Adhyaya 33

Verse 1

इति श्रीलिङ्गमहापुराणे पूर्वभागे द्वात्रिंशो ऽध्यायः नन्द्युवाच ततस्तुतोष भगवान् अनुगृह्य महेश्वरः स्तुतिं श्रुत्वा स्तुतस्तेषाम् इदं वचनमब्रवीत्

Thus ends the thirty-second chapter of the Śrī Liṅga Mahāpurāṇa (Pūrva-bhāga). Nandī said: Then Bhagavān Maheśvara, gracious to His devotees, became pleased. Having heard their hymn and being praised by them, the Lord spoke these words—bestowing His favor upon the bound souls (paśu) through His lordship as Pati.

Verse 2

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि युष्माभिः कीर्तितं स्तवम् श्रावयेद्वा द्विजान्विप्रो गाणपत्यमवाप्नुयात्

Whoever recites, or even listens to, this hymn praised by you—and the learned brāhmaṇa who also causes the twice-born to hear it—attains gaṇapatya-status: the grace and lordship associated with Gaṇapati, as the fruit of devotion aligned with Śiva’s divine order.

Verse 3

वक्ष्यामि वो हितं पुण्यं भक्तानां मुनिपुङ्गवाः अद्वन्तगेस् ओफ़् थे पाशुपत बेहविओउर् स्त्रीलिङ्गमखिलं देवी प्रकृतिर्मम देहजा

O best of sages, I shall declare to you what is auspicious and beneficial for devotees. The Goddess—Prakṛti, born of My own body—constitutes the entire feminine principle (strī-liṅga).

Verse 4

पुंल्लिङ्गं पुरुषो विप्रा मम देहसमुद्भवः उभाभ्यामेव वै सृष्टिर् मम विप्रा न संशयः

O Brahmin sages, the masculine principle (puṃ-liṅga)—the Purusha—arose from My own body. From both (male and female principles) creation proceeds, yet it is from Me alone, O sages; of this there is no doubt.

Verse 5

न निन्देद्यतिनं तस्माद् दिग्वाससमनुत्तमम् बालोन्मत्तविचेष्टं तु मत्परं ब्रह्मवादिनम्

Therefore one should never disparage a renunciant (yati)—supreme among those clad in the directions (digvāsa)—who may act like a child or a madman, yet is wholly devoted to Me and proclaims Brahman. Such a one is the Pati-oriented sage, who has gone beyond the pāśa that binds the paśu (the individual soul).

Verse 6

ये हि मां भस्मनिरता भस्मना दग्धकिल्बिषाः यथोक्तकारिणो दान्ता विप्रा ध्यानपरायणाः

Those Brahmin seers who are devoted to Me through the sacred ash (bhasma)—whose sins are burned away by that ash—who act exactly as enjoined, are self-restrained, and are wholly intent on meditation: they are truly aligned with Me, the Pati (Lord) who frees the paśu (individual soul) from the fetters of pāśa.

Verse 7

महादेवपरा नित्यं चरन्तो ह्यूर्ध्वरेतसः अर्चयन्ति महादेवं वाङ्मनःकायसंयताः

Ever devoted to Mahādeva, living in constant discipline as those who preserve and sublimate their vital energy, they worship Mahādeva with speech, mind, and body fully restrained.

Verse 8

रुद्रलोकमनुप्राप्य न निवर्तन्ति ते पुनः तस्मादेतद्व्रतं दिव्यम् अव्यक्तं व्यक्तलिङ्गिनः

Having attained Rudra’s world, they do not return again. Therefore this divine vow—subtle in essence, yet manifest through the Linga—belongs to the Lord who bears the revealed sign, and it grants the bound soul release from return.

Verse 9

भस्मव्रताश् च मुण्डाश् च व्रतिनो विश्वरूपिणः न तान्परिवदेद्विद्वान् न चैतान्नाभिलङ्घयेत्

Those who observe the ash-vow, those who are shaven-headed, and the vowed ascetics who bear the universal marks of Śiva—a wise person should not speak ill of them, nor should he insult or overstep them.

Verse 10

न हसेन्नाप्रियं ब्रूयाद् अमुत्रेह हितार्थवान् यस्तान्निन्दति मूढात्मा महादेवं स निन्दति

Seeking true welfare in this world and the next, one should neither mock nor speak what is harsh. The deluded soul who censures the devotees and Śaiva observances thereby censures Mahādeva Himself—for Pati, Lord Śiva, is present where His bhaktas and dharma are honored.

Verse 11

यस् त्वेतान् पूजयेन् नित्यं स पूजयति शङ्करम् एवमेष महादेवो लोकानां हितकाम्यया

But whoever worships these regularly—he truly worships Śaṅkara. Thus Mahādeva, desiring the welfare of the worlds, makes this principle known: through right worship, the bound soul (paśu) reaches the Lord (pati).

