Linga Purana

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.

उपमन्युमुवाच सस्मितो भगवान्बन्धुजनैः समावृतम् गिरिजाम् अवलोक्य सस्मितां सघृणं प्रेक्ष्यतु तं तदा घृणी

The blessed Lord, smiling, spoke to Upamanyu, who was surrounded by his relatives; seeing Girijā smiling with compassion, he looked at him with kindness.

भुङ्क्ष्व भोगान्यथाकामं बान्धवैः पश्य वत्स मे

Enjoy pleasures as you wish, along with your relatives; look, my child.

मया पुत्रीकृतो ऽस्यद्य दत्तः क्षीरोदधिस् तथा मधुनश्चार्णवश्चैव दध्नश्चार्णव एव च

Today I have made you my son; I have given you the ocean of milk, the ocean of honey, and the ocean of curds as well.

आज्योदनार्णवश्चैव फललेह्यार्णवस् तथा अपूपगिरयश्चैव भक्ष्यभोज्यार्णवः पुनः

And the ocean of clarified butter, the ocean of fruits and sweets, mountains of cakes, and again the ocean of foods to eat and enjoy.

पिता तव महादेवः पिता वै जगतां मुने माता तव महाभागा जगन्माता न संशयः

O sage, your father is the great god Mahadeva, the father of the worlds; your mother, O highly fortunate one, is the mother of the universe—of this there is no doubt.

अमरत्वं मया दत्तं गाणपत्यं च शाश्वतम् वरान्वरय दास्यामि नात्र कार्या विचारणा

I have granted you immortality and eternal lordship over the Ganas; choose further boons, I shall grant them—there is no need for hesitation here.

एवमुक्त्वा महादेवः कराभ्यामुपगृह्य तम् आघ्राय मूर्धनि विभुर् ददौ देव्यास्तदा भवः

Having spoken thus, Mahadeva embraced him with his hands, smelled his head, and then, together with Devi, Bhava bestowed blessings upon him.

देवी तनयमालोक्य ददौ तस्मै गिरीन्द्रजा योगैश्वर्यं तदा तुष्टा ब्रह्मविद्यां द्विजोत्तमाः

Devi, beholding her son, then, being pleased, granted him yogic mastery and the supreme knowledge of Brahman, O best of twice-born.

सो ऽपि लब्ध्वा वरं तस्याः कुमारत्वं च सर्वदा तुष्टाव च महादेवं हर्षगद्गदया गिरा

He too, having received her boon and perpetual youth, praised Mahadeva with words choked with joy.

वरयामास च तदा वरेण्यं विरजेक्षणम् कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा प्रणिपत्य पुनः पुनः

Then, with hands joined in reverence, bowing again and again, he requested from the worthy, stainless-eyed Lord a further boon.