Linga Purana

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन प्रहसन्निव शङ्करः दत्त्वेप्सितं हि विप्राय तत्रैवान्तरधीयत

Thus addressed by him, Shankara, smiling, granted the desired boon to the Brahmin and then vanished on the spot.

दृष्टो ऽसौ वासुदेवेन कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा धौम्याग्रजस्ततो लब्धं दिव्यं पाशुपतं व्रतम्

He was seen by Vasudeva Krishna, whose actions are untainted; from Dhaumya's elder brother he obtained the divine vow of Pashupata.

कथं लब्धं तदा ज्ञानं तस्मात्कृष्णेन धीमता वक्तुमर्हसि तां सूत कथां पातकनाशिनीम्

How did Krishna, the wise one, obtain that knowledge then? O Suta, you ought to tell that story, which destroys sin.

स्वेच्छया ह्यवतीर्णो ऽपि वासुदेवः सनातनः निन्दयन्नेव मानुष्यं देहशुद्धिं चकार सः

Though Vasudeva, the eternal one, descended by his own will, he performed bodily purification, as if reproaching human existence.

पुत्रार्थं भगवांस्तत्र तपस्तप्तुं जगाम च आश्रमं चोपमन्योर्वै दृष्टवांस्तत्र तं मुनिम्

Desiring a son, the Blessed Lord went there to perform austerity, and in the ashram of Upamanyu, he beheld that sage.

नमश्चकार तं दृष्ट्वा धौम्याग्रजमहो द्विजाः बहुमानेन वै कृष्णस् त्रिः कृत्वा वै प्रदक्षिणम्

Seeing him, Krishna, with great respect, bowed to Dhaumya's elder brother and circumambulated him three times, O twice-born.

तस्यावलोकनादेव मुनेः कृष्णस्य धीमतः नष्टमेव मलं सर्वं कायजं कर्म्मजं तथा

Merely by the sight of that sage, all impurities of Krishna—the wise one—arising from body and action, were destroyed.

भस्मनोद्धूलनं कृत्वा उपमन्युर्महाद्युतिः तमग्निरिति विप्रेन्द्रा वायुरित्यादिभिः क्रमात्

Upamanyu, of great splendor, after sprinkling ashes, addressed him in turn as Agni, as Vayu, and so on, O best of Brahmins.

दिव्यं पाशुपतं ज्ञानं प्रददौ प्रीतमानसः मुनेः प्रसादान्मान्यो ऽसौ कृष्णः पाशुपते द्विजाः

With a delighted mind, he imparted to Krishna the divine knowledge of Pashupata; by the sage's grace, Krishna became worthy of Pashupata, O Brahmins.

तपसा त्वेकवर्षान्ते दृष्ट्वा देवं महेश्वरम् सांबं सगणमव्यग्रं लब्धवान्पुत्रमात्मनः

At the end of a single year of austerity, having seen the god Maheshvara, calm and accompanied by Samba and his attendants, he obtained a son.

तदाप्रभृति तं कृष्णं मुनयः संशितव्रताः दिव्याः पाशुपताः सर्वे तस्थुः संवृत्य सर्वदा

From that time onward, all the ascetic sages, devoted to vows, always remained with Krishna, endowed with the divine Pashupata.

अन्यं च कथयिष्यामि मुक्त्यर्थं प्राणिनां सदा सौवर्णीं मेखलां कृत्वा आधारं दण्डधारणम्

I shall tell you another practice, always for the sake of liberation for living beings: making a golden girdle, and wearing a staff as a support.

सौवर्णं पिण्डिकं चापि व्यजनं दण्डमेव च नरैः स्त्रियाथ वा कार्यं मषीभाजनलेखनीम्

Men or women should make a golden seat, a fan, and a staff, as well as an inkpot and a pen.

क्षुराः कर्तरिका चापि अथ पात्रमथापि वा पाशुपताय दातव्यं भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहैः

Razors, scissors, or a vessel—these too should be given to a Pāśupata whose body is smeared with ashes.

सौवर्णं राजतं वापि ताम्रं वाथ निवेदयेत् आत्मवित्तानुसारेण योगिनं पूजयेद्बुधः

One should offer these made of gold, silver, or copper, according to one's means, and wisely honor the yogin.

ते सर्वे पापनिर्मुक्ताः समस्तकुलसंयुताः यान्ति रुद्रपदं दिव्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा

All those, together with their entire families, are freed from all sin and attain the divine state of Rudra; there should be no doubt about this.

तस्मादनेन दानेन गृहस्थो मुच्यते भवात् योगिनां संप्रदानेन शिवः क्षिप्रं प्रसीदति

Therefore, by this giving, a householder is liberated from worldly existence; by offering to yogins, Śiva is quickly pleased.

राज्यं पुत्रं धनं भव्यम् अश्वं यानमथापि वा सर्वस्वं वापि दातव्यं यदीच्छेन्मोक्षमुत्तमम्

If one desires the highest liberation, one should give away kingdom, sons, auspicious wealth, horses, vehicles, or even all one's possessions.

अध्रुवेण शरीरेण ध्रुवं साध्यं प्रयत्नतः भव्यं पाशुपतं नित्यं संसारार्णवतारकम्

With this unstable body, one should diligently pursue the eternal goal—the auspicious Pāśupata path, which is the means to cross the ocean of worldly existence.

एतद्वः कथितं सर्वं संक्षेपान्न च संशयः यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति

All this has been told to you in brief; let there be no doubt—whoever recites or hears this goes to the world of Viṣṇu.