Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

विभावार्थं च तौ देवौ न किंचिदवजग्मतुः वेदात्मना तदाव्यक्तः प्रणवो विकृतिं गतः

For the sake of manifestation, those two gods did not comprehend anything; at that time, the unmanifest praṇava, whose essence is the Veda, underwent transformation.

तत्राकारो ऋगभवदुकारो यजुरव्ययः मकारस्साम संजातो नादस्त्वाथर्वणी श्रुतिः

There, the 'a' became the Ṛg, the imperishable 'u' became the Yajur, the 'm' became the Sāman, and the nāda became the Atharvaṇic revelation.

ऋगयं स्थापयामास समासात्त्वर्थमात्मनः रजोगुणेषु ब्रह्माणं मूर्तिष्वाद्यं क्रियास्वपि

Ṛg, from its essence, established the meaning of itself in summary: Brahmā, the first among forms, in the functions and in the qualities of rajas.

सृष्टिं लोकेषु पृथिवीं तत्त्वेष्वात्मानमव्ययम् कलाध्वनि निवृत्तिं च सद्यं ब्रह्मसु पञ्चसु

Creation in the worlds, earth among the elements, the imperishable self, withdrawal on the path of kalā, and immediately in the five Brahmas.

लिंगभागेष्वधोभागं बीजाख्यं कारणत्रये चतुःषष्टिगुणैश्वर्यं बौद्धं यदणिमादिषु

In the lower part of the liṅga, in the triad of causes called the seed, the sixty-fourfold mastery over the powers beginning with aṇimā.

तदित्थमर्थैर्दशभिर्व्याप्तं विश्वमृचा जगत् अथोपस्थापयामास स्वार्थं दशविधं यजुः

Thus, with these ten meanings, the universe was pervaded by the Ṛg; then, the Yajur established its own tenfold meanings.

सत्त्वं गुणेषु विष्णुं च मूर्तिष्वाद्यं क्रियास्वपि स्थितिं लोकेष्वंतरिक्षं विद्यां तत्त्वेषु च त्रिषु

Sattva among the qualities, Viṣṇu as the first among forms and in actions, preservation in the worlds, the mid-region, knowledge among the three principles.

कलाध्वसु प्रतिष्ठां च वामं ब्रह्मसु पञ्चसु मध्यं तु लिंगभागेषु योनिं च त्रिषु हेतुषु

Establishment in the paths of kalā, the left among the five Brahmas, the middle among the parts of the liṅga, and the yoni among the three causes.

प्राकृतं च यथैश्वर्यं तस्माद्विश्वं यजुर्मयम् ततोपस्थापयामास सामार्थं दशधात्मनः

And the natural sovereignty as it is; therefore, the universe is composed of Yajur. Then, the Sāman established its own tenfold meanings.

तमोगुणेष्वथो रुद्रं मूर्तिष्वाद्यं क्रियासु च संहृतिं त्रिषु लोकेषु तत्त्वेषु शिवमुत्तमम्

Among the qualities of tamas, Rudra as the first among forms and in actions, dissolution in the three worlds, and the supreme Śiva among the principles.