आयुरायोग्यदंचैवयशस्यंस्वर्ग्यमेवच पुत्रपौत्रादिसुखदमाख्यानमिदमुत्तमम्
This excellent narration bestows long life, health, fame, heaven, and happiness from sons, grandsons, and so on.
सम्यगुक्तंत्वयातातपार्थिवार्चाविधानकम्
Rightly have you spoken, O father, about the procedure for worship with earthen images.
कामनाभेदमाश्रित्यसंख्यांब्रूहिविधानतः शिवपार्थिवलिंगानां कृपयादीनवत्सल
Now, out of compassion, O merciful one, tell in detail the numbers of earthen Shiva lingas according to different desires.
शृणुध्वमृषयः सर्वेपार्थिवार्चाविधानकम् यस्यानुष्ठानमात्रेणकृतकृत्योभवेन्नरः
Hear, all you sages, the procedure for worship with earthen images, by whose mere performance a man becomes fulfilled.
अकृत्वा पार्थिवं लिंगं योन्यदेवंप्रपूजयेत् वृथाभवतिसापूजादमदानादिकंवृथा
If one does not make an earthen linga but worships another image, that worship is in vain, as are gifts and other acts performed without it.
संख्यापार्थिवलिंगानांयथाकामंनिगद्यते संख्यासद्योमुनिश्रेष्ठनिश्चयेनफलप्रदा
The number of earthen lingas is declared according to desire; O best of sages, the definite results are obtained according to the prescribed number.
प्रथमावाहनंतत्रप्रतिष्ठापूजनंपृथक् लिंगाकारंसमंतत्रसर्वंज्ञेयंपृथक्पृथक्
First there is invocation, then separate installation and worship; the form of the linga should be known distinctly in each case.
विद्यार्थीपुरुषःप्रीत्यासहस्रमितपार्थिवम् पूजयेच्छिवलिंगंहिनिश्चयात्तत्फलप्रदम्
A man seeking knowledge, with devotion, should worship a thousand earthen Shiva lingas; this certainly yields the desired result.
नरःपार्थिवलिंगानांधनार्थीचतदर्धकम् पुत्रार्थीसार्धसाहस्रंवस्त्रार्थीशतपञ्चक्रम्
A man desiring wealth should worship half that number of earthen lingas; one seeking sons, one and a half thousand; one desiring clothes, one hundred and five.
मोक्षार्थीकोटिगुणितंभूकामश्चसहस्रकम् दयार्थीचत्रिसाहस्रंतीर्थार्थीद्विसहस्रकम्
One seeking liberation should worship a crore times as many; one desiring land, a thousand; one seeking compassion, three thousand; one seeking pilgrimage, two thousand.
सुहृत्कामीत्रिसाहस्रंवश्यार्थीशतमष्टकम् मारणार्थीसप्तशतंमोहनार्थीशताष्टकम्
One wishing for friends should worship three thousand; for control over others, one hundred and eight; for destruction, seven hundred; for enchantment, one hundred and eight.
उच्चाटनपरश्चैवसहस्रंचयथोक्ततः स्तंभनार्थीसहस्रंतुद्वेषणार्थी तदर्धकम्
For expulsion, a thousand as stated; for immobilization, a thousand; for causing enmity, half that number.
निगडान्मुक्तिकामस्तुसहस्रंसर्धमुत्तमम् महाराजभयेपञ्चशतंज्ञेयंविचक्षणैः
One wishing release from shackles should worship one and a half thousand; in fear of a great king, five hundred, as known by the wise.
चौरादिसंकटेज्ञेयंपार्थिवानांशतद्वयम् डाकिन्यादिभयेपञ्चशतमुक्तंजपार्थिवम्
In danger from thieves and the like, two hundred earthen lingas should be known; in fear of witches and similar beings, five hundred are prescribed.
दारिद्र्येपञ्चसाहस्रमयुतंसर्वकामदम् अथनित्यविधिंवक्ष्येशृणुध्वंमुनिसत्तमाः
In poverty, five thousand; ten thousand grants all desires. Now I will tell you the regular rule—listen, O best of sages.
