Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

एवं वर्षसहस्रं तु त्वरन् विष्णुरधोगतः नापश्यदल्पमप्यस्य मूलं लिंगस्य सूकरः

Thus, for a thousand years, Viṣṇu hastened downward as a boar, yet could not see even the slightest root of the liṅga.

तावत्कालं गतश्चोर्ध्वं तस्यांतं ज्ञातुमिच्छया श्रांतोत्यंतमदृष्ट्वांतं पापताधः पितामहः

For the same length of time, Brahmā traveled upward, seeking its end; exhausted, he could not see its limit, and thus fell into error.

तथैव भगवान् विष्णुः श्रांतः संविग्नलोचनः क्लेशेन महता तूर्णमधस्तादुत्थितो ऽभवत्

In the same way, the blessed Viṣṇu, weary and with troubled eyes, quickly rose up from below, afflicted by great hardship.

समागतावथान्योन्यं विस्मयस्मेरवीक्षणौ मायया मोहितौ शंभोः कृत्याकृत्यं न जग्मतुः

Then, as they met each other, their gazes were filled with wonder and a smile; both were deluded by Śambhu’s māyā and could not discern what was to be done or not done.

पृष्ठतः पार्श्वतस्तस्य चाग्रतश्च स्थितावुभौ प्रणिपत्य किमात्मेदमित्यचिंतयतां तदा

Standing behind, beside, and in front of him, both bowed down and pondered, 'What is this self?'

अथाविरभवत्तत्र सनादं शब्दलक्षणम् ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणः प्रतिपादकम्

Then there appeared there, accompanied by sound, the single-syllabled Brahman, marked by the word 'Om,' which signifies Brahman itself.

तदप्यविदितं तावद्ब्रह्मणा विष्णुना तथा रजसा तमसा चित्तं तयोर्यस्मात्तिरस्कृतम्

Yet, at that time, neither Brahmā nor Viṣṇu knew it, because their minds were veiled by rajas and tamas.

तदा विभक्तमभवच्चतुर्धैकं तदक्षरम् अ उ मेति त्रिमात्राभिः परस्ताच्चार्धमात्रया

Then that single syllable became divided into four: 'a,' 'u,' 'm,' and, beyond these three measures, a half-measure.

तत्राकारः श्रितो भागे ज्वलल्लिंगस्य दक्षिणे उकारश्चोत्तरे तद्वन्मकारस्तस्य मध्यतः

There, the 'a' sound was placed on the right side of the blazing liṅga, the 'u' on the left, and likewise the 'm' in the center.

अर्धमात्रात्मको नादः श्रूयते लिंगमूर्धनि विभक्ते ऽपि तदा तस्मिन्प्रणवे परमाक्षरे

The nāda, consisting of the half-measure, is heard at the summit of the liṅga; even when thus divided, that supreme syllable, praṇava, remains there.