Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

मत्क्षेत्रादपि सर्वस्मात्क्षेत्रमेतन्महत्तरम् अत्र संस्मृतिमात्रेण मुक्तिर्भवति देहिनाम्

This field is greater than all my other sacred fields; here, merely by remembering, embodied beings attain liberation.

तस्मान्महत्तरमिदं क्षेत्रमत्यंतशोभनम् सर्वकल्याणसंपूर्णं सर्वमुक्तिकरं शुभम्

Therefore, this field is supremely excellent, filled with all auspiciousness, and bestows liberation upon all.

अर्चयित्वा ऽत्र मामेव लिंगे लिंगिनमीश्वरम् सालोक्यं चैव सामीप्यं सारूप्यं सार्ष्टिरेव च

By worshipping me here, as the Lord in the liṅga, one attains residence in my world, nearness, likeness, and even sovereignty.

सायुज्यमिति पञ्चैते क्रियादीनां फलं मतम् सर्वेपि यूयं सकलं प्राप्स्यथाशु मनोरथम्

These five—union, residence, nearness, likeness, and sovereignty—are considered the fruits of rites; all of you will swiftly attain every desired object.

इत्यनुगृह्य भगवान्विनीतौ विधिमाधवौ यत्पूर्वं प्रहतं युद्धे तयोः सैन्यं परस्परम्

Thus, having shown favor, the Lord restored the armies of Vinīta and Vidhimādhava, which had previously been destroyed in their battle.

तदुत्थापयदत्यर्थं स्वशक्त्यामृतधारया तयोर्माढ्यं च वैरं च व्यपनेतुमुवाच तौ

He revived them completely with a stream of nectar from his own power, and to remove the enmity between them, he spoke to the two.

सकलं निष्कलं चेति स्वरूपद्वयमस्ति मे नान्यस्य कस्यचित्तस्मादन्यः सर्वोप्यनीश्वरः

I possess two forms: with attributes and without attributes; no one else has this, therefore all others are not supreme.

पुरस्तात्स्तंभरूपेण पश्चाद्रूपेण चार्भकौ ब्रह्मत्वं निष्कलं प्रोक्तमीशत्वं सकलं तथा

Formerly, as the pillar-form before you and as the child-form after, the state of Brahmā is said to be without attributes, and the state of Lordship is with attributes.

द्वयं ममैव संसिद्धं न मदन्यस्य कस्यचित् तस्मादीशत्वमन्येषां युवयोरपि न क्वचित्

Both are perfected only in me, not in anyone else; therefore, neither of you nor anyone else possesses Lordship.

तदज्ञानेन वां वृत्तमीशमानं महाद्भुतम् तन्निराकर्तुमत्रैवमुत्थितो ऽहं रणक्षितौ

That wondrous contest for supremacy between you two happened out of ignorance; to dispel it, I have manifested here on the battlefield.

त्यजतं मानमात्मीयं मयीशे कुरुतं मतिम् मत्प्रसादेन लोकेषु सर्वोप्यर्थः प्रकाशते

Abandon your own pride and direct your minds toward me, the Lord; by my grace, all purposes are revealed in the worlds.

गुरूक्तिर्व्यंजकं तत्र प्रमाणं वा पुनः पुनः ब्रह्मतत्त्वमिदं गूढं भवत्प्रीत्या भणाम्यहम्

The teacher's statement is the indicator and repeated authority; this secret truth of Brahman I declare out of affection for you.

अहमेव परं ब्रह्म मत्स्वरूपं कलाकलम् ब्रह्मत्वादीश्वरश्चाहं कृत्यं मेनुग्रहादिकम्

I alone am the supreme Brahman, my form is both with and without parts; because of Brahmanhood, I am also the Lord, and the acts of creation and grace are mine.

बृहत्त्वाद्बृंहणत्वाच्च ब्रह्माहं ब्रह्मकेशवौ समत्वाद्व्यापकत्वाच्च तथैवात्माहमर्भकौ

Because of vastness and causing expansion, I am Brahman; you, Brahmā and Keśava, are equal to me, and because of pervasiveness, I am also the Self, O children.

अनात्मानः परे सर्वे जीवा एव न संशयः अनुग्रहाद्यं सर्गांगं जगत्कृत्यं च पंकजम्

All others are not the Self, they are only living beings—there is no doubt; creation, maintenance, and the lotus-born world arise from my grace.

ईशत्वादेव मे नित्यं न मदन्यस्य कस्यचित् आदौ ब्रह्मत्त्वबुद्ध्यर्थं निष्कलं लिंगमुत्थितम्

Because of my lordship alone, which is eternal and belongs to none but me, at first the formless liṅga arose for the purpose of realizing Brahmanhood.

तस्मादज्ञातमीशत्वं व्यक्तं द्योतयितुं हि वाम् सकलोहमतो जातः साक्षादीशस्तु तत्क्षणात्

Therefore, since my lordship was unknown, O Vāmā, I became manifest to reveal it; thus, I became possessed of all attributes, and the Lord appeared directly at that very moment.

सकलत्वमतो ज्ञेयमीशत्वं मयि सत्वरम् यदिदं निष्कलं स्तंभं मम ब्रह्मत्वबोधकम्

Thus, know that my lordship is to be understood as possessing all attributes; this formless pillar is the means for realizing my Brahman-nature.

लिंगलक्षणयुक्तत्वान्मम लिंगं भवेदिदम् तदिदं नित्यमभ्यर्च्यं युवाभ्यामत्र पुत्रकौ

Because it possesses the characteristics of a liṅga, this is my liṅga; therefore, O sons, this must always be worshipped by you here.

मदात्मकमिदं नित्यं मम सान्निध्यकारणम् महत्पूज्यमिदं नित्यमभेदाल्लिंगसिंगिनोः

This is ever of my own essence, the cause of my presence; this is always to be greatly revered, for there is no difference between the liṅga and the bearer of the liṅga.

यत्रप्रतिष्ठितं येन मदीयं लिंगमीदृशम् तत्र प्रतिष्ठितः सोहमप्रतिष्ठोपि वत्सकौ

Wherever and by whomever my liṅga like this is established, there I am established, O dear ones, even if not established elsewhere.

मत्साम्यमेकलिंगस्य स्थापने फलमीरितम् द्वितीये स्थापिते लिंगे मदैक्यं फलमेव हि

The fruit declared for installing a single liṅga is equality with me; when a second liṅga is installed, the result is oneness with me.

लिंगं प्राधान्यतः स्थाप्यं तथाबेरं तु गौणकम् लिंगाभावेन तत्क्षेत्रं सबेरमपि सर्वतः

The liṅga should be installed as primary, and the image as secondary; if the liṅga is absent, then that place, even with an image, is altogether incomplete.

सर्गादिपञ्चकृत्यस्य लक्षणं ब्रूहि नौ प्रभो मत्कृत्यबोधनं गुह्यं कृपया प्रब्रवीमि वाम्

O Lord, tell us the characteristics of the five acts beginning with creation; out of compassion, I will explain to you the secret knowledge of my duties.

सृष्टिः स्थितिश्च संहारस्तिरोभावो ऽप्यनुग्रहः पञ्चैव मे जगत्कृत्यं नित्यसिद्धमजाच्युतौ

Creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment, and grace—these five are my constant and perfect activities regarding the world, O unborn and imperishable ones.

सर्गः संसारसंरंभस्तत्प्रतिष्ठा स्थितिर्मता संहारो मर्दनं तस्य तिरोभावस्तदुत्क्रमः

Creation is the commencement of the cycle of existence; its establishment is called preservation; dissolution is its destruction, and concealment is its withdrawal.

तन्मोक्षो ऽनुग्रहस्तन्मे कृत्यमेवं हि पञ्चकम् कृत्यमेतद्वहत्यन्यस्तूष्णीं गोपुरबिंबवत्

Liberation is grace; thus, these five are my acts. While I perform these acts, others remain silent, like the reflection in a city gate.

सर्गादि यच्चतुष्कृत्यं संसारपरिजृंभणम् पञ्चमं मुक्तिहेतुर्वै नित्यं मयि च सुस्थिरम्

The four acts beginning with creation are the expansion of worldly existence; the fifth, liberation, is always firmly established in me as the cause of release.

तदिदं पञ्चभूतेषु दृश्यते मामकैर्जनैः सृष्टिर्भूमौ स्थितिस्तोये संहारः पावके तथा

These five acts are seen among my people in the five elements: creation on earth, preservation in water, dissolution in fire likewise.