ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION AND

MYTHOLOGY SERIES
[PURNAS IN TRANSLATION]
VOLUMES
IVA 1-4
LIGA5-6
BHGAVATA 7-11
GARUDA12-14
NRADA15-19
KRMA 20-21
BRAHMNDA 22-26
AGNI 27-30
VARHA 31-32
BRAHMA 33-36
VYU 37-38
PADMA 39-48
SKANDA, PARTS I-XI, 49-59
VOLUMES UNDER PREPARATION
SKANDA, PARTS XII-XXV
BHAVISYA
BRAHMAVAIVARTA
DEVBHGAVATA
KLIK
MRKANDEYA
MATSYA
VMANA
VISNU
VISNUDHARMOTTARA
THE
LI GA-PURNA
Translatedby
A BOARD OF SCHOLARS
PARTI
MOTI LAL BANARSI DASS PUBLI SHERS
PRI VATE LI MI TED DELHI
First Edition: Delhi, 1973
Reprint: Delhi, 1982,1990,1997
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PUBLISHER' S NOTE
The purest gems lie hi dden in the bot t om of the ocean or in
the dept h of rocks. One has to dive i nto the ocean or delve
into the rocks to find t hem out. Similarly t rut h lies concealed in
t he l anguage t hat with the lapse of ti me has become obsolete.
Man has to learn t hat l anguage before he discovers t hat t rut h.
But he has neither the means nor the leisure to embark on
t hat course. We have, therefore, pl anned to hel p hi m acqui re
knowledge by an easier course. We have started the series of
Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology in English Translation.
Our goal is to universalize knowledge t hrough the most popul ar,
i nternati onal medi um of expression. The publ i cati on of the
Purnas in English translation is the step towards t hat goal.
PREFACE
The present vol ume contains Ligapurna Part I in English
transl ation. It is the fifth in t he series of fifty Vol umes on
Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology.
The proj ect of the Series was envisaged and financed in
1970 A. D. by Shri Sundarl al J ai n, the veteran interprizer i n the
fi el d of Ori ent al Publ i cati on and the leading propri etor Messers
Moti l al Banarsidass. Hi t hert o six volumes of t he series ( t hat is,
four vols, of t he i vapurna and two vols, of t he Li gapurna
compl eti ng bot h the Purnas) have been published and made
accessible to t he reader.
The present English translation is based on the Sanskrit text
of t he Li gapurna published i n Indi a by Messers Ksemarj a
rikrsnadsa. Thi s text, constructed on the collation of Mss. is
fairly reliable, al though here and t here it suffers from certai n
lapses and defies our efforts for accurat e transl ati on. But these
lapses are few and far between and they do not vi ti ate the
qual ity of transl ati on as a whole.
In this transl ation we have followed the text as closely as
possible but at places we have been a little freer wi th a desire to
mai nt ai n the spirit of the l anguage in whi ch the original is so
rendered. At the same ti me w; have excl uded all far-fetched,
forced or fancied i nterpretati ons incl uding those t hat are
suggested by the aut hor of the Sivatosin, though we have often
quoted hi m i n the footnotes.
The reader will find t hat the Pur na deals wi th a variety of
subj ectsgeographical, historical, philosophical, religious and
the like whi ch need elucidation. Thi s task could not be accomp-
lished by a mere transl ati on. We have therefore provi ded foot-
notes on these topics. The footnotes are very brief but illumi-
native. They supply t he background wi thout which the exegesis
of the text would not be possible.
We have prefixed to this Part a critical i ntroducti on whi ch
discusses, besides other topics, the nomencl at ure, aut horshi p,
viii
Translators and Editor
aut hent i ci t y, dat e and genera] characteristics of this work. Wc
have suffixed to Par t II a general i ndex whi ch lists among ot her
words t he names of persons, tribes, places, rivers, lakes,
mount ai ns et c. of whi ch t he i dent i t y al ready discussed i n t he
footnotes is marked her e by i nt roduci ng a letter of abbrevi at i on
put wi t hi n t he bracket against t he name. But we have eschewed
all unnecessary repetitions and therefore have i ncl uded t he cons-
t ant l y r ecur r i ng names, as those of t he deities, kings and sages,
only when t here is some special reason for specifying t hem.
Before closing, it is our pleasant dut y to put on record our
sincere gr at i t ude t o Dr. S.K.. Chatterjee, Dr . V. Raghavan, Dr.
R. N. Dandekar , Shri K. R. Kr i pal ani and t he aut hori t i es of the
UNESCO for t hei r ki nd encouragement and val uabl e hel p
whi ch r ender this work mor e val uabl e t o scholars t han i t woul d
otherwise have been. We must also t hank Shri T. V. Parameswar
Iyer for his val uabl e spade-work whi ch lightened our l abours
especially in t hei r initial st age.
In line, we avai l of this opport uni t y to st at e t hat any critical
suggestions a nd advi ce for i mpr ovement are wel come and will
receive pr oper consi derat i on from us.
ABBREVI ATI ONS (F oot-notes)
AB Ai tareya-Brhmana
AG Ancient Geography of Indi a : Cunni ngham
Agni Agni purna
AI HT Ancient Indi an Historical Tradi t i on :
Pargiter
Amara Amarakoa
AU Atharva-Upani sad
BD Brhaddevat
BG Bhagavadg t
Bhga Bhgavat apurna
Bhavisya Bhavi syapurna
Br ahmnda Br ahmndapur na
Devi Bhga Dev bhgavat apurna
Dr ona p. Dr ona Parva of the Mahbhr at a
GAMI Studies i n the Geography of Ancient and
Medi eval Indi a : D. C. Sarkar
Gar uda Gar udapur na
GD Geographi cal Di cti onary of Ancient and
Medieval Indi a : N. L. Dey
G. Dh. S. Gaut ama-Dhar mas t r a
GKAMI Geographical Encycl opaedia of Ancient
and Medi eval Indi a
( i P Geography of the Purnas : S. M. Ail
H. Dh. S. History of Dharmast ra : Kane
HG Hi ranyakei -Grhyastra
HM Hi ndu Mythol ogy : Dawson
Hari vama Har i vam apur na
Hyp Hat hayogaprad pi k
J I H J our nal of I ndi an History
J RAS J our nal of the Royal Asiatic Society
(Great Bri tai n)
KP Kl i kpurna
KRS Kot i rudrasamhi t of i vapurna
KU Kai ha Upani sad
KO Kr mapur na
Li ga Li gapurna
Mar k Mrkandeyapurna
Mbh Mahbhr at a
Mbh. Adi. P.
Mahbhr at a di parva
Mahn. U. Mahnr yana Upani sad
Manu (MS) Manusmrt i
MP Mat syapurna
MP. A Study Mat s yapur naA St udy: V. S. Agrawal
Mar k. Mr kandeyapur na
Matsya Mat s yapur na
N. Ni rukt a
PE Purni c Encyclopaedia
PGS Praskara Grhyast ra
R m Rmyana
RV. ELgveda
SG
ivagt
Sk Skandapur na
SK Skhya Kri k of Ivarakrsna
P i va-Purna
RS atarudr yasamhi t of i va-Purna
ST ivatosin, a comment ary on the Liga-
purna
SV Smaveda
vet vetvatara Upani sad
TA Tai tti r ya ranyaka
TB
Tat t i ri ya Brhmana
TS
Tat t i r ya Samhi t
TU
Tai tti r ya Upani sad
V, Vmana
Vmana purna
Varha
Var hapur na
Vyavya (VS)
Vyavya samhi t of i vapurna
Vyu
Vyupurna
Viva
Vivakoa
Visnu
Vi snupurna
vs'
Vj asaneyisamhit of uklayaj urvcda
CONTENTS
Introduction
x , v
Ligapurna (in translation)
Section I
1. Int roduct ory '
2. Index of Content 4
3. Pri mary Creati on 8
4. Inaugur at i on of Creati on 12
5. Creati on
1 6
6. Glory of iva
2 0
7. Esoteric secret of iva 22
8. Yogic Zones 27
9. Obstacles and Portents 3
7
10. Means of Di rect Percepti on 43
11. Sadyoj ta 47
12. Gl ory of Vmadeva 48
X
1 3 . Gl ory of Tat pur us a 50
14. Ori gi n of Aghora 51
15. Glory of Aghorea 52
16. Glory of Ina 55
17. Ori gi n of Liga 58
18. Visnu' s praise of iva 64
x
19. Enl i ght enment of Vi snu 68
20. Enl i ght enment of Brahma 69
21. Eulogy of Siva
7 6
22. Creati on of Rudr as 84
23. Kal pas 86
24. Incarnat i ons of iva 90
25. Met hod of camana and Ablution 100
26. Procedure of Sacred Ablution 103
27. Worship of Li ga 107
28. Ment al worship of iva 111
29. Victory over Deat h 115
30. Story of Sage veta 122
31. Hymn to iva 125
32. Hymn to iva 129
XII
33. St at ement of t he sages 130
34. Praise of t he Yogin 133
35. Defeat of Ks upa 136
36. Dialogue between Ks upa and-Dadh ca 139
37. Gr ant of boons to Brahma 145
38. Creati on of Brahma 148
^ 3 9 . Specific Dhar mas of F our Yugas 150
^ 40. Extent of four Yugas 156
41. Nativity of Brahma 164
42. Ori gi n of Nand vara 169
43. Coronati on of Nand vara 172
44. Coronati on of Nand vara 176
^ 4 5 . Description of Net her worlds 179
^ 4 6 . Dv pas and thei r lords 181
47. Bhrat a sub-continent 184
^48. The mount ai n Mer u 187
49. Il vrt a sub-conti nent 190
^ 5 0 . Abodes of Devas 195
" 5 1 . Conti nents 197
^ 52. Geography of t he W orl d 200
- 5 3 . Geography of t he W orl d 205
^ 54. Movements of Lumi nari es 209
55. -The Sun' s Chari ot 215
^ 56. Description of the Moon 221
^ 5 7 . Movements of the pl anets 223
58. Coronati on of the Sun and others 226
" 59. The form of Solar rays 227
^ 60. The Solar Sphere 231
" 61. The situation of the planets 233
62. Situation of Dhr uva 238
63. Ori gi n of Devas and others 241
64. Gr ant of boons by Pulastya 248
" " 65. Thousand names of iva 258
66. The narrati ve of Yayti 287
67. The narrati ve of Yayti 293
68. The race of J ymagha 296
69. rkrsna, his bi rth and life 299
70. Various Creations 306
71. St at ement of Nandikeivara 333
Xlll
72. Constructi on of Rudra' s Chari ot
347
73. Gl ory of Worshi ppi ng iva
364
74. Description of Siva Ligas
366
" 7 5 . Moni sm of iva
369
76. Instal l ati on of iv's image 373
77. The Templ es of iva 378
78. Scrubbi ng and cleaning the shrine of Siva
387
79. The mode of worship of iva 389
80. The holy Pupat a rite
392
81. The holy rite for the release of Paus
397
82. Hymn of purification 402
83. The holy rites of iva
411
84. The holy rite of Um-Mahe var a
416
85. The glory of the f i ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a 422
86. The sacrifice of medi tati on
441
>
87 . Suppression of delusion 455
88. Revi ew of P upat a yoga
458
89. Characteristics of good conduct 466
90. The expiatory rites of the ascetics 478
" * 91. Portentous phenomena 480
92- Glory of raila 486
93. The narrati ve of the Asura Andhaka 502
94 Uplifting the Eart h 504
95. The Exploits of Nrsirhha the Man-lion 507
I NTRODUCTI ON
Purnas : Origin and Development
Accordi ng to the Visnupurya
1
the sage Kr s na Dvai pyana
Vysa compiled a Purnasamhit from the various ancient
episodes and i mpart ed it to his disciple Romahar sana. The latter
composed his own Purnasamhit and among his disciples
Kayapa, Svarni and rapyana composed thei r own. These
four were the original Purnasaihits. The Vyupurna speci-
fi es the number of the Pnr nas as ten. Thi s represents t he
second stage in the devel opment of the Purnas. The tradi ti onal
number ei ghteen is the final stage.
The tradi ti onal list as given by several Pur nas comprises
the following : ( 1) Br ahma, (2) Padma, ( 3) Visnu, (4) Vyu,
(5) Bhgavata, ( 6) Nrad ya, (7) Mr kandeya, (8) Agni,
(9)Bhavi sya, (10) Brahmavai varta, (11) Li ga, (12) Var ha,
(13) Skanda, (14) Vmana, (15) Kr ma, (16) Matsya,
( 17) Gar uda, (18) Br ahmnda.
The Purni c scholars are agreed upon the authenti ci ty of
the seventeen Purnas but in regard to the ei ghteenth there is
a difference of opi ni on. Maj ority of the Purnas i ncl ude
Sivapurna in the list while a few others substitute Vyu for
iva.
2
The LigapurnaContents
The Ligapurna is divided into two sections comprising res-
pectively 108 and 55 chapt ers.
Section I describes t he evolution of Li ga, a phal l i c form
of Siva. It records t radi t i ons about t he rise of Li ga cult, modes
of worshipping Li ga, principles of its ri t ual , efficacy of its
worshi p illustrated by myt hs, legends and anecdot es. It provi des
a graphi c account of t he geography of t he ear t h wi t h seven
cont i nent s, t hei r fl ora and fauna, their peopl e, mount ai ns, oceans
i . Visnu I I I . 6.
a. For detail, see introduction to SiwapurSna Part I, English Translation
P. xiii.
xvi
and rivers. It describes t he size of t he ear t h, stars and pl anet s,
their positions and movement s i n t he heavens. It recount s the
g nealogies of some famous monar chs of t he solar and l unar
dynasties. It gives an account of promi nent Asuras, t hei r expedi -
tions and dest ruct i on.
Section II contains legends on the glorification of Li ga, a
det ai l ed account of t he form, concept and at t r i but es of Liga
and the vratas, gifts and mant ras rel ated to his worship. F inally,
it explains in detai l t he procedure of the P upat a Yoga as the
means of at t ai ni ng the ul ti mate goal viz., the absorption of the
personal soul i nto the supreme soul Lord iva.
The TitleLigapurna
The Ligapurna is a aiva Pur na. It derives its name from
the fact that it reveals the supreme lord iva in his niskala
(attri butel ess) and sakala (qualified) forms, recounts his em-
blems, qualities, exploits and i ncarnat' ons, narrates legends on
the origin and i mportance of Li gahi s phallic idol, dwells
upon the meri t of installing and consecrating it, describes the
ritual and philosophical principles of the Li ga cult and embo-
dies sermons and dissertations on the glory of Li ga image.
The author of th; purna
The aut horshi p of the Puruas is at t ri but ed to the sage
Krsna Dvai pyana but Bhavisya
3
speaks of separate authorshi p
for different Purnas. According to this authori ty the Liga was
composed by the sage Ta ndi . But this st at ement of Bhavisya is
not support ed by t he i nt ernal evidence, al t hough the Pur na
suggests the theoi y of separate authorshi p. F or instance, when
Bhavisya states t hat Visnu was composed by Parara, we find
t hat Liga had al ready stated this fact.
4
Besides, this voluminous
set of Purnas beset wi th differing strata of society of different
times cannot be ascribed to a single aut hor.
Authenticity of the text
The extant Ligapurna is not the same as the original which
was recited by iva in t he Agnikalpa to Brahma and was, l ater
3. Bhavisya. III. a8. ic-15.
4. Liga. I. 64. 120-121.
xvii
5. Jfiradlya. I 102. 1-4..
6. Liga. I. 2. 1.
7. Hit name was Ganesa Ntu. He was the son of Ballla and Yaiod
and the disciple of Nilakaatba. He lived in 1760 (or 1769) aka era, at
Poona. Vide the introductory verses of ST.
8. Liga 1.2.3.
9. Ibid., i .3.i .
on, divided by Vysa i nto two parts. F or the Agni kal pa text,
accordi ng to the Nrad ya,
8
contai ned 11,000 versesa fact
acknowledged by the author of t he extant Ligapurnawhile
actually the present Vekatevara edition has only 9, 185 verses.
Furthermore, contrary to t he st at ement of the Nrad ya, the
present text deals with the mat t ers of the Inakal pa* and not
with those of the Agnikalpa. It can, therefore, be presumed that
there was an old Ligapurna text based upon the Agnikalpa on
which t he Nrad ya description is based.
The above statement is supported by the i nternal evidence.
Liga ( I I . 55. 36-37) states t hat it is divided i nt o t wo sections.
Secti on I contai ns one hundr ed and ei ght chapt ers while
Secti on II i f comprised of fortysix. But as a mat t er of fact, the
extant asoaod section has fifty five chapt ers. The aut hor of Siva-
tosin,* a Commentary on this Purna, dissolves the compound
sat-catvrimsat as sat ca nava ca catvri mac ca (madhyamapada-
hpi frni maihirirjrn) and by this grammat i cal device arrives at
the required number 55. But woul d it not be a forced and far-
fetched interpretation ? Conversely, would it not be rati onal to
suppose that the original text of thi s section contai ned fortysix
chapters to which ni ne chapters were added l ater on ?
Date of Composition
The Ligapurtia was abri dged by Kr s na Dvai pyana
Vysa in the beginning of Dvpar a age.
8
Ori gi nal l y it was
composed by Brahma with the materi al derived from na
kalpa." The abri dgement was a nat ural course, for the old con-
tents ceased to appeal to t he l ater generations. At the same,
fresh materi al was available whi ch the new compilers inserted in
t he old corpus. The process conti nued till the begi nni ng of the
fifth century A. D. when the bulk of this Pur na was settled to
its present form.
xviii
Ther e are references in t he Ligapurna in support of this
argument . Chapt er 40 refers to king Pramat i in t he line of king
Candramas who organized extensive mil itary expeditions
against the Ml ecchas. In this inset of twentythree verses
10
we
find a powerful and historically true description of t he achieve-
ments of Candr agupt a Vi kramdi t ya I I . The description tallies
with a similar account in t he Matsyapurna and seems to have
been given by a person who was an eye-witness or who had
heard from a direct source. Moreover, in I I . 3.36 there is a refe-
rence to the Mlecchas havi ng seized the idol of Vi snu.
1 1
We l earn
from history t hat Ml ecchas were wild ferocious tribes, such as
Huns , whose violent activities caused vast devastations and
struck terror in t he social life of the country. Like the cattle-lift-
ing Panis of t he Rgvedic age, these Ml ecchas were t he breakers
or stealers of idols. The Pur na is also aware of t he foreign
tribes Ki rt as (Burmese) in the east and Mlecchas in the west
1
*
As t he destroyer of Ml ecchas Ki ng Pr amat i of this Pur na can
onl y be identical wi th Ki ng Candr agupt a Vi kramdi tya who
destroyed the Ml ecchas duri ng his reign of twenty years by
engaging his army drawn mostly from Licchavisa ksatra-brah-
mi n tri be.
1 3
The reign of Candragupt a Vi kramdi tya II (380-
412 A.D.) is the lowest limit by which the bul k of this Pur na
had assumed its present shape.
General Characteristics of the Ligapurna
I. Creation
The supreme lord iva is represented by the half-male and
half-female form. At the advent of Creati on, the mal e form
enters i nto the womb of the female form and lays the golden
seed therein. The seed is of the nat ur e of fire, the creative force
and is permeated by a creative potency. According to the Liga-
purna
1
* this creative energy is personified as Brahma ; the reci-
pient of the seed, the foetus, is named Visnu while the sower
10. Liga I. 40. 50-72.
11. Ibid., pratimm ca hares caiva mlecch hrtv yayuh punah II.
3- 36.
fa. Ibid., I. 5a. 39; Matsya 50. 75-76; Mark. 57. 8.
13. Cf. Liga I. 40. 53.
14. Liga I. 30. 73 ff.
xix
of the seed is lord iva himself. Thus, the half-man and half-
woman form of the l ord is bot h t he efficient and the materi al
cause of the universe.
The seed is sentient. W hen it enters i nto the womb it acti-
vates and gives i mpetus to t he insentient Prakrt i . The Cosmic
Egg is bor n, out of whi ch is evolved the entire universe. In fact,
both the i nsenti ent Prakrti and t he sentient principl e belong to
l ord iva himself who out of sheer will and sportively too crea-
tes, dissolves and t hen re-creates and re-dissolves t he universe.
In this eternal process everything creat ed in the feminine form
i s Prakrt i and everything mascul i ne i s Purusa. The hal f-man
and half-woman body (ardhanr vara) of iva is responsible for
the origin of creati on by copul ati on. As stated above, the crea-
tive force is of t he nat ur e of agni(fire) and its fortynine forms
1 8
consti tute the different forms of t he supreme l ord who in his
qualified (sakala) state is characteri zed by three functions viz.
creati on, sustenance and dissolution.
Accordi ng to t he Burnic account of creation, in the begin-
ni ng t he insentient Prakrti in the form of the Cosmic Egg re-
mai ned in the Cosmi c waters for thousands of years, unt i l it
was acti vated by the sentient pri nci pl e whi ch enteri ng divided
it i nt o two halves. One of the two became the celestial and the
ot her the terrestrial sphere bot h constituting t he fourteen
worl ds.
The constituents of Prakrti , the materi al cause of the uni -
verse, are twenty three in number . They are : (1) intellect,
(2) ego, (3-7) five subtle elements, (8-12) five senses of acti on,
(13-17) five senses of knowledge, (18-22) five gross elements
and (23) the mi nd. The unevolved Prakrti is called (24)
Pr adhna. Thi s set of twentyfour principles is i nsenti ent and
to this is added a threefold set of sentient beings viz. (25) J va
( t he i ndi vi dual soul ), (26) Purusa (the cosmic soul) and (27)
the Supreme soul, iva. In this formulation, Pr adhna, the
twentyfourth category, is the source of twentythree principles
(mentioned above) ; J va, the twenyfifth, is the knower of
Pr adhna; Purusa, the twentysixth, has t he percepti on of the
two lower categories viz. J va and Pr adhna but he cannot
15. Liga I. 6. 4; 1.7.105.
XX
bestow grace.
1
* Lord Mahevara, t he twenty-seventh,
17
al one is
omni pot ent and is capabl e of bestowing grace. In this context,
Prakrti is apr at i buddha, J va is buddhi mn, Pur us a is buddha
and Mahevara i s pr abuddha. The twentysix principles emanat e
from the saptavirhaka ( t he twenty seventh) pri nci pl e viz, lord
Mahevara.
The twenty-sixth pri nci pl e Purusa is represented as passive
and a spectator of the working of Prakrti . He is distinguished
from the personal soul, J va, as t he l at t er is the enjoyer of
the fruits of t he world-tree. Lord Mahe var a is beyond
Pr adhna and Purusa. In his one half, i.e. the mascul i ne form,
he is devoid of qualities (niskala) but his ot her half (sakala) is
characteri zed by the t hree attri butes : sattva, rajas and tamas
whi ch are personified as Brahma, Vi snu and Rudr a.
The enti re phenomenon of creati on is symbolised by the
phallic i mage
1 8
(liga) of lord Siva.
According to the Ligapurna
1
' Pr adhna, the pri mary unevol-
ved mat t er, t he cause of t he universe is Li ga itself. At the root
of Li ga the creator Brahma is st at i oned; Vi snu the sustainer of
the world is stationed in t he mi ddl e; Rudr a t he anni hi l ator is
stati oned above; lord iva i s its substratum. He permeates and
i mpart s i mpetus to Li ga and effects t he work of creati on
in this way.
The Purni c cosmology divides creati on i nt o ni ne classes
arranged in three groups : (1) Pri mary, ( 2) Secondary and
Primary-Secondary as follows :
I Pri mary II Secondary II Pri mary-Secondary
1. Intellect and Ego 4. Insenti ent 9. Mi nd-born sons
objects of Br ahma
2. Subtl e elements 5. Ani mal s
3. Gross el ements 6. Di vi ne beings
7. Huma n beings
8. Sentient F eeling
16. Sadvimsakam anvaram i. 17. 109.
17. yah saptavimako iryah part paratarah prabhub. I, 71 . 51 .
taamd abhedabuddhyaiva laptavimiatprabhedatjih I. 75. 34.
18. A Liga in the form of a column, anting out of a yoni (vaginal
passage) is set up iu temples dedicated to iva. Formerly 12 principal
Liga* existed, of which the best known are Somantha in Gujarat,
*4nh$lt'i at UjjayinI and Vivevara at Vrnasi.
