Linga Purana
by J. L. Shastri | 1951 | 265,005 words | ISBN-10: 812080340X | ISBN-13: 9788120803404
This page describes The holy rite for the release of Pashus (pashupasha-vimocana) which is chapter 81 of the English translation of the Linga Purana, traditionally authored by Vyasa in roughly 11,000 Sanskrit verses. It deals with Shaiva pilosophy, the Linga (symbol of Shiva), Cosmology, Yugas, Manvantaras, Creation theories, mythology, Astronomy, Yoga, Geography, Sacred pilgrimage guides (i.e., Tirthas) and Ethics. The Lingapurana is an important text in Shaivism but also contains stories on Vishnu and Brahma.
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Chapter 81 - The holy rite for the release of 笔补艣耻蝉 (辫补艣耻辫腻艣补-vimocana)
The sages said:
1-4. This holy rite that liberates 笔补艣耻蝉 (individual souls) from bondage [辫补艣耻辫腻艣补-惫颈尘辞办峁峁嘺] has been mentioned by you. This holy rite of 笔补艣耻辫补迟颈 pertaining to the 尝颈峁単补 had been performed formerly by Devas. It behoves you to mention this to us in the manner you had heard it formerly.
S奴ta said:
Formerly, Nandin, the son. of 艢颈濒腻诲补, was earnestly asked by 厂补苍补迟办耻尘腻谤补. What Nandin spoke to him I shall mention succinctly. This excellent vrata called 顿惫腻诲补艣补 尝颈峁単补 and capable of liberating 笔补艣耻蝉 from bondage [辫补艣耻辫腻艣补-惫颈尘辞办峁峁嘺] had been performed by Devas, Daityas, Gandharvas, Siddhas, 颁腻谤补峁嘺蝉 and the highly blessed sages.
5. It yields worldly pleasures, liberation, yogic power and whatever one desires. It is auspicious, holy and conducive to perseverance and energetic efforts.[1] It destroys entanglement in worldly affairs in the case of devotees.
6. It has been evolved after churning the Vedas and their six ancillaries.[2] It excels all charitable gifts and is holier than ten thousand horse-sacrifices.
7. It is sacred, bestows all auspicious things, destroys all enemies, brings about salvation even to those creatures that are immersed in the ocean of worldly existence.
8. It dispels all sickness and destroys all fevers. It had been performed formerly by Devas as well as by 叠谤补丑尘腻 and 痴颈峁ａ箛耻.
9. O leading brahmins, the devotee shall make a small 尝颈峁単补 and bathe it with sandal water. Beginning in the month of Caitra he shall perform the holy rite of 艢颈惫补濒颈峁単补.
10-11. He shall make an auspicious golden lotus with pericarp and filaments. It shall have eight petals duly studded with all the nine precious gems. He shall then fix the crystal 尝颈峁単补 in the pericarp along with its pedestal. He shall then duly and devoutly worship it with Bilva leaves.
12-14. O sages of good holy rites, he shall worship the li峁単a with thousands of white, red and blue lotuses, with white Arka, 碍补谤补惫墨谤补, 碍补谤峁噄办腻谤补 and Kurabaka as well as with other flowers in accordance with their availability repeating the 骋腻测补迟谤墨. After adoring with scents, etc., with incense, with auspicious lamps and with 狈墨谤腻箩补苍补蝉 (wavings of lights) the devotee shall worship the great lord in 尝颈峁単补 form. O excellent brahmins, he shall offer Aguru (agallochum) in the south by means of Aghora Mantra.
15. He shall offer the divine 惭补苍补岣ヅ沬濒腻 (red arsenic) in the west with the mantra of 厂补诲测辞箩腻迟补, and sandal paste in the north with the V膩madeva Mantra.
16-17. O excellent sages, he shall offer 贬补谤颈迟腻濒补 (yellow orpiment) in the east by means of 罢补迟辫耻谤耻峁. With devotion he shall offer the following varieties of incense, viz., that originating from white Aguru and black Aguru; then the Guggula 诲丑奴辫补 (aromatic gum resin), the excellent Saugandhika (fragrant incense) and the incense named Sit膩ra.