Verse 12

युगे युगे महायोगी क्रीडते भस्मगुण्ठितः एवं चरत भद्रं वस् ततः सिद्धिमवाप्स्यथ

In every age the Great Yogin (Śiva) sports in divine play, his body covered with sacred ash. Live and practice in this very way—may auspiciousness be yours—and then you shall attain siddhi, spiritual accomplishment.

Verse 13

अतुलमिह महाभयप्रणाशहेतुं शिवकथितं परमं पदं विदित्वा व्यपगतभवलोभमोहचित्ताः प्रणिपतिताः सहसा शिरोभिर् उग्रम्

Here, having understood the incomparable Supreme State taught by Śiva—the very cause of the destruction of great fear—their minds, freed from worldly becoming, greed, and delusion, at once fell down, bowing their heads in reverence before the awe-inspiring Lord.

Verse 14

ततः प्रमुदिता विप्राः श्रुत्वैवं कथितं तदा गन्धोदकैः सुशुद्धैश् च कुशपुष्पविमिश्रितैः

Then the Brahmin sages, delighted on hearing it thus explained, proceeded at that time with perfectly pure, fragrant water mixed with kuśa grass and flowers, preparing the sanctifying offering for Śiva’s worship.

Verse 15

स्नापयन्ति महाकुम्भैर् अद्भिर् एव महेश्वरम् गायन्ति विविधैर्गुह्यैर् हुंकारैश्चापि सुस्वरैः

They bathe Maheśvara with water poured from great ritual pitchers, and they sing many secret hymns, uttering resonant huṃ-kāra invocations in well-tuned voices.

Verse 16

नमो देवाधिदेवाय महादेवाय वै नमः अर्धनारीशरीराय सांख्ययोगप्रवर्तिने

Salutations to the God beyond all gods—verily, salutations to Mahādeva; salutations to Him whose very body is half Woman (Ardhanārīśvara), the revealer and establisher of Sāṃkhya and Yoga—the discriminative knowledge and liberating discipline that lead the bound soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati).

Verse 17

मेघवाहनकृष्णाय गजचर्मनिवासिने कृष्णाजिनोत्तरीयाय व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिने

Salutations to the dark-hued Lord who rides upon the cloud; who is clad in an elephant-hide; who wears the black antelope-skin as His upper garment; and who bears a sacred thread formed of serpents.

Verse 18

सुरचितसुविचित्रकुण्डलाय सुरचितमाल्यविभूषणाय तुभ्यम् मृगपतिवरचर्मवाससे च प्रथितयशसे नमो ऽस्तु शङ्कराय

Salutations to Śaṅkara—to You who are adorned with exquisitely fashioned, wondrous earrings, who are beautified with well-made garlands and ornaments; to You who wear the noble hide of the lord of beasts, and whose glory is renowned everywhere. May my homage be to You.

Verse 19

ततस् तान् स मुनीन् प्रीतः प्रत्युवाच महेश्वरः प्रीतो ऽस्मि तपसा युष्मान् वरं वृणुत सुव्रताः

Then Mahādeva (Maheśvara), pleased, spoke in reply to those sages: “By your tapas I am satisfied with you. O you of excellent vows, choose a boon.”

Verse 20

ततस्ते मुनयः सर्वे प्रणिपत्य महेश्वरम् भृग्वङ्गिरा वसिष्ठश् च विश्वामित्रस्तथैव च

Then all those sages bowed down in reverence to Maheśvara—Bhr̥gu, Aṅgirā, Vasiṣṭha, and likewise Viśvāmitra—acknowledging the Supreme Lord (Pati) who releases bound souls (paśu) from their fetters (pāśa).

Verse 21

गौतमो ऽत्रिः सुकेशश् च पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः मरीचिः कश्यपः कण्वः संवर्तश् च महातपाः

Gautama, Atri, and Sukeśa; Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu; Marīci, Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, and Saṃvarta—these are the great ascetics, mighty in tapas.

Verse 22

ते प्रणम्य महादेवम् इदं वचनमब्रुवन् भस्मस्नानं च नग्नत्वं वामत्वं प्रतिलोमता

Having bowed to Mahādeva, they spoke these words: “Bathing with sacred ash (bhasma), nakedness, leftward (contrarian) conduct, and reversal of the ordinary order—are these the disciplines to be observed?”

Verse 23

सेव्यासेव्यत्वमेवं च ह्य् एतदिच्छाम वेदितुम् ततस्तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा भगवान्परमेश्वरः

“We wish to understand precisely this distinction—what is worthy of service (and worship) and what is not.” Then, having heard their words, Bhagavān Parameśvara, the Supreme Lord Śiva, prepared to respond.

Verse 24

सस्मितं प्राह सम्प्रेक्ष्य सर्वान्मुनिवरांस्तदा

Then, after looking upon all those foremost sages, he spoke with a gentle smile—signaling gracious instruction from the Lord (Pati) to the bound souls (paśu) seeking release from pāśa.