19. Liga. I. 74. 19-20.
xxi
According to the Ligapurna this set of threefold cr eat i on
Pri mary, Secondary and Pri mary-Secondarywas unabl e t o
create. The mi nd-born sons of Brahma remai ned cel i bate. Then
out of his body Brahma produced eleven sons; still t he creation
made no progress. Then Brahma divided himself i nto two
formsone half a woman and the other half a man. In t hat half
form of a woman he created a coupl eManu and at ar p
who obeyed the creator and began t he work of creati on.
2. Dissolution and Re-creation (Pratisarga)
The creati on of the universe is not a per manent feature, for
all creations end in dissolutions whi ch in t urn give pl ace to re-
creati on. Thus , there are several di ssol uti onsmi nor and maj or.
As the Purnas relate, a creation lasts for a day of Br ahma
equal to a kal pa, a period of four hundr ed thi rtytwo million
years of mortal s. A kal pa consists of four teen Manvant ar as . Thus ,
a day of Brahma, equal to a kal pa contains fourteen dissolu-
tions. But these are parti al dissolutions. At the end of fourteen
manvant aras, equal to a day of Br ahma t hat lasts for a kalpa,
there occurs a great dissolution. Ther e is also a compl ete
dissolution when Brahma has compl eted his life-time. At
the advent of this dissolution (Prkrt a pr al aya) , t he mobi l e and
i mmobi l e beings, Devas, Asuras, serpents, Rksasas etc. ar e
all destroyed. Everythi ng dissolves itself i nto Prakrt i whi ch
remai ns hi dden i n the supreme lord iva. The l ord al one
survives; t here is no second bei ng anywhere.*
0
At the advent of re-creation after dissolution, Lord iva is
present i n two forms: Prakrti and At man. Lord Vi snu adopts
the body of Prakrti and lies on the yogic couch in t he mi dst of
waters. Then Br ahma is born of his umbilical lotus. Brahma asks
iva to gr ant hi m power to re-create.
2 1
3. The ages of Manus (Manvantaras)
The creati on i s divided into ti me-uni tskal pas, manvan-
taras, yugas, samvatsaras and other relatively bigger and
smaller units. W hen creati on ceases to exist these time-units
di sappear as a mat t er of course.
20. Ibid., I. 85. 7-8.
21. Ibid., I. 85. 10-iiff.
xxu
The description of the ti me-uni t, manvant ar a, is one of the
many characteristics of a Mahpur na. A manvant ar a comprises
about seventyone caturyugas equal to 1200 years of t he gods or
l/14th day of Br ahma. The fourteen manvant ar as make up one
whole day of Br ahma, equal to a kal pa. After each manvant ar a
there is a mi nor dissolution. Thus , a day of Br ahma has
fourteen dissolutions and re-creations. The scheme of fourteen
dissolutions repeats itself from one age o f Ma nu to anot her.
The purnas ment i on fourteen manvant ar as. These derive
their names from fourteen successive progenitors and sovereigns
of the eart h. The present Pur na ment i ons fourteen Manus by
name. They are (i) Svyambhuva, (ii) Svrocisa, (iii) Ut t ama,
(i v) Tmasa, (v) Rai vat a, (vi ) Cksusa, (vi i ) Vaivasvata, (vii)
Svarni , (i x) Dhar ma, (x) Svarnika, (xi) Piaga, (xii)
Api agbha, (xiii) abal a, (xi v) Varnaka. On thei r nomen-
cl ature the Pur nas are not unani mous.
4-5. Genealogy and history of Royal Houses (Varha and Varhinu-
carita)
Genealogy and history of kings and illustrious personages
play an i mpor t ant role i n the Mahpur nas . The sutas were the
custodians of genealogical records whi ch they l earnt by rote
and whi ch they recited at sessional sacrifices. But in the course
of oral transmission from one generati on to anot her some varia-
tions entered in these records. Moreover, there were tradi ti onal
variations too, for different versions existed in different families
of stas. W hen t he records were i ncorporated in the Purnas,
the i nterpol ati ons and the tradi ti onal vari ati ons also settled
therein. Thi s explains the difference t hat exists in t he genea-
logical records of the Purni c l i t erat ure.
2 2
The Ligapurna is not interested in recording the genea-
logies of anci ent royal houses and illustrious personages. Still it
33. For instance, ( i ) according to Liga gnidhra was the eldest son
of Priyavrata. But according to a Vyu version he was the son of Priyavrata's
daughter, (ii) Liga ascribes the origin of the name Bhrata to king
Bharata, the eldest of the ioo sons of Rsabha and grandson of Nbhi (cf.
Vyu 33, 51-53; Mrkajideya 53. 39-40; Bhgavata 11. 2. 15-17; Sk. 1.11.37.
55-57)- But according to Matsya 114. 5-6, Bharata is the name of Manu
himself who creates and supports the people here.
xxiii
contains, in five chapters ( I . 65-69), lists of t he solar and l unar
dynasties of Ayodhy and Prayga. Chapt er s 65-66 deal wi th
the solar dynasty of Ayodhy from Vaivasvata Ma nu to Satya-
vrata, from Sat yavrat a to Sagara and from Sagara t o Brhadbal a.
Chapt ers 67-69 recount t he l unar dynasty of Prayga from
Aila Purravas to Yayti, from Yayti to J ymagha and from
J ymagha to rkrsna. As for the history of reigning monarchs
(vamnucarita) it is interested mai nl y in the records of t he
solar and l unar dynasties. It recounts t hedeeds of some
monarchs of these houses. Amongst these Sagara, Yayti , J y-
magha and Sr Kr s na fi gure promi nentl y, while Dhundhumr a,
Babhru, Satrj it, Akrra and others occupy a secondary pl ace.
Monism of iva and the means of the soul's release
The above analysis demonstrates t hat t he Ligapurna
possesses t he conventi onal charact er of a Mahpur na. But its
real greatness lies in expoundi ng the monistic background of
aiva philosophy especially in the context of the Li ga cul t.
The Li ga i s described as twofold: gross and subtle. The
subtle liga is the fourth state of the soul and beyond in which
the ot her three states merge, losing thei r identity. The gross
Li ga, made of clay, wood, stone, crystal etc. is meant j ust to
create a feeling of devotion in the gross-minded peopl e. In fact
lord iva, like the ether, is an indivisible centre whose division
i nto sakala and niskala forms as of the ether i nto ghaf ka and
ma{hka is illusory.
23
Even t he state of being one (ekatva) is
not present there as a distinct at t ri but e. Similarly, in relation
to the tattvas, he is pl aced in the twentyseventh category; but
the tattvas too emanat e from hi m; they are the products of his
power of proj ection (Prakrt i or My) .
2 4
He i s rel ated to t hem
as the gold is rel ated to the or nament s or the ocean to t he
waves. Thei r group of twentyfour forms a noose whi ch bi nds
the individual and cosmic souls, categorized as the twentyfifth
and twentysixth principles.
A maj or porti on of this Pur na is concerned with the supp-
ression of illusion t hrough the at t ai nment of knowledge by
83. Liga I. 75 ff.
24. Ibid., i. 16. 32-34; II.20.52
xxiv
means of Pupat a yoga, accompani ed by purificatory and ex-
piatory rites and acts of physical and ment al worship wi th the
Tant r a, Mant r a and Yant r a appliances. A parti cul ar emphasis
is laid upon self purification. Along with the purification of t he
three gunas, viz. sattva, rajas and tamos, the Pur na enjoins the
purification of the fivefold set of t at t vas
2 6
viz. Yauvana(ve gross
el ement s), Pada (five subt l e el ement s), Varna (five organs of
knowl edge), Mtr (five organs of action) and Kldkoara (the
fourfold group consisting of intellect, ego, consciousness and
mi nd) . These practices, accompani ed by ment al concentrati on,
are said to hel p the aspi rant achieve spiritual enl i ghtenment
and at t ai n release from the entangl ement of the senses and his
absorption i nto the supreme soul.
25. Ibid., II. 20.44-47
CHAPTER ONE
Introductory
1. Obei sance to the Supreme Soul, Rudr a, Vi snu and
Br ahma,
1
the lord of Pr adhna and Pur us a
2
and the cause of
creation, sustenance and dissolution.
2-4. The sage Nr ada
3
went to Naimisa* after worshipping
iva, in all the holy centres,
5
viz. ailea, Sagamevara,
Hi r anyagar bha, Svarlna, Avimukta, Mahl aya, Raudr a, Gopre-
ksaka, the excellent Pupat a, Vighnevara, Kedr a, Gomyu-
kevara, Hi ranyagarbha, Candrea, Inya, Trivis^apa and
Sukreiivara.
5. On seeing Nr ada, the residents of Nai mi sa were delight-
ed in thei r mi nds. After honouri ng hi m they offered hi m a
befitting seat.
i. The aiva Purnas trace the origin of Brahma, Visnu and Rudra
to the Supreme Spirit (Maheivara) and assign the functions of creation
existence and dissolution of the universe to each respectively. In fact,
the three gods represent the three attributessattva, rajas and tamas which
together form Pradhnathe original source of the universe. Thus, the
trinitarian pattern of the Cosmos is a single whole at its base. Of. Devi
Bhga. 1.8. 3-4.
3. Pradhnathe primary or unevolved matter, the original source
of the material world.
Purusathe twenty-sixth principle represented as passive and a spec-
tator of the working of Prakrtithe creative force. He is distinguished
from the personal soul(jiva) as the latter is the enjoyer of the fruits of the
World-Tree. Gf. I. 28.7; II. 17. 36-27.
3. Nradathe mind-born son of Brahma and a divine sage who
acts as a messenger between gods and men.
4. Naimisa or Naimisa, mod. Nimsar. It is situated in the Stpur
district in the Uttara Pradesa, on the left bank of the Gomat river. The
place is so called because the rim (nimi) of the revolving wheel of virtue
was shattered here and virtue had to make a permanent abode in this
region (Vjw 2.7). Or the place is so called because here an army of
asuras was destroyed by the sage Gauramukha in a twinkling of eye. (Gf.
Varha quoted in ST.} On the authority of the Matsya Purina, A Borooah
{Ancient Geography of India) places it about the confluence of the Gomatl and
the Ganges. It was sacred in the Krta age, as Puskara in the Tret, Kuru-
ksetra in the Dvpara, the Ganges in the Kali age.
5. For detail about the holy centres, see part I. Gh. 93.
2
Ligapurna
6-17. He too being pleased accepted the seat offered by
the excellent sages. Seating himself comfortably on the excellent
seat and duly worshipped by the sages he discussed wi th t hem
the holy narrati ve of the Ligas, the narrati ve consisting of
wonderful anecdotes. At the very same time, the intelligent
Sta who was well-versed in the Purnas came to Nai mi sa for
offering homage to the sages. The residents of Nai mi sa greeted
hi m dul y with holy songs and adorations, (since) he was the
disciple of Kr s na Dvai pyana. * On seeing the truly trustworthy
and scholarly Sta Romahar s ana
7
there arose in them the desire
to hear the Pur na. They, thereafter, asked hi m about the
meritorious Pur na t hat contai ned the glory and greatness of
the Ligas.
The residents of Naimisa said :
"O Sta, of great intellect, after adori ng the sage Krsna
Dvai pyana for the knowledge of the Purnas you have obtai ned
the Purni c lore from hi m. Hence, O Sta, the best among the
Paurni kas, we desire to hear from you t hat Purni c lore
illustrating the glory of the Ligas. Nrada, the glorious son of
Brahma, after compl eti ng his pilgrimage to the holy centres of
the supreme lord Rudr a and worshipping the Ligas therein, has
arrived here. You are a devotee of lord Rudr a. So also are we
and Nr ada. It behoves you to recount the meritorious Pur na
contai ni ng the glory and greatness of the Li gas
8
in the
presence of this sage. Since, everything (rel ating to Dhar ma)
has been successfully achieved by you, it should all be well
known to you. "
Thus told, Sta, the most gifted among the Paurni kas was
delighted i n his mi nd. He, the meritorious one, made obeisance
6. Krsna Dvaipyana Vysa was the son of Parsara by SatyavatI
who later on married king antanu. He composed the Mahbhrata *nd
the Purnas and arranged the Vedas into four compendiums(Vyu i.6o. i iff)
7. Romaharsana or Lomaharsana was one of the five disciples of
Vysa (Vyu. 1.60. 13; P. Vidyehara-Samhit, 4.7). He was assigned the
duty of preserving Purnic tradition while the other fourPaila, Vaiamp-
yana, Jaimini and Sumanta were entrusted with the task of preserving the
Vedas. He is called Sta but he is a brahmin. He should not be confused
with the Sta of mixed caste who was the offspring of a ksatriya father and
brahmin woman as described in Manu(Manusmtti X. 11. 17)
8. 'Repeated in verse 10 of this Chapter.
Introductory 3
first to Nr ada, the son of Brahma and then to t he ascetics of
Nai mi sa and began narrat i ng the Pur na.
Sta said :
18. After bowing to iva, Brahma and Vi snu, I remember
the l eadi ng sage Vysa in order to recount the Li ga Pur na.
19-24. I bow down to the supreme lord whose body is
abda-Brahman, who is the revealer of the abda-Brahman,
whose limbs are the letters whose characteristics are unmanifest,
"but who manifests himself in diverse ways, who is constituted
by the letters a, u, m, who is gross as well as subtle, who is
greater t han the greatest, who has the form of Om, whose face is
the R^gveda, tongue the Smaveda, t hroat the Yaj urveda, and
heart t he Atharvaveda, who i s the lord beyond Pr adhna
and Purusa, who is devoid of bi rt h and deat h and who is
called Kl ar udr a when he assumes t amoguna and Br ahma when
he assumes raj oguna and the all-pervading Vi snu when he
assumes sattvaguna, who is Mahei var a when devoid of all the
gunas
9
, who manifests first in seven
1 0
forms by enveloping t he
body of Pr adhna, t hen in si xteen
1 1
forms, and finally in
twentysix
1 2
forms, who is the source of origin of Brahma, and
who assumes the form of the Li ga merel y for t he sport of
creati on, sustenance and anni hi l ati on (of the uni verse). After
bowi ng down faithfully to t hat supreme lord, I begin recounti ng
the auspicious narrat i ve of the Li gapur na.
9. Repeated in 1.6.30.
10. saptadha group of seven tattvas consisting of intellect (buddhi),
ego (ahamkra) and five subtle elements (tanmtras).
11. sodaadhfive senses of action (Karmendriyas), five senses of
knowledge (jnendriyas), five gToss elements (mahbhtas) and mind.
12. To the twentythrce categories (supra Nos. 10, 11) are added
Pradhna (twentyfourth), Jiva (twentyfifth) and Purusa (twentysixth)-
To this group of twentysix is added another (the twenty seventh) namely
the supreme lord (mahevara).
4 Ligapurna
CHAPTER TWO
Index of Content
Sta said :
1 -3. F ormerl y the excellent Li gapurna was composed by
Brahma, the great soul. It was based on the events t hat
happened in the Ina kal pa, and originally it contai ned a
crore of verses among a hundr ed crore t hat comprised all the
Purnas. The Pur nas were abri dged i nto four hundr ed thou-
sand verses by Vysas in the different manvant aras. Lat er in
the begi nni ng of Dvpara, they were classified i nto eighteen
part s, begi nni ng wi t h Br ahmnda among whi ch this Liga-
pur na ranks as the eleventh. Thus I have heard from Vysa.
4. O brahmi ns, the number of verses in this Pur na is
eleven thousand. I shall succinctly nar r at e it now, as it has not
been heard by me i n detail .
5. W hen the Purnas were abri dged i nto four hundred
thousand verses by Kr s na Dvai pyana, the Liga was abri dged
in eleven thousand verses.
6. At the outset the creation of Pr adhna is menti oned,
t hen the pri mary and secondary creation and then the origin
of the cosmic egg, enveloped by eight sheaths.
1
*
7. Then, the evolution of Brahma t hrough the cosmic egg,
by the force of raj oguna, the evolution of Vi snu and Rudr a,
and Vi snu' s lying down i n the waters.
8. The creation of the Praj pati s; the uplifting of the earth,
t he durat i on of Brahma' s day and night, the reckoning of his
whol e span of life.
9-10. The savana of Br ahma; his yuga and kal pa; the
divine and human years; the years of sages, Dhr uva and
Pi trs; the nativity of Pi t rs; the duties of the people in their
respective stages of life; the decrease of popul at i on in the
Uni verse; the manifestation of the creative energy.
11. The mal e and female nat ur e of energy; the creation of
Br ahma; the bi rt h of twins; the eight names of Rudr a in the
course of weeping.
13. But in I. 3.33 the Purna refers to the seven sheaths of the Cosmic
Egg-
Index of Content
5
12. The di spute between Brahma and Vi snu ; the mani -
festation of the Li ga once agai n; the penance of i l da; the
vision of I ndr a, the slayer of Vrt ra.
13-14. Hi s request for a son not born t hrough a womb ; the
impossibility of getti ng such a son, the dialogue between
il da and I ndr a ; the bi rt h of Brahma from a lotus ; the
manifestation of Bhava i n the Kal i age; the preceptor and t he
disciple ; the i ncarnati ons of Vysa ; the kal pas and the
manvant ar as .
15-18. The nat ur e of the kalpas and their different names ;
Visnu i n the form of Var ha i n the Vr ha kal pameghavhana;
the gr andeur and majesty of Rudr a ; the manifestation once
agai n of Li ga in the mi dst of sages ; the propi t i at i on of Li ga;
the inj unctions regardi ng abl uti on ; the nat ur e of puri ty ; t he
glory of VrnasI and of t he holy centres ; t he shrines of Rudr a
and Vi snu on t he eart h as well as in-the fi rmament.
19. Tha fall of Daksa on to the eart h in the Svrocisa
manvant ar a; the curse on Daksa and his release from the curse.
20. The description of Kai l sa ; the yoga pertai ni ng to
Paupat i ( i v a ) ; the extent of the four yugas ; the detai l of the
duties assigned to each yuga.
21-22. The magni t ude of the interval between the yugas ;
the activities of Rudr a duri ng these intervals ; his residence in
the cremat i on ground ; the origin of the digit of the moon on
his forehead ; his marri age ; bi rt h of his sons ; the fear of t he
peopl e in anti ci pati on of destruction due to excessive i ndul gence
in sexual intercourse.
23-24. The curse pronounced by Sat on the Devas and on
Vi snu who was, l ater on, absolved by Rudr a ; Rudr a' s dis-
charge Of semen; the bi rt h of Krt t i keya; the meri t of perfor-
mi ng abl uti on to the Ligas duri ng the eclipse ; the dispute
between Ks upa and Dadh ca as also between Dadb ca and
Vi snu.
25-27. The i ncarnat i on of t he tri dent-beari ng lord Nandi ;
the narrat i ve of the chaste l ady ; the discussion about the
i ndi vi dual soul and avidy or i gnorance ; the nat ur e of worldly
activities and of perfect knowledge ; the characteristics of those
entitled to liberation ; the bi rth ofVasi stha' s sons; the descrip-
tion of the families of the great sages in the spiritual lineage of
6 Ligapurna
Vasistha ; the devouri ng of akti by a demon-ki ng due to the
wickedness of Vi vmi tra ; the capt ure of the divine cow
Surabhi .
28-29. Vasisfha' s grief over the loss of his son ; l amenta-
tions of Arundhat ; the course of their daughter-in-law ; the
words of the child in the womb ; t he bi rth of Parara, Vysa
and uka ; the destruction of the Rksasas by akti' s son Par-
ara.
30-31. The t r ut h about the deities ; the perfect knowledge
as the grace of the lord ; the composition of the Purnas at the
behest of t he preceptor Pul astya ; the magni t ude of the worlds ;
the movement of the pl anets and luminaries ; rules of procedure
about r ddha for living ones ; those who deserve rddhas ;
the description of rddha.
32. Rules of procedure about Nnd r ddha ; the met hod of
studying the Vedas ; t he efficacy of the five yajas and t he
rules of t hei r performance.
33. The conduct and behavi our of women dur i ng their
menst rual per i od; t he bi r t h of excellent sons due t o t hat conduct ;
t he rules about sexual i nt ercourse in regard to persons of diffe-
r ent castes i n due or der .
34. The injunctions regardi ng what should and what
should not be eat en in respect of t he peopl e of all castes ; t he
expi at ory rites for t he general as well as for t he part i cul ar sins
severally and in det ai l .
35. The form and features of t he hells ; cri me and puni sh-
ment ; signs of men destined to be heavenl y or hellish in l at er
bi rt hs.
36. Ki nds of char i t abl e gifts ; t he city of t he Ki ng of t he
Dead ; ritualistic detail of t he five-syllabled mant r a ; t he
greatness of Rudr a.
37. The fi ght bet ween Vr t r a and I ndr a ; t he suppression
of Vr t r a in his uni versal form; t he di al ogue bet ween veta and
Mr t yu; the destructi on of Kl a on behal f of vet a.
38-41. The arrival of iva in the forest of cider trees; the
narrati ve of Sudar ana; the characteristics of Krama-sannysa;
the statement of Brahma t hat Rudr a could be propi ti ated by
devotion and faith; t he i nci dent of Brahma seized by Madhu
and Kai t abha; then i n order to i mpart the highest perfect
Index of Content
7
knowledge to Brahma, the story of Visnu assuming the form
of a fish; in all conditions the i ncarnat i on of Vi snu j ust as a
mat t er of sport; the bi rt h of rkrsna' s son Pr adyumna by the
grace of Rudr a; Vi snu as a tortoise for hol di ng the churni ng
rod.
42. The bi rt h of Sarhkarsana; the rebi rt h of Candi k; the
bi rt h of Kr s na among the Yadus.
43. The wickedness of Karhsa, the uncle of Kr s na; Krsna' s
sporting activity duri ng infancy; his worship of Siva for
obtai ni ng sons.
44. The origin of water from the skull of Siva in the form
of Vi snu; Visnu' s propitiation of Rudr a for lessening t he
bur den of the eart h.
45. The milking of the earth, at the outset, by Pr t hu the
son of Vena; the curse of Bhrgu i ncurred by Vi snu in the
course of conflict between Devas and Asuras.
46-47. In his i ncarnati on as Kr s na his residence in
Dvr ak; the curse of Durvsas as conducive to his welfare;
the curse on Ydavas for their destructi on; the growth of reeds
and j avelins.
48. The anni hi l ati on of the Ydavas in mut ual quarrel by
using reeds and Kr s na anni hi l ati ng his tribe sportively through
t hat very reed.
49. Kr s na' s vol untary depart ure from this worl d; the
perfect knowledge of Brahman and salvation in detail.
50-51. The subj ugation of Andhaka, Agni and Daksa who
had assumed the forms of Indr a, el ephant and the deer; the
description of the pri mordi al Br ahman; subj ugation of Kama
by Siva, and of the enemies of devas, of the dai tya Hal hal a in
part i cul ar; the destruction of J l andhar a and the origin of
Sudarana discus.
52-53. The acquisition of that excellent weapon by Vi snu;
Rudr a' s activities; thousands of his advent ures; the activities
and t he powers of Vi snu, Brahma and I ndr a; the description
of the worl d of Siva.
54-56. Rudr a' s world on the ear t h; Ht akevara i n the
nether worl ds; the nat ure of austerities; the power of brahmi ns;
Liga' s excellence over all other images of deitiesall these are
8
Ligapurna
recorded in their proper order and in detail
1
* in this Purna.
He who after knowing the gist recites it, is liberated from sins.
He goes to the worl d of Brahma.
CHAPTER THREE
Primary Creation
Sta said:
I. The non-characteri zed is the root of the characteri zed.
The manifest Prakrti is the characteri zed, while iva is the
non-characterized, but the characteri zed (Prakrti ) is said to be
related to iva.
2-4. They call t he characteri zed by the name Pr adhna or
Prakrti . But t he non-characteri zed, devoid of smell, colour,
taste, sound, touch and attri butes, is iva who is stable and
everlasting. [ On t he cont rary] the characteri zed Pr adhna
or Prakrti is endowed wi th smell, colour, taste, sound and
t ouch; it is the source of origin of the uni verse; it is elemental
bot h in subtle and gross forms, O excellent brahmi ns; it is the
physical body of t he worl ds; it has ori gi nated from the non-
characteri zed, of its own accord.
