Linga Purana

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.

कालाग्निरुद्ररूपाय धर्माद्यष्टपदाय च कालीविशुद्धदेहाय कालिकाकारणाय ते

Salutations to you, whose form is Rudra, the fire of time; to you, the eightfold path beginning with dharma; to you, whose body is purified like Kali; to you, the cause of Kali.

कालकण्ठाय मुख्याय वाहनाय वराय ते अंबिकापतये तुभ्यं हिरण्यपतये नमः

Salutations to you, Kālakaṇṭha, the foremost, the vehicle, the excellent one; to you, the lord of Ambika; to you, the lord of gold.

हिरण्यरेतसे चैव नमः शर्वाय शूलिने कपालदण्डपाशासिचर्माङ्कुशधराय च

Salutations to you, whose seed is gold; to you, Sharva, the wielder of the trident; to you, who bear the skull, staff, noose, sword, hide, and goad.

पतये हैमवत्याश् च हेमशुक्लाय ते नमः पीतशुक्लाय रक्षार्थं सुराणां कृष्णवर्त्मने

Salutations to you, the lord of Hemavati; to you, golden-white; to you, yellow-white, for the protection of the gods; to you, whose path is dark.

पञ्चमाय महापञ्चयज्ञिनां फलदाय च पञ्चास्यफणिहाराय पञ्चाक्षरमयाय ते

Salutations to you, the fifth, the bestower of fruits to those who perform the five great sacrifices; to you, with five faces and serpent garlands; to you, composed of five syllables.

पञ्चधा पञ्चकैवल्यदेवैरर्चितमूर्तये पञ्चाक्षरदृशे तुभ्यं परात्परतराय ते

Salutations to you, whose form is worshipped by the fivefold, five-liberated gods; to you, whose vision is of the five syllables; to you, who are beyond the highest.

षोडशस्वरवज्राङ्गवक्त्रायाक्षयरूपिणे कादिपञ्चकहस्ताय चादिहस्ताय ते नमः

Salutations to you, whose face and limbs are like sixteen thunderbolts, whose form is imperishable; to you, whose hands hold the fivefold beginning with 'ka'; to you, whose hands are the beginning.

टादिपादाय रुद्राय तादिपादाय ते नमः पादिमेण्ढ्राय यद्यङ्गधातुसप्तकधारिणे

Salutations to you, Rudra, whose feet begin with 'ṭa'; to you, whose feet begin with 'ta'; to you, whose feet are the base; to you, who bear the seven elements of the body.

शान्तात्मरूपिणे साक्षात् क्षदन्तक्रोधिने नमः लवरेफहलाङ्गाय निरङ्गाय च ते नमः

Salutations to you, whose nature is tranquil, who are directly the destroyer of anger and desire, to you who are the sound 'la', the letter 'ra', and the consonant 'pha', and who are without limbs—salutations to you.

सर्वेषाम् एव भूतानां हृदि निःस्वनकारिणे भ्रुवोर् अन्ते सदा सद्भिर् दृष्टायात्यन्तभानवे

To the one who causes the inner sound in the hearts of all beings, who is always seen by the wise at the end of the brows as the supreme radiance.