Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

गणेशश्च गणेशत्वमनेन विधिना गतः सितचंदनतोयेन लिंगं स्नाप्य शिवं शिवाम् श्वेतैर्विकसितैः पद्मैः संपूज्य प्रणिपत्य च

And likewise Ganesha attained the state of Ganesha by this method: bathing the Shiva Linga with cool sandalwood water, worshipping with white, fully-bloomed lotuses, and bowing down.

तत्र पद्मासनं रम्यं कृत्वा लक्षणसंयुतम् विभवे सति हेमाद्यै रत्नाद्यैर्वा स्वशक्तितः

There, a beautiful lotus-seat should be prepared, adorned with auspicious marks, and, if able, made of gold or other gems, or according to one's capacity.

मध्ये केसरजालास्य स्थाप्य लिंगं कनीयसम् अंगुष्ठप्रतिमं रम्यं सर्वगन्धमयं शुभम्

In the center of the lotus filaments, the small Linga should be placed, charming and auspicious, about the size of a thumb, and made of all fragrant substances.

दक्षिणे स्थापयित्वा तु बिल्वपत्रैः समर्चयेत् अगुरुं दक्षिणे पार्श्वे पश्चिमे तु मनःशिलाम्

Having placed it on the right, it should be worshipped with bilva leaves; aguru should be placed on the right side, and on the west, realgar.

उत्तरे चंदनं दद्याद्धरितालं तु पूर्वतः सुगन्धैः कुसुमै रम्यैर्विचित्रैश्चापि पूजयेत्

On the north, one should offer sandalwood; on the east, yellow orpiment. It should be worshipped with fragrant, delightful, and various flowers.

धूपं कृष्णागुरुं दद्यात्सर्वतश्च सगुग्गुलम् वासांसि चातिसूक्ष्माणि विकाशानि निवेदयेत्

Incense of black aguru should be offered everywhere, together with guggul. Very fine and lustrous garments should be presented.

पायसं घृतसंमिश्रं घृतदीपांश्च दापयेत् सर्वं निवेद्य मन्त्रेण ततो गच्छेत्प्रदक्षिणाम्

Rice pudding mixed with ghee and ghee lamps should be offered. Having presented everything with mantra, one should then perform circumambulation.

प्रणम्य भक्त्या देवेशं स्तुत्वा चान्ते क्षमापयेत् सर्वोपहारसंमिश्रं ततो लिंगं निवेदयेत्

After bowing with devotion to the Lord of gods and offering praise, at the end one should ask forgiveness and then present the Linga with all the offerings combined.

शिवाय शिवमन्त्रेण दक्षिणामूर्तिमाश्रितः एवं यो ऽर्चयते नित्यं पञ्चगन्धमयं शुभम्

With the Shiva mantra, devoted to the southern aspect, whoever worships daily the auspicious Linga made of five fragrances in this way,

सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोके महीयते एतद्व्रतोत्तमं गुह्यं शिवलिंगमहाव्रतम्

Freed from all sins, he is honored in the world of Shiva. This supreme and secret vow, the great vow of the Shiva Linga,

भक्तस्य ते समाख्यातं न देयं यस्य कस्यचित् देयं च शिवभक्तेभ्यः शिवेन कथितं पुरा

Has been explained to you, the devotee; it should not be given to just anyone. It should be given only to devotees of Shiva, as was told by Shiva in ancient times.

नित्यनैमित्तिकात्काम्याद्या सिद्धिरिह कीर्तिता सा सर्वा लभ्येत सद्यो लिंगबेरप्रतिष्ठया

Success in all daily, occasional, and desired rites is declared here; all of it is immediately obtained by the establishment of the Linga image.

सर्वो लिंगमयो लोकस्सर्वं लिंगे प्रतिष्ठितम् तस्मात्प्रतिष्ठिते लिंगे भवेत्सर्वं पतिष्ठितम्

The whole world is pervaded by the Linga; everything is established in the Linga. Therefore, when the Linga is established, everything is established.

ब्रह्मणा विष्णुना वापि रुद्रेणान्येन केन वा लिंगप्रतिष्ठामुत्सृज्य क्रियते स्वपदस्थितिः

Whether by Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, or any other, abandoning the establishment of the Linga, one performs their own station.

