Devi in the Linga Purana

Endowed with thirty-two divine excellences, the Sovereign Goddess—facing all directions—was seen by that radiant one; beholding her, he recognized her as Mahādevī, the supreme Maheśvarī, the very Śakti of the Lord who governs all.

“Come, come, O Mahādevī!”—so he stood with joined palms before the all-pervading Lord and said: “By yoga, encompass the universe and bring the entire world under your divine mastery.”

Having performed japa of the Great Goddess—she who is revered by all the worlds—Brahmā then took refuge in Mahādeva with a mind yoked to meditation.

Salutations to the Lord of Ambikā, to the consort of Umā. Salutations to You, O golden-armed One; salutations to You, O One whose seed is of gold—Śiva, the Pati who transcends all bonds.

From that time onward, throughout the worlds, the worship of the Liṅga became firmly established. The Liṅga-altar (liṅga-vedī) is Mahādevī herself, and the Liṅga is Maheśvara in visible, immediate presence.

O all-pervading Rudra, O great Māyā! By Your own will You fashioned you both. Hearing their words, He received them with approval and honoured them.

Therefore Brahmā arose; and from Mahādevī (Śakti) too. Hari (Viṣṇu) likewise came forth as a partial manifestation. He is also described as ‘born from the cosmic egg’ and ‘born from the lotus’—indeed, as one who arises from the very body…

I invoke the Leftward (Vāmā) Power, the fierce Rudra-energy (Raudrī), the Great Enchantress (Mahāmāyā), the all-pervading Viṣṇu-power (Vaiṣṇavī) with lotus-like eyes; the radiant digit of power (Kalā) who scatters rays in all directions…

Then indeed that Yakṣa vanished from sight. At that very moment Ambikā—Haimavatī, fair-faced Umā—appeared, resplendent with many auspicious ornaments, revealing the presence of Śakti that ever accompanies Śiva’s mystery.

Hearing that the Yakṣa was none other than Umā Ambikā, and that She was beyond the reach of the senses, the gods—together with Indra—bowed down to Her: to Umā, the Unborn, moving with the gait of a lioness, radiant in hues of red, white…

Overpowered by wrath, the fair-limbed Mahāmāyā brought forth the hosts of Rākṣasas; and in the same manner she also generated the hosts of the Rudras—(appearing) as the cow and the she-buffalo, that excellent goddess.

He is of immense power and vast splendor; indeed He is the Inner Self. He is the One whose abode is among the beasts (the Lord of all creatures). With pendulous lips, steadfast and unwavering, He is the Great Enchanter (Mahāmāyā), and the…

That very Mahādevī who was spoken of earlier became, here, the woman Satī indeed. For the welfare of the worlds, the Goddess was formerly worshipped by Dakṣa.

She is Fame and luminous Wisdom; the greatly blessed One, celebrated in the world as Gaurī. She is the Mother of the Gaṇas, the Great Goddess—Nandinī, and Jātavedasī, the fire-born knower-of-all, the very Shakti through whom the Lord…

At the dividing juncture marking the close of the Dvāpara age, O you of sacred observance, these are her names: Kālarātri, Mahāmāyā, Revatī, and Bhūtanāyikā—the Mistress and Leader of the hosts of beings.

Within Mahādevī’s divine power there are said to be two principal aspects—Prajñā (spiritual discernment) and Śrī (auspicious prosperity). Through these two, countless forms of the Goddess pervade the entire universe.

O all-pervading Lord, by Your mere glance You are capable of burning the three cities (Tripura) and even the three worlds. Indeed, in an instant, Ambikā—playfully delighting in Her līlā—burned the arrow; and then it was released.

Beyond Rudra stands Mahādeva—Sadāśiva, renowned as the Praṇava (Oṃ). And the Great Goddess is the Liṅga’s pedestal (vedī); she is the three guṇas themselves, the Mother who pervades the triad.

In the front, one should place the Tamas-formed manifestation; in the middle, the Goddess Ambikā herself. On the right side, one should arrange the five great elements and also the pentad of subtle essences (tanmātras).

May that manifest Mahādevī—divine bestower of both worldly enjoyments (bhukti) and liberation (mukti), who grants these to her devotees even without strenuous effort—swiftly remove my sin.