Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.'

तवापराधो नास्त्यत्र भ्रांतोसि मम मायया मत्प्रसादादियं भ्रांतिरपैष्यति तवाचिरात्

'You have committed no offense here; you are deluded by my māyā. By my grace, this confusion of yours will soon be dispelled.'

शृणु सत्यं चतुर्वक्त्र सर्वदेवेश्वरो ह्यहम् कर्ता भर्ता च हर्ता च न मयास्ति समो विभुः

'Hear the truth, O Four-Faced One: I am the Lord of all the gods, the creator, sustainer, and destroyer. There is no one equal to me in power.'

एवमेव विवादोभूद्ब्रह्मविष्ण्वोः परस्परम् अभवच्च महायुद्धं भैरवं रोमहर्षणम्

Thus, a dispute arose between Brahmā and Viṣṇu, and there was a great and terrifying battle between them, causing one's hair to stand on end.

मुष्टिभिर्न्निघ्नतोस्तीव्रं रजसा बद्धवैरयोः तयोर्दर्पापहाराय प्रबोधाय च देवयोः

Striking each other fiercely with their fists, both filled with passion and enmity, that battle was waged to humble their pride and awaken the two gods.

मध्ये समाविरभवल्लिंगमैश्वरमद्भुतम् ज्वालामालासहस्राढ्यमप्रमेयमनौपमम्

In the midst of them appeared a wondrous, divine liṅga, adorned with thousands of blazing flames, immeasurable and incomparable.

क्षयवृद्धिविनिर्मुक्तमादिमध्यांतवर्जितम् तस्य ज्वालासहस्रेण ब्रह्मविष्णू विमोहितौ

Free from increase and decay, without beginning, middle, or end, by its thousands of flames, Brahmā and Viṣṇu were both bewildered.

विसृज्य युद्धं किं त्वेतदित्यचिंतयतां तदा न तयोस्तस्य याथात्म्यं प्रबुद्धमभवद्यदा

Abandoning their battle, they wondered, 'What is this?' Yet neither of them could comprehend the true nature of that being.

तदा समुद्यतौ स्यातां तस्याद्यंतं परीक्षितुम्

Then both resolved to seek out its beginning and end.

तत्र हंसाकृतिर्ब्रह्मा विश्वतः पक्षसंयुतः मनोनिलजवो भूत्वा गतस्तूर्ध्वं प्रयत्नतः

There, Brahmā took the form of a swan, with wings spread in all directions, and, propelled by mind and wind, strove upward with great effort.

नारायणोपि विश्वात्मा लीलाञ्जनचयोपमम् वाराहममितं रूपमस्थाय गतवानधः

Nārāyaṇa, the soul of the universe, assuming the form of an endless boar, dark as a mass of collyrium, went downward.