किमन्यदिह वक्तव्यं प्रतिष्ठां प्रति कारणम् पर्तिष्ठितं शिवेनापि लिंगं वैश्वेश्वरं यतः

What else need be said regarding the establishment? The cause is that the Linga, the Lord of the Universe, has been established even by Shiva.

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन परत्रेह च शर्मणे स्थापयेत्परमेशस्य लिंगं बेरमथापि वा

Therefore, with all effort, one should establish the liṅga or an image of the Supreme Lord, either here or in the next world, for the sake of happiness.

किमिदं लिंगमाख्यातं कथं लिंगी महेश्वरः कथं च लिंगभावो ऽस्य कस्मादस्मिञ्छिवो ऽर्च्यते

What is this liṅga that is spoken of? How is the Great Lord a bearer of the liṅga? How does he possess the state of liṅga, and why is Śiva worshipped in this form?

अव्यक्तं लिंगमाख्यातं त्रिगुणप्रभवाप्ययम् अनाद्यनंतं विश्वस्य यदुपादानकारणम्

The liṅga is said to be unmanifest, arising from the three guṇas; it is beginningless and endless, and is the material cause of the universe.

तदेव मूलप्रकृतिर्माया च गगनात्मिका तत एव समुत्पन्नं जगदेतच्चराचरम्

That alone is the root-prakṛti, māyā, whose nature is space; from that, this entire world of moving and unmoving beings has arisen.

अशुद्धं चैव शुद्धं यच्छुद्धाशुद्धं च तत्त्रिधा ततः शिवो महेशश्च रुद्रो विष्णुः पितामहः

That which is impure, pure, and both pure and impure—thus threefold—therefrom arise Śiva, Maheśa, Rudra, Viṣṇu, and the Grandfather (Brahmā).

भूतानि चेन्द्रियैर्जाता लीयन्ते ऽत्र शिवाज्ञया अत एव शिवो लिंगो लिंगमाज्ञापयेद्यतः

The elements and the senses are born, and by Śiva’s command, they dissolve here; therefore, Śiva is the liṅga, for the liṅga commands all.

यतो न तदनाज्ञातं कार्याय प्रभवेत्स्वतः ततो जातस्य विश्वस्य तत्रैव विलयो यतः

Because nothing arises for action without his command, and because the dissolution of the universe that is born occurs there alone.

अनेन लिंगतां तस्य भवेन्नान्येन केनचित् लिंगं च शिवयोर्देहस्ताभ्यां यस्मादधिष्ठितम्

By this alone is his state as liṅga established, not by anything else; and the liṅga is the body of Śiva and Śakti, for it is presided over by both.

अतस्तत्र शिवः साम्बो नित्यमेव समर्चयेत् लिंगवेदी महादेवी लिंगं साक्षान्महेश्वरः

Therefore, there, Śiva together with Ambā should always be worshipped; the liṅga is the altar, the Great Goddess, and the liṅga is directly the Great Lord.

तयोः संपूजनादेव स च सा च समर्चितौ न तयोर्लिंगदेहत्वं विद्यते परमार्थतः

By worshipping both of them, he and she are both worshipped; in reality, there is no bodily form of liṅga for either of them.

यतस्त्वेतौ विशुद्धौ तौ देहस्तदुपचारतः तदेव परमा शक्तिः शिवस्य परमात्मनः

Because these two are pure, their bodies are only figurative; that alone is the supreme power of Śiva, the Supreme Self.

शक्तिराज्ञां यदादत्ते प्रसूते तच्चराचरम् न तस्य महिमा शक्यो वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि

When the power receives the command, it produces all that moves and does not move; even in a hundred years, his greatness cannot be described.

येनादौ मोहितौ स्यातां ब्रह्मनारायणावपि पुरा त्रिभुवनस्यास्य प्रलये समुपस्थिते

By whom, at the beginning, even Brahmā and Nārāyaṇa were deluded, when, in ancient times, the dissolution of these three worlds approached.

वारिशय्यागतो विष्णुः सुष्वापानाकुलः सुखम् यदृच्छया गतस्तत्र ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः

Viṣṇu, lying on the waters, was deeply asleep and undisturbed; by chance, Brahmā, the Grandfather of the worlds, came there.