Linga Purana

सद्भाववचनं ब्रूहि पद्मादवतर प्रभो स त्वं च नो महायोगी त्वमीड्यः प्रणवात्मकः

'Speak words of goodwill, O Lord, descend from the lotus; you are indeed our great yogi, worthy of praise, the very essence of the Pranava (Om).'

अद्यप्रभृति सर्वेशः श्वेतोष्णीषविभूषितः पद्मयोनिरिति ह्येवं ख्यातो नाम्ना भविष्यसि

From this day forward, O Lord of all, adorned with a white turban, you will be renowned by the name 'Padmayoni' (Lotus-born).

पुत्रो मे त्वं भव ब्रह्मन् सप्तलोकाधिपः प्रभो ततः स भगवान्देवो वरं दत्त्वा किरीटिने

'Become my son, O Brahman, Lord of the seven worlds.' Then, having granted the boon to the crowned one, the blessed Lord—

एवं भवतु चेत्युक्त्वा प्रीतात्मा गतमत्सरः प्रत्यासन्नम् अथायान्तं बालार्काभं महाननम्

Saying, 'So be it,' with a pleased and envy-free heart, he saw approaching nearby one with a face like the rising sun, of great countenance.

भवमत्यद्भुतं दृष्ट्वा नारायणमथाब्रवीत् अप्रमेयो महावक्त्रो दंष्ट्री ध्वस्तशिरोरुहः

Beholding that most wondrous form, Nārāyaṇa spoke: 'Immeasurable, with a great mouth, fanged, with hair destroyed from the head—'

दशबाहुस्त्रिशूलाङ्को नयनैर्विश्वतः स्थितः लोकप्रभुः स्वयं साक्षाद् विकृतो मुञ्जमेखली

Ten-armed, marked with a trident, standing with eyes on all sides, the Lord of the worlds himself, manifest, deformed, girded with a munja grass belt—

मेण्ढ्रेणोर्ध्वेन महता नर्दमानो ऽतिभैरवम् कः खल्वेष पुमान् विष्णो तेजोराशिर् महाद्युतिः

Roaring most terribly, with a great erect phallus, who indeed is this man, O Viṣṇu, a mass of brilliance, of great splendor?

व्याप्य सर्वा दिशो द्यां च इत एवाभिवर्तते तेनैवमुक्तो भगवान् विष्णुर्ब्रह्माणमब्रवीत्

Having pervaded all directions and the sky, he now advances from there; thus addressed, the blessed Viṣṇu spoke to Brahmā:

पद्भ्यां तलनिपातेन यस्य विक्रमतो ऽर्णवे वेगेन महताकाशे ऽप्युत्थिताश् च जलशयाः

By whose stride, as he steps upon the ocean with his feet, the waters are lifted up even into the vast sky with great force—

स्थूलाद्भिर् विश्वतो ऽत्यर्थं सिच्यसे पद्मसंभव घ्राणजेन च वातेन कम्प्यमानं त्वया सह

From the coarse elements, you are abundantly sprinkled in all directions, O lotus-born; together with you, the wind arising from the sense of smell causes trembling.

दोधूयते महापद्मं स्वच्छन्दं मम नाभिजम् समागतो भवानीशो ह्य् अनादिश्चान्तकृत्प्रभुः

The great lotus, freely sprung from my navel, is shaken; the Lord Bhava has arrived, the beginningless and the master who brings about the end.

भवानहं च स्तोत्रेण उपतिष्ठाव गोध्वजम् ततः क्रुद्धो ऽम्बुजाभाक्षं ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच केशवम्

Bhava and I, with hymns, approached the bearer of the bull-banner; then, angered, Brahmā spoke to Keśava, whose eyes resemble lotuses.

भवान्न नूनमात्मानं वेत्ति लोकप्रभुं विभुम् ब्रह्माणं लोककर्तारं मां न वेत्सि सनातनम्

You surely do not know yourself, the lord of the worlds, the all-pervading one; you do not know me, Brahmā, the eternal creator of the worlds.

को ह्यसौ शङ्करो नाम आवयोर्व्यतिरिच्यते तस्य तत्क्रोधजं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा हरिरभाषत

Who is this named Śaṅkara, who surpasses both of us? Hearing those words born of anger, Hari spoke.

मा मैवं वद कल्याण परिवादं महात्मनः महायोगेन्धनो धर्मो दुराधर्षो वरप्रदः

Do not speak thus, O auspicious one, do not disparage the great soul; the great lord of yoga, Dharma, is difficult to overcome and bestows boons.

हेतुरस्याथ जगतः पुराणपुरुषो ऽव्ययः बीजी खल्वेष बीजानां ज्योतिरेकः प्रकाशते

He is the cause of this world, the ancient, imperishable person; indeed, he is the seed of all seeds, the single light that shines forth.

बालक्रीडनकैर्देवः क्रीडते शङ्करः स्वयम् प्रधानमव्ययो योनिर् अव्यक्तं प्रकृतिस्तमः

Śaṅkara himself plays with toys as a child; the imperishable chief principle, the womb, the unmanifest, and the darkness of nature.

मम चैतानि नामानि नित्यं प्रसवधर्मिणः यः कः स इति दुःखार्तैर् दृश्यते यतिभिः शिवः

These names of mine are always productive; who he is, that Śiva, is seen by ascetics afflicted with suffering.

एष बीजी भवान्बीजम् अहं योनिः सनातनः स एवमुक्तो विश्वात्मा ब्रह्मा विष्णुमपृच्छत

He is the seed, you are the seed-bearer, I am the eternal womb; thus addressed, the soul of the universe, Brahmā, questioned Viṣṇu.

भवान् योनिरहं बीजं कथं बीजी महेश्वरः एतन्मे सूक्ष्ममव्यक्तं संशयं छेत्तुमर्हसि

You are the womb, I am the seed; how is Maheśvara the seed-bearer? This subtle, unmanifest doubt of mine you ought to resolve.

ज्ञात्वा च विविधोत्पत्तिं ब्रह्मणो लोकतन्त्रिणः इमं परमसादृश्यं प्रश्नम् अभ्यवदद्धरिः

Having understood the various origins of Brahmā, the ruler of the worlds, Hari answered this supreme question of resemblance.

अस्मान्महत्तरं भूतं गुह्यमन्यन्न विद्यते महतः परमं धाम शिवम् अध्यात्मिनां पदम्

There is nothing greater or more secret than this being; the supreme abode of the great, the seat of Śiva for those devoted to the inner self.

द्विविधं चैवमात्मानं प्रविभज्य व्यवस्थितः निष्कलस्तत्र यो ऽव्यक्तः सकलश् च महेश्वरः

Thus, the self is established, divided in two ways: there, Maheśvara is both the unmanifest without parts and the manifest with parts.

यस्य मायाविधिज्ञस्य अगम्यगहनस्य च पुरा लिङ्गोद्भवं बीजं प्रथमं त्वादिसर्गिकम्

For him, who knows the workings of māyā and whose nature is inaccessible and profound, the first seed of the linga, similar to you, arose in the beginning.

मम योनौ समायुक्तं तद्बीजं कालपर्ययात् हिरण्मयमकूपारे योन्यामण्डमजायत

That seed, united with my womb, in the course of time, produced the golden egg within the womb.

शतानि दश वर्षाणाम् अण्डम् अप्सु प्रतिष्ठितम् अन्ते वर्षसहस्रस्य वायुना तद्द्विधा कृतम्

For ten hundred years, the egg rested in the waters; at the end of a thousand years, it was split by the wind.

कपालमेकं द्यौर्जज्ञे कपालमपरं क्षितिः उल्बं तस्य महोत्सेधो यो ऽसौ कनकपर्वतः

One shell became the sky, another shell became the earth; its thick membrane, of great height, is that golden mountain.

ततश् च प्रतिसंध्यात्मा देवदेवो वरः प्रभुः हिरण्यगर्भो भगवांस् त्व् अभिजज्ञे चतुर्मुखः

Then, from that conjunction, the supreme Lord of gods, the blessed Hiraṇyagarbha, was born—he who has four faces.

आ तारार्केन्दुनक्षत्रं शून्यं लोकमवेक्ष्य च को ऽहमित्यपि च ध्याते कुमारास्ते ऽभवंस्तदा

Seeing the world empty, up to the stars, planets, moon, and sun, and meditating, 'Who am I?'—then, O Kumāras, I came into being.