Linga Purana

क्षीरार्थमदहत्सर्वं तपसा तं निवारय एतस्मिन्नन्तरे देवः पिनाकी परमेश्वरः शक्ररूपं समास्थाय गन्तुं चक्रे मतिं तदा

'He has given all for the sake of milk; restrain him from his austerity.' Meanwhile, the god Pinaki, the Supreme Lord, assuming the form of Shakra, then resolved to go.

अथ जगाम मुनेस्तु तपोवनं गजवरेण सितेन सदाशिवः सह सुरासुरसिद्धमहोरगैर् अमरराजतनुं स्वयमास्थितः

Then Sadashiva, together with the gods, asuras, siddhas, and great serpents, assuming the body of the king of the immortals, went to the sage's forest of austerity on a great white elephant.

वामेन शच्या सहितं सुरेन्द्रं करेण चान्येन सितातपत्रम्

With Shachi on his left and a white parasol in his other hand,

रराज भगवान् सोमः शक्ररूपी सदाशिवः सितातपत्रेण यथा चन्द्रबिंबेन मन्दरः

The blessed Soma, Sadashiva in the form of Shakra, shone with the white parasol as Mandara does with the orb of the moon.

आस्थायैवं हि शक्रस्य स्वरूपं परमेश्वरः जगामानुग्रहं कर्तुम् उपमन्योस् तदाश्रमम्

Thus assuming the very form of Shakra, the Supreme Lord went then to Upamanyu's hermitage to bestow his grace.

तं दृष्ट्वा परमेशानं शक्ररूपधरं शिवम् प्रणम्य शिरसा प्राह मुनिर्मुनिवराः स्वयम्

Seeing the Supreme Lord Shiva, bearing the form of Shakra, the sage himself, foremost among sages, bowed his head and spoke.

पावितश्चाश्रमश्चायं मम देवेश्वरः स्वयम् प्राप्तः शक्रो जगन्नाथो भगवान्भानुना प्रभुः

'This hermitage is purified, for the Lord of gods himself has come; Shakra, Lord of the universe, the blessed, radiant master.'

एवमुक्त्वा स्थितं वीक्ष्य कृताञ्जलिपुटं द्विजम् प्राह गंभीरया वाचा शक्ररूपधरो हरः

Having spoken thus, seeing the brahmin standing with palms joined, Hara, bearing the form of Shakra, addressed him with deep words.

तुष्टो ऽस्मि ते वरं ब्रूहि तपसानेन सुव्रत ददामि चेप्सितान् सर्वान् धौम्याग्रज महामते

'I am pleased with you; ask a boon, O steadfast one. By this austerity, I will grant you all you desire, O wise elder brother of Dhaumya.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन शक्रेण मुनिसत्तमः वरयामि शिवे भक्तिम् इत्युवाच कृताञ्जलिः

Thus addressed by Shakra, the best of sages, with joined palms, said: 'I choose devotion to Shiva as my boon.'

ततो निशम्य वचनं मुनेः कुपितवत्प्रभुः प्राह सव्यग्रमीशानः शक्ररूपधरः स्वयम्

Hearing the sage's words, the Lord, appearing somewhat angry, himself, bearing the form of Shakra, spoke with agitation.

मां न जानासि देवर्षे देवराजानमीश्वरम् त्रैलोक्याधिपतिं शक्रं सर्वदेवनमस्कृतम्

'Do you not know me, O divine sage? I am the king of the gods, the Lord, Shakra, ruler of the three worlds, honored by all the gods.'

मद्भक्तो भव विप्रर्षे मामेवार्चय सर्वदा ददामि सर्वं भद्रं ते त्यज रुद्रं च निर्गुणम्

'Become my devotee, O best of brahmins; always worship me. I will grant you all good things; abandon Rudra, the attributeless one.'

ततः शक्रस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा श्रोत्रविदारणम् उपमन्युरिदं प्राह जपन् पञ्चाक्षरं शुभम्

Then, hearing Shakra's words, which pierced the ears, Upamanyu, reciting the auspicious five-syllable mantra, spoke this.

मन्ये शक्रस्य रूपेण नूनम् अत्रागतः स्वयम् कर्तुं दैत्याधमः कश्चिद् धर्मविघ्नं च नान्यथा

'I think, surely, someone has come here in the form of Shakra, some lowly demon, to obstruct dharma; it cannot be otherwise.'

त्वयैव कथितं सर्वं भवनिन्दारतेन वै प्रसंगाद्देवदेवस्य निर्गुणत्वं महात्मनः

It was you yourself who, out of a tendency to revile, happened to declare everything about the supreme god’s transcendence and greatness.

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन मयाद्यानुमितं महत् भवान्तरकृतं पापं श्रुता निन्दा भवस्य तु

What more need be said by me here? Today I have understood the great sin committed by another against Bhava, namely, the slander of Bhava that I heard.

श्रुत्वा निन्दां भवस्याथ तत्क्षणादेव संत्यजेत् स्वदेहं तं निहत्याशु शिवलोकं स गच्छति

Upon hearing slander of Bhava, one should immediately abandon their own body at that very moment; by doing so, killing themselves, they swiftly attain Shiva’s world.

यो वाचोत्पाटयेज्जिह्वां शिवनिन्दारतस्य तु त्रिः सप्तकुलमुद्धृत्य शिवलोकं स गच्छति

Whoever tears out the tongue of one who delights in slandering Shiva, after uplifting twenty-one generations, goes to Shiva’s world.

आस्तां तावन्ममेच्छायाः क्षीरं प्रति सुराधमम् निहत्य त्वां शिवास्त्रेण त्यजाम्येतत्कलेवरम्

Let my desire for milk be set aside for now; O lowest of the gods, having slain you with Shiva’s weapon, I shall abandon this body.

पुरा मात्रा तु कथितं तथ्यमेव न संशयः पूर्वजन्मनि चास्माभिर् अपूजित इति प्रभुः

Long ago, my mother truly told me, without doubt, that in a previous birth we failed to worship the Lord.

एवमुक्त्वा तु तं देवम् उपमन्युरभीतवत् शक्रं चक्रे मतिं हन्तुम् अथर्वास्त्रेण मन्त्रवित्

Having spoken thus to the god, Upamanyu, fearless, resolved to kill Indra with the Atharvan missile, being skilled in mantras.

भस्माधारान्महातेजा भस्ममुष्टिं प्रगृह्य च अथर्वास्त्रं ततस्तस्मै ससर्ज च ननाद च

The mighty one, adorned with ashes, took up a handful of ashes, and then, with the Atharvan missile, directed it at him and roared.

दग्धुं स्वदेहम् आग्नेयीं ध्यात्वा वै धारणां तदा अतिष्ठच्च महातेजाः शुष्केन्धनमिवाव्ययः

Then, intent on burning his own body, he meditated upon the fiery concentration, and the mighty one stood firm, like dry fuel, inexhaustible.

एवं व्यवसिते विप्रे भगवान्भगनेत्रहा वारयामास सौम्येन धारणां तस्य योगिनः

As the brahmin thus resolved, the Lord, destroyer of Bhaga’s eye, gently restrained the yogi’s concentration.

अथर्वास्त्रं तदा तस्य संहृतं चन्द्रकेण तु कालाग्निसदृशं चेदं नियोगान्नन्दिनस् तथा

Then, by the order of Nandī and by Candraka, the Atharvan missile, blazing like the fire of time, was withdrawn.

स्वरूपमेव भगवान् आस्थाय परमेश्वरः दर्शयामास विप्राय बालेन्दुकृतशेखरम्

The blessed supreme Lord, assuming his own true form, revealed himself to the brahmin, crowned with the crescent moon.

क्षीरधारासहस्रं च क्षीरोदार्णवमेव च दध्यादेरर्णवं चैव घृतोदार्णवमेव च

He stood there surrounded on all sides by a thousand streams of milk, the ocean of milk, the ocean of curds, the ocean of clarified butter,

फलार्णवं च बालस्य भक्ष्यभोज्यार्णवं तथा अपूपगिरयश्चैव तथातिष्ठन् समन्ततः

The ocean of fruits for the boy, the ocean of foods to eat and enjoy, and mountains of cakes, all standing all around.