18. Mah膩caru or an 膧岣峢补办补 measure of cooked rice should be offered as Naivedya. Thus, this great holy rite of 艢颈惫补濒颈峁単补 has been narrated to you.
19-22. All these are common to all months. I shall mention the particular features now:鈥擳he 尝颈峁単补 shall be adamantine in 痴补颈艣腻办丑补;[3] in 闯测别峁ａ弓丑补 it shall be made of emerald; in 膧峁Ｄ佱笉丑补 of pearl; in 艢谤腻惫补峁嘺 of lapis lazuli and in 叠丑腻诲谤补辫补诲补 of rubies. O leading brahmins, in 础艣惫颈苍补, the 尝颈峁単补 shall be made of onyx; in 碍腻谤迟迟颈办补 of coral; in 惭腻谤驳补艣墨谤峁 of lapis lazuli; in 笔补耻峁 of topaz; in 惭腻驳丑补 solar stone and in 笔丑腻濒驳耻苍补 of crystals.
23-24. In all months one golden lotus shall be used for worship; if that is not available a silver lotus shall be used; if that too is not available ordinary lotus shall be used.
When precious stones are not available the worship shall be conducted with gold or silver. If silver is not available it shall be made with copper.
25. The 尝颈峁単补 can be made of rock, wood or clay along with its pedestal. Or he shall make a temporary 尝颈峁単补 with fragrant substances.
26-27. In the season of Hemanta (early winter) one shall worship 惭补丑腻诲别惫补 with 艢r墨patra[4] (Bilva leaves) alone. In all the months a lotus made of gold or a lotus made of silver with golden pericarp can be used. If silver lotus is not available he shall worship with Bilva leaves.
28. If thousand lotuses are not available one shall worship with half that quantity; or he shall worship Rudra with a moiety of the said half or he shall worship with a hundred and eight lotuses.
29. Goddess 尝补办峁墨 endowed with all characteristics is stationed on the leaf of the Bilva. 础尘产颈办腻 is directly present in the blue lotus and 峁峁噈耻办丑补[5] himself is present in the red lotus.
30. 惭补丑腻诲别惫补, 艢颈惫补, the lord of all Devas occupies the lotus. Hence the learned man shall never forsake the Bilva leaf. He must employ every means to secure it.
31. He shall not forsake the blue lotus, the red lilies and particularly the red lotuses. The lotus fascinates everyone. 艢颈濒腻 (red arsenic) bestows Siddhi of all objects.
32-33. The incense originating from the black agallochum dispels all sins; the offering of aromatic gum, resin, etc. and the gift of lamps destroy all ailments; sandal paste bestows all Siddhis; the scented incense is the means of achieving all desired objects.
34. The incense originating from white agallochum as well as black agallochum and the gentle incense S墨t膩ri bestow salvation.
35-37. The four-faced 叠谤补丑尘腻 is present in the white Arka flower; the goddess of intelligence is well established in the 碍补谤峁噄办腻谤补 flower; the presiding deity of the 骋补峁嘺蝉 is present in the 碍补谤补惫墨谤补 flower. 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 himself is present in the Kurabaka flower, the daughter of the mountain is present in all fragrant flowers. Hence, one shall devoutly and in accordance with one鈥檚 means, worship the lord of the chiefs of Devas by means of these splendid flowers, incenses, etc. according to their availability.
38. Thereafter, he shall devoutly offer Mah膩caru made of milk, as Naivedya along with ghee and side-dishes, prepared with all materials of diet.
39-45. Or the devotee shall offer an 膧岣峢补办补 measure or half of it of pure cooked rice or cooked with green gram dal. The devotee shall offer 颁腻尘补谤补 (chowries) and fans to the deity. He shall also dedicate presents that had been earned by legally justifiable means. They shall be holy and befitting and of diverse kinds. They should be sprinkled with water before dedication and offered to Rudra with a devoted mind. It was from milk that nectar had been extracted by the victorious 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 for the sustenance of Devas. Everything is founded on cooked rice. By giving charitable gifts of rice to all living beings lord 艢颈惫补 is delighted. Hence, one shall worship the lord with cooked rice. The vital breaths are stabilised in cooked rice. There is also pleasure in the offering of other presents; the wind-god is present in the fan. 惭补丑腻诲别惫补 himself is present in all materials; the lord of waters, 痴补谤耻峁嘺 is present in the scented water; 笔谤补办峁泃颈 along with the principle Mahat is present in the pedestal. Hence, one shall worship the lord duly every month. For achieving all desired objects the Vrata should be observed on the full moon day.