5. [F ormerl y] it split itself i nto seven as well as eight and
then i nto eleven.
1 5
The non-characterized, thus, becomes chara-
cterized t hrough my.
14. ST. adds another interpretation. 'The order of contents (as
stated in this chapter is not observed here (i.e. in this purna) nor are the
contents described in detail'. 3T5T 3r^ ^
<
td+'*)MIH STIH^f 3T*rT=rRT
mr *FTHt JTIRK HWTRT ^ sn^Epfur ftr ^ f ? ^ rt .*frr: 1
15. The twentysix principles emanate from the Saptavimsaka tattva:
^T: a^rtfasT^t facT: M<lcM<d'<: SPJ 0- 7-50- In this formulation, Pra-
dhna (the twentyfourth), the source of twenty three principles is insentient;
Jiva (the twenty fifth) is the knower of Pradhna; Purusa (the twentysixth)
has the perception of the two lower categories Jva and Pradhna, but he
cannot bestow grace (^j%^T3>pfT5^T
l
T 1.17.109).. Maheivara (the
>ary Creation
9
6-9. F r om t hem took shape, the trio of the i mpor t ant deities.
F rom one of the three the universe arose; it is protected by
anot her ; by one (i.e. the thi rd) i t i s destroyed.
1
* In this manner ,
the universe is pervaded by iva. Thus the three mrties have
been classified as aliga, liga and ligliga. Br ahman itself is
the universe. The non-characteri zed lord is the source of the seed.
He, the Supreme lord, is bot h the seed and the womb as well as
the seedless. Being seedless he becomes seed, i.e. the cause of
the universe. The t erm t man applies to the seed (b j a),
womb (yoni) and the unmani frst mat t er ( pr adhna) .
-W. He who is Rudr a, Brahma and Vi snu is called iva
in t he Purnas by vi rtue of his eternal l y and intrinsically enligh-
tened and pur e nat ur e.
11. Prakrt i , when observed by iva became aiv. O
brahmi ns, formerly it was unmanifest, but bei ng intrinsically
endowed wi t h the at t ri but es i t became manifest at the begin-
ni ng of the creati on.
12. The enti re universe begi nni ng wi th the unmanifest and
endi ng wi th the gross elements ori gi nated from it. That aivl
Prakrti , the creator of the universe is known as aj ( t he un-
born) .
13-14. The individual soul is devotedly at t ached to t hat
aj (the unborn Prakrt i ) of red, whi te and bl ack col ourt he
aj t hat is single, t hough the mot her of many. He resorts to her
in her manifest form, and havi ng enjoyed eschews her when he
becomes unat t ached. Thi s Prakrti is the creator of worlds when
she is presided over by Purusa.
15. At the time of the creation, mahat was evolved, at the
behest of Purusa, out of Pr adhna consisting of the three gunas
and presided over by Purusa.
16. Being urged by the desire to create, the mahat when
twenty-seventh) alone is capable of extending grace to his devotees. In this
context, Pradhna or Prakrti is aprati buddha, J va is buddhimn, Purusa
is buddha and Mahevara is prabuddha.
16. Brahma, Visnu and Rudra-the personified entities of the three
gunasrajas, sattva and tamas that constitute Padhna or Prakrti, the
material cause of the universeare responsible for the creation, sustenance
and destruction of the universe. The three emanate from the transcendent
reality Mahevara. (Gf. DeiiBhga. 1.8.4; Brahmnda 1.4.6; Visnu 1.2.66)
F or detail see V. S. Agrawal : MPA Study, pp. 37-41.
10 Lgapurna
presided over by Purusa enters the unchangi ng, unmanifest Pra-
dhna and effects the creati on of the manifest.
17-18. Out of mahat evolved (1) sttvika ahamkr a chara-
cterized by conception and determi nati on, (also) (2) rjasa
ahamkr a consisting of three gunas but wi th rajas as pro-
mi nent, (also) (3) tmasa ahamkr a wi th t amas as promi nent .
The subtl e elements evolved out of mahat and became the
nucleus for all creati on.
19. The subtle element-sound evolved out of ego and from
it the unchangi ng ether. Thereafter the ego, the cause of sound
enveloped the ether.
20. O brahmi ns, the creation of the gross elements from
the subtle elements is expounded in this manner . O great sages,
the subtle el ement ' t ouch' evolved from the ether and the air
evolved from t hat .
21. F r om the ai r evolved the subtle element colour and
therefrom agni (fire), whence evolved the subtle element taste,
whence the waters. F rom these evolved the subtle element
smell and from i t the earth.
22-23. O excellent brahmi ns, the ether enveloped the sub-
tle el ement touch. The air with the activity of blowing enve-
loped the subtle el ement colour. The fire enveloped the subtle
el ement taste. The waters havi ng the nat ur e of taste enveloped
the subtle el ement smell.
24-25. Hence the eart h has fi ve qual ities; the waters have
four; the fire has t hree; the air has two, the ether has one qua-
lity. Thus the creati on of the elements originated from the
subtle elements through their mut ual i nteracti on.
26. The Vai kri ka as well as Sttvika creation takes place
simultaneously, yet, here, it is explained as evolved gradual l y in
the manner described above.
27. F or the purpose of perceiving sound and the rest there
are five organs of sense and five organs of acti on. Mi nd (whi ch
is also a sense) belongs to bot h categories. (These eleven
senses evolve out of ego.)
28. The constituents of creati on begi nni ng with mahat
(intellect) and endi ng wi th Vi e s a ^ e a r t h) generate the cosmic
f/iT. The group of seven beginning with mahat (intellect), and ending
with Visesa fBhtas) constitutes the Cosmic Egg which is material, though
it derives its potency of consciousness (cetanat) from Purusa.
ry Creation
11
, whence Brahma arose like a water-bubbl e.
29. He al one i s Rudr a and Visnu pervadi ng the universe,
ese worlds are within t hat cosmic egg and this universe is
thi n it.
30-33. The cosmic egg is externally enveloped by water
times its magni t ude. The water is externally enveloped by
re ten times its mass. The fire is externally enveloped by air
| | en times its mass. The air is externally enveloped by the ether
, ten times its magni t ude. The ether is enveloped by ego the
^ Cause of sound. The ego is enveloped by intellect and iivtel-
iect is enveloped by Pr adhna. They say that the coverings of
the cosmic egg are seven
1 8
. There within is Brahma seated on
t he lotus. Ther e are crores and crores of such eggs in exis-
tence.
34. In all these cosmic eggs there are four-faced Brahms,
Visnus and Rudr as . They are all created by Pr adhna after
comi ng i nto contact wi th iva.
35. The dissolution is also mut ual but it begins from the
end and goes up to the beginning. The great l ord is the sole
agent for this creation, sustenance and dissolution.
36. In creati on he is endowed wi th rajas, in sustenance with
sattva and wi th tamas in dissolution. He alone possesses this
subtle nat ur e i n due order.
37-39. He is the first creator of all beings, their protector
and anni hi l ator. So lord Mahe var a is t he overlord of Brahma.
He is also known as iva, Sadiva, Bhava, Vi snu and Brahma
since he is all. All these worlds are in this egg, so is the creator
Brahma. Thus the el emental creati on of Prakrti has been des-
cribed by me. It is presided over by Pur us a; O brahmi ns, this
auspicious creation wi th intellect ( mahat ) at top is pri mordi al .
18. The Seven sheaths of the Cosmic Egg consist of intellect (mahat),
ego (ahamkra), and five subtle elements (tanmtras). (Vyu. 4.87. Kma
1.4.46).
12
Ligapurna
CHAPTER FOUR
Inauguration of Creation
Sta said :
1-2. The period of the durat i on of the Prkri ta creation is
said to be a day of Brahma. Ther e is a similar period constitut-
ing the ni ght. The lord effects creati on duri ng day time and
dissolution duri ng the ni ght. He has nei ther a day nor a night
(as we underst and t he t erms). The t i me-durat i on by day and
night is used in a secondary sense.
3-6. Duri ng the (so-called) day all the Vi krti sthe Vi-
vedevas, the Praj patis and the sages stay by. Duri ng the night
al f of them are dissolved. They are produced (again) at the end
of t he ni ght. A day of His constitutes our kalpa, His night too
similarly anot her kal pa. Ther e are fourteen Manus by the time
a thousand sets of four yugas come to a close. O brahmi ns, the
Kxt a yuga consists of four thousand years. F our hundred, three
hundred, two hundr ed and hundred years respectively constitute
the period of transition both at the begi nni ng and end of a yuga.
1 9
7-9V The amaka, therefore, is one-sixth of the durati on of
each yuga. The period of durat i on of Tret , Dvpara and Kal i
is respectively three thousand, two thousand and one thousand
years wi thout their amaka parts. That of Kr t a has been men-
tioned above. O men of holy rites, fifteen winks in the eyes of a
man of normal heal th in normal condition constitute a ksdi.
Thi rt y such ksfhs make one kal. Thi r t y such kals make
one muhur t a.
10-12. The ni ght contains fifteen such muhrt as and the day
anot her fifteen muhr t as. A ( l unar) mont h according to human
ig. Each yuga is prefixed and suffixed by a sandhy which specifies
the advent and culmination of a yuga. The two sandhy s of a yuga are of
equal length though their period of duration differs from yuga to yuga.
Thus Krtayuga lasts for four thousand divine years and its sandhys for
eight hundred such years; Tret lasts for three thousand divine years and
its sandhys for six hundred such years; Dvpara lasts for two thousand and
its sandhys for four hundred; Kali lasts for one thousand and its sandhys
for two hundred such years. The total period of duration for the four yugas
is ten thousand divine years and that for their sandhys is two thousand
divine years.
Inauguration of Creation 13
reckoning constitutes the ni ght and day of the pi trs. Divided
further, the dark half constitutes the day and the bright half
constitutes thei r ni ght when they go to sleep. Thi r t y human
months make one mont h of the Pitrs. The period of three hun-
dred and sixty mont hs cal cul ated accordi ng to human reckon-
ing makes one year of the Pitrs.
13. A hundr ed years calculated accordi ng to human
reckoning make three years of the Pitrs.
14. Twel ve mont hs accordi ng to human cal cul ation make
one year (of t he mor t al s ) ; twelve mont hs of the manes (accor-
di ng to their own cal cul ati on) consti tute their one year.
15. Accordi ng to Li gapur na one human year constitutes
the peri od of day and night for the manes. Thei r days, nights
and years and thei r further divisions are as follows:
16. The period of Ut t ar yana (northern transit of the
sun) is the day for the manes ; the period of Daksi nyana (south-
ern transit of the sun) constitutes thei r ni ght. These days and
nights are cal cul ated in accordance wi th the reckoning of
the devas.
17-23. Thi rt y human years constitute a divine month.
O brahmi ns, a hundr ed human years constitute three divine
months and ten days. Thr ee hundred and sixty human years
constitute a divine year. Thr ee thousand and thirty human
years consti tute a year of the seven sages. Ni ne thousand and
ni nety years, accordi ng to human cal cul ation make a year of
Dhr uva. Thi rt y six thousand human years make a century of
divine years. The people who know ari t hmet i c say t hat the
three hundred and sixty thousand human years constitute the
period of a thousand divine years.
24-35. The durat i on of a yuga is cal cul ated according
to the divine reckoning. The fi rst yuga i s named Kr t a;
thereafter comes Tr et and then Dvpar a and Kal i . O men
of holy rites, these are the (names of the four) yugas. Hence-
forth the number of years of each yuga which have been
menti oned earlier in divine reckoning are now being counted
accordi ng to human reckoning. The Kr t a consists of one
million four hundr ed and forty thousand human years; Tr et
of one million eight hundr ed thousand years; Dvpar a of seven
hundr ed twenty thousand years and Kal i of three hundr ed and
14
Ligapurna
sixty thousand human years. Thus the durat i on of the four
yugas, wi thout the peri od of j unct i on and transition totals to
three million six hundr ed thousand human years. If Sandhy
peri ods are i ncl uded, the set of four ages will consist of four
million three hundr ed and twenty thousand years. A little
over seventy one sets of four yugasKrt a, Tr et , Dvpar a and
Kal i const i t ut e a manvant ar a.
2 0
The number of human years
in a manvant ar a are thi rty crores six million and seven
hundred and twenty thousand, O excellent brahmi ns. The
period of a manvant ar a, according to this Purna, is not more
t han this.
36. The number of years in one set of four yugas have
been ment i oned earlier. O excellent brahmi ns, a thousand such
sets of four yugas consti tute a kal pa (of Br ahma) .
37. Duri ng Brahma' s ni ght the creatures peri sh; at the
end of t he ni ght they are created agai n. Ther e are twenty-eight
crores of gods who move in aeri al chariots.
38. Duri ng the manvant aras and the i ntermedi ary periods
their number increased to three hundr ed and ninety two
crores.
39-40. O brahmi ns, duri ng the last kal pa their number
came to seventy-eight thousand. In all kalpas this is the position
in brief. W hen the dissolution is i mmi nent peopl e abandon the
persons surviving the last day of the kal pa and go to J anal oka
from the worl d Mahar .
41-42. The number of years in half a kal pa by divine
calculation is two thousand eight hundr ed and sixty two crores
and seven millions. The kal pa too shall be similarly calculated.
A thousand such kalpas make a year of Brahma.
43. Eight thousand years of Brahma make his yuga. A
thousand yugas of Br ahma constitute a savana.
44. Ni ne thousand such savanas constitute a day of
Rudr a.
45-49. O great sages, the following are the names of some
kalpas of Brahma, vi zbhavodbhava, tapas, bhavya, rambha,
20. A manvantara comprises about seventy one mahyugas which
are equal to 12,000 years of the gods. The Purnas mention fourteen
manvantaras. These derive their names from fourteen successive mythical
progenitors and sovereigns of the earth.
Inauguration of Creation 15
kratu, rt u, vahni , havyavha, svitra, uddha, majjlya,
madhyama, vairj a, ni sda, mukhya, meghavhana, pacama,
ci t raka, krti, j na, manas, sudari a, brrhha, vetalohita,
rakta, p tavsas, asita, and sarvarpaka. O excellent sages,
thousands and crores of such kal pas have al ready elapsecL
-
____^.
50. At the dissolution of a kal pa, whatever remai ns of
creati on produced duri ng day and ni ght is destroyed.
51-53. The destruction is subject to the behest of lord iva.
W hen the creati on is anni hi l ated and the Pr adhna is stationed
in itself, bot h Pr adhna and Purusa come to a standstill or
remai n i nacti ve. O brahmi ns, it is only when t he three gunas
are not in equi l i bri um t hat creation takes pl ace. W hen >hey
are in equi l i bri um t he creati on is dissolved. The great lord is
t he cause of bot h. The creati on is effected by hi m sportively
in this manner .
54-56. Such creations, effected t hrough t he agency of
Pr adhna are i nnumerabl e. The kal pas together wi th their
Brahms and Visnus are i nnumerabl e. But lord iva is only
one. The activities of Prakrt i emerging from Pr adhna are due
to Hi s sport. The activities as characteri zed by the gunas are
threefold and destructible but the (uncreat ed) t man has
nei ther a begi nni ng nor a mi ddl e nor an end.*
1
57. The life-time of Brahma consists of two halves called
parrdhas. * * W hat is created duri ng Hi s day ti me is destroyed
dur i ng Hi s ni ght .
58-61. The worlds bhr , bhuvah, svar and mahar peri sh;
only t he worlds above remai n i ntact. At ni ght, when the mobi l e
and i mmobi l e perish and a vast sheet of wat er
2 8
spreads like a
single ocean, Br ahma goes to sleep in the water. He is there-
21. Creation is the result of stimulation (ksobha) of the gunas.
When there is no stimulation, creation does not exist; consequently, the time-
unitskalpas, manvantaras, yugas, sariwatsaras and other relatively bigger
and smaller units disappear as a matter of course.
22. A kalpa (a period of four thousand cycles of four yugas) consti-
tutes a day of Brahma. It is divided into two halves : 2 parrdhas. A half
kalpa covers a cycle of two thousand caturyugas. At the end of a full kalpa
a great fire consumes the world.
23. Ekrnava symbolises the state of the universe during the period
of dissolution when the divided units are drawn together forming a single
watery mass. For detail see MPA Study. PP. 9-10.
16
Ligapurna
fore known as Nr yana. At t he end of the ni ght he wakes up
and behol ds a void what used to be the worl d of mobi l e and
i mmobi l e beings. Then he, the most excellent among the
knowers of Br ahman decides to create. He assumes t he form of
a boar
2 4
and lifts t he eart h submerged in t he waters. He lifts it
up and places it as before, together wi th all the rivers, rivulets
and oceans.
62-63. W i t h great effort he makes the ear t h even. He
gathers together all t he mount ai ns bur ned by fi re on the eart h.
He establishes the four worlds, bhuh, etc. as before. He , the
lord creator, t hen decides to create everythi ng afresh.
CHAPTER FIVE
Creation
Sta said :
1. O brahmi ns, while Brahma of unknown origin pondered
on creation he became manifested as delusion enveloped in
darkness.
2. Ignorance originated from the self-born Brahma in
f i ve
2 5
forms: darkness ( t amas ) , infatuation ( moha) , the great
infatuation ( mahmoha) , gloominess (t mi sra), and blinding
gloominess ( andhat mi s r a) .
3-4. Thi s creation of Brahma which is enveloped by igno-
rance is declared to be pri mary. F r om this creation emerged the
immovables (plants, mount ai ns et c. ). He considered this creation
incapable of causation. He t hought of creating yet. Whi l e he
thus medi tated, his neck t urned horizontally.
5-8. At first the hori zontal creation named tiryaksrotas
emerged from hi m; the next was urdhvasrotas chiefly characte-
24. The Purnas often mention Varha (Boar incarnation of Visnu)
lifting the earth from the depth of the Ekrnava ocean.
25. Avidy, also designated as viparyaya is fivefold. Gf. II.9.30.
Its five kinds are defined in the Devi Bhiga. These are subdivided into sixty-
two kinds. Cf. II. 9. 34"35-
Creation 17
rized by goodness. Then came arvksrotas, after t hat anugraha,
and lastly bht di . The first creation of Brahma is known mahat ;
the second of t anmt rs as bhaut i ka; the thi rd of t he sense-
organs as ai ndri ya; the fourth of the immovables as mukhya;
the fifth of animals as tiryagyoni; the sixth of gods as dai vi ka;
the seventh of manki nd as mnus a; the eighth (of emotions)
as anugr aha; the ni nt h of Kumr as as Kaumrya. * * These are
Prkrt a and Vai krta creations.
9-11. F ormerl y, O excellent sages, Brahma created Sananda,
Sanaka and Sant ana. By refraining from worldly activities
they at t ai ned t he Supreme Being. By his yogic accomplishment
he created Mar ci , Bhrgu, Agiras, Pulastya, Pul aha, Kr at u,
Daksa, Atri and Vasistha. These ni ne sons of Brahma were the
knowers of Brahman and excellent brahmi ns. They are known
as expounders of br ahman and were equal to Brahma himself.
12. [ He had three more sons] Sakal pa, Dhar ma and
Adhar ma. Adhar ma i s always present near Dhar ma. Thus there
were twelve progenies of Brahma of unknown origin.
13-14. The eternal lord had at t he outset created Rbhu
and Sanat kumra. These two eldest sons became the divine
expounders of Brahman. Being free from sexual desire they
remai ned bachelors and rose equal i n wisdom to Brahma. They
were omniscient and possessed of all meri ts. I shall now state
succinctly the names of the wives of the brahmani cal sages and
t he bi rt h of their progenies, O excellent sages.
15-17. The lord created Virj a ( Ma nu) and Vairj
at arp who was not born of womb. She bore two sons and
two daughters to Manu. The elder was the intelligent Priyavrata
and the younger Ut t napda. The elder daught er was Akti
and the younger was Prasti .
18-26. Praj pati Ruci marri ed kti and lord Daksa mar-
ried Prasti the mot her of the worlds and a great Yogin. Akti
gave bi rt h to a son Yaja and a daught er Daksi n. Daksi n
gave bi rt h to twelve illustrious sons. Prasti of great penance
bore twentyfour daughters to Daksa vi z. , raddh (fai th),
26. Ninefold creation : The Purnic cosmology divides the cosmic
creation into nine classes. For detail, see P. (English trans, p. 248 note
214) .
18 Ligapurna
Laksm (good f ortune), Dhrt i , Pu$ti, Tu^u, Medh, Kri y,
Buddhi (constancy), Lajj (Modest y), Vapus (beaut y), nti
(tranqui l l i ty), Siddhi (perfection), K rti (f ame), Khyt i (cele-
bri t y), Sat ( t r ut h) , Sambhut i (fitness), Smrti (memory),
Prti (affection), Ks am (pati ence), Sannati (humi l i t y),
Anasy (si nceri ty), rj (strength), Svh (oblation to the
gods), Arani and the blessed Svadh (oblation to the pi t rs).
He gave t hem dul y i n marri age. The fi rst thi rteen daughters
raddh to Krti marri ed the patri arch Dhar ma. The wise Bhrgu
marri ed Khyt i ; Bhrgava (ukra) marri ed Arani ; Mar ci
(marri ed) Sambhuti ; Agiras (marri ed) Smrti. The other
marri ed pairs were : Prti and Pulastya, Ks am and Pul aha,
Sannati and Kr at u, Atri and Anasy, rj and Vasisdia,
Svh and Vibhvasu, Svadh and the Pitrs.
27-28. Sat the mental creation of the lord was adopted as
his daught er by Daksa. She the mot her of the worlds attai ned
Rudr a as her husband. At the beginning of the creation
Brahma had created a Being ( Rudr a) possessed of a body half
man' s and half women' s
2 7
and then the Creator said, "Di vi de
thyself." And he being accosted thus, divided himself into two.
It was then t hat she was born.
29. All the women in three worlds are born of the female
part. Similarly, all the eleven Rudr as
2 8
originated from his
mal e part .
30-33. Everything feminine in gender is she herself and
everything masculine is Rudr a himself. Keepi ng Rudr a in view,
lord Brahma looked at Daksa and said, "W orshi p her, she is of
good holy rites, the mot her of all the worlds, of mi ne as well as
yours. If the word putr ( daught er ) is i nterpreted as ' one who
27. This half-male and half-female form of lord iva is most popular
in ancient sculpture. The concept has its basis in the Purusa-Prakrti doctrine
of the Smkhya philosophers.
28. Eleven Rudras. For the names of eleven Rudras, see I. 8a. 40-41.
Their names are variously mentioned in the Purnas. For instance, Matsya
has two lists (5. 29-30; 153. 19) which differ from each other. Vyu agrees
with Matsya only in three names. Bhavisya(125.7) gives a different list.
For the interpretation of these names and other detail, see MP. A Study
PP. 65-67.
Creation
19
saves from the hell " p u t " she will become the excellent wife of
Rudr a and the mot her of the Universe. She shall be your
daught er and known as Sat! .
Thus urged by Brahma Daksa obtai ned her as his daught er
and respectfully gave her to Rudr a (i n mar r i age) .
34. The thirteen wives of Dhar ma, raddh and others have
already been menti oned. I shall now menti on the progeny of
Dhar ma from those wives, in due order.
35-36. They are Kama (l ove), Dar pa ( pr i de) , Ni yama
(rest rai nt ), Santo sa (cont ent ment ), Lobha (covetousness),
ruta (l earni ng), Danda (puni shment ), Samaya (agreement ),
Bodha (wi sdom), Apr amda (non-erri ng), Vi naya ( humi l i t y) ,
Vyavasi ya (i ndustry), Ksema (welfare), Sukha (happiness)
and Yaas (f ame). These are the offspring of Dhar ma.
37-40. Dhar ma begot of Kri y (activity) and Buddhi (in-
telligence) two sons each vi z. , Danda (puni shment ) and
Samaya (agreement) of the former, Apramda (non-erri ng) and
Bodha (wisdom) of the latter. Hence the sons of Dhar ma and
Adhar ma are fifteen in all. Bhrgu' s wife Khyti gave bi rth to ri,
(who became) the wife of Vi snu and to two sons Dht r and
Vi dht r who later became the sons-in-law of Mer u. Prabht i ,
wife of Mar ci , gave birth to two sons: Prnamsa and Mri ca
and four daught ers: Tust i , Drst i , Krsi and Apaciti.
