तत्क्षणादेव ललाप करुणं रतिः

Then, from his eye, fire arose and burned Madana, who stood nearby, to ashes in that very instant; Rati wailed in grief.

रत्याः प्रलापमाकर्ण्य देवदेवो वृषध्वजः कृपया परया प्राह कामपत्नीं निरीक्ष्य च

Hearing Rati's lament, the god of gods, the bull-bannered one, looked upon the wife of Kāma and spoke to her with great compassion.

अमूर्तो ऽपि ध्रुवं भद्रे कार्यं सर्वं पतिस्तव रतिकाले ध्रुवे भद्रे करिष्यति न संशयः

Though formless, surely, O blessed one, your husband will accomplish all acts at the time of union, O blessed one; there is no doubt.

यदा विष्णुश् च भविता वासुदेवो महायशाः शापाद्भृगोर्महातेजाः सर्वलोकहिताय वै

When Viṣṇu becomes Vāsudeva, of great renown, through the curse of Bhṛgu, blazing with great splendor, for the good of all worlds—

तदा तस्य सुतो यश् च स पतिस्ते भविष्यति सा प्रणम्य तदा रुद्रं कामपत्नी शुचिस्मिता

Then, her son and the one who will be her husband, she—Kāma's wife, pure-smiling—bowed to Rudra at that time.

जगाम मदनं लब्ध्वा वसंतेन समन्विता

Having obtained Madana, she departed, accompanied by Vasanta.

तपसा च महादेव्याः पार्वत्या वृषभध्वज प्रीतिश् च भगवाञ्छर्वो वचनाद्ब्रह्मणस्तदा

Through the austerity of the great goddess Pārvatī, O Bull-bannered One, the blessed Śarva was pleased, as Brahmā had spoken.

हिताय चाश्रमाणां च क्रीडार्थं भगवान्भवः तदा हैमवतीं देवीम् उपयेमे यथाविधि

For the welfare of the hermitages and for play, the blessed Bhava then married the golden-born goddess according to proper rites.

जगाम स स्वयं ब्रह्मा मरीच्याद्यैर्महर्षिभिः तपोवनं महादेव्याः पार्वत्याः पद्मसंभवः

Brahmā himself, along with Marīci and other great sages, went to the forest of austerities of the great goddess Pārvatī, he who was born from the lotus.

प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य च तां देवीं स जगतो ऽरणीम् किम् अर्थं तपसा लोकान् संतापयसि शैलजे

Having circumambulated that goddess, he, the fire-stick of the worlds, asked: 'For what purpose, O daughter of the mountain, do you afflict the worlds with your austerity?'

त्वया सृष्टं जगत्सर्वं मातस्त्वं मा विनाशय त्वं हि संधारयेल्लोकान् इमान् सर्वान् स्वतेजसा

All the world has been created by you, O Mother; do not destroy it. You alone sustain all these worlds with your own radiance.

सर्वदेवेश्वरः श्रीमान् सर्वलोकपतिर्भवः यस्य वै देवदेवस्य वयं किङ्करवादिनः

Bhava, glorious lord of all gods, master of all worlds, for whom we, the gods of gods, declare ourselves as servants.

स एवं परमेशानः स्वयं च वरयिष्यति वरदे येन सृष्टासि न विना यस्त्वयांबिके

That supreme lord himself will choose you, O giver of boons, by whom you were created and without whom, O Ambikā, he does not exist.

वर्तते नात्र संदेहस् तव भर्त्ता भविष्यति इत्युक्त्वा तां नमस्कृत्य मुहुः सम्प्रेक्ष्य पार्वतीम्

There is no doubt in this: he will be your husband. Having said this, repeatedly bowing, he gazed at Pārvatī.

गते पितामहे देवो भगवान् परमेश्वरः जगामानुग्रहं कर्तुं द्विजरूपेण चाश्रमम्

When the Grandfather departed, the blessed supreme lord went to the hermitage in the form of a twice-born to bestow his grace.

सा च दृष्ट्वा महादेवं द्विजरूपेण संस्थितम् प्रतिभाद्यैः प्रभुं ज्ञात्वा ननाम वृषभध्वजम्

Seeing Mahādeva standing in the form of a twice-born, recognizing the lord by his signs, she bowed to the Bull-bannered One.

सम्पूज्य वरदं देवं ब्राह्मणच्छद्मनागतम् तुष्टाव परमेशानं पार्वती परमेश्वरम्

Honoring the boon-giving god who had come disguised as a Brāhmaṇa, Pārvatī praised the supreme lord, Parameśvara.

अनुगृह्य तदा देवीम् उवाच प्रहसन्निव कुलधर्माश्रयं रक्षन् भूधरस्य महात्मनः

Having blessed the goddess, he spoke, smiling, protecting the family duty of the great soul of the mountain.