एकंपापहरंप्रोक्तंद्विलिंगंचार्थसिद्धिदम् त्रिलिंगंसर्वकामानांकारणंपरमीरितम्
One linga is said to remove sin; two lingas grant success in aims; three lingas are declared to be the supreme cause of all desires.
उत्तरोत्तरमेवंस्यात्पूर्वोक्तगणानाविधि मतांतरमथोवक्ष्येसंख्यायांमुनिभेदतः
In this way, each succeeding number is as previously stated; now I will explain another view regarding the enumeration, according to differences among sages.
लिंगानामयुतंकृत्वापार्थिवानांसुबुद्धिमान् निर्भयोहिभवेन्नूनंमहाराजभयंहरेत्
A wise person who makes ten thousand earthen liṅgas will surely become fearless, O King, and will remove the fear of kingship.
कारागृहादिमुक्त्यर्थमयुतंकारयेद्बुधः डाकिन्यादिभयेसप्तसहस्रंकारयेत्तथा
To obtain release from prison and similar troubles, the wise should make ten thousand liṅgas; to dispel fear from Ḍākinīs and the like, seven thousand should likewise be made.
सहस्राणिपञ्चपञ्चाशदपुत्रःप्रकारयेत् लिंगानामयुतेनैवकन्यकासंततिंलभेत्
One who desires sons should make fifty thousand liṅgas; by making ten thousand liṅgas, one obtains a lineage of daughters.
लिंगानामयुतेनैवविष्ण्वादैश्वर्यमाप्नुयात् लिंगानांप्रयुतेनैवह्यतुलांश्रियमाप्नुयात्
By making ten thousand liṅgas, one attains the lordship of Viṣṇu and others; by making a hundred thousand liṅgas, one attains incomparable prosperity.
कोटिमेकांतुलिंगानां यः करोतिनरोभुवि शिव एवभवेत्सोपिनात्रकार्या विचारणा
Whoever, on earth, makes a crore of liṅgas becomes Śiva himself; about this, there is no need for further deliberation.
अर्चा पार्थिवलिंगानां कोटियज्ञफलप्रदा भुक्तिदामुक्तिदानित्यंततःकामर्थिनांनृणाम्
The worship of earthen liṅgas bestows the fruit of a crore sacrifices, grants enjoyment and liberation always, and thus is for those who desire worldly aims.
विनालिंगार्चनं यस्य कालोगच्छति नित्यशः महाहानिर्भवेत्तस्यदुर्वृत्तस्यदुरात्मनः
For one whose time always passes without worship of the liṅga, great harm befalls that wicked and evil-minded person.
एकतः सर्वदानानि व्रतानि विविधानि च तीर्थानिनियमायज्ञालिंगार्चाचैकतः स्मृता
On one side are all gifts, various vows, pilgrimages, disciplines, and sacrifices; on the other side is the worship of the liṅga—so it is remembered.
कलौलिंगार्चनंश्रेष्ठंतथालोकेप्रदृश्यते तथानास्तीति शास्त्राणामेष सिद्धान्तनिश्चयः
The worship of the liṅga in the Kali age is seen as the highest in the world; thus, this is the settled conclusion of the scriptures, whether one believes or not.
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदंलिंगं विविधापन्निवारणम् पूजयित्वानरोनित्यं शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात्
The liṅga grants enjoyment and liberation, removes all kinds of calamities; one who worships it always attains union with Śiva.
शिवानाममयं लिंगंनित्यं पूज्यं महर्षिभिः यतश्च सर्वलिंगेषु तस्मात्पूज्यंविधानतः
The liṅga, which is the very name of Śiva, is always to be worshipped by great sages; and because of this, among all liṅgas, it is to be worshipped according to rule.
उत्तमं मध्यमं नीचं त्रिविधं लिंगमीरितम् मानतो मुनिशार्दूलास्तच्छृणुध्वं वदाम्यहम्
The liṅga is said to be of three kinds: superior, middling, and inferior, O best of sages; hear from me as I declare their measures.
चतुरंगुलमुच्छ्रायंरम्यंवेदिकयायुतम् उत्तमंलिंगमाख्यातंमुनिभिःशास्त्रकोविदैः
A liṅga four fingers high, beautiful and furnished with a pedestal, is declared by sages skilled in scripture to be the superior liṅga.