Linga Purana

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.

प्रियदर्शनास्तु यतयो यतीनां पूर्वजास् तव भूयो वर्षसहस्रान्ते तत एवात्मजास्तव

The ascetics, delightful to behold, who were your elder brothers among the sages, at the end of another thousand years, became your sons from that very source.

भुवनानलसंकाशाः पद्मपत्रायतेक्षणाः श्रीमान्सनत्कुमारश् च ऋभुश्चैवोर्ध्वरेतसौ

Radiant as fire among worlds, with eyes long as lotus petals, the illustrious Sanatkumāra and Ṛbhu, both of pure celibacy—

सनकः सनातनश्चैव तथैव च सनन्दनः उत्पन्नाः समकालं ते बुद्ध्यातीन्द्रियदर्शनाः

Sanaka, Sanātana, and likewise Sanandana—all these were born at the same time, possessing insight beyond the senses.

उत्पन्नाः प्रतिभात्मानो जगतां स्थितिहेतवः नारप्स्यन्ते च कर्माणि तापत्रयविवर्जिताः

Born as embodiments of intuitive wisdom, causes of the world's stability, they do not engage in actions and are free from the threefold afflictions.

अल्पसौख्यं बहुक्लेशं जराशोकसमन्वितम् जीवनं मरणं चैव संभवश् च पुनः पुनः

Life and death, and repeated birth, are joined with little happiness, much suffering, old age, and sorrow.

अल्पभूतं सुखं स्वर्गे दुःखानि नरके तथा विदित्वा चागमं सर्वम् अवश्यं भवितव्यताम्

Happiness in heaven is slight, and there is suffering in hell as well; knowing all this doctrine, one must accept the certainty of fate.

ऋभुं सनत्कुमारं च दृष्ट्वा तव वशे स्थितौ त्रयस्तु त्रीन् गुणान् हित्वा चात्मजाः सनकादयः

Seeing Ṛbhu and Sanatkumāra under your control, your three sons—Sanaka and the others—abandoned the three qualities.

ववर्तेन तु ज्ञानेन प्रवृत्तास्ते महौजसः ततस्तेषु प्रवृत्तेषु सनकादिषु वै त्रिषु

They, of great energy, set forth on the path of knowledge; thus, when Sanaka and the others proceeded among those three—

भविष्यसि विमूढस्त्वं मायया शङ्करस्य तु एवं कल्पे तु वैवृत्ते संज्ञा नश्यति ते ऽनघ

You will become deluded by the māyā of Śaṅkara; thus, when the cycle turns, O sinless one, your awareness will be lost.

कल्पे शेषाणि भूतानि सूक्ष्माणि पार्थिवानि च सर्वेषां ह्यैश्वरी माया जागृतिः समुदाहृता

At the end of the cycle, the remaining beings, both subtle and earthly, are said to awaken through the divine māyā of all.