46. One shall preserve truthfulness, cleanliness, kindness, quiescence, contentment and liberal-mindedness. The devotee shall observe fast on full moon and new moon days.
47. At the end of the year he shall make a gift of a cow. Particularly he shall observe the rite of 痴峁涐梗辞迟蝉补谤驳补.[6] With devotion he shall feed brahmins who have mastered the Vedas and who have sound learning.
48. The devotee shall deposit the 尝颈峁単补 that he has worshipped, in the shrine of 艢颈惫补 along with the materials of worship or he may give them to a brahmin.
49. O excellent sages, only he who devoutly performs this great, holy rite of 艢颈惫补濒颈峁単补 in all the months, is the most excellent one among those who perform penance.
50. In aerial chariots that are bedecked in jewels and that are as refulgent as crores of suns, he goes to the divine city of 艢颈惫补[7] and never returns here.
51. Or he shall perform this excellent vrata only for a month. Even then he attains the world of 艢颈惫补. No doubt need be entertained in this respect.
52. Or, if the mind of the devotee is attracted to worldly pleasures he shall observe the holy rite for a year. He will attain whatever boons he craves for and obtain 艢颈惫补.
53. The devoted man obtains Deva-hood, 笔颈迟峁�-hood, or becomes the king of Devas or the chieftain of 骋补峁嘺蝉.
54. He who seeks learning obtains learning; he who seeks worldly pleasures will attain them; he who seeks wealth may espy a treasure-trove and he who desires for longevity will achieve longevity.
55. One rejoices by attaining whatever desires he cherishes by performing the vrata, only for a month. In the end he will attain Rudratva.
56. This sacred and excellent vrata which is a great secret is evolved by 艢颈惫补 the creator of the universe, for the benefit of Devas, Asuras, Siddhas, 痴颈诲测腻诲丑补谤补蝉 and human beings.
57. After duly worshipping the lord who is worthy of worship, after bowing to him with head bent down along with one鈥檚 sons and servants and after assiduously circumambulating him one shall repeat the hymn 鈥淰yapohana.鈥�[8]
58. This highly precious hymn was composed by lord 叠谤补丑尘腻, the Creator of the Universe. For the welfare of the three worlds this was repeated by the magnanimous lord along with Devas.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
N.S. edition reads 鈥榓viyogakara [aviyoga-karam]鈥� for 鈥榓bhiyogakara [abhiyogakaram]鈥�, aviyogakaram鈥�蝉补谤惫补诲腻 艣颈惫补-蝉腻苍苍颈诲丑测补诲腻测补办补尘 艢颈惫补to峁峁嚹�. that which brings about the devotee鈥檚 proximity to 艢颈惫补.
[2]:
[3]:
Vai艣膩khe.鈥擣or the worship of 尝颈峁単补 in Caitra read V-9ff. The crystal (蝉辫丑腻峁璱办补) li峁単a is recommended in Caitra. Cf.鈥擺atra caitram膩so'nuktatv膩ttasmin 辫奴谤惫辞办迟补峁� 蝉辫丑腻峁璱办补峁� 产辞诲丑测补尘闭鈥�艢颈惫补to峁峁嚹�.
[4]:
艢谤墨辫补迟谤补鈥�bilva-patra. 艢颈惫补 is very fond of bilva. Cf. 艢颈惫补rahasya as cited in 艢颈惫补to峁峁嚹�.
[5]:
峁峁噈耻办丑补 [峁峁噈耻办丑补岣�闭鈥�(峁岣嵞乶补苍补 [峁岣嵞乶补苍补岣�], 峁岣峷补办迟谤补 [峁岣峷补办迟谤补岣�], 峁岣峷adana [峁岣峷adana岣)鈥攕ix-mouthed or six-faced or six-headed, i.e., 碍腻谤迟迟颈办别测补. He is so called because when born he was fostered by the six 碍峁泃迟颈办腻蝉 who offered their six breasts to him, so he became six-headed.
[6]:
[7]: