Linga Purana

किमप्यचिन्त्यं योगात्मा योगमास्थाय योगवित् फणासहस्रकलितं तमप्रतिमवर्चसम्

Assuming yoga, the master of yoga, possessing inconceivable power, he shone with unmatched brilliance, adorned by a thousand serpent hoods.

महाभोगपतेर्भोगं साध्वास्तीर्य महोच्छ्रयम् तस्मिन्महति पर्यङ्के शेते चैकार्णवे प्रभुः

Spreading the great serpent's coils as a noble couch, the Lord lay upon that vast, lofty bed in the great ocean.

एवं तत्र शयानेन विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना आत्मारामेण क्रीडार्थं लीलयाक्लिष्टकर्मणा

Thus, Viṣṇu, the mighty Lord, resting there, delighting in his own self, performed playfully, his actions untouched by effort.

शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं तरुणादित्यसन्निभम् वज्रदण्डं महोत्सेधं नाभ्यां सृष्टं तु पुष्करम्

From his navel arose a lotus, a hundred yojanas wide, radiant like the rising sun, with a great stalk, and of immense height.

तस्यैवं क्रीडमानस्य समीपं देवमीढुषः हेमगर्भाण्डजो ब्रह्मा रुक्मवर्णो ह्यतीन्द्रियः

As that god, the praised one, sported thus, near him appeared Brahmā, the golden-embryo, lotus-born, golden-hued, and beyond the senses.

चतुर्वक्त्रो विशालाक्षः समागम्य यदृच्छया श्रिया युक्तेन दिव्येन सुशुभेन सुगन्धिना

The four-faced one, with wide eyes, happened to arrive, adorned with divine, splendid, and fragrant beauty.

क्रीडमानं च पद्मेन दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मा शुभेक्षणम् सविस्मयमथागम्य सौम्यसम्पन्नया गिरा

Seeing Brahmā, whose gaze is auspicious, playing with a lotus, he approached with wonder and addressed him with gentle and pleasing words.

प्रोवाच को भवाञ्छेते ह्य् आश्रितो मध्यमम्भसाम् अथ तस्याच्युतः श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणस्तु शुभं वचः

He said, 'Who are you, O one who has taken refuge in the midst of the waters?' Then, having heard these auspicious words of Brahmā, Acyuta replied.

उदतिष्ठत पर्यङ्काद् विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः प्रत्युवाचोत्तरं चैव कल्पे कल्पे प्रतिश्रयः

He rose from his couch, his eyes wide with astonishment, and replied, 'In every cycle, I am the refuge.'

कर्तव्यं च कृतं चैव क्रियते यच्च किंचन द्यौरन्तरिक्षं भूश्चैव परं पदमहं भुवः

'Whatever is to be done, whatever has been done, and whatever is being done—heaven, the midspace, and earth—I am the supreme abode beyond the world.'

तमेवमुक्त्वा भगवान् विष्णुः पुनरथाब्रवीत् कस्त्वं खलु समायातः समीपं भगवान्कुतः

Having spoken thus, the blessed Viṣṇu again said, 'Who exactly are you, O venerable one, who has come near? From where have you come?'

क्व वा भूयश् च गन्तव्यं कश् च वा ते प्रतिश्रयः को भवान् विश्वमूर्तिर्वै कर्तव्यं किं च ते मया

'Where will you go again? What is your refuge? Who are you, truly the form of the universe? And what should I do for you?'

एवं ब्रुवन्तं वैकुण्ठं प्रत्युवाच पितामहः मायया मोहितः शंभोर् अविज्ञाय जनार्दनम्

To Vaikuṇṭha, who spoke thus, the Grandfather replied, deluded by the māyā of Śambhu, not recognizing Janārdana.

मायया मोहितं देवम् अविज्ञातं महात्मनः यथा भवांस्तथैवाहम् आदिकर्ता प्रजापतिः

Deluded by the māyā, the god did not recognize the great soul; 'Just as you are, so am I—the original creator, the lord of creatures.'

सविस्मयं वचः श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणो लोकतन्त्रिणः अनुज्ञातश् च ते नाथ वैकुण्ठो विश्वसंभवः

Hearing the words of Brahmā, the ruler of the worlds, with wonder, Vaikuṇṭha, the source of the universe, gave his consent.

कौतूहलान्महायोगी प्रविष्टो ब्रह्मणो मुखम् इमानष्टादश द्वीपान् ससमुद्रान् सपर्वतान्

Out of curiosity, the great yogi entered Brahmā's mouth, along with these eighteen islands, with their oceans and mountains.

प्रविश्य सुमहातेजाश् चातुर्वर्ण्यसमाकुलान् ब्रह्मणस्तम्भपर्यन्तं सप्तलोकान् सनातनान्

Entering, full of great brilliance, the worlds filled with the four varṇas, up to the end of Brahmā's stalk, the seven eternal worlds.

ब्रह्मणस्तूदरे दृष्ट्वा सर्वान्विष्णुर्महाभुजः अहो ऽस्य तपसो वीर्यम् इत्युक्त्वा च पुनः पुनः

Within Brahmā's belly, Viṣṇu, mighty-armed, saw all things, and again and again exclaimed, 'Ah, the power of his austerity!'

अटित्वा विविधांल्लोकान् विष्णुर्नानाविधाश्रयान् ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते नान्तं हि ददृशे यदा

Having wandered through various worlds and diverse abodes, Viṣṇu, after a thousand years, did not find the end.

तदास्य वक्त्रान्निष्क्रम्य पन्नगेन्द्रनिकेतनः नारायणो जगद्धाता पितामहमथाब्रवीत्

Then, emerging from his mouth, Nārāyaṇa, the sustainer of the world, whose abode is the king of serpents, spoke to the Grandfather.

भगवानादिरङ्कश् च मध्यं कालो दिशो नभः नाहमन्तं प्रपश्यामि उदरस्य तवानघ

'O venerable one, you are the origin, the seat, the middle, time, directions, and space. I do not see the end of your belly, O sinless one.'

एवमुक्त्वाब्रवीद्भूयः पितामहमिदं हरिः भगवानेवमेवाहं शाश्वतं हि ममोदरम्

Having spoken thus, Hari again addressed the Grandfather: 'O blessed one, just so is my belly—eternal.'

प्रविश्य लोकान् पश्यैतान् अनौपम्यान्सुरोत्तम ततः प्राह्लादिनीं वाणीं श्रुत्वा तस्याभिनन्द्य च

'Enter, O best of gods, and see these incomparable worlds.' Then, having heard his delightful words, he rejoiced.

श्रीपतेरुदरं भूयः प्रविवेश पितामहः तानेव लोकान् गर्भस्थान् अपश्यत् सत्यविक्रमः

Then the Lord of Creation, of unwavering resolve, once again entered the belly of the glorious Lord, and saw those very worlds existing within the womb.

पर्यटित्वा तु देवस्य ददृशे ऽन्तं न वै हरेः ज्ञात्वा गतिं तस्य पितामहस्य द्वाराणि सर्वाणि पिधाय विष्णुः विभुर्मनः कर्तुमियेष चाशु सुखं प्रसुप्तो ऽहमिति प्रचिन्त्य

Having wandered throughout the Lord’s body, he did not perceive the end of Hari; realizing the course of the Lord of Creation, Viṣṇu closed all the doors, and, wishing to act, quickly thought, 'I will rest comfortably.'

ततो द्वाराणि सर्वाणि पिहितानि समीक्ष्य वै सूक्ष्मं कृत्वात्मनो रूपं नाभ्यां द्वारमविन्दत

Then, seeing that all the doors were indeed shut, he made his form subtle and found a door through the navel.

पद्मसूत्रानुसारेण चान्वपश्यत्पितामहः उज्जहारात्मनो रूपं पुष्कराच्चतुराननः

Following the thread of the lotus, the Lord of Creation observed, and from the lotus, the four-faced one emerged, manifesting his own form.

विरराजारविन्दस्थः पद्मगर्भसमद्युतिः ब्रह्मा स्वयंभूर्भगवाञ् जगद्योनिः पितामहः

Seated upon the lotus, shining with the radiance of the lotus-womb, Brahmā, the self-born, the blessed, the source of the universe, the Lord of Creation, appeared resplendent.

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे ताभ्याम् एकैकस्य तु कृत्स्नशः वर्तमाने तु संघर्षे मध्ये तस्यार्णवस्य तु

Meanwhile, as each of the two contended entirely with one another, a great conflict arose in the midst of that ocean.