Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

तदर्धंमध्यमंप्रोक्तंतदर्धमघमंस्मृतम् इत्थंत्रिविधमाख्यातमुत्तरोत्तरतःपरम्

Half of that is called the middling liṅga, and half of that again is remembered as the inferior; thus, the threefold division is declared, each lesser than the previous.

अनेकलिंगंयोनित्यंभक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः पूजयेत्सलभेत्कामान्मनसा मानसेप्सितान्

Whoever, endowed with devotion and faith, always worships many liṅgas, easily obtains the desires of his mind.

नलिंगाराधनादन्यत्पुण्यंवेदचतुष्टये विद्यतेसर्वशास्त्राणामेष एवविनिश्चयः

There is no merit in the four Vedas greater than the worship of the liṅga; this is the settled conclusion of all the scriptures.

सर्वमेतत्परित्यज्यकर्मजालमशेषतः भक्त्यापरमया विद्वांल्लिंगमेकंप्रपूजयेत्

Abandoning entirely all other actions, the wise should worship a single liṅga with supreme devotion.

लिंगेर्चितेर्चितंसर्वंजगत्स्थावरजंगमम् संसारांबुधिमग्नानांनान्यत्तारणसाधनम्

All that is immobile and mobile in the world is worshipped through the worship of the liṅga; for those submerged in the ocean of worldly existence, there is no other means of deliverance.

अज्ञानतिमिरांधानांविषयासक्तचेतसाम् प्लवोनान्योस्तिजगतिलिंगाराधनमंतरा

For those blinded by the darkness of ignorance and whose minds are attached to sense objects, there is no other raft in the world except the worship of the liṅga.

हरिब्रह्मादयोदेवामुनयोयक्षराक्षसाः गंधर्वाश्चरणास्सिद्धादैतेयादानवास्तथा

Hari, Brahmā, and other gods, sages, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, charaṇas, siddhas, daityas, and dānavas likewise—

नागाःशेषप्रभृतयोगरुडाद्याःखगास्तथा सप्रजापतयश्चान्येमनवःकिन्नरानराः

Nāgas beginning with Śeṣa, Garuḍa and other birds, other Prajāpatis, Manus, kinnaras, and humans—

पूजयित्वामहाभक्त्यालिंगंसर्वार्थसिद्धिदम् प्राप्ताःकामानभीष्टांश्चतांस्तान्सर्वान्हृदिस्थितान्

Having worshipped the liṅga with great devotion, which grants all desired ends, they attained their wished-for desires, all those who dwell in the heart.

ब्राह्मणःक्षत्रियोवैश्यःशूद्रोवाप्रतिलोमजः पूजयेत्सततंलिंगंतत्तन्मंत्रेणसादरम्

A brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or one born of mixed castes should always worship the liṅga with the appropriate mantra and with reverence.