Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

ददर्श पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्वपन्तं तमनाकुलम् मायया मोहितः शम्भोर्विष्णुमाह पितामहः

He saw the lotus-eyed one sleeping, undisturbed; deluded by the māyā of Śambhu, Brahmā spoke to Viṣṇu.

कस्त्वं वदेत्यमर्षेण प्रहृत्योत्थाप्य माधवम् स तु हस्तप्रहारेण तीव्रेणाभिहतः क्षणात्

Striking Mādhava in anger and waking him, he said, 'Who are you? Speak!' But struck sharply by his hand, Viṣṇu was roused at once.

प्रबुद्धोत्थाय शयनाद्ददर्श परमेष्ठिनम् तमाह चांतस्संक्रुद्धः स्वयमक्रुद्धवद्धरिः

Awakening and rising from his bed, he saw Parameṣṭhin; Hari, though inwardly angry, spoke to him as if without anger.

कुतस्त्वमागतो वत्स कस्मात्त्वं व्याकुलो वद इति विष्णुवचः श्रुत्वा प्रभुत्वगुणसूचकम्

'From where have you come, child? Why are you disturbed? Speak.' Hearing these words of Viṣṇu, which hinted at his own lordly power...

रजसा बद्धवैरस्तं ब्रह्मा पुनरभाषत वत्सेति मां कुतो ब्रूषे गुरुः शिष्यमिवात्मनः

Bound by passion and enmity, Brahmā again spoke to him: 'Why do you call me 'child,' as a teacher would address his own student?'

मां न जानासि किं नाथं प्रपञ्चो यस्य मे कृतिः त्रिधात्मानं विभज्येदं सृष्ट्वाथ परिपाल्यते

Do you not know me as Lord, the one whose creation is this universe? Dividing myself threefold, I have created and now sustain this world.

संहरामि नमे कश्चित्स्रष्टा जगति विद्यते इत्युक्ते सति सो ऽप्याह ब्रह्माणं विष्णुरव्ययः

'I alone dissolve; there is no other creator in the world but me.' When he said this, the imperishable Viṣṇu also spoke to Brahmā:

अहमेवादिकर्तास्य हर्ता च परिपालकः भवानपि ममैवांगादवतीर्णः पुराव्ययात्

'I alone am the original creator, destroyer, and protector of this universe. You too have descended from my own body in ancient times, from the imperishable.'

मन्नियोगात्त्वमात्मानं त्रिधा कृत्वा जगत्त्रयम् सृजस्यवसि चांते तत्पुनः प्रतिसृजस्यपि

'By my command, you divide yourself threefold and create the three worlds; you sustain them and, at the end, you dissolve them again.'

विस्मृतोसि जगन्नाथं नारायणमनामयम् तवापि जनकं साक्षान्मामेवमवमन्यसे

'You have forgotten Nārāyaṇa, the flawless Lord of the universe, and even me, your direct progenitor—thus you disregard me.'