Linga Purana

मुक्त्वा हस्तसमायोगं सहितैः सर्वदैवतैः सुरैश् च मानवैः सर्वैः प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना

Then, releasing the joined hands, all the gods, along with all the celestial and human beings, rejoiced inwardly.

ननाम भगवान्ब्रह्मा देवदेवमुमापतिम् ततः पाद्यं तयोर् दत्त्वा शंभोराचमनं तथा

Then the venerable Brahmā bowed to the god of gods, the consort of Umā, and offered water for washing the feet and for sipping to Śambhu.

मधुपर्कं तथा गां च प्रणम्य च पुनः शिवम् अतिष्ठद्भगवान्ब्रह्मा देवैरिन्द्रपुरोगमैः

He also presented the madhuparka and a cow, and after bowing again to Śiva, Brahmā stood there with the gods, Indra at their head.

भृग्वाद्यमुनयः सर्वे चाक्षतैस्तिलतण्डुलैः सूर्यादयः समभ्यर्च्य तुष्टुवुर्वृषभध्वजम्

All the sages beginning with Bhṛgu, and the Sun and others, worshipped the Bull-bannered One with unbroken rice, sesame, and parched grain, and praised him.

शिवः समाप्य देवोक्तं वह्निमारोप्य चात्मनि तया समागतो रुद्रः सर्वलोकहिताय वै

Śiva, having completed the rites spoken by the gods and having placed the fire within himself, was united with her—Rudra, for the welfare of all worlds.

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि भवोद्वाहं शुचिस्मितः श्रावयेद्वा द्विजाञ्छुद्धान् वेदवेदाङ्गपारगान्

Whoever recites or hears the marriage of Bhava, or has it recited to pure twice-borns learned in the Veda and its branches, with a pure smile—

स लब्ध्वा गाणपत्यं च भवेन सह मोदते यत्रायं कीर्त्यते विप्रैस् तावदास्ते तदा भवः

He attains the favor of Gaṇeśa and rejoices together with Bhava; wherever this is proclaimed by the learned, there Bhava himself abides.

तस्मात् सम्पूज्य विधिवत् कीर्तयेन्नान्यथा द्विजाः उद्वाहे च द्विजेन्द्राणां क्षत्रियाणां द्विजोत्तमाः

Therefore, O twice-borns, having worshipped properly, one should recite this and not otherwise, at the weddings of the best of Brāhmaṇas and Kṣatriyas.

कीर्तनीयमिदं सर्वं भवोद्वाहमनुत्तमम् कृतोद्वाहस्तदा देव्या हैमवत्या वृषध्वजः

This entire, unsurpassed account of the marriage of Bhava should be proclaimed; then the Bull-bannered One was wedded to the goddess, the daughter of Himavat.

सगणो नन्दिना सार्धं सर्वदेवगणैर्वृतः पुरीं वाराणसीं दिव्याम् आजगाम महाद्युतिः

Surrounded by his attendants, with Nandin and all the hosts of gods, the greatly radiant one went to the divine city of Vārāṇasī.

अविमुक्ते सुखासीनं प्रणम्य वृषभध्वजम् अपृच्छत्क्षेत्रमाहात्म्यं भवानी हर्षितानना

Bhavānī, her face beaming with joy, bowed to the Bull-bannered One seated happily in Avimukta, and asked about the greatness of the field.

अथाहार्धेन्दुतिलकः क्षेत्रमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् अविमुक्तस्य माहात्म्यं विस्तराच्छक्यते नहि

Then the moon-crested one spoke of the supreme greatness of the field, saying, 'The greatness of Avimukta cannot be described in detail.'

वक्तुं मया सुरेशानि ऋषिसंघाभिपूजितम् किं मया वर्ण्यते देवी ह्य् अविमुक्तफलोदयः

'O queen of the gods, honored by hosts of sages, how can I describe Avimukta, the source of the fruits of liberation?'

पापिनां यत्र मुक्तिः स्यान् मृतानाम् एकजन्मना अन्यत्र तु कृतं पापं वाराणस्यां व्यपोहति

'There, even the sinful attain liberation at death in a single birth; elsewhere, sin committed is destroyed only in Vārāṇasī.'

वाराणस्यां कृतं पापं पैशाच्यनरकावहम् कृत्वा पापसहस्राणि पिशाचत्वं वरं नृणाम्

'Sin committed in Vārāṇasī leads to the hells of Piśācas and Narakas; but for men, even after committing thousands of sins, becoming a piśāca is preferable.'

न तु शक्रसहस्रत्वं स्वर्गे काशीपुरीं विना यत्र त्रिविष्टपो देवो यत्र विश्वेश्वरो विभुः

'But not even attaining the status of a thousand Indras in heaven is equal to Kāśī city, where the god of the three worlds and the all-pervading Lord reside.'

ओंकारेशः कृत्तिवासा मृतानां न पुनर्भवः उक्त्वा क्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं संक्षेपाच्छशिशेखरः

'Where Oṃkāreśa, the wearer of hides, abides, there is no rebirth for the dead.' Having thus briefly spoken of the greatness of the field, the moon-crested one—

दर्शयामास चोद्यानं परित्यज्य गणेश्वरान् तत्रैव भगवान् जातो गजवक्त्रो विनायकः

—showed the garden, and, leaving the lords of the gaṇas, there the Lord was born as Vināyaka, the elephant-faced one.

दैत्यानां विघ्नरूपार्थम् अविघ्नाय दिवौकसाम् एतद्वः कथितं सर्वं कथासर्वस्वमुत्तमम्

For the purpose of being an obstacle to the demons and removing obstacles for the gods, all this, the supreme essence of the story, has been told to you.

यथाश्रुतं मया सर्वं प्रसादाद्वः सुशोभनम्

All that I have heard has been revealed to me by your gracious favor, and it is most splendid.

कथं विनायको जातो गजवक्त्रो गणेश्वरः कथं प्रभावस्तस्यैवं सूत वक्तुमिहार्हसि

How did Vinayaka, the lord of the hosts, come to be born with the face of an elephant? How did his radiance arise thus? Suta, you ought to speak of this here.

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे देवाः सेन्द्रोपेन्द्राः समेत्य ते धर्मविघ्नं तदा कर्तुं दैत्यानामभवन्द्विजाः

Meanwhile, the gods, along with Indra and Upendra, gathered together, O twice-born, to create obstacles for the unrighteous deeds of the demons.

असुरा यातुधानाश् च राक्षसाः क्रूरकर्मिणः तामसाश् च तथा चान्ये राजसाश् च तथा भुवि

The asuras, yātudhānas, rākṣasas of cruel deeds, those of tamas, and others of rajas, likewise existed on earth.

अविघ्नं यज्ञदानाद्यैः समभ्यर्च्य महेश्वरम् ब्रह्माणं च हरिं विप्रा लब्धेप्सितवरा यतः

Having worshipped Maheshvara, Brahma, and Hari with uninterrupted offerings of sacrifice and charity, O brahmins, they obtained their desired boons.

ततो ऽस्माकं सुरश्रेष्ठाः सदा विजयसंभवः तेषां ततस्तु विघ्नार्थम् अविघ्नाय दिवौकसाम्

Therefore, O best of the gods, our perpetual victory was assured; but then, to create obstacles for them and to ensure uninterrupted success for the dwellers of heaven—

पुत्रार्थं चैव नारीणां नराणां कर्मसिद्धये विघ्नेशं शङ्करं स्रष्टुं गणपं स्तोतुमर्हथ

For the sake of sons for women, and for the accomplishment of deeds for men, you ought to create and praise Vighnesha Shankara, the lord of the hosts.

इत्युक्त्वान्योन्यमनघं तुष्टुवुः शिवमीश्वरम् नमः सर्वात्मने तुभ्यं सर्वज्ञाय पिनाकिने

Having spoken thus to one another, they praised Shiva, the Lord, saying: 'Salutations to you, the soul of all, the all-knowing, the wielder of the Pinaka.'

अनघाय विरिञ्चाय देव्याः कार्यार्थदायिने अकायायार्थकायाय हरेः कायापहारिणे

Salutations to the faultless one, to Virinchi, the giver of the fruits of actions for the goddess; to the bodiless and the one with purposeful form; to the remover of Hari’s form.

कायान्तस्थामृताधारमण्डलावस्थिताय ते कृतादिभेदकालाय कालवेगाय ते नमः

Salutations to you, who dwell within the circle of nectar at the core of the body; to you who distinguish the divisions of creation; to you, the force of time.