41-45. O great sages, Ks am bore to Pul aha three sons :
Kar dama, Varyas and Sahisnu and one daught er Pvari, golden
in colour and stout as the earth. Pulastya begot of Prl ti two
sonsDat t orna and Vedabhu and a daughter Drsadvat . Sannati ,
wife of Kr at u gave bi rth to sixty thousand sons who are known
as Blakhilyas. Smrti, wife of sage Agiras, gave bi rth to four
daughters: Sinvl, Kuhu, Rk and Anumat i after obtai ni ng
three sons: Anubhva, Agni and K rti mn, O sages of holy
rites.
46-50. Anasy, the wife of Atri, gave bi rth to six children,
a daught er ruti and five sons: Satyanetra, Bhavyamrti , Apa,
anai i cara and Soma; the sixth was ruti (ment i oned above).
The affectionate mother rj bore to Vasisfha seven handsome
sons: Raj as, Suhotra, Bhu, Savana, Anagha, Sutapas and
ukra. To the god of fire who identifies himself wi th Rudr a
and is the eldest son of Brahma and also the very life of the
/
20 Ligapurna
CHAPTER SI X
Glory of iva
Sta said :
1-3. The three sons of Agni
w
are Pavamna, Pvaka and
Suci. The fire produced by attri ti on is called Pavamna; t hat
from lightning is named Pvaka; that from the sun is known as
uci. The three were the sons of Svh. Toget her with their
sons and grandsons their number goes upt o fortynine ( - . 7 x 7 ) .
The fi res are produced i n sacrifices.
4. All these are ascetics and observers of holy rites. All of
them are praj patis identical with Rudr a.
5. The Pitrs are of two categories: yajvans and non-yajvans.
Yajvans are also called Agnis vttas, the non-yajvans as Barhi-
sadas.
6. Sr addhi gave bi rth to the ment al daught er Men. Thi s
mental daught er is well known in the world.
7-8. Men gave bi rt h to Mai nka Kr auca, his (Mai nka' s)
younger sisters Um and Gag. The latter became the holiest
by virtue of her contact wi th the body of lord iva. Svadh
gave bi rth to a mental daught er Dharan ( ear t h) who became
the support of sacrifices. That l ady ( Dhar an ) of lotus-face
became the wife of Mer u, the king of mountai ns.
9-10. The Pitrs are amrt apas (i mbi bers of nect ar ) . Thei r
account in detail, together with t hat of the sages and their fami-
lies I shall narrat e in a separate chapter, later on.
29. For agnivaihia sec VSyu I. 29; Brakmifa I. n o ; Mirkanfo
11
52. 20-21, Vtfnu 1.10. 14-17. According to Liga ( 11. 12. 33) agni is the
creative force that permeates the Cosmic Egg and effects the work of crea-
tion.
There are fotynine agnis (I I . 12. 35) whi ch are the different forms
of Rudra ( 1. 6 . 4) , while according to Harivamia they are the attendants
of Rudra ( 2. 122. 17-40) . Though there is a general agreement in the
Purnas in regard to the number of agnis there is a wide disagreement
about their names.
people, Svh bore three sons, for the welfare of the three
worlds.
Glory of iva 21
Sat, the (adopted) child of Daksa, the future daughter of
Hi mavat , marri ed Rudr a.
11. Later, she cursed her father Daksa [and i mmol ated her-
self] Rudr a who thought on her created many Rudras.
12. He created them in the form of his own person and
they were honoured by all the worlds. O leading sages, it was at
the behest of Brahma t hat lord Rudr a created them. The
lord had l aughed and they were created immediately.
13-16. The fourteen worlds* * were completely covered by
them. They were of different sort, devoid of impurities, death-
less and ageless. On seeing these Rudras in front Brahma spoke
to t hem :
"O Rudras, obeisance to you. O three-eyed gods, you are
omniscient, omnipresent and splendid. Some of you are long,
some short and dwarfish. Your hai r are golden. You dazzle
our eyes by your splendour. You are eternal , enlightened, devoid
of i mpuri ti es and dvandvas. You are passionless sons of Rudr a.
You are the universal souls. Thus, after eulogising Rudras,
lord Brahma ci rcumambul ated them and spoke to Rudr a.
17. "O lord, obeisance be to you; O great Rudr a, it does
not behove you to create subjects devoid of deat h. O lord, you
should create mort al subj ects."
18. Then the great lord Rudr a replied thus, " My position
is not of such a nat ure. O Brahma, you should create such sub-
j ects endowed wi th deat h. "
19. Thus, at the will of Rudr a, the four-faced Brahma
created the Universe, of the mobile and i mmobi l e beings, en-
dowed wi th deat h and old age.
20-24. Thus, as Rudr a desisted from creating mortal sub-
j ects he obtai ned the title ' sthnu' . O Brahmins, Rudr a alone is
capabl e of t hat . He is the supreme and unsullied soul who can
assume physical bodies when he wills. The lord bestows happi -
ness on all living beings mercifully and wi thout strain. He has,
therefore, acqui red the title akara. He is the all-pervading
30. The universe is comprised of fourteen worlds, seven rising above
the earth and seven lying below. The seven upper regions are (i) bhr,
(ii) bhuvah, (iii) svar, (iv) mahar, (v) janah (vi) tapas, (vii) satyam
and the seven lower are (i) aula,, (ii) vitala, (iii) sutala, (iv) rastala,
(v) tala, (vi) taltala, (vii) pt&la.
22
Ligapurna
soul who bestows blessings upon the person who out of the fear
of worldly existence has resorted to yoga whereby he has become
detached eschewing worldly activities and pleasures. [ It is en-
j oi ned t hat ] det achment can be produced by perfect knowledge
as well. The indiscriminate eschewal of this knowledge is mea-
ningless and is contrary to the purpose. It is t hrough his grace
t hat the confluence of knowledge and det achment takes place.
25-26. Vi rtue, knowledge, det achment and prosperity are
the result of his blessing. By taking recourse to hi m one can be
easily liberated. Even if he is engrossed in sin he does not fall
i nto hell.
27-31. Hence, by resorting to hi m, peopl e can at t ai n
eternal release from worldly existence.
The Sages said :
Ther e are twenty-eight crores of hells from ghora to my
where the sinners are tortured, if they do not seek refuge in Hi m.
He is the support of all living beings. He is unchangi ng. He is
the lord of the worlds. He is Purusa, the great At man. He is
often invoked and often eulogised. He is named Kl a Rudr a
when he assumes t amoguna, and Br ahma when he assumes
raj oguna and Vi snu when he assumes sattvaguna. W hen devoid
of attributes he is called Mahevara. O intelligent Sta, now
tell us, by doing what or by neglecting what do men go to hell.
We are eager to hear it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The esoteric secret of iva
SSta said :
1. I shall recount to you, at the outset, the esoteric secret,
in brief, of the all-knowing iva of unmeasured splendour.
2-3. The yogins who are conversant with the tenets, who
have adopted great detachment, who are constantly associated
Esoteric secret of iva 23
wi th the ei ght
3 1
means of Yoga, such as the control of breath and
who are endowed with the attri butes of mercy
8
* etc. , go either
to hell or to heaven according to their deeds.
4. By virtue of his grace, knowledge arises and yoga func-
tions through knowledge. By di nt of yoga, liberation is effected,
and everythi ng is achieved through his grace.
The sages said :
5. O best ofyogins, if perfect knowledge comes through
grace, you shall tell us about the form and feature as well as the
divine yoga of lord iva (through which that grace is at t ai ned) .
6. How does the lord devoid of anxiety bestow his grace on
men by means of the yogic pat h and at what time.
Sta said :
7. May you all hear what had been formerly menti oned
by Nandi n to Sanat kumra, the son of Brahma, in the pre-
sence of devas, sages and pitrs.
8. O sages of good holy rites, listen to the i ncarnati ons of
Vysas, at the end of Dvpar a and the i ncarnati ons of lord
iva as Yogcryas in the kali age.
9. In different areas, the four disciples of the lord, fully
endowed wi th ment al control spread the doctrines of iva.
Ther e grew up many disciples of disciples and the lord was
pleased at this.
10. The perfect knowledge of the lord had been tradition-
ally and gradual l y transmitted orally to men of the first three
castes from brahmi ns to vaisyas in the manner befitting them.
It was done so out of mercy.
The sages said :
11. It behoves you to tell us who those Vysas were who
31. The eight ancillaries of yoga constitute (1) yama, (2) niyama,
(3) sana, (4) prnyma, (5) pratyhra, (6) dhran, (7) dhyna,
(8) sam&dbi. Gf P. VSyaviya samhit, ch. 37.
32. For the eight virtues of the soul, compare Agnipmno as quoted
in ST. %m wn*$*rr ^ 3prrirRfiir H ^ S R I 3nmwm<r| sfa
24
Ligapurna
i ncarnated duri ng every Dvpar a age and furthermore, i n whi ch
manvant ar a and kal pa they i ncarnated.
Sta said :
12-13. O brahmi ns, may you be pleased to listen. I shall
dul y recount the Vysas in the Vr ha kal pa of the Vai vasvata
manvant ar a whi ch is still current. I shall recount the Rudr as in
all the manvant aras. They had been the guides and instructors
of perfect knowledge of the Vedas and Purnas in all the circles
of yugas.
14-18. O brahmi ns, these are the Vysas: (1) Kr a t u , " (2)
Satya, (3) Bhrgava, ( 4) Agi ras, (5) Savi t r, (6) Mr t yu, (7)
at akrat u, ( 8) Vasi stha, (9) Srasvata, (10) Tr i dhman, (11)
Tri vrta, (12) atatej as, (13) Dhar ma who is known as Nr-
yana, ( 14) Taraksu, (15) Aruni , (16) Kr t aj aya, (17) Rt a-
j aya, (18) Bharadvj a, (19) Gaut ama, (20) Vcaravas, (21)
Susmyani , (22) uci, (23) Trnavi ndu, (24) Ruksa, ( 25)
akti, (26) Parara the son of akti, (27) J t ukarnya, (28)
Kr s na Dvai pyana who was Visnu himself.
Now listen to the yogevaras in due order in the Kal i age.
19-20. They are i nnumerabl e in the various kalpas and the
manvant aras. Since the i ncarnati ons of Rudras and Vysas in the
Kal i age are too many, I shall recount the incarnations in the
Vai vasvata manvant ar a, i n the Vr ha kal pa and i n all the
other manvant aras falling therein.
The sages said :
21. O St a, it behoves you now to recount the manvan-
taras in the Vr ha kal pa and in all the later kalpas as also
recount the Siddhas i n the Vai vasvata manvant ar a.
Sta said
22-28. The first Manu was (1) Svyambhuva son of
Brahma. Then, O brahmi ns, was the Manu (2) Svrocisa. The
subsequent Manus were: (3) Ut t ama, (4) Tmasa, (5) Rai vata,
( 6) Cksusa, (7) Vaivasvata, (8) Svarni, (9) Dhar ma, (10)
Svarnika, (11) Piaga, (12) Api agbha, (13) abala, and
33. identical with 'Prabhn'. Cf. ST- 3R^<r Tiffin S^f t t gW: I
'e stent of iva
25
(14) Var naka. The Manus are also designated accordi ng t o t he
vowels begi nni ng wi th ' a' and endi ng with * au\ O excellent
brahmi ns, they are also classified accordi ng to thei r colours as
(1) bveta ( whi t e) , ( 2) pndu ( gr ey) , (3) rakt a ( r eddi sh) , (4)
t mr a (copper-hued), (5) p t a (yel l ow), (6) kapi l a ( t awny) ,
(7) krj na ( bl ack) , ( 8) y ma ( dar k) , (9) dhmr a (light-smoke-
col oured), (10) sudhmr a (deep smoke-col oured), (11) api-
aga (non-tawny) (12) pLaga ( t awny) , (13) tri varna abal a
(three-col oured) and (14) kl andhur a (extreme bl ack). Thus
all t he holy Manus have been ment i oned by ( 1 ) name, (2)
letters, and ( 3) col our. Those identical wi th the vowels are, i n
brief, ment i oned as the leaders of the manvant ar as. Among
them, t he seventh Ma nu is Vaivasvata represented by the vowel
' r' and colour black. Thi s seventh Manu is also a l eader among
devas. I shall ment i on the yogins in this repeated cycle of yugas
in the kalpas t hat have passed by and those t hat are yet to come.
29-35. The current kal pa in the seventh manvant ara is
known as Vr ha. Now listen to the yogic incarnations of the
lord and their line of disciples in due order, in all the kal pas
and manvant aras. In the f i rst Kal i of Svyambhuva Ma nu they
were (1) veta, ( 2) Sutra, (3) Madana, (4) Suhotra, (5)
Kakana, (6) Logksi, (7) J aigsavya, (8) Dadhi vhana, (9)
Rsabha, (10) Ugra, (11) Atri, (12) Subl aka, (13) Gaut ama,
(14) Vedarsa. (15) Gokarna, (16) Guhvsi n, (17) ikhanda-
bhrt, (18) J at ml i n, (19) Atfahsa, (20) Druka, (21) Lgul i .
(22) Mahkvya, (23) Slin, (24) Dandi n, (25) Mundl vara,
(26) Sahi snu, (27) Somaarm, (28) Lakula. O men of holy
rites, the i ncarnati ons as Yogcryas of the lord in all the cycles
of four ages in the Vaivasvata manvant ar a have been recounted
(as twentyei ght).
36. O excellent sages, in every Dvpar a age, there are
Vysas in the same manner. The following are the recurri ng
disciples of these Yogevaras, each of whom had four disciples.
37-51. They ar e; ( 1) veta, (2J vetaikhandin ( 3) vet-
va, (4) vetalohita, (5) Dundubhi , (6) at arpa, (7) Rcika,
( 8) Ke t um n, (9) Vioka, (10) Vikeia, (11) Vi pa, (12)
P' an ana, (13) Sumukha, (14)Durmukha, (15) Dur dama, (16)
Durat i krama, (17) Sanaka, (18) Sananda, (19) Sant ana, (20)
Rbhu, (21) Sanat , (22) Sudman, (23) Virajas, (24) akhapda,
26 Ligapurna
(25) Vairajas, (26) Megha, (27) Srasvata, (28) Suvhana,
(29) Meghavha, (30) Kapi l a, (31) Asuri, (32) Paftcaikha,
(33) Vl kal a, (34) Parara, (35) Garga, (36) Bhrgava (37)
Agiraa, (38) Bal abandhu, (39) Ni rmi t ra, (40) Ket urga
(41) Lambodara, (42) Lamba, (43) Lambksa, (44)
Lambakeaka, (45) Sarvaj a, (46) Samabuddhi , (47) Sdhya,
(48) Sarva, (49) Sudhman, (50) Kyapa, (51) VasisUia,
(52) Virajas, (53) Atri, (54), Devasada, (55) ravana, (56)
ravisthaka, (57) Kuni , (58) Kuni bhu, (59) Kut ari ra,
(60) Kunet raka, (61) Kal yapa, ( 62) Ui anas , ( 63) Cyavana,
(64) Brhaspati, (65) Ut at hya, (66) Vmadeva, (67) Mah-
yoga, (68) Mahbal a, (69) Vcaravas, (70) Sudhka,
(71) yvva, (72) Yatvara, (73) Hi ranyanbha, (74)
Kaual ya, (75) Logksj, ( 76) , Kut humi , ( 77) Sumant u,
(78) Barbar, (79) Kabandha, (80) Kui kandhara, (81)
Plaksa, (82) Dl bhyyani , (83) Ket umn, (84) Gopana,
( 85) , Bhallvin, (86) Madhupi ga, (87) vetaketu, ( 88)
Taponi dhi , (89) IKi ka, (90) Brhadava, (91) Devala, (92)
Kavi , (93) l i hot ra, (94) Agnivea, (95) Yuvanva, (96)
aradvasu, (97) Ghagal a, (98) Kundakar na, (99) Kumbha,
(100) Pravhaka, (101), Ul uka, (102) Vi dyuta, (103)
Mandka, (104) Avalyana, (105) Aksapda, (106)
Kumr a, (107) Ul ka, (108) Vatsa, (109) Kui ka, (110)
Garbha, (111) Mi t ra, (112) Kaurusya. These noble souls are
the disciples of the yogins in all cycles of four yugas.
52-55. They are all devoid of impurities, almost identical
with Brahman, and engaged in the pat h of knowledge. They are
devotees of Paupat i , great Siddhas and have ashes smeared on
their bodies. Ther e are hundreds and thousands of disciples
and their disciples. They attai n the Pupat a yoga and Rudra' s
world. All beings from Devas to Picas are said to be Paus.
Since Lord Rudr a is their overlord he is called Paupat i . O
Brahmi ns, the yoga evolved by Rudr a, the overlord of the
Paus is known as P upat a yoga, whi ch leads all persons to
their blissful prosperity.
27
CHAPTER EIGHT
Togic zones
Sta said:
1. I shall succinctly menti on the yogic zones now. They
have been established by iva himself, O brahmi ns, for the
welfare of men.
2. The portion covered by a vitasti beneath the t hroat and
above the umbilicus is the excellent zone of yoga; so also the
curl ing lock of hai r below the umbilicus and mi ddl e portion
between the eye-brows.
3. The knowledge of all topics that arises in the soul is
called yoga.
3 4
The concentration of the mi nd is possible only
through his grace.
4. O excellent brahmi ns, the form of his grace can be
realized by the i ndi vi dual al one. It cannot be imported by
Brahma or any other. It arises itself in the individual gradually.
5. Yoga indicates the region where the Supreme Lord
dwells.
35
F or the at t ai nment of t hat region, knowledge is the
cause, and this knowledge comes t hrough his grace alone.
6. One should abstain from sensual activities and bur n
sins by means of perfect knowledge. The achi evement of yoga
shall be possible only to one who has restrained t he activities of
his sense-organs.
7. O excellent brahmi ns, yoga is restrai ni ng the function-
ing of the mi nd.
3 4
Eight means have been menti oned for the
achievement of yoga.
8-9. They a r e ( l ) yama (rest rai nt ), ( 2) ni yama (obser-
vances), (3) sana (a parti cul ar post ure), (4) prnyma
(restraint of breath) (5) prat yhra ( wi thdrawal of the senses),
( 6 ) dhr an ( r et ent i on) , ( 7) dhyna ( medi t at i on) and (8)
samdhi (ecstatic t r ance) .
10-11. Abstention by way of austerity is called restraint
( yama) ; O foremost among those who have restraint, the first
34. Yoga is defined as the achievement of knowledge of all objects
by the personal soul (jva).
35. K. reads fa^ for P*I' I
36. Cf. Plajala Togastra j f l l f i Wr f s l r i f a I 1. 1.
28 Ligapurna
contri butory cause of restraint is non-violence (ahi ms), truth-
fulness, non-stealing, celibacy and non-acceptance of gifts are
the other causes The root of ni yama (observances of vows ) is
undoubtedl y yama al one.
12. Considering all living beings as one' s own self and
working for the welfare of all living beings is called non-viol-
ence. It helps in achieving the knowledge of self.
13. Retelling precisely what has been seen, heard, inferred
or experienced is called truthfulness (satya). It is devoid of in-
j ury or infliction of pai n on others.
14. The Vedas declare. " One should not utter what is
obscene in the presence of the br ahmi ns " . " Even after knowing
the defects of others one should not procl ai m t hem to ot her s "
this is anot her passage in the ruti.
15. Not stealing the possessions of others purposefully, even
in emergency, mental l y, physically and verbally is non-stealing
in brief.
16. Not i ndul gi ng is sexual intercouse,*
7
mental l y, verbally
or physically is the vow of celibacy, wi th reference to the asce-
tics and the religious students.
17. This holds good in regard to- the anchorites, forest-
dwellers and widowers. I shall now tell you about the vow
of celibacy of the householders who live with their wives.
18. In their case, as prescribed, indulgence in sexual inter-
course wi th their own wives and abstention from it wi th other
women mentally, physically and verbally should be understood
as brahmacarya.
19. The householder shall take abl uti on after indulging in
sexual intercourse wi th his own wife. If he is in yogic commu-
nion with his self he is undoubtedl y a celibate.
20. In the case of non-violence (ahi ms) too, the same
rule is appl i cabl e. Violence sanctioned by ruti , in regard to
the brhmanas, preceptors and sacrifice comes under ahims.
21. W omen are always to be avoided. One should stay
37. F or eight kinds of maithuna, cf. ST. **K| ^ffc'T
SW'Ptf T
f
t f^T: II f^I^l cT *fjr^5Kr^erT*H?.5r*T*T
4
II Brahmacarya
(celibacy) is defined as the reverse of mai thuna (sexual i ndul gence) and
it i mparts vigour and force : Gf. Togastra f ^ r ?
u
f t f 46141 4\W%'. t
Togic Z
one
29
far off from t hem. A shrewd person views t hem as he views
the corpses.
22. He should have the same at t i t ude i n the sexual inter-
course wi t h his own wife, as when discharging t he faeces and
uri ne on the ground. Ther e should be no at t i t ude ot her t han
this.
23. W oman is like a bur ni ng coal ; ma n is like a vessel of
ghee. He should always avoi d contact wi th women therefore.
24. If we ponder over this, we shall know t hat there i s no
satiety i n sexual pleasures. Hence, one should practise det ached
at t i t ude mental l y, physically and verbal l y.
25. Lust is never suppressed by i ndul gi ng in sexual plea-
sures. J us t as fire burns vigorously if ghee is poured in, so also
lust is increased by means of i ndul gence.
3
*
26. Hence t he yogin should always practise renunci at i on
for achi evi ng i mmortal i ty, since he who is not det ached is bor n
and re-born in different wombs.
27. The Vedas
3
* decl are t hat i t i s only t hrough renunci ati on
that i mmort al i t y is at t ai ned. O brahmi ns, the most excellent
among the knowers of rut i and Smrti , it is not possible
t hrough rites, t hrough progeny or t hrough offerings of material s
of worshi p.
28. Hence one should practise det achment , mental l y, ver-
bally and physically. Abstention from sexual intercourse, except
duri ng the prescribed period, after menstruati on is stated as
celibacy in the case of householders.
29-31. Thus the restraints (yamas) are succinctly men-
tioned. I shall now tell you the observances (ni yamas). They
are ten in number : ( 1) cleanliness (auca), (2) sacrifice (ij y),
(3) penance ( t apas ) , (4) chari tabl e gift ( dna) , (5) study
of the Vedas (svdhyya) (6) restraint on t he organs of gener-
at i on ( upas t hani gr aha) , (7) holy rites ( vr at a) , ( 8) fast
( upavs a) , silence ( ma una ) , and holy bat h ( s nna) . Accor-
di ng to some, observances ( ni yama) mean (1) absence of
craving ( an h) , (2) cleanliness ( auca), ( 3) satisfaction
(tusti), (4) penance (t apas), (5) mut t eri ng of Siva's mant r a
38. PacadaSi. 7. 47.
39. Na karraana na prajay dhanena, TA. 10. 10. 3; Mahin. U. 10.5
30
Ligapurna
( j apa) , (6) medi t at i on on iva and (7) postures such as pad-
maka. Of these cleanliness is twofold : (1) external and (2)
i nt ernal . Of the two the i nternal i s superior to t he external .
32-35. One who has external cleanliness shoul d practise
i nternal cleanliness too. The holy bat h should be conducted i n
accordance with t he inj unctions. It is threefold : (1) gneya
(fiery), ( 2 ) Vr una (wat ery) "and (3) Brahma (consisting of
Brahman) . It is only after he has practised the external bat h
t hat he should practise the i nternal . If he is devoid of internal
purity, he is still di rty even if he applies clay over his body
and plunges i nto the waters of the t rthas. O excellent brah-
mins, the moss, the fi shes, the sharks and the ani mal s t hat prey
upon fi shes remai n ever i n water. But are they pur e? Int ernal
cleanliness should always be pursued in accordance wi th the in-
j uncti ons.
36. Int ernal cleanliness is ment i oned as follows. One
should appl y the holy ashes of det achment wi t h a feeling of
devotion. One should take a holy di p i nt o the waters of know-
ledge of the soul. Thi s is how one can at t ai n purification.
37-39. Siddhis are accompl i shed only in a pur e and not in
an i mpure person. A person of holy rites who is satisfied with the
sustenance he gets by justifiable means has the characteristics
of satiety ( t uj t i ) . He is not worried about his needs. Austerity
is the ri ght observance of the holy rites Cndryana, etc.
Svdhyya is the threefold repeti ti on of Omkr a mant ra,
i.e. ( 1) Vci kaoral ut t erance which is the basest of the t hree;
(2) Upriruslow mut t eri ng whi ch is better t han Vci ka;
( 3) Mnas awhen the sound does not come out of the t hroat
whi ch is the best of all. This is stated in detail in the ritualistic
text on the fi ve-syl l abl ed mant r a.
40-43. i va-prani dhna (contempl ation of iva) mentally,
physically and verbally, unflinching devotion to the preceptor,
wi thdrawal of the organs of sense from the objects of worldly
pleasuresthis in brief is called pr at yhr a (wi t hdrawal ).
Dhr an (ret ent i on) is t he fixation of the mi nd in the proper
pl ace. Dhyna (medi t at i on) comes t hrough the normalcy of
Dhr an ( r et ent i on) . If it is coupled with thought, it i ssamdhi
(ecstatic t rance). In samdhi there is concentrati on of the
Togie Zones 31
mi nd and medi t at i on; herein t he percepti on of object is entirely
excl uded.
44. In samdhi
4 0
t he supreme consciousness al one shines, as
t hough it were devoid of physical body. Pr nyma (control of
breat h) is the root of dhyna, samdhi , etc.
45. The wind wi thi n t he body i s prna. It s restrai nt i s yama.
As stated by the brahmi ns it is threefold: ( 1) slow ( ma nda ) , (2)
mi ddl i ng (madhya) and (3) ut t ama (superi or).
46. The restrai nt of the prna and apna i s called prn-
yma. The magni t ude of the restraint of br eat h is stated to be
twelve moment s.
47-50. The slow ( ma nda )
4 1
consists of twelve moment s
which form one stroke or blow ( udght a) . The mi ddl i ng con-
sists of two strokes. The superior has three strokes, i.e. thi rty
moments. The t hree respectively generate sweating, shivering
and rising up. W hen the following symptoms are seen the prn-
yma
4 2
is excellent, for it denotes the onset of bliss. The symp-
toms ar e: reeling due to drowsiness, horripil ation, sensation of
heari ng some sound, pressing of one' s own limbs, shivering,
40. Samdhi ii a fixation of the mind on the personal soul (jiva),
and further, of the personal soul on the supreme soul, so as to identify the
contemplator with the object meditated upon. This is the eighth and last
stage of yoga. Gf. Hafhayogapradipiki:
"c wt e ^ spnfa: *tsfVpfrq% 11
With Buddhists it is the fourth and last stage of dhyna.
41. The time of mtr is that of a winking and opening the eye-lids
once, or that of a prosodial instant. The udghta prnyima extend*
during twelve mtrs or twelye prosodial instants. It is defined in the
Mrkandeya thus :
MITM'IMtT ^TWPT: Sfflt a' WWI^V: II
P. defines mtr as a unit of time required for the snapping of the
fingers after moving them round the knees neither speedily nor slowly.
(VSyaviya 37. 31) .
42. For the kinds and characteristics of Kumbhaka prnyima., see
Hafhayogapradpiki.
32 Ligapurna
vertigo born of sweating, fixation, absence of knowledge and
unconsciousness.
51-54. Pr nyma is of two types: s agar bhaand agarbha.
4 3
If it is pursued wi th j apa, it is sagarbha; if wi t hout j apa, it is
agarbha. It is like an el ephant, or an eight-footed ani mal arabha
or a formidable lion. W hen caught and t amed properl y it becomes
submissive. Similarly, for t he yogins, the wi nd which is by nat ure
unstable and uncontrol l abl e becomes normal and subservient by
proper practi ce. J us t as the lion or the el ephant or the arabha,
though ferocious, is t amed after a while wi th a proper trai ni ng,
so also the wi nd attai ns normal cy and equani mi ty due to con-
stant acquai nt ance and pract i ce.
55-57. He who practises yoga never suffers calamity. W hen
the pr na is properl y trai ned it turns the defects of the mi nd,
speech or body, preserving the body of the practiser. Thus, if
the devotee perfects himself by taking recourse to the pr nyma
his defects peri sh; the very breath is conquered by hi m, and the
divine quiescence etc. are achieved.
58-62. The attri butes of t he pr nyma are four, viz, nti ,
pra.' nti, dpti and prasda. They are explained in or der : O
brahmi ns, the first of these four is -.lnti. It means the suppres-
sion of sins congenital or adventitious. Pr ai nt i is a perfect
restraint in speech.
4 4
All round, all time brilliance, O brahmi ns,
is called d pti . Prasda is the clarity of the mi nd which is of four
types. It is the clarity of the sense-organs, of the intellect and the
organic winds. The organic wi ndsprna, apna, samna, udna
and vyna have their functional names : Nga, Kxma, Krkal a,
Devadat t a and Dhanaj aya respectively. The clarity of these
winds is called prasda.
43. According to ST. sagarbha is a variety of Kumbhaka that includes
praka (inhaling) and recaka (exhaling) varieties of prnyma.
^PT: ^p?P^r^rfli?r %^5T: I SP. defines agarbha as the kind of
Prnyma wherein the breath is restrained without meditation and japa,
and sagarbha as that wherein meditation and japa are allowed. (Vyaviya
37- 33. 34)-
44. Praintib.restrained or restricted speech. ST. quotes from
the Mahbhrata :
T*f ^ 5 ^ 1 ffrrtfta fspr crfcx o* n^r 11
Yogic Zones
33
63-67. The wind which traverses through t he body is called
pr na; t hat which brings down food and dri nk is called apna;
that whi ch enables the limbs of the body to bend is called vyna
whi ch incites the ailments t oo; that whi ch excites and afflicts
the vul nerabl e points (in the body) is called udna. That which
normalizes the functions of the organs is called samna. Thus
the first set of five wi nds has been explained to you. The wi nd
Nga functions in t he act of bel chi ng; the Kr ma in the openi ng
of eyes; Krkal a in sneezing; Devadat t a in yawni ng and Dhanaft-
j aya in maki ng a loud report. It is present even in t he dead
body. By restrai ni ng these winds, one can at t ai n prasda. O
brahmi ns, in the fourfold set of attri butes, prasda figures as
t he fourth.
68-69. O brahmi ns, the intellect has these synonymsviz.,
visvara, mahat , praj , manas, br ahm, citi, smrti, khyti,
samvit, Ivara and mat i . It i s t hrough pr nyma t hat t he
cl ari ty of i ntel l ect is achi eved.
70-74. O excellent sages, Visvara is so called because it com-
promises between two conflicting opposites. Since it is the first
and the greatest of all the tattvas arising out of Prakrt i it is
called mahat . It is called pr aj because it is t he repository of
all means of knowl edge. It is manas because it thinks. It is
Brahm because it is big and swells up. O most excellent
among the knowers of Brahman, it is called citi because it
gathers together all activities for the sake of enj oyment. It is
called smrti because it enables one to remember things. Since
it obtains everythi ng it is called Samvit. Because it is known
everywhere by means of knowledge it is called khyt i .
4 5
It is
called vara because it is the overlord of all elements and
comprehends everything. O sages, most excellent among the
intelligent, it is called Mat i because it is the i nst rument of
t hought subjectively and objectively. It is called Buddhi
because it enlightens things and is itself the i nst rument of
enl i ghtenment.
75. The perspicuity of this Buddhi is achi eved t hrough
45. khytia category of intellect (MP. 3. 17) . It is so called be-
cause it is the source of the perceived creation or the cosmos which becomes
visible or the object of perception by the mind and the senses.
34 Ligapurna
Prnyrr a. By restrai ni ng himself one shall bur n all defects
by taki ng recourse to pr nyma.
76. By means of pr at yhr a (wi thdrawal of sense-organs)
and Dhrans (retentions) one shall destroy sins. By medi -
tati ng on t he mundane objects as if they were poisonous one
destroys all ungodly qualities.
77. O excellent ascetics, one should increase the power of
intellect by means of samdhi . The eight ancillaries of yoga
should be practised only after securing the proper pl ace for
yogic practi ce.
78. The knower of the At man shall then dul y secure
Asanas (correct postures) for achieving yogic results. If the
place and time are not suitable he cannot have even a glimpse
of yoga.
79-86. The yogic exercises should not be practised in the
the following places or ci rcumstancesnear the fire, within
water, on a heap of dry leaves, in a pl ace infested wi th crea-
tures, in the cremat i on ground, in a di l api dated cowpen, in
the four crossroads, in a place full of noises, in a place
generati ng fear, in a monastery, or the anthill, in an in-
auspicious place, in a place i nhabi ted by wicked men and in
a place infested wi t h mosquitoes. One should not practise
yogic exercises when there is some ai l ment in the body or
when the mi nd is in dejection.
The devotee shall delightedly practi se the ancillaries of
yoga in the following places. It should be a well protected
place, auspicious and pleasing; or a cave in a mount ai n or
shrine of tva, or a well-guarded park or a forestj or a corner
in one' s own house devoid of people and animals. It should
be scrupulously clean, well scrubbed, smeared wi th cowdung
and rendered beautiful in diverse ways. It shall be spotlessly
clean like the surface of a mi rror. It shall be fumigated with
black agal l ocum. Different kinds of flowers should be strewn
all round. A canopy should adorn the whole place. It should
be endowed with roots, fruits, tender sprouts, ku:'a grass and
variegated flowers. The practi ti oner of yoga should sit in a
bal anced posture. He should practise the ancillaries of the yogic
exercises wi th delight i n his mi nd. He should pay reverence to
t he precept or Lord iva, Goddess Um, Vi nyaka, the leading
Yogic Z
onts
35
yogins and their disciples. He should practise t he posture of
svastika
4
* padma
4 1
or ar dhsana.
4 8
87-90. He should sit wi t h the knees on a level or kneel on
one of the knees. W hat ever the posture may be he shall sit
steadily wi thdrawi ng his feet. He shall keep his mout h shut,
eyes closed, chest proj ected in front. W i t h his heels he should
cover the testicles and t he penis. W i t h his head somewhat
lifted up and the rows of teeth not touchi ng each other, he
should observe the tip of his nose. He shall not look at the quar-
ters. He shall cover up his t amas by means of rajas and the
rajas by means of sattva. Then stati oni ng himself in t he
sattva he shall practise medi t at i on of iva.
91. W i t h great concent rat i on, he shall medi t at e i n the
peri carp of t he lotus, on the Supreme Being whi ch is symbo-
lised by Orhkra and is as pur e as the candl e flame.
92-95. He should medi t at e within three agulas below t he
umbi l i cus, on the excellent lotus havi ng (at its cent re) an
octagon, a pent agon or a triangl e. He should also medi t at e on
the fi re, moon and sun together with their consorts;or the order
may be : fi rst t he sun, t hen the moon, and then t he fi re. Or
the order may be fi rst the fi re, then the sun and then the
moon as prescribed i n t he stras. He should conceive the
four
4 9
ai msVi rt ue etc. beneath the fi re and ponder over
46. svastikaa posture of sitting practised by a yogin in which the
toes are placed in the inner hollow of the knees. P. lists eight types of the
yogic pose : (1 )svastika, (ii) padma, (iii) ardhendu (iv) vira, (v) yoga,
(vi) prasdhita, (vii) paryaka, (viii) yat hejw.
47. padmsanaa particular posture of the body in religious medi-
tation. Cf.
ST. quotes from HTP. pp. 25-26 :
T^TRTT T"rf< W4*a l(V?Tl I^MH 11
48. Construe 'ardhsanam' with 'padmam' i.e. the lotus half seat.
It is also called siddhsana.
49. This group of four consists of (i) dharma, (ii) j&na, (iii) vairagya
and (iv) aivarya.
36
Ligapurna
the three gunas over the zone. He should then think of Rudr a
stationed i n sattva and adorned by Um .
96. He should perform the rite of medi tati on in the umbi -
licus or the throat, or the mi ddl e of the eye-brows or on the
forehead or on the crest of the head in accordance wi th the
inj unctions.
97. He should medi t at e on iva (sitting in the lotus wi th
two, sixteen, twelve, ten, six or four petals in due or der ) .
98-100. He should medi t at e on Hi m in a spot as lustrous as
gold or as splendid as burni ng coal or very white or as reful-
gent as twelve suns or as brilliant as the disc of the moon or
as flashing as millions of lightning streaks or as lustrous as fire
or as glittering as a circle of lightning or as refulgent as a crore
of di amond pieces or as bril l iant as a ruby. He should practise
medi tati on on the image of blue and red coloured lord (i va).
101. He shall medi t at e on Mahevara i n the heart ; on
Sadi va in the lotus-like umbilicus ; on Candr acuda on the
forehead and on akara in the mi ddl e of eyebrows.
102-108. He shall medi t at e on iva on his forehead; on
Mahdeva ( t he great lord) in his lotus-like heart and in the
mi nd. The great lord is of the following description : He is
devoid of impurities. He is unsullied. He is the quiescent
Br ahman in the form of knowledge. He has no specific charac-
teristics. He cannot be parti cul arl y pointed out . He i s mi nut er
t han t he at om. He i s splendid and supportless. He cannot be
reflected upon. He is devoid of deat h and bi rth. He is liberation
itself. He is ambrosial, imperishable and unborn. He is mira-
culous, the greatest and the largest bliss. He is devoid of
defects and qualities. He is subtler t han the subtlest, auspicious,
self-cognizable, incomprehensibl e. He is the greatest lord
identical wi th perfect knowledge. He is beyond the scope of
sense-organs. He has no semblance. He is the greatest prin-
ciple, greater t han the greatest, devoid of condi ti oni ng
adj uncts, comprehensi bl e through medi tati on, non-dualistic,
beyond all darkness and the greatest Being. The devotee should
medi t at e in the umbilicus on Sadiva, the lord identical wi th
devas.
109-111. He shall medi t at e on lord iva identical with
Obstacles and Portents
37
pur e knowledge, i n the mi ddl e of t he body t hrough s us umn'
0
pass or t hrough the Kumbhaka. He shall then perform thi rty
two recakas (respirations) concentrati ng on t he heart and
umbi l i cus. O excellent brahmi ns, then eschewing Recaka and
Pr aka
6 1
respirations and taking recourse only to Kumbhaka
he shall medi t at e on iva in the mi ddl e of the body wi th
nor mal el egance.
112.-116. After identifying with the lord he will compre-
hend the bliss of Br ahman emerging from elegance and the
state of perfect equani mi ty.
Twel ve prnymas make one dhr an; twelve dhr ans make
one medi t at i on and twelve medi tati ons make one Samdhi .
O brahmi ns, one may at t ai n yogic realization by contact wi th
wise men or by his own efforts, gradual l y. Of course, even as
he practises yoga, there may be obstacles in this pat h. But
they perish t hrough constant practi ce by the di recti on of the
preceptor.
CHAPTER NI NE
Obstacles and Portents
Sta said :
1-3. Obstacl es to yogic practi ce take shape in ten different
ways. They are (1) lethargy, (2) ail ment, (3) negligence,
( 4) doubt , (5) unsteady mi nd, (6) lack of faith, (7) illusion,
(8) misery, ( 9) dej ection and (10) i ndul gence in sensual
50. ^?rqHT<rpt: =W
K
TRT^t ^' f t TP: I Gf. ivagt as quoted in
sr. : 3p?jvrs#rr TTST $tq-q^jr*t&u \ *r<sp%fasrTTfos*T mi
falJ-Wl^' ll It is a vein of the body lying between those cal l ed id and
pigal and supposed to be one of the passages for the breath or spirit.
51, recakam prakam tyaktv. Kumbhaka alone is recommended
for the attainment of spiritual goal; recaka and praka are excluded. Cf.
Halhayogapradxpiki p. 70
38 Ligapuratut
pleasures. Of these lethargy means abstenti on from work due
to the bulkiness of the body and mi nd.
4. Ailments ori gi nate from the i mbal ance of the consti-
t uent elements. They are the out come of the defective previous
schemes as well as of bad habits. Negligence constitutes
omission to secure the means of yoga.
5-6. Doubt is a doubl e per cept i on" t hi s or t hat " . Un-
steadiness i s the instability to stabilize the mi nd. The mi nd
remai ns unsteady due. to its engrossment in mundane affairs
even when the ground is achieved. Lack of faith is the un-
emoti onal at t i t ude towards the means of yoga.
7-9. Illusion is mi sconcepti on of the mi nd as regardTone' iT
ai m, the preceptor, ri ght knowledge, good conduct and l ord iva
as also in the apprehensi on of self in non-self even when it
is nearby. Misery is threefold : spi ri tual ,
6 2
mat er i al
5 3
and
di vi ne
5 4
. Ther e is also a nat ural misery due to the agi tati on of
the mi nd t hrough the frustration of desires.
10-12. W hen the mi nd is affected by tamas or rajas it is
afflicted. The state of the mi nd at t hat time is called dejection.
Dej ection should be eschewed by strict det achment from the
materi al objects. W hen one can discriminate between what is
worthy and what is not worthy but still stubbornl y clings to
the unworthy, engrossed in diverse mundane affairs his mi nd
becomes fickle then. These are the i mpedi ments in the reali-
zation of yoga for a yogin.
13-15. To the devotee who practises yoga excessively en-
dowed with zeal the obstacles subside but other i mpedi ments
in the form of siddhis begin to appear.
5 3
The siddhis are six :
52. dhytmikathis misery proceeds from bodily and mental
causes within one's self. Cf. Vifnu 3rrSJrrf?T^t W %fWST: STrftTt
JTlHfl'WFR I quoted in ST.
53. dhibhautikathis misery is produced from external causes:
3P*RSRTFAR*D^ ST.
54. dhidaivUcathis misery proceeds from the influence of the at-
mosphere or planets, from divine or supernatural agencies: $[Yrj'!W|Tf<?>j|Wfj^
ST.
55. TJpasargaIt is an ailment in the soul of a yogi and, if unchecked,
it will hinder his progress in the path of self-realization. Liga records
sixtyfour upasargas.
Obstacles and Portents
39
(1) prat i bh, ( 2) ravan, (3) vrt, (4) daran, (5)
svda, and ( 6) vedan.
16. These siddhis if avoided initially when their pot-
ency is very little, lead to better results. Pr at i bh (keen intel-
lect ) is the disposition (of the mi nd) , resting on one' s power
of underst andi ng.
17-20. Buddhi (intellect) is the faculty of discrimination
by whi ch anythi ng knowable is known. If one has knowledge of
things subtle or hi dden far or near, past or future, at all times
and places, t hat knowledge is called pr at i bh. If the yogin is
abl e to grasp wi thout effort, the i mport of all words by merely
heari ng a concealed or indistinct syllable, whet her short, long
or prol ated t hat ability is called ravan. The percepti on of
t ouch wi thout act ual contact i s called Vedan (awareness).
The ability to see divine forms wi thout effort is called daran.
Asvda (appreciation) is the ability to taste divine delicacies
wi t hout strain.
21. Vr t is the intellectual percepti on of divine smells
and subtle el ements. O brahmi ns, t hrough yoga, the yogins
at t ai n the knowl edge of everything about the embodi ed beings.
22-25. In this worl d t here are sixty four qualities present
in the body. O brahmi ns, among these, the aupasargi ka quali-
ties shoul d be eschewed. In the region of piacas, O brahmi ns,
the qualities of eart h (shoul d be eschewed); in the region of
rksasas the qualities of wat er; in the region of Yaksa t he
qualities of fire; in the region of Gandharvas the qualities of
br eat h; in the region of I ndr a the qualities of et her; in the
region of Soma the qualities of the mi nd; in the region of
praj pat i the qualities of ego; in the region of br ahman the
qualities of intellect should be eschewed.
26-29. In the first region (earth) there are eight qualities;
in t he second (wat er) sixteen; in the third (fire) twenty four;
in the fourth (gandharva) twentytwo; in the fifth ( Indr a)
forty. Each of the five subtle elementssmell, taste, colour,
touch and sound is evolved eightfold. O excellent brahmi ns,
there are fortyeight qualities in the region of the moon, fifty-
six in the region of Praj pati , and sixtyfour in the region of
Br ahman. In all the regions ending wi th that of Brahman, t he
40 Ligapurna
yogin should discern obstacles through yoga and eschew t hem.
He can realize the supreme br ahman thus.
30-31. The yogic siddhi prt hi va(pert ai ni ng to the eart h)
is eight: (. ' ) bulkiness, (2) leanness, (3) infancy (4) youthful-
ness, ( 5) old age, (6) ability to assume different shapes, ( 7)
ability to hold body by means of (onl y) four elements wi t hout
the par t of the earth and (8) having perpet ual sweet scent.
32-35. The yogic siddhi pya (pert ai ni ng to the wat er) is
sixteen : (1) He can stay under water as long as he wills; (2)
he can come out of water whenever he wills; ( 3) he can dri nk up
even the ocean and be none t he worse for i t ; (4) he can let the
water spring up wherever he wills; ( 5) whatever he wishes to
eat he can transform it i nto tasty substance; (6) he can hold
body with only three elements, viz. fi re, air and et her; (7) He
can hold a mass of water by the bare hands wi thout any con-
tai ner; (8) he can have a body free from cuts and wounds.
These eight powers together wi th the eight qualities of the earth
constitute aivarya pertai ni ng to the water.
36-38. The yogic siddhi taijasa (pert ai ni ng to the fire) is
t went yf our: ( 1) ability to create fi re from t he body; (2)
absence of fear from being scorched by i t ; (3) ability to arrange
something unbur nt even when the whole world is bur nt ; (4)
ability to keep fire in t he water or (5) hold it in pal ms, ( 6)
ability to create fire by merely rememberi ng i t ; (7) ability to
re-create at will what is reduced to ashes; and (8) ability to
have the body wi th two el ementsai r and ether, to the exclu-
sion of the other three.
39-41. The yogic siddhis pertai ni ng to the ai r are : (1)
ability to move as fast as the mi nd; (2) ability to enter the
bodies of living beings; (3) ability to hold weighty things like
mountai ns on shoulders; ( 4) lightness, ( 5) weightiness, (6)
holding the ai r wi th pal ms; (7) ability to shake the earth with
the tip of the finger and (8) to create bodies with the air.
42-43. Ability (1) to have no shadow of oneself; (2) to
see the subtle elements; (3) to walk over the et her; (4) to have
the objects of desire at will; (5) to hear sound from a distance,
(6) to comprehend all types of sounds; (7) to have a body
composed only of subtle elements and (8) to see all living
Obstacles and Portents 41
bei ngthese are the powers pertai ni ng to Indr a who is so called
because he creates bodies by means of these, powers.
44-45. Ability (to acqui re whatever he desires), (2) to
wander wherever he pleases, ( 3) to overpower all, (4) to
perceive all secret things, (5) to create accordi ng to desire,
(6) to bri ng others under control , (7) to see things at will, (8)
to perceive the whole worl dthese are the powers pertai ni ng
to the mi nd in the region of the moon.
46-47. Ability to cut, (2) strike, (3) bind, ( 4) create
and (5) destroy, (6) bless, (7) conquer time and (8) de a t h
these are the qualities pertai ni ng to the ego in these regions of
Praj pat i .
48-49. The following powers pertai n to Br ahm( 1)
creation of the worl d by mere conception, (2) protecti on, (3 )
dissolution, (4) exercise of authori ty, (5) functioning the
world at will, (6) dissimilarity wi th all, (7) creating separately
all visible things and ( 8) the creatorshi p of the universe.
50. The power greater t han and beyond this i s the one
pertai ni ng to Visnu. It is the source of the power of Brahm.
It can be understood by Brahm alone and not by ot hers.
51. Ther e is another greater power pertai ni ng to iva. It
is not understood even by Visnu. W ho else can know lord
i vat he pure entity possessed of many qual i ti es.
5 4
52. In the course of practising yogic exercises
57
these impe-
diments in the form of at t ai nment s do often take place. The
i mpedi ments should be checked assiduously by complete
det achment .
53. Knowi ng that worldly pleasures are highly ruinous, the
detached yogin should eschew everything wi thout the least
sense of fear.
54. Absence of desire is, indeed, commendabl e. It is
through the absence of yearni ng for the at t ai nment of powers
56. It refers to the eternal transcendent spirit placed in the twenty-
seventh category beyond the influence of sattva, rajas and tamas, and re-
garded as higher than the highest. Gf. IT; ^FTfjRWt Fl W. 1TfTT?K:
5PT: I i . 71. 5'
o
57. oT^TT^SJ T^r^f f ^ 5T. The sixtyfour attainments (siddhayah)
are useful from the materialistic point of view but they are obstacles (upa-
sargas) to yoga.
42
Ligapuri.ia
and it is by compl ete det achment that the calamities can be
eschewed.
55. In all the worlds, upt o the worl d of Brahm, one should
avoid obstacles. Checking up all desires one should totally
abandon them. The great l ord i s delighted thereby.
56-61. W hen the lord is delighted l i berati on becomes easy
to attai n, by vi rtue of complete det achment . In some cases, a
sage (after getting Hi s grace) may roam about wi thout
eschewing the Siddhis for the sake of blessing others or for mere
sport. Then also he can be happy.
In some places leaving the Eart h he may sport in the sky
with spl endour; in some places he may utter the Vedas or their
subtle meanings succinctly; in some places he may compose
verses based on the meani ng of the vedic passage;, in some
places he may compose poems in the Dandaka or other meters
in thousand ways. He may obtai n knowledge of the cries of
beasts and birds. Everythi ng beginning wi th Brahm and
endi ng with the i mmobi l e beings may become perceptible to
hi m like myrobal an fruit in the pal m.
O excellent sages, of what avail is much talk ? Knowl edge in
many ways and forms will rise up wi thi n t hat sage of great
soul. It is only by practice t hat perfect knowledge becomes
pure and stable.
62. The knower of the yoga can perceive thousands of
images of devas and their splendid aerial chariots. Everything
can come within the range of his ken.
63. He can see Brahm, Visnu, I ndi a, Yama, Agni,
Var una and other deities. He can see thousands of planets, stars
and luminaries as well as their regions.
64-65. Ent eri ng the state of ecstatic trance he can see the
dwellers of net her regions. He can dispel darkness ( = igno-
rance) by the steady influx of his inmost spiritual lightglo%ving
with divine grace and characterized by goodnesswhich he can
see within himself.
66-67. No doubt need be entertai ned that by virtue of
His grace, one can at t ai n Dhar ma, riches, knowledge, detach-
ment and salvation. The details of his grace, one cannot
describe even in ten thousands of years. O leading sages, one
should steadily adhere to the yoga pertai ni ng to lord iva.
43
CHAPTER TEN
Means of Direct Perception
a said :
1-9. O great brahmi ns, lord iva becomes delighted with
all these persons : those who desire to be l i berated, who have
conquered self, the twice-born, the vi rtuous, who have at t ai ned
l i dhans , the noble-souled, kind and merciful, the ascetics,
who have renounced the world, who are det ached and endowed
with perfect knowledge, who have self-control, the three kinds
of donors, who have subdued senses, who speak t rut h, who are
liberal, endowed wi th yogic practi ce, conversant wi th rutis and
smrtis and who do not come into clash with the stric inj unc-
tions. The word ' sat
5
refers to the Brahman. Those who are
likely to at t ai n Br ahma in the end are called l i berated. They
who are nei ther angry nor delighted i n regard to the ten types
of sensuous obj ects
5 8
and eight types of me a ns
3 9
are called
self-conquerors. The brahmi ns, ksatriyas and vaiyas are called
twice-born because they have special consecratory rites. The
virtuous is the one who has acqui red the knowledge of dhar ma
explained in ruti and smrti which is proper for different castes
and stages of life and whi ch brings about happiness in heaven
and other worlds. One who acquires l earni ng by serving his
preceptor is a sdhu (among the religious st udent s). The house-
hol der is also a sdhu when he performs holy rites (ordai ned
for hi m) . The forest-dweller becomes a sdhu when he achieves
penances.
10. The striving ascetic is called a sdhu when he
achieves yogic power. Thus the persons who achieve Dhar ma
rel ating to ashramas or the various stages of life are called
sidhus.
11-13. The persons in the different stages of life ar c: the
religious student, the householder, the forest" dweller and the
ascetic. The two words Dhar ma and Adhar ma ment i oned here
j 8. datmake visayeobjects that can be accomplished through
iin organs of sense, i.e. iive organs of action and five organs of knowledge,
j g. Thi s group of eight is explained in the preceding chapter.
44
Ligapurna
denote activities. Auspicious activities constitute Dhar ma and
inauspicious activities Adharma. The word Dhar ma i s explained
as t hat whi ch is great in the task of Dhr ana (hol ding up, or
uplifting) and Adhar ma (its opposite) as not hol di ng up. In this
context Dhar ma is instructed by the preceptors as one that
takes to what is desired.
14-16. Adhar ma, as taught by the preceptors, is one that has
as its fruit what is not desired.
r
l hey call those persons Acryas
(preceptors) who are elderly, not greedy and self-possessed;
devoid of arrogance, well disciplined, and straight forward. He
who practises ( Dhar ma) himself who establishes others in
dhar ma and who gathers together the meani ngs of the scrip-
tural texts is called crya. W hat should be known or v/hat is
worthy of knowledge is rauta if it is heard and smrt a if it is
remembered.
17-21. A sacrifice when it pertai ns to Vedas is called rauta,
and when i t pertai ns to the varnramas i s called smrta. One
who has found t rut h and does not hi de it when asked for, is called
an crya. Tr ut h, as defined in this purna, is the statement of
facts exactly in the manner seen. Tapas ( penance) constitutes
celibacy, silence, observance of fast, abstention from injury of
all sorts and quiescence. W hen a person behaves towards all
living beings like unt o himself
60
bot h for welfare or otherwise
that at t i t ude is called kindness. W hat ever one has obtai ned by
justifiable means, whatever one likes the most, should be given
to a meritorious person. Thi s is the characteristic feature of the
chari tabl e gift of the donor. Chari t abl e gift is of three types
vi z. the lowliest, the highest and the mi ddl i ng.
22-27. The shari ng (of possessions) wi th all living beings,
out of sympathy is the chari tabl e gift of the mi ddl i ng order.
The rites laid down by rutis and Smrtis in regard to persons
of different stages in life and castes constitute dhar ma. Dhar ma
t hat does not come i nto clash with the conduct of the persons of
disciplined life is held to be righteous.
That person is glorified as one of auspicious Soul who eschews
the fruits of his illusive activities.
One who has refrained from all at t achment s is glorified as a
6o. This ethical code places this cult at par with universal religion.
Means of Direct Perception
45
Yogin. He who ponders over the risks involved in sensual plea-
and remai ns unat t ached to t hem even though pressed
portunately from all r ound is called self-controlled.
The characteristic feature of perfect control constitutes the
?t t hat sense organs do not function falsely or i mproperl y
Whether for one' s sake or lor others.
The following is the detached s t at e: The person is not
excited when calamities occur nor is he overjoyed when he has
pl easant results. Absolute cessation of joyousness, affliction and
despondency is det achment .
Renunci at i on of the fruits of all activities commi tted or
omi t t ed is called Sannysa.
28-31. The eschewal of both j oy and misery is called
Nysa. All created things from the unmanifest to the manifest
gross elements are insentient. Perfect Knowl edge is the
di scri mi nati on between the sentient and the insentient. Lord
iva, no doubt, bestows his grace on hi m who is endowed
with such perfect knowledge. So also dhar ma bestows grace.
Yet I shall tell you a great secret. One who is endowed with
devotion to the lord is undoubtedl y liberated. It is certain that
lord iva checks the different sorts of delusion of the devotee
and is del i ghted with hi m even if he (the devotee) lacks full
accompl ishments for yoga.
32-37. Perfect knowledge, teaching of the Vedas, offerings
to the gods, medi tati on, sacrifices, penance, chari tabl e gifts,
study of the Vedas, all these undoubt edl y contri bute to the
devotion of Lord i va. O excellent sages, devotion results
from thousands of Candryanas, "
1
hundreds of Prj patyas,*
2
monthly fasts and other holy rites. Those who lack in devotion
i<> the lord fall into a mount ai n cave and undergo the results
6i. Cndryana : Gf. Yjavalkya 3. 334 et seq; Manu 11. 217. It
is a religious observance or expiatory penance regulated by the period of the
moon' s waxing and waning. Herein the daily quantity of food consisting
of fifteen mouthful s at the full moon is diminished by one mouthful every
day during the dark fortnight till it is increased in like manner during the
bright fortnight.
( i a . Prjpatya : It is a religious fast or penance. Herein one shall
taki- food for three days in the morning, for three days in the evening, and
(hereafter shall abstain from food for three days.
46 Litgapurna
of their karman. *
3
A devotee is liberated through his devotional
emoti on. O brahmi ns, t here is no doubt in this t hat heavenly
pleasures are not difficult of access even to ordi nary men, by
the mere sight of the devotee; what doubt then in regard to
the devotee. It i s only t hrough devotion t hat Brahm, Visnu,
gods, sages, and others stabilise themselves and at t ai n strength
and fortune. Thi s has been stated by the lord himself while
addressing Um .
38-41. O brahmi ns, these words were spoken by the lord to
the goddess Um at Vrnas , in the Avimuktaka*
4
region
While the lord was sitting wi th her, she addressed hi m t hus:
"O great lord how can you be realised and worshipped. O
Lord, tell me, is it by penance, or learning, or yoga ?
SOta said:
On heari ng her words and looking at her wi th a face
resembling the full moon the lord wi th the crescent moon for
his or nament l aughed boisterously and recollected what had
been formerly ment i oned by Men, the consort of the
Hi mal aya when she saw t hat her daught er had overstayed there.
42-47 The lord sai d: "O gentl e lady, O sportful one, now
that you have obtai ned a beautiful city for your abode, do you
forget what was ment i oned by your mot her i n regard to the
selection of a site for abode. O foremost among those who ask
questions, formerly I was asked by Brahm in the same
manner as I have been asked by you. O splendid lady, in the
veta kal pa, Br ahm saw me in the whi te colour as Sadyoj ta;
in t he Rakt a kal pa in t he red colour as Vmadeva; in the
P takal pa in the yellow colour as Tat pur us a; in the Aghora-
kalpa in the bl ack col our as Is vara; in the Vvarupa kal pa as
the mul ti - col oured p.na. Then he said to me : O Vma, O
63. 3nc*riTt>JT4^ ?TI'T5TrR9" ST. in expectation of en-
joying the objects of senses.
64. Avimuktasame as K (Mbh. I I I . Gh. 84. 79-8; Visnu 5.34.
30, 54; Matsya 180.54, 94 ff; Vyu. 106. 69). F or detail, vide P. V. Kane,
History of Dharmastra (Vol. iv. pp. 618-642). But in the Kali age it
has lost its original form. Cf. Brahman da 2.3.67, 60-64. It is called Avimukta
or Avimuktaka, for it is the permanent abode of iva (1.92.45-46) :
Sadyojita 47
Tat pur us a, O, Aghora, O Sadyoj t, O Mahevara, O lord
Z- Devas , 0 great lord, you have been seen by me al ong with
yairl. O great lord, by what means and by whom can you be
Controlled ? O storehouse of mercy, wherein are you to be
Medi tated upon ?"
48-53 "O lord, how can we see you along wi th the
goddess ? How can we worship you. It behoves you to recount
i t . "
The lord said to the goddess :
I said (then to Br ahm) , ' O lotus-born one, I can be
controlled by faith alone. I am to be medi t at ed upon in the
Li ga which both you and Visnu beheld in the ocean. I am to
be adored by the twice-born in the form of the five-faced deity
with the five-syllabled mant r a. O preceptor of the universe, born
of the cosmic egg, I have been seen by you to day by vi rt ue of
your devotion to me. ' He ( Br ahm) then asked me to create
in hi m a feeling of further devoti on whi ch I readily gr ant ed.
O goddess, wi th t hat increased devoti on he saw me clearly in
his heart. I declare t hat I am subject to control by means of
devotion alone. I can indeed be seen thereby, O daught er of
the Hi mal aya ! And, indeed, I am always to be worshipped in
the l i ga by t he brahmi ns full of faith. Fai t h is t he greatest and
the subtlest vi rt ue. It is perfect knowl edge and sacrifice; it is
penance, heaven and l i berat i on. I am always seen t hr ough
faith.
CHAP TER ELEVEN
Sadyojta
The sages said :
1-2 How did Brahmli see the great lord as Sadyojta..
Vinadeva, Tat pur us a, Aghora and na ? It behoves you to
recount it precisely.
48 Ligapurna
Sta said : .
The t went yni nt h kal pa should be known as vetalohita.
3. In t hat (kal pa) when Br ahm was pursui ng intense
medi tati on a son wi th tuft was born unt o him. He was
called vetal ohi ta
4-5. On seeing t hat Pur us a, the glorious lord Brahm
wi th faces all r ound, t hought of the noble-souled lord in the
form of Brahman. Br ahm retai ned Sadyoj ta in the heart and
became engaged in medi t at i on. After realising the greatest being
through medi t at i on Br ahm, the lord of Devas, saluted hi m.
6-7. Br ahm cont empl at ed again over Sadyoj ta. There-
upon from his sides were born vetas (whi t e ones) of great
fame, viz. Sunanda, Nandana, Vi vananda and Upanandana;
these noble-souled ones were the disciples of Brahm by whom
he was always surrounded.
8. In front of hi m the sage veta, glittering in his white
colour, was born. Then there was born Har a of great spl endour.
9-11. Ther e all the sages resorted to the great lord Sadyoj ta
with perfect devotion. They praised the eternal Brahman.
Hence all those persons O brahmi ns, who resort to lord Vive-. -
vara after bei ng engrossed in breath-control and mental l y
devoted to Br ahman, become liberated from sins. They will
have the spl endour of br a hma n and be free from impulses.
They will go beyond Visnu' s abode and enter Rudr a' s
worl d.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Glory ofVmadeva
Sta said:
1. Thereafter the t hi rt i et h kal pa is called Rakt a. In this
kal pa, Br ahm of great spl endour had the red colour.
2-5. Even as Brahm desirous of a son was medi t at i ng,
a boy of great spl endour menifested himself : He was adorned in
red ornament s. He wore red garl ands and clothes. Hi s eyes
Sadyojta
49
were red. He was valorous. On seeing t hat nobl e boy i n r ed
clothes, Br ahm resorted to great medi t at i on and understood hi m
to be great Lor d. Brahm, of self control bowed to Vmadeva.
and cont empl at ed on hi m. Thus eulogised by Brahm, t he
supreme lord iva was delighted at heart . He addressed
Br ahm thus.
6-9. " Si nce, O Brahm, I have been seen by you medi ta-
ting on me wi th the desire for a son, wi th great devoti on, and
since I was eulogized wi th t he mant r a begi nni ng wi th " br ahmane
Vmadevya" you will at t ai n the strength of medi t at i on and
will realize me as vara, the assiduous creat or of t he worlds,
in every kal pa. Thereafter four sons were bor n to hi m who
were as pur e and spl endid as br ahman. They were named as
Viraj as, Vi bhu, Vioka and Vi vabhvana.
10. They were pious and on a par wi th Brahm. They were
heroic and enterprising. They wore red garments and red gar-
l ands and appl i ed red unguents.
11-13. Thei r bodies were smeared with red saffron; they had
appl i ed red ashes over thei r bodies. At the end of a thousand
years they re-entered the great eternal l ord. In the mean-
ti me they at t empt ed to realize br ahman. F or blessing the worlds
and wi th a desire for the welfare of their disciples they i mpart ed
instructions i n dhar ma and became favourites of Brahm.
Ul ti matel y, at t he end of a thousand years, they re-entered t he
great l ord.
14-15. All ot her brahmi ns who practise yoga and repeat
the sacred formula ' namo br ahmane Vmadevya'
6 6
and who ar e
devoted to hi m as their greatest resort are liberated from sins.
They become devoid of impurities and they at t ai n the strength
of Brahman. They achieve t he blessed region ( r udr al oka)
whence there is no ret urn to this (mortal ) worl d.
65. Vmadeva form is represented by the back-face of iva. In
Hindu Mythology God iva has five faces named ina, Tatpurusa,
Aghora, Vmadeva and Sadyojta, representing the five elements:
ether, air, fire, water and earth. Cf. part II. ch. 14. A statue of iva
in the Elephanta caves represents this form in which the frontal view depicts
three heads only, the fourth one on the back is concealed from view and the
fifth one on the top is dropped out as the symbol of invisible ether.
50 Ligapurna
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Glory of Tatpurusa
Sta said:
1. The thirty first kal pa is known as Pitavsas. Therei n,
t he blessed Brahm was clad in yellow garbs.
2. Even as Brahm desirous of a son was medi tati ng, a boy
of great splendour, weari ng yellow robes, appeared before.
3. He was a yout h with t he body smeared wi th yellow
scents. He wore yellow garl ands and dress. He had long arms,
a golden sacred t hread and yellow t urban.
4. On seeing hi m, Brahm, endowed wi th medi t at i on men-
tally resorted to and sought refuge in the overlord, the creator
of the worlds.
5. Thereafter Brahm went on medi t at i on. He saw the
excellent cow of the great lord. In her universal form it had
come out of his mout h.
6. It had four feet, four faces, four hands, four udders,
four eyes, four horns, four teeth and four mout hs.
7-10. The cow was goddess herself who had faces all r ound
and who possessed thi rtytwo qualities. On seeing t he great
goddess in the form of t he cow, the great lord who is wor-
shi pped by all devas said agai n repeat i ng t he words : ' O great
goddess, symbol of intellect and memory, come on, come on. '
[ Thus addressed] she j oi ned her pal ms i n reverence to t he lord
and stood there. The n t he l ord of devas spoke to her. [O
goddess,] enveloping the universe by your yogic power you
shoul d keep i t under your control . You will be Um for the
welfare of the brahmi ns and for the at t ai nment of thei r goal
(of l i berat i on).
11. The lord of devas, the preceptor of the universe gave
her to Brahm who was medi t at i ng on the lord for obtai ni ng
a son.
12. By practising medi t at i on Br ahm realized t hat she was
t he great goddess and he accepted her from the precept or of
t he worlds.
13-14. After medi t at i ng on Gyatr pertai ni ng to Rudr a,
Brahm became self-controlled. By performi ng the j apa of
Rudr a-Gyat r i as instructed by the lord and realizing t hat i t
Origin of Aghora 51
was Vedi c knowledge, Br ahma who i s worshi pped by t he whol e
worl d, resorted to the great lord wi th his mi nd fixed in
medi t at i on.
15. The lord t hen grant ed hi m a divine yoga, great
l earni ng, riches and glory, weal th of knowledge and detach-
ment .
16-21. Thereafter from his sides there emerged di vi ne
sons who wore yellow garl ands, yellow garbs, yellow necklaces.
They had yellow unguent s on their bodies and yellow t urbans
on t hei r heads. Thei r faces and hai r were all yellow. F or a
peri od of thousand years, these persons of great power and
spl endour who were devoid of impurities spent thei r time for the
welfare of brahmi ns. They were yogic souls del i ghti ng in penan-
ces. They were endowed wi th vi rtue and power of yoga. They
i nstructed the sages engaged in long sacrifices in the system
of great yoga and (finally) entered the body of t he lord. Thus
others too who seek refuge in hi m in this manner , who have
restrai ned thei r souls, who have conquered t he sense organs
and who are engaged i n medi tati on will become sinless. They
will have the spl endour of Br ahman and be free from
i mpuri ti es. They will ent er Rudr a t he great lord and be relea-
sed from re-birth.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Origin of Aghora
Sta said:
1-2. W hen the kal pa of yellow col our passed by and an-
other of the self-born lord was ushered in by the name of Asita
and when the universe became a vast sheet of wat er
6 6
and a
t housand years by the divine reckoning passed by, Brahm be-
came desirous of creating the subjects. He was dejected and
began to ponder.
3. Even as he was medi t at i ng wi th the desire for a son,
his colour was changed i nto bl ack.
66. See note 23 on p. 15.
52 Ligapurna
4-6. Ther eupon he, the lord of great spl endour, saw a
boy fn front of hi m. He had black colour but he was refulgent
wi th his brilliance. He had great prowess. He wore black gar-
ments, black t urban, black sacred t hread, black crown and black
garl ands. He had black unguent s on his body. On seeing this
noble-souled Aghora of terrible exploits, Br ahm saluted the
miracul ous lord who had the bl ack and tawny colour.
7-10. Then the glorious lord Br ahm became engaged
in Prnyma. He t hought of the supreme lord iva wi thi n hi&
heart . W i t h his mi nd engaged i n medi tati on he resorted to
lord Aghora. He contempl ated on hi m i n t he form of Brahman.
W hen Br ahm was medi t at i ng thus, lord Aghora of terrible
exploits grant ed hi m vision. Ther eupon four noble sons appeared
from his sides. They were black in colour and they wore black
garl ands and unguents. They were Kr s na, Krsnai kha,
Krsnsya, and Krsnavast radhrk.
11-13. By resorting to yoga they adored the great lord for
a thousand years. They i mpart ed i nstructi on in supreme yoga to
their disciples. By resorting to yoga these persons, endowed wi th
yogic powers, thought on Siva. They entered the region of lord
iva, the region devoid of impurities and free from attributes.
Those others too, who contempl ate on hi m by resorting to yoga
can go unt o the region of t hat eternal lord.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Glory of Aghorea
Sta said :
1. W hen the terrible kal pa of black colour passed by,
Br ahm eulogised t he supreme lord in the form of Aghora.
2-6. Thereafter the delighted lord Aghora blessed Brahm
and said t o hi m: " Do not doubt t hat I, assuming this form,
destroy all kinds of sin, including the terrible sin of br ahmi n
slaughter. O blessed one, O deity of virtuous sacred rites, I
destroy all mi nor and maj or sins of small or great power and
Glory of Aghorea 53
poi gnancy. O Brahma, I destroy verbal, physical, mixed and
i nci dental sins commi tted wantonl y and consciously. I dispel
t he nat ur al and adventitious sins inherited from either par ent .
O lord, do not doubt t hat I destroy all miseries originating
from sins.
7-13. O lord, by repeati ng one hundred thousand times
t he mant ras of Aghora, even a brahmin-slayer is l i berated
from sins. O dear, for verbal sins half of this number is recom-
mended. F or ment al sins, half of the previous number . If the
sin is commi t t ed consciously t he j apa shall be four times
t hat number . If the sin is commi tted out of fury, eight times
t hat number . A slayer of a hero shall repeat the mant r a a
hundred t housand ti mes; the destroyer of a child in the womb
a crore ti mes; a matri ci de a hundr ed thousand ti mes; a
destroyer of cows and women or an ungrateful wretch by repeat-
ing ten thousand ti mes; a willing or unwilling dri nker of
liquor by repeati ng a hundred thousand times or half t hat
number and the part aker of meals before t aki ng bat h a thou-
sand times. The br ahmi n who abstains from j apa or who takes
meals before performing the daily sacrifice or abstains from
giving chari ty should repeat this mant r a a thousand times.
The base man who steals the property of a br ahmi n or who
steals gold is released from sin by repeati ng this mant r a
mental l y a hundred thousand times. A person defiling t he
preceptor' s bed or slaying his own mot her or a br ahmi n shall
repeat this mant r a mental l y the same number of times, O
Brahm.
14-17. The sin resulting from contact wi th the sinner
is equal to the sin of the original sinner. Still by repeati ng the
mant r a ten thousand times he is liberated from sin. The person
i mbi bi ng sin by the contact with the sinner shall repeat the
mant r a a hundred thousand times if done ment al l y; if done in
low tones four times t hat number ; if in high tones eight times
that number. It is enjoined t hat persons guilty of subsidiary
sins need repeat the mant r a only half the number enjoined for
the mai n si nner; half t hat number if the sin is commi tted
unconsciously. O brahmi ns, if a br ahmi n sinner commits the
sin of brahmi n slaughter, liquor dri nki ng, theft of gold or
defiling the preceptor' s bed he should do as follows:
54 Ligapurna
18-22. He should gather together (i) uri ne of a t awny
coloured cow repeati ng Rudr a- Gyat r i , " (i i ) freshly laid dung
of the same or similar cow repeating the mant r a Gandhadvra, *
8
(iii) ghee made from a similar cow repeat i ng t he mant r a
Tejosi ukr am,
M
(iv) milk from the same or similar cow repeat-
ing the mant r a ' Apyyasva'
7 0
and ( 5) fresh curds made from
the milk of the same or similar cow repeati ng the mant r a
Dadhi kr n.
7 1
To this mi xture water taken wi th a tuft of
kua grass should be added by repeati ng t he mant r a Devasya
tv,
7 2
and the mi xture should be well stirred in a vessel made
of gold, silver or copper, or in a cup made of lotus or pal a
leaf, repeati ng t he aghora mant r a. In this vessel he should pl ace
(different) gems and a piece of gold al ong wi t h a tuft of kua
grass.
23-26. He should repeat the mant r a of Aghora a hundr ed
thousand times and perform homa wi th ghee, cooked rice,
sacrificial twigs, gingelly seeds, barl ey grai ns and unhusked
grains. He should perform homa, seven times separatel y wi t h
each one of these materi al s. If the materi al s are not available he
should perform homa with ghee alone. O brahmi ns, he should
perform homas as well as abl uti on for t he lord wi th ghee while
repeati ng the Aghora Mant r a. He should bat he t he lord wi t h
eight dr ona
7 3
measures of ghee and wipe it off. He should t hen
observe fast for a whol e day and ni ght, take hol y bat h and
dri nk krca before the image of iva. After performing t he
rite of camana he should repeat Gyat ri .
27-32. By performing this the following sinners become libe-
rated form si ns: an ungrateful person, a slayer of br ahmi n, a
destroyer of a child in the womb, a murderer of a W a r r i o r , a slayer
of preceptor, a betrayer of faith, a thief, a gold-stealer, a defiler
of the preceptor' s bed, a liquor-addict, a paramour, a l ow-cast e
woman, a ravisher of ot her men' s wives, a destroyer of brahmi n' s
property, a cow-killer, a mat ri ci de, a patri ci de, an idol-breaker
67. Rudra-Gyatri : TA I. 10.5 : 'tatpurusya dhimahi tanno rudrab.
pra codayt.
68. T. I O. I . I O; Mahn. U. 4.8.
69. VS. 2 8 . 1 .
70. VS. 12. 114; TA, 3. 17. 1.
71. VS. 23.32; TS. i . 5. 11. 4
72. VS. 2 . 1 1 ; TS. 2.6.8.7.
73. It is a measure of four dhakas equal to 1024 muftis.
Glory of Ina 55
nd parti cul arl y t he person who destroys liga images. If one
who commi ts these sins is a br ahmi n, no mat t er if his sins ar e
ment al , verbal, physical or of any ot her type, even if he
commi ts these a thousand times he is l i berated from these
by performing the aforesaid rites. Even if the sins are accumu-
l ated in hundreds of births he is liberated. Thi s secret has been
divulged by me in t he context of lord Aghora. Hence a br ahmi n
shall repeat the Aghora mant r a perpetual l y for the expiation
of sins.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Glory of Ina
Sta said:
1. O l eadi ng sages, there was a kal pa of Brahm known
as Vi varpa. It was exceedingly wonderful.
2-7. W hen the peri od of dissolution passed by, when agai n
the universe of mobi l e and immobile beings came i nto existence
Brahm began to medi t at e with a desire for sons. The n
Sarasvat of universal form and l oud sound manifested herself.
The universe constituted her garlands, garments, sacred t hread
and t urban. The mot her of the universe wi th all universal
scents and long lips manifested herself. Brahm medi t at ed on
lord Ina resembling pure crystal and bedecked in all orna-
ments. W i t h concentrated mi nd, Brahm pai d homage to Ina,
the omni present lord of al l Om O Ina, O Mahdeva,
obeisance be to you. O lord of all l earni ng, obeisance be to you.
O lord, wi th t he bull as your conveyance, obeisance be to you.
O lord of living beings, obeisance be to you.
8. O overlord of Brahm, obeisance be to you. Obei sance
to Brahman in t he form of Brahma. Obei sance to the overl ord
of Brahm. O Sadiva, may auspiciousness befall me.
9. O lord representing omkra. in a physical form, O lord of
devas, O Sadyoj ta, obeisance be to you. I resort to you. I have
resorted to Sadyoj ta. Obei sance to Sadyoj ta.
56
Ligapurna
10. Obei sance to you, the unborn, the source of bi rth and
who are not beyond the worldly existence. O Bhava, O na,
O source of the worlds, O deity of great lustre, bless me.
11. O Vmadeva, obeisance to you, t he eldest being, the
grant er of boons. Obei sance to Rudr a, Kl a the reckoner of
time.
12. Obei sance to the lord as the mi nd, to the lord black
in colour, to the lord as a religious student, to the lord as the
strength of t he strong and to t he l ord devoid of organs and
their function.
13. Obei sance to the suppressor of Bala, to t he strong, of
t he form of Br ahman. Obei sance to the overlord, the suppressor
of living beings.
14. Obei sance to the lord the impeller of the mi nd,
obeisance to the lord of great lustre, obeisance to the refulgent
Vmadeva and to the supreme soul.
15. Obei sance to t he eldest and the greatest ; obeisance to
Rudr a the bestower of boons. Obei sance to you the slayer of
Kl a. Obei sance to you possessed of the nobl e soul.
16. W i t h this prayer he bowed to the lord of Devas, to the
God wi th t he Bull as his embl em. He who reads this narrati ve
even once becomes entitled to the world of Brahm.
17-23. He who narrat es this to the brahmi ns at the time of
r ddha attai ns the greatest goal. W hen Br ahm thus pai d
homage t o hi m, lord iva spoke: "I am delighted with you.
W hat favour do you seek from me ?"
Then Br ahm who bowed to the delighted Rudr a said with
a delighted mi nd in clear words: know O lord, I wish to see
this universal form of yours. Her e is the universal cow
7 4
Goddess of welfare. W ho is she possessed of four feet, four faces,
four horns, four mouths, four curved fangs, four udders, four
hands and four eyes ? How i s she known as VHvarp (of
universal forms) ? W hat is her name ? W hat is her lineage ?
To whom does she belong ? W hat is her power of action ?" On
heari ng his words t he bul l -bannered lord na addressed
Brahm the best of Devas, born of himself, in words full of
74. Vivagauh : She is identical with Prakrti or Pradhna. Com-
prising thirty two qualities she is described as the source of this universe. See
below, verses 29-35.
Glory of liana
57
t of all mant r as whi ch bei ng pious are conduci ve to
5. Listen to a great secret. As in t he first creation, t he
that is cur r ent now is known as Vi varupa. O l ord
) there is the region of Br ahm whi ch you have
. O l ord ! beyond t hat region there is an auspicious
occupi ed by Vi snu bor n of my left limb. Since t hat
, this t he t hi rt yt hi rd kal pa has begun.
27. O lord of Devas possessed of great intellect, before you,
is and hundr ed thousands of Brahms have passed
way. Now listen.
28. You who are a devotee of t he spiritual lineage of
Mandavya have at t ai ned t he state of my son by practising
penance. Stabilised in bliss you can realize t he supreme bliss.
29-31. O l ord, you are characteri zed by t he following
qual i ti es: ( 1) Yoga, (2) Skhya, (3) penance, (4) l earni ng
(5) stric inj unctions, (6) holy rites ( 7) pl easant speech,
(8) t rut h, (9) mercifulness, (10) Vedi c knowledge, (11) non-
violence, (12) wisdom, (13) forbearance, (14) medi tati on,
(15) proxi mi ty wi t h t he lord, (16)control of t he senses, (17)
quiescence, (18) intelligence, (19) illusion, (20) intellect, (21)
fortitude, (22) spl endour, (23) ethics, (24) fame, (25) intelli-
gence, (26) modesty, (27) vision, (28) auspicious speech,
(29) satisfaction, (30) skill in the exercise of sense-organs, (31)
performance of Vedi c rites, and (32) pl easure. W hi l e she, the
goddess, has these thirtytwo qualities recognizable in her
appel l ati on of thi rtytwo syllables.
32-34. O Brahm, the goddess Prakrti , the source of your
origin has been created by me. She is t he overlord of Vi snu
and other gods. She is my progeny. Philosophers call her by
various names, the four-faced deity, the origin of t he universe,
pri mordi al nat ure, cow or speech, Gauri , My, Vidy, Kr sna,
Hai mavat , Pr adhna or Prakrti .
35-39. She al one is unbor n.
7 5
She is red, whi te and black in
col our; She creates subjects in t he universe t hat are of the form
as she herself. I am unborn, know me to be omni present and
know her to be Gyat ri of universal form.
75. TA.io.i; Mahn. U. 9.3, vet. U 4.5.
58
Ligapurna
After saying this, the lord created four sons. They were boys
of al l forms, who stood beside t he Goddess. They were known
J atf Mund , ikhand Ar dhamunda. Resorti ng to the yaugic
practices they of great spl endour worshipped the lord. They carri-
ed out thei r task of i nstructi on i n dhar ma. They followed t he
pat h of yogic practi ce. These controlled souls of good conduct
entered lord Rudr a at the end of a thousand divine years.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Origin of the Liga
Sta said :
1-5. Thus t he origin of Sadyoj ta has been succinctly
nar r at ed. He who reads or listens to or narrat es this to excel-
l ent brahmi ns attai ns i denti ty wi th br ahman by t he grace of t he
supreme l ord.
The sages said :
How di d Li ga ori gi nat e ? How shoul d l ord be pr opi t i at ed
in Li ga ? W hat is this Li ga ? W hat its subst rat um ? O St a,
you should nar r at e all this to us.
Romaharsana said:
F ormerl y, Devas and Sages had, i n reverence, asked Br ahm
thus : "O l ord, how di d Li ga ori gi nate by itself? How should
lord Rudr a be worshi pped i n t he Li ga. W hat i s Li ga? W hat
its subst rat um ?
Brahm said :
Pr adhna is Li ga and lord iva is its subst rat um.
6-13. O excellent Devas, it was for us bot hVi s nu and
myself t hat Li ga manifested itself i n t he ocean. It was when
the aeri al charioteers had gone t o the J anal oka together wi th
t he Sages and when t he period of sustenance bei ng over t he
creati on was wi t hdrawn and when at the end of a thousand
sets of four yugas, t hey had gone to Satyal oka and in the end,
except thei r overlords, had at t ai ned i denti ty wi th me, then al l
Xfrigin of the Liga 59
mobi l e beings had dri ed up due t o all-round drought and
er beings like men, ani mal s, Picas, Rksasas, Gandhar vas
l udi ng pl ant life were scorched to deat h by the rays of t he
'Sun. Everythi ng was a single vast sheet of water. It was terribly
feark all r ound. In t hat vast sheet of water, the lord devoid of
Impuri ti es and free from calamities had gone to sleep. He ha d
'k thousand heads,
7 4
a thousand eyes, a thousand feet and a
t housand arms. He, the universal soul, omniscient, the source
of origin of all, was characteri zed by t he qualities of rajas, t amas
and sattva i n the form of Brahm, Rudr a and Vi snu. He was
Omnipresent and t he supreme lord in view of his bei ng t he
toul of all. He was i n t he form of Kl a wi th Kl a i n his umbi -
licus. He was whi te, black, pure, of huge arms, the soul of all
nd identical wi th Being and non-2?eing.
14. On seeing the lotus-eyed deity lying thus, I was
del uded by his my. I asked hi m angril y :
15-16. W ho are you? Tel l me. Then wi th my hand I
raised up the eternal lord. Due to t he severe and fi rm blow of
my hands he woke up from sleep and sat i n his serpent couch.
7 7
W i t hi n a moment he regained control of himself and wi th his
lotus-like bl eary eyes he looked at me.
17. Envel oped t hat he was by a hal o of brilliance he spoke
to me as I stood before hi m. He got up from bed and l aughi ng
awhil e addressed me sweetly.
18-32. "I welcome you, O dear Brahm of great bril-
l i ance. " O l eadi ng Devas, when I hear d his words ut t ered
smilingly my arrogance was provoked by rajas and I spoke to
hi m t hus: " W i t h smiles wi thi n, you call me by t he appel l ati on
' Dear ' (as if I were inferior to you) . But know t hat I am the
cause of creation and anni hi l ati on of the universe. O sinless one,
you address me as a preceptor woul d address his disciple. But
I am the creator of the universe, t he pr ompt or of Prakrti , t he
t t er nal , unbor n Brahm, t he origin and soul of t he universe. I
am the lotus-eyed lord. Now tell me quickly why you speak
us in utter delusion.
76. B.V. X. 90. i.
77. In Hindu Mythology Visnu is represented as mi mi ng on the
t esa. A vivid picture of esayi Visnu is depicted on the outer
of the Da&vat&ra temple at Deogarh.
60 Ligapurna
He then replied to me" See for yourself t hat I am t he
creator, sustainer and destroyer of the universe. You are bor n
of my eternal body. You forget t hat I am t he lord of Universe,
the Supreme soul invoked and eulogised. I am Vi snu, Acyuta,
Ina, t he origin of the universe. It is not your fault t hat you
haye forgotten me. Thi s has been effected by me through my
my. Listen to t he t rut h, O four-faced
78
deity. Indeed, I am
the lord of all devas. I am t he creator, l eader and destroyer.
Ther e is no other lord like me. I al one am the Supreme
Brahman. O Brahm, I am the greatest principle, t he greatest
l umi nary, the supreme soul. O four-faced lord, whatever is seen
or heard i n this uni versethe mobi l e and i mmobi l e, i s
identical wi t h me and permeat ed by me. F ormerl y the unmani -
fest pr adhna the twenty-fourth pri nci pl e
7 9
from the gross to
the indestructible at om was created by me. Out of fury were
Rudr a and others created. Out of j oy and sport you were born as
also the Cosmos: Intel l ect, the threefold*
0
ego, subtle elements
sense-organs incl uding the mi nd; and gross elements were also
created by me.
As he finished his speech, a terrible, thrilling fight ensued
between us. In t he mi ddl e of t hat ocean of dissolution we were
engaged in fight, instigated by rajas.
33. In the meant i me a bril l iant Li ga appear ed in front of
us i n order t o suppress our di sput e and enl i ght en us.
34. It had t housands of clusters of flames. It was comparabl e
t o hundr eds of (all-consuming fi res). It was st abl e, wi t h no
decl i ne or increase. It had nei t her a begi nni ng nor an end nor
a mi ddl e.
35. It was i ncomparabl e, inexplicable, and indistinct. It was
78. Brahm is four-faced (Caturmukha). It is stated that originally
he had five heads but one was cut off by iva for telling a lie. According to
another version, the fifth head was burnt off by the fire of Siva's eye for
speaking disrespectfully of iva. We read in the atarudra samhit that
it was Klabhairava, a terrible form of iva who cut off the fifth head.
Visnu Purna (ch.8) however gives a different version. It states that
Bhairava attempted to cut off the fifth head of Brahm at the instance of
iva but gave up the attempt when iva intervened at the behest of Vi?nu.
79. It refers to the invisible (avyakta) Pradhna, the twentyfourth
category in Smkhya philosophy.
80. Ahamkra (ego) is threefold : sttvika, rjasa and tmasa.
Ill of the Liga 61
l ource of t he universe. Lord Vi snu was del uded by its
sand fl ames.
86.1 too was del uded. The n Vi snu said to me " Le t us test
fiery Being. I shall go to the root of this i ncomparabl e
>lumn of fire.
37-38. You should go up assiduously". After saying this,
i snu assumed the form of a boar. O Devas, I assumed t he
of a swan. Ever since they call me hamsa (swan) or
l\ hamsa (cosmic swan).
39-43. He who repeatedl y calls me swan, shall himself
become a swan of bri ght and whi te colour, with fiery eyes and
feathers. O gods 1 I assumed t he speed of the wind and the
mi nd and went higher and higher. Vi snu t he all-pervading soul
assumed the form of a bl ack boar and went lower and lower.
The boar looked like a heap of bl ue collyrium. It was a hund-
red Yoj anas i n l ength, t en Yoj anas i n gi rth. Its body was huge
as t he mount Mer u. It had whi te and curved teeth. It ha d
the refulgence of all-consuming sun wi th long snout and l oud
grunt . Its legs were short and its body of diverse colours. It was
victorious, firm and i ncomparabl e. Assuming this form of a
bl ack boar, Vi snu went lower and lower, hurri edl y, for a peri od
of one t housand years.
44. Still he could not reach t he root of the Li ga. O des-
t royer of enemi es, t hr oughout t hat peri od of t i me I was goi ng
hi gher and hi gher.
45. I hur r i ed up my efforts t o
I was tired. Ar r ogant t hat I was
r et ur ned t o t he pl ace of my st art .
46. Similarly, Lor d Vi snu was also t i red. Hi s fear was
evi dent i n his eyes. He , t he origin of all Devas, i mmedi at el y
came up t her e.
47. We bowed t o l ord Siva. The nobl e-mi nded Vi snu was
del uded by Siva' s My and he stood there i n ment al dejection.
48. We bowed to lord iva at the sides, behi nd and i n front
and wondered what t hat was.
49. O great Devas ! then a l oud sound Om
8 1
issued ( out
of the col umn) . It was clearly a prol ated sound.
8i . Om is a mystic syllable consisting of three sounds a, u, m. It
is the object of profound religious meditation. The highest spiritual efficacy
is attributed not only to the whole word but also to each sound separately.
see t he end of t hat Li ga.
I coul d not see t he end and
62 Ligapurna
50-51. Thi nki ng what it could be, Vi snu stood there together
wi t h me. Then he saw the eternal f i rst letter ' a' on the ri ght
hand side of the Li ga; t hen on t he left t he letter ' u' ; there-
after, the l e t t e r ' m' i n the mi ddl e and the vibratory tone i n
the end. That tone was ' Om' .
52-55. Vi snu saw the first syllable ' a' in the south, like the
disc of the sun, the second syllable ' u' as refulgent as fire in the
nort h, the thi rd ' m' in t he mi ddl e as refulgent as the sphere of
t he moon; above it, he saw the lord like the pure crystal. It was
t he fourth entity, devoid of attri butes, nectarine, unsullied,
undi sturbed, devoid of mutual l y clashing opposites, uni que, void,
wi thout an exterior or interior but still endowed wi th exterior
and interior, as i t was stationed both wi thout and within. It was
devoid of begi nni ng, mi ddl e and end, it was t he cause of
bliss.
56-62. The three mt rs and half a mt r called nda,
together constitute Brahman. The three Vedas Rk, Yajus and
Sman are i n the form of t he three mt rs. Visnu contempl at-
ed on iva, the universal soul, through the words of the Vedas.
The Vedas became a sage. Vi snu understood the glorious
essence of the Vedas t he supreme lord t hrough t hat sage
al one.
Brahm said :
Rudr a is free from anxieties and worries. Speech recede;
al ong wi th t he mi nd bei ng Unable to at t ai n hi m; He is ex
pressible through t he single syllable ( om)
8 2
, which is the Divim
order, the supreme cause, t rut h, bliss, nectar, the supremi
Br ahman, greater t han the greatest. Out of t hat single syllabi
' om' , the s yl l abl e' a' i s Br ahm; ' u' Vi s nu, and ' m' i s Rudra
' a' is the cause of creation, ' u' of illusion a n d ' m' of bliss.
63-65. The syl l abl e' m' is the sower, ' a' is the seed and ' u
i s the womb. The three symbolise the lord, Pr adhna and Purusa
Thus the sower, the seed and the womb, together wi th nda.
82. Om is a symbol of Brahma : Cf. Yogastra : 'tasya vcakah pra-
navah'. In later times it came to represent the Hindu triad, viz., a (Visnu),
u (iva), m (Brahma). But this order is not followed in some Purnas.
For instance, according to Liga 'a' represents Brahm, V Visnu and'm,
Rudra.
Origin of the Liga
/> 5'/-/
6 / "
63
I consti tute lord iva. The sower divided itself out of his own
[free will. Out of t he l i ga of t he l ord t he sower creat ed t he seed
l*a' whi ch he di scharged i nt o t he womb ' u' wher e i t increased all
I f ound.
66. It t ur ned i nt o a gol den egg envel opi ng t he fi rst letter
*a'. Thi s di vi ne egg was ensconced i n t he j va t e r for many
years.
67-68. The n at t he end of a t housand years t he egg t hat
had evolved out of t he unbor n and st at i oned i n t he wat ers was
Split i nt o t wo by t he pri meval l ord himself. The spl endi d
gol den skull of t he egg became heaven and t he base became
t he ear t h.
69. Fr om t he egg t he four-faced Brahm was born. He i s
t he creator of t he universe, t he lord of three forms.
70-72. The wise exponents of Yajus say t hat Om is Brah-
ma n. Th e Rk and Sman rutis too have declared similarly. On
the lord of Devas precisely we medi t at ed and we eulogised hi m
by reciting the Vedi c mant r as . Del ighted by our eulogy the
unsullied lord delightfully stationed himself i nto the divine
Li ga after assumi ng t he form of sound.
73-82. Th e letter ' a' was his he a d; ' ' t he forehead; * i' the
right eye;
c
' the left eye; ' u' the right ear ; the left ear ; ' r' the
ri ght cheek; J the left cheek, ' l r' and ' 1? the pairs of his nostrils;
V the upper l ip, ' ai ' the lower l i p; ' o' and * au' t he two rows of
t eet h; ' am' and ' ah' the pal at es; the f i ve letters begi nni ng wi th
4
k' his fi ve hands on the right side; t he fi ve l etters begi nni ng
wi th " c " his f i ve hands on the left side; the f i ve letters begin-
ning wi th ' t ' his right leg; the five letters begi nni ng wi th ' t ' his
left leg; the l etter ' p' his belly; ' ph' his ri ght side, ' b' his left
side; ' bh' his shoulder, ' m' his hear t ; the letters ' y' to ' s' the
seven dht us ; ' h' his soul and ' ks' his anger. On seeing the
great lord al ong wi th Um, Vi snu bowed and t hen looked up
at hi m. He saw a mant r a emergi ng from ' Om' wi th fi ve digits.
Resembl i ng pure crystal it contai ned thirty eight syllables. It
was conducive to the increase of knowledge, and it was the
means of achi evement of all ri ghteous matters. He saw the Rk
ft of twenty four syllables and four digits in Gyat ri met re and in
green colour, wi t h the efficacy for gaining control . He saw the
At harvan mant r a of thi rty three syllables, eight digits, bl ack in
64
Ligapurna
colour and wi th its efficacy of black magi c. He saw t he Yajus
mant r a of thi rty five syllables, eight digits, whi te in colour, wi th
the efficacy for peace. He saw the Sam an mant r a of sixtysix
syllables, of thi rteen digits, in the j agat met re, in t he coral-red
colour, wi t h t he efficacy for creati on and dissolution of the
universe.
Havi ng obtai ned these fi ve mant ras, lord Vi snu performed
j apa. He saw lord iva in all digits and syllables (constituting
t he limbs )
#
with body consisting of Rk, yajus, and sman, wi th
l i a na for his coronet, Tat pur us a for his face, Aghora for his
heart, Vmadeva for his pri vate parts, sadyoj ta for his feet,
serpents for his ornaments, wi th eyes and hands all round. On
seeing the great lord (of above description) the overlord of
Brahm, the cause of creation, sustenance and dissolution and
the granter of boons, Vi snu eulogized hi m wi th pleasing words.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
VistnCs praise of Siva
Visnu said :
1. Obei sance to the single-syllabled Rudr a, ' a' in the form
of At man; obeisance to the pri mordi al deity whose physical body
is l earni ng.
2. Obei sance to lord iva, t he supreme soul in the form of
the t hi rd syllable ' m\ Obei sance to the lord who is as lustrous as
the sun or the fire or the moon. Obei sance to hi m in the form of
yaj amna who performs sacrifice.
3. Obei sance to fire in the form of Rudr a. Obei sance to the
lord of Rudras. Obei sance to iva of auspicious mant r a. Obei -
sance to Sadyoj ta. Obei sance to Vedhas, the creator.
4. Obei sance to the illustrious Vmadeva, the granter of
boons and t he i mmort al lord. Obei sance to Aghora, Atighora,
Sadyoj ta and t he dei ty of vehemence and impetuosity.
5. Obei sance to Ina, mana (i.e. the lord of crema-
ti on gr ound) ; obeisance to one of high velocity. Obei sance to t he
speedy l ord whose foot is t he Vedas, who has an upward Li ga
and who is Li ga himself.
Visnu's praise of iva
65
6. Obei sance to hi m who has a golden Li ga or who is gold
himself or who is of watery Li ga or who is water himself. Obei -
sance to iva, the Li ga of iva. Obei sance to one who per-
vades all, incl uding the firmament itself.
7. Obei sance to the wind or to one who has the velocity of
the wind, and who pervades the wind. Obei sance to the fi re,
the lord of all fiery articles and who pervades the fire.
8. Obei sance to the water and to one who has become
water. Obei sance to one who pervades water. Obei sance to the
eart h or the atmosphere. Obei sance to one who pervades the
eart h.
9. Obei sance to one, of the form of sound and touch, taste
and smell and to one who has smell. Obei sance to the lord of
Ganas, and to one who is the most secretive.
10. Obei sance to t he infinite, devoid of forms7^"bekance^
to t he infinite, devoid of ai l ment s; obeisance to the permanent , "
the most excellent, who is in t he womb of waters, and who is
the Yogin. ^
11. Obei sance to one who i s stati oned i n between Br ahma
and Visnu in t he midst of wat ers; obeisance to the spl endour,
the prot ect or, the destroyer, the perpetual maker and the Deat h.
Obei sance to lord iva.
12. Obei sance to t he insentient, worthy of contempl ati on
who removes the stress and strain of the sentient, who is form-
less or of good forms, who has no limbs or who is attracti ve with
limbs.
13. Obei sance to one who has smeared ashes all over the
body; obeisance to the cause of the sun, moon and fire; obei-
sance to the white, of white colour; and to one movi ng about on
the mount ai n of snows.
14. Obei sance to one of excessively whi te complexion,
white face, whi te tuft, and white blood.
15. Obei sance to one who facilitates easy crossing (of the
ocean of mundane exi stence), obeisance to t he splendid one,
obeisance to one havi ng two forms, to one of hundr ed forms, to
one devoid of forms and to one hol di ng a banner.
16. Obeisance to one who has prosperity, grief and absence
of grief; obeisance to t he Pi nka-beari ng lord, wi t h mat t ed
hairs, devoid of noose, holding a noose, the destroyer of noose.
66 Ligapurna
17. Obeisance to one of good sacrifice, to one havi ng sacri-
ficial offering, to one favourably disposed to t he Brahmins.
Obeisance to one who is a poet. Obei sance to one havi ng good
face and good mout h; who is difficult to be suppressed and who
is of good ment al control.
18. Obeisance to one who assumed the form of a Brahmi n,
8 3
who i s Yama
8
* and who has made serpent his bangle. Obei sance
to one who i s Sanaka, Sant ana, Sanandana and Sanat .
19. Obei sance to one who hunt s the deer,
86
who is the great
t man, and the eye of the world. Obei sance to one who has
three abodes and to one who is devoid of rajas.
20. T5beisance to akhapl a, akha, rajas and tamas.
-Obeisance to Srasvata, the cloud and the cloud-vehicled.
Obeisance be to you.
21. Obeisance to one of good vehicle, devoid of vehicle, the
bestower of boons to the devotee, to iva, Rudr a and pr adhna.
22. Obeisance to you, possessed of three gunas, havi ng t he
nat ur e of the four vyhas, the cause of existence and dissolution.
23. Obeisance to you of the form of salvation, the grant er
of liberation, the supreme soul, the sage and the all-pervader.
24. Obei sance to you the holy lord, the lord of serpents,
of the form of ' Om' and the omni present lord.
25. Obei sance to you identical with al l ,
86
all-pervader, and
the pri mordi al lord.
26. Obeisance to the unborn, the lord of subjects, the cause
of vyhas and the great lord of Devas.
27. Obeisance to arva, Satya, ( t r ut h) and amana (t he
subduer) and Brahm. Obei sance to the omniscient deity of
living beings.
28-29. Obei sance to you, the supreme soul. Obei sance to
one invested wi th the form of intellect, consciousness, memory
and knowledge. Obei sance to one comprehensible through know-
ledge. Obei sance to one in the form of concord and summi t.
Obeisance to one whose neck is blue. ^
83. It refers to iva disguised as a Brhmana. ST.
84. i.e. Yama, the god of death and destruction. ST. \,
85. as a hunter kills the birds and animals. ST.
86. The epithet is applied to Visnu because the waters (nra) were
his first place of motion (ayana). (Gf. Manu : po nr iti prakt), but
here, as applied to iva it means 'one who lives among the people :.
TTTTt fPT^t TTT ?TWT ?TR 3*4 ST.
Visnu's praise of iva 67
30. Obei sance to one whose half body is female
87
, who
t hough unmani fest has eleven forms. Obei sance to one who is
i mmovabl e.
31. Obei sance to the sun, the moon, who establishes and
destroys t he universe. Obei sance to one who is the cause of
fame, who bri ngs on peace and is t he lord of all.
32. Obei sance to the lord of Ambik, and t he lord of Um.
Obei sance to one of gol den arms and of golden semen.
33. Obei sance to the blue-tressed one who is weal th. Obeis-
ance to the black-necked deity with" mat t ed hai rs Obei sance to
one wi th t he serpent for his ornament .
34. Obei sance to one ri di ng the bul l ; obeisance to the creator
and destroyer of al l ; obeisance to one who excelled even the
heroic R ma i n prowess; obeisance to you, the l ord of Rma.
35. Obei sance to the Emperor of kings, to one attai ned by
kings, to the overlord of protectors; obeisance to you, O Destroyer
of demons.
36. Obei sance to one bedecked in keyras (arml ets). O
lord of cows, obeisance be to you. Obei sance to lord rl kantha
holding a likuca fruit in t he hand.
37. Obei sance to t he lord, the chief of the worl ds; and to
one whose Scri pture is the Veda; obeisance to you, to Sraga
the Royal Swan.
38. Obei sance t o one wi t h golden necklaces and shoulder-
lets; to one wi t h serpents for sacred t hread, ear-rings and
gar l ands; obeisance to one who has made a serpent his waist-
band.
39-42. O iva, obeisance to you, having the Vedas in the
womb. Obei sance to the foetus contai ni ng the enti re universe.
Brahm said :
After havi ng eulogised thus, Vi snu ceased along with
Brahm. Thi s excellent hymn is holy, it is destructive of all
sins. He who reads this himself or narrates this to the brah-
mins well versed in the Vedas goes to Brahma' s region though
he mi ght have i ncurred sins. Hence one should perform the
Japa of this, read this or narrat e this to splendid brahmi ns for
washi ng off his sins. It has been so ordai ned by Visnu.
87. Gf. note 27. on p. 18.
68 Ligapurna
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Enlightenment of Visnu
Sta said :
I. The Supreme Lord said : O excellent among t he Devas,
I am del i ghted wi th you. On behol di ng me, t he great lord, you
should cast off all fear.
2-3. Both of you very powerful were born of me formerly.
Brahm, the grandfather of the universe was bor n from my
right side; Visnu, the soul of the universe, sprang from my left
side. 1 am extremely pleased with both of you. I shall grant you
t he boon of your choice.
4. After saying this, the lord, the storehouse of mercy pat t ed
Visnu wi th his gentl e and smooth hands out of compassion.
5. Then wi th a delightful mi nd, Vi snu bowed and spoke
to the great lord who though devoid of Li ga was stationed in
the Li ga.
6. If love has been generated in you, if boon has to be
grant ed to us, may our devotion to you remai n perpet ual and
unswerving.
7. O Devas. the moon-crested lord accordi ngl y granted
t hem an unswerving devoti dn and faith.
8. Then Vi snu knelt on t he ground and bowed to the lord.
W i t h perfect control over himself he spoke to t he lord in low
tones.
9. O lord of t he Devas, our controversy has bor ne splendid
fruits, since you yourself have come over here to remove the
same.
10. On heari ng this, Lord iva agai n spoke smiling to
Visnu who bowed to hi m wi th his head bent down and who
stood wi th pal ms j oi ned in reverence. !
Lord Siva said :
I I . O lord of earth, you are the proj ector of dissolution,
sustenance and creati on. O dear Vi snu, protect this worl d
with all its mobile and i mmobi l e beings.
12. O Vi snu, I am lord Siva, t he unsullied, I divided my-
Enlightenment of Brahma 69
self i nto t hree forms
88
under the names of Brahm, Vi snu and
Rudr a wi th the activities of creation, protecti on and dissolution.
13. O Visnu, abandon your delusion. Prot ect this Brahm,
who in the Padmakal pa, will become your son.
14. The n you will see me thus, so will the Idts-bor
Brahm too. Thus saying the lord vanished there itself.
15. Ever since t hen t he worship of the Li ga was well
established i n t he world. The gr eat goddess i s t he al t ar for t he
Li ga. The Li ga is the great lord himself.
16-17. Li ga is so called because, O gods, everything gets
dissolved i n it. The br ahmi n who reads this narrati ve of Li ga,
in the presence of the Li ga image attai ns iva-hood. No
doubt need be entertai ned i n this respect.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The enlightenment of Brahm
The sages said :
1-6. How di d Br ahm become t he lotus-born ( dei t y) ,
formerly, i n t he Padmakal pa ? How did Vi snu and Br ahm
sec lord iva ? Please recount all this parti cul arl y now.
Sta said :
It was one vast sheet of water, terrible, undi vi ded and full
of darkness'.
In the mi ddl e of t hat vast sheet of wat er lay Lord Vi snu
holding t he conch, discus and the iron cl ub. He had the lustre
of the cloud. His eyes resembled the lotus. He wore the coro-
net. He was known as Har i , lord of r, Nr yana and
Pur usot t ama. F r om his mout h emerged all souls, all being^. He
had eight arms and a large chest. He, the source of origin of
the universe, the yogic t man, the knower of the yoga,
adopted an inconceivable yoga and occupied the lofty body of
88. The supreme lord in his qualified (sakala) state is characterized
by three functions : viz. creation, sustenance and destruction. The idea
is often repeated in the Purnas.
70 Ligapurna
a huge serpent t hat had a t housand hoods and whose splendour
was i ncomparabl e. In t hat vast sheet of wat er, t he lord lay on
t hat great couch of serpent.
7-8. A tall and lofty lotus was sportively created in his
umbil icus as he lay t here all-powerful self-contented but un-
wearied in activities. It was hundred Yoj anas long. It resem-
bled t he mi d-day sun. It had adamant i ne stalk.
9-11. Even as the bountiful lord was pl ayi ng (wi t h the
l otus), Brahm, who was bor n of the cosmic Egg of golden
womb, who had golden colour, who was beyond the pal e of t he
sense-organs, who had four faces and large eyes came near the
l ord casually. On seeing Visnu of splendid eyes sporting wi th
the lotus t hat was glorious, divine, spl endid and fragrant,
Brahm was surprised and asked in a tone filled with gentle-
ness
" W ho are you lying (here) i n the mi ddl e of t he wat er s ?"
12-16. On heari ng the splendid words of Brahm, Vi snu
got up from his couch and wi th his eyes beami ng wi t h surprise
replied:
" I n every kal pa this i s my shelter and asylum. W hat had
been done, whatever i s being done and what would be done
(everything i s done here itself). The heaven, t he atmosphere
and t he eart h everything i s my regi on. "
After saying thus, lord Vi snu addressed hi m agai n" W ho
are you ? W hence do you come near me ? W here do you in-
tend to go ? W her e is your abode ? W ho are you t hat have the
universe for your physical body? W hat can I do for you ?"
17-24. Ther eupon Brahm replied to Vi snu. Being del uded
by the My of lord iva, he could not fully comprehend
Vi snu who himself was del uded by the My of iva and
hence unknowabl e.
Brahm said :
" J ust like you I too am the Praj pati, the pri mordi al creat or. "
On heari ng wi th wonder the words of Br ahm the creator of the
worlds and on being permi t t ed by hi m, the. source of origin of
the universe, the great yogin, Visnu entered t hrough the mout h
of Brahm, out of curiosity. W i thi n the belly of Brahm he saw
Enlightenment of Brahm 71
the eighteen conti nents
8
* together with the oceans and moun-
tains. On enteri ng t he belly of Brahm, Vi snu of great splen-
dour and brawny arms saw the eternal seven worl ds
9 0
up to the
col umn of Brahm in whi ch the peopl e of t he four castes
0 1
stayed. Then utteri ng repeatedl y, " How powerful i s his
penance" he wandered through different worlds of diverse
creati on. Though he wandered for a thousand years, he coul d
not reach the end. The n he (Vi snu) the support of the worl ds
who had esa the lord of snakes as his bed, came out of
Brahma' s mout h, and addressed hi m t hus:
25 "O sinless one ! You are the beginning, t he end and t he
mi ddl e of the universe. You are Ti me, the quart ers and t he
ether. O sinless one, I do not perceive the limits of your
26-28. After saying thus, Vi snu spoke to Brahm agai n
" I n the same manner as you, I also am a lord. O illustrious one,
please ent er my belly and see the wonderful worlds t her ei n. "
On heari ng these pl easant words of Visnu, Br ahm of truthful
exploits approved of t hem and entered his belly. Then he saw
those very worlds stationed in his womb.
29-30. He roamed about therein but he could not fi nd the
end. Then on observing the movement of Brahm, lord Vi snu
closed t he openings of the passage and slept a perfect sleep.
On seeing the openings closed Brahm assumed a subtle
form and found an opening in the umbi l i cus.
89. Dvpa in the broader sense signifies a continental division of the
terrestrial world. The number of such divisions varies according to diffe-
rent authorities being four, seven, nine, thirteen or eighteen. According
to the Purnic tradition dvpas are situated round the mountain Meru like
the petals of a lotus flower and separated from one another by a distinct
ocean. In the restricted sense dvipa is a land enclosed between two rivers
(mod. doab). The word 'dvipa' is used in both these senses in the Purnas.
_9Q, Seven regions. Gf. 1.23.53-54. The threeBh, Bhuva and
Svar are "separated from the four higher regionsMahas, Jana, Tapas and
Satya by a mountain Lokloka. The light of the luminaries illumines the
three worlds but fails to reach the four higher regions.
91. Gturvarnya. 'The concept of fourfold social organization is
already found in the $V. (x.90.12). The idea is developed in the Purnas.
Vyu (Gh.9) speaks of the cosmic origin of society (113-114; 139-140).
iva is the originator, Manu the founder and Bali the propagator of Varna
{Ibid. 1.30.218; 59, 35-36; 61-98, 95-32).
belly.
3
72 Ligapurna
31. Then the four-faced Br ahm came out of the stalk of
the lotus and assumed his own form.
32. The Self-born Brahm, the source of the origin of the
universe sat in the lotus, resembling in lustre the interior of the
lotus itself.
33-37. In the meant i me, even as ei ther of t hem was wholly
engaged in a struggle wi th t he ot her in the mi ddl e of t he
ocean, l ord iva of i mmeasurabl e soul, t he l ord of living beings
appeared there itself. Hol di ng a t ri dent in hand and clad in
garments of pur e gold he came to t he pl ace where Vi snu was
lying on Sesat he lord of serpents. As he waded t hrough the
waters quickly, big drops of water rose up in the sky, kicked up
by his feet. The wind that blew was very hot and cold. On
perceiving this wonderful phenomenon, Br ahm spoke to Vi snu
" See how hot and cold waters make t he lotus shake.
38-40. Cl ear this doubt of mi ne and tell me what else
you wish to do now. "
On heari ng these words uttered by lord Vi snu, the destroyer
of Asuras and of unequal l ed exploits medi t at ed t hus : " W ha t ?
W ho is this great being occupyi ng my umbilicus ?> He speaks
pleasing words t hough I have been angry wi th hi m. " After
thi nki ng t hus, Vi snu spoke i n r epl y:
41-48. "O Sir, are you in a perplexed state inside the
lotus ? O lord, what is it t hat I have done wherefore O excellent
one among men, you speak to me thus : W hat is it for ? Tell
me factual l y. " Lor d Brahm, t he storehouse of the Vedas,
replied to the lotus-eyed lord of Devas who spoke thus in
accordance wi th t he activities of the wor l d: " I t was I who
formerly entered your belly i n accordance wi th your wish. J us t
as all the worlds wi thi n my belly were seen by you O lord, so
also all the worlds in your belly ar e seen by me. O sinless one
after a t housand years I ret urned. W i t h a spirit of rivalry and
a desire to subject me to control, all the openings were closed
suddenl y by you. O blessed one, I .pondered over it. By di nt of
my own splendour I gai ned exit through the umbilicus by t he
lotus stalk. Let there be no dej ection in your mi nd : O Visnu,
this is t he sequence of events in their gradual advancement .
W hat should be done by me hereafter, kindl y tell me : W hat
shall I d o ? "
Enlightenment of Brahm 73
49-51. On heari ng these loving, pleasing auspicious and
i rreproachabl e words of Brahm, Vi snu the destroyer of Hi ranya-
kaipu and of i mmeasurabl e soul, spoke sincere and simple
words/* This t ype of adverse action was not envisaged by me.
I closed all t he openings sportively and casually out of a desire
for enl i ghteni ng you.
52. You should not mis-understand me. You deserve my
respect and worshi p. O auspicious one, forgive if at all I have
commi t t ed any offence agai nst you.
53-58. You are borne by me, O lord, descend from this
lotus. I cannot bear you. You are refulgent and weighty/
Ther eupon Br ahm said once agai n: ' Tel l me, what boon you
desire to have. O lord, take me down from t he lotus' . The n
Vi snu said : ' O slayer of enemies, you should be my son. You
will at t ai n splendid pleasure. Speak agreeabl e and loving words.
O lord, descend from the lotus. You are a great yogin. You
are worthy of our worship. You are the Pranava itself. Hence-
forth you will be t he l ord of al l ; adorned wi th a whi te t urban
you will be known as ' padmayoni ' * * one whose source of origin
is a lotus. O Brahm, O lord, as son to me, you will be the
overlord of seven worlds' .
Thus the lord grant ed hi m the boon and Br ahm accepted
the same cheerfully and spitelessly. J us t t hen on seeing the mir-
aculous, huge-faced Siva with the lustre of the rising sun,
Brahm said to Visnu.
59-62. "O Visnu, who i s this i ncomprehensi bl e person with
a huge face and curved fangs ? W i t h hairs dishavelled, wi th ten
arms stretched and hol di ng a trident, with all-round eyes he
seems to be the lord of the universe. He has a deformed body
and a girdle of Muj a grass. Wi t h huge penis lifted up, he is
roari ng l oudl y and t erri bl y. Wi t h a mass of spl endour and
lustre he has envel oped t he q uart ers and t he f i r mament . He
comes this way itself." On bei ng addressed t hus by Brahm, lord
Visnu replied as follows:
92. The Purpas describe the golden lotus flower of one thousand
petals sprung up from the navel of Visnu while he lay recumbent in the
ocean. Gf. Matsya 168.15. According to Harivama (Bhavisya-parva, chs.
7-14) the golden lotus became the seat of Brahm and also his birth-place.
Hence Brahm is called padmayoni.
74
Ligapurna
63-66. " He i s wadi ng through t he ocean wi th great speed.
W hen his feet press the surface of water, as he wades t hrough
t he ocean wi t h great speed, masses of wat er rise up even to the
sky. O lotus-born one, you are being sprinkled from all sides
wi th a heap of water. By the wi nd coming out of his nostrils, this
great lotus emerged out of my navel is bei ng shaken. It is lord
iva who has no origin and who destroys the worl d t hat has
come. Let us eulogise t he bul l -bannered lord wi t h hymns of
prayer. "
67-68. Then Br ahm who was infuriated spoke to Visnu
whose eyes resembl ed t he l ot us : " I ndeed you do not know
yourself as the lord of all the worlds. You do not know me also
as Brahm, the et ernal creator of the worlds. W ho is this iva
apar t from us bot h ?"
69-73. On heari ng these words of Br ahm ut t ered in rage
Vi snu spoke: "O auspicious one, bestower of welfare, do not
speak ill of the great soul. Her e is he who has the lustre of the
splendid yoga, who is the invincible bestower of boons, who is
the unchangi ng anci ent Purusa, the cause of this universe. He
is t he sower of seeds and the refulgence of seeds, shining by him-
self. He, the l ord, plays wi th toys as do the chi l dern. Pr adhna,
t he eternal womb, the unmanifest Prakrti and the quality
tamasdarknessthese are my names, since I perpetual l y give
bi rt h to creation. The person of your query is l ord iva who
is the goal of the ascetics who, being afraid of the pangs of bi rt h
and deat h resort to hi m. He is the sower of the seed; you are
the seed itself and I am the eternal womb. "
9 3
On being addressed
thus, Brahm, t he soul of the universe asked agai n:
74. " How is it t hat you are the womb, I am the seed and he
93. According to the Purnic account of creation (sarga), in the begin-
ning, the Cosmic Egg which arose out of the waters was insentient. It
remained in this state for thousands of years until it was activated by the
sentient principle which entering divided it into two parts. One of the two
halves became the celestial and the other the terrestrial sphere.
The creation is traced to the seed, personified as Brahm, deposited
in the foetus personified as Visnu, by iva the sower of the seed. In fact,
both the insentient egg and the sentient principle that activates it belong to
iva himself who out of sheer will and sportively too, creates, dissolves and
then re-creates and re-dissolves the universe.
Enlightenment of Brahm 75
( l or d iva) t he sower. Thi s is a puzzle whi ch you al one can
ve. "
75-79. After thi nki ng about the multiformed creati on,
i i nu spoke in answer to this specific query of Brahma, t he
ator of the worlds.
1
Ther e is no other greater living bei ng t han hi m. He is a
,t mystery, the dimensional abode of intellect and t he
Coveted goal of spiritualists. He split himself i nto two. Hi s un- j
qual i tati ve par t remai ned unmehi test; t he qual i tati ve one came
Into appearance. Of hi m who was aware of activities of Prakrti
nd who was inaccessible and fathomless, t he seed was born,
formerly, at the first creation. Thi s seed was laid i nto my womb
whi ch, after the lapse of some time, greW i nto a golden egg in
t he ocean.
80. F or a thousand years the Egg lay in the waters. There-
after it was split i nto two by t he force of the wi nd.
81. The upper lid of t he Egg became t he heaven and the
lower lid became t he eart h. The foetus became t he lofty golden
mount ai n Mer u.
82. Then wi th the soul enteri ng t he womb, you, t he l ord,
Hi ranyagarbha the most excellent of the lords of Devas, and
of four faces were born.
83. On seeing t hat the world wi th stars, sun and moon,
was void you medi tated. Then the kumras were born to you.
84. Pleasing to look at, they became ascetics, the predece-
ssors of yatis. Thus at the end of a thousand years they were
born as your sons.
85-87. They resembled the terrestrial fire in brilliance.
They had eyes large as the petals of a lotus. Sanat and
Rbhu remai ned celibate havi ng subl imated sexuality; the other
three were Sanaka, Sana t ana and Sanandana who were born
simultaneously and who could visualize things even beyond the
scope of sense-organs. They possessed great intel l ect; they were
the cause of the sustenance of t he worlds. They were devoid
of the three types of miseries and they desisted from worldly
activities.
88-90. Seeing t hat life and deat h in the worl d yield but
little pleasure, that it is at t ended wi th great strain and pai n,
that births and deaths recur agai n and agai n, t hat there i s little
76 Ligapurna
pleasure in heaven, t hat miseries abound in hell, knowing t he
straic inj unctions about the inevitability of the future as also
t ha t Rb hu and Sanat were under your control , the t hr ee
Sanaka, Sanat ana and Sanndana of great prowess eschewed
t he three gunas and took to spiritual life.
91-94. Thus i n the functioning of t he kal pa, when t he
three sonsSanaka and others took to det achment you will
become confused and del uded t hrough t he illusory power of
lord Isiva. Then O sinless one, your consciousness will perish.
In the present kal pa, the elements bot h gross and subtle will
be affected by his my who, in fact, is the activizer of these
elements. Thi s great and glorious account of the most excellent
of all Devas is as famous as the golden Mer ut he mount ai n-
ous abode of Devas.
95-97. Knowi ng hi m as the great l ord and knowing me
as t he lotus-eyed Vi snu, knowi ng also t hat t he lord is the
greatest of all living beings, the bestower of boons and the
preceptor of t he universe, you should bow to hi m, utteri ng the
pranava (omkra) mant r a and the Sman verses. If he i s
infuriated he will bur n us bot h by his very breat h. After
realizing the lord of great strength and yoga, I shall keep
you in front and eulogize hi m who is of fiery and dazzling
splendour.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Eulogy of Lord Siva
Sta said:
1-3 Thereafter keeping Brahm in front, the Garuda-embl e-
med deity Visