Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

प्रकृट्याद्यष्टजोदेहोदेहजंकर्म उच्यते पुनश्चकर्मजोदेहोजन्मकर्मपुनःपुनः

The body arising from the eightfold nature is said to be born of karma; again, the body arising from karma leads to repeated birth and action.

शरीरंत्रिविधंज्ञेयंस्थूलंसूक्ष्मंचकारणम् स्थूलंव्यापारदंप्रोक्तंसूक्ष्ममिंद्रियभोगदम्

Know the body to be of three kinds: gross, subtle, and causal. The gross is said to be the agent of action; the subtle gives enjoyment through the senses.

कारणंत्वात्मभोगार्थंजीवकर्मानुरूपतः सुखं दुःखं पुण्यपापैः कर्मभिः फलमश्नुते

The causal body exists for the soul's experience, according to the soul's karma. Through actions of merit and demerit, one experiences happiness and sorrow as their result.

तस्माद्धिकर्मरज्ज्वा हि बद्धो जीवः पुनः पुनः शरीरत्रयकर्मभ्यां चक्रवद्भ्राम्यते सदा

Therefore, the soul is bound again and again by the rope of karma, and always revolves like a wheel through the actions of the three bodies.

चक्रभ्रमनिवृत्यर्थं चक्रकर्तारमीडयेत् प्रकृत्यादि महाचक्रं प्रकृतेः परतः शिवः

For the cessation of the wheel's turning, one should worship the maker of the wheel; the great wheel, beginning with nature, is Shiva, who is beyond nature.

चक्रकर्तामहेशो हि प्रकृतेः परतोयतः पिबतिवाथवमतिजीवन्बालोजलंयथा

Indeed, the great Lord, the maker of the wheel, is beyond nature; just as a child drinks water, whether knowingly or not, so too does he.

शिवस्तथा प्रकृत्यादि वशीकृत्याधितिष्ठति सर्वंवशीकृतंयस्मात्तस्माच्छिव इति स्मृतः शिव एव हि सर्वज्ञः परिपूर्णश्च निःस्पृहः

In the same way, Shiva, having subdued nature and the rest, presides over all; because everything is under his control, he is called Shiva. Truly, Shiva alone is all-knowing, complete, and free from desire.

सर्वज्ञतातृप्तिरनादिबोधः स्वतंत्रता नित्यमलुप्तशक्तिः अनंतशक्तिश्चमहेश्वरस्य यन्मानसैश्वर्यमवैति वेदः

Omniscience, contentment, beginningless knowledge, eternal independence, unceasing power, and infinite energy—these are the mental sovereignties of the great Lord, which the Veda recognizes.

अतः शिवप्रसादेन प्रकृत्यादिवशंभवेत् शिवप्रसादलाभार्थं शिवमेवप्रपूजयतेत्

Therefore, by Shiva's grace, one may become free from the power of nature and so forth; for the sake of obtaining Shiva's grace, one should worship only Shiva.

निःस्पृहस्य च पूर्णस्यतस्य पूजाकथं भवेत् शिवोद्देशकृतं कर्म प्रसादजनकं भवेत्

But how can there be worship of him who is desireless and complete? Actions performed for the sake of Shiva become the cause of his grace.

लिंगेबेरेभक्तजनेशिवमुद्दिश्यपूजयेत् कायेनमनसावाचाधनेनापिप्रपूजयेत्

One should worship Shiva, with devotion, in the emblem or in other forms, with body, mind, speech, and even with wealth.

पुजया तु महेशो हि प्रकृतेः परमः शिवः प्रसादंकुरुतेसत्यंपूजकस्यविशेषतः

By worship, the supreme Shiva, who is beyond nature, truly bestows grace—especially upon the worshipper.

शिवप्रसादात्कर्माद्यंक्रमेणस्ववशंभवेत् कर्मारभ्यप्रकृत्यंतंयदासर्वं वशंभवेत्

By Shiva's grace, actions and so forth, in due order, come under one's own control; when actions, beginning with karma and ending with nature, are mastered, all becomes subject to one's will.

तदामुक्त इतिप्रोक्तःस्वात्मारामोविराजते प्रसादात्परमेशस्यकर्म देहोयदावशः

Then, one is called 'liberated,' delighting in one's own self; by the grace of the Supreme Lord, when the body and actions are under control, one shines forth.

तदावैशिवलोकेतुवासःसालोक्यमुच्यते सामीप्यंयातिसांबस्यतन्मात्रेचवशंगते

Then, dwelling in Shiva's world is called 'sālokya' (sharing the same realm); attaining nearness to Sambhu is 'sāmīpya,' and in mere subjection to him, one attains his state.

तदातुशिवसायुज्यमायुधाद्यैः क्रियादिभिः महाप्रसादलाभेचबुद्धिश्चापिवशाभवेत्

Then, union with Shiva (sāyujya) is achieved by means of weapons and other rites; with the attainment of great grace, even the intellect comes under control.

बुद्धिस्तुकार्यंप्रकृतेस्तत्सृष्टिरितिकथ्यते पुनर्महाप्रसादेनप्रकृतिर्वशमेष्यति

The intellect, which is the cause of action, is said to be a creation of nature; but again, through great grace, nature itself will come under control.

शिवस्यमानसैश्वर्यंतदा ऽयत्नंभविष्यति सार्वज्ञाद्यंशिवैश्वर्यंलब्ध्वास्वात्मनि राजते

Then, the mental sovereignty of Shiva will arise effortlessly; having obtained Shiva's omniscience and other powers, one shines in one's own self.

तत्सायुज्यमितिप्राहुर्वेदागमपरायणाः एवंक्रमेणमुक्तिःस्याल्लिंगादौपूजयास्वतः

This union (sāyujya), say those devoted to the Vedas and Āgamas, is thus attained step by step; liberation comes from worship, beginning with the emblem (liṅga).

अतःशिवप्रसादार्थंक्रियाद्यैःपूजयेच्छिवम् शिवक्रिया शिवतपः शिवमंत्रजपः सदा

Therefore, for the sake of Shiva's grace, one should worship Shiva with rites and so forth; Shiva's acts, Shiva's austerity, and the recitation of Shiva's mantra—always.

शिवज्ञानंशिवध्यानमुत्तरोत्तरमभ्यसेत् आसुप्तेरामृतेःकालंनयेद्वैशिवचिंतया

One should practice knowledge of Shiva and meditation on Shiva, ever more deeply; from waking to death, one should spend time in contemplation of Shiva.

लिंगादौशिवपूजायाविधानंब्रूहिसर्वतः

Now, tell in every way the procedure for the worship of Shiva, beginning with the emblem.

लिंगानांचक्रमंवक्ष्येयथावच्छृणुत द्विजाः तदेवलिंगं प्रथमं प्रणवं सार्वकामिकम्

I shall properly describe the circle of emblems; listen, O twice-born, that emblem which is first is the praṇava, fulfilling all desires.

सूक्ष्मप्रणवरूपंहिसूक्ष्मरूपंतुनिष्फलम् स्थूललिंगं हि सकलंतत्पञ्चाक्षरमुच्यते

The subtle form is indeed the subtle praṇava (Om), which is unmanifest; the gross liṅga is the manifest one, and that is said to be the five-syllabled (mantra).

तयोः पूजातपः प्रोक्तंसाक्षान्मोक्षप्रदे उभे पौरुषप्रकृतिभूतानिलिंगानिसुबहूनिच

Worship and austerity regarding these two are declared to directly grant liberation; both are of the nature of Puruṣa and Prakṛti, and there are many other liṅgas as well.

तानि विस्तरतोवक्तुं शिवो वेत्तिनचापरः भूविकाराणिलिंगानिज्ञातानिप्रब्रवीमिवः

Only Śiva knows how to describe those liṅgas in detail, no one else; but I shall speak of the liṅgas that are known as modifications of the earth.

स्वयंभूलिंगंप्रथमंबिंदुलिंगंद्वितीयकम् प्रतिष्ठितंचरंचैवगुरुलिंगंतु पञ्चमम्

The self-born liṅga is the first, the bindu-liṅga is the second; the established and the moving are the third and fourth, and the guru-liṅga is the fifth.

देवर्षितपसा तुष्टः सान्निध्यार्थंतुतत्रवै पृथिव्यन्तर्गतःशर्वोबीजं वै नादरूपतः

Pleased by the austerity of the gods and sages, Śarva (Śiva), for the sake of presence, placed the seed, in the form of sound, within the earth.

स्थावरांकुरवद्भूमिमुद्भिद्य व्यक्त एव सः स्वयंभूतं जातमिति स्वयंभूरिति तं विदुः

Breaking forth from the earth like a sprout, it becomes manifest; that which is self-manifested and arisen is known as the self-born (svayaṃbhū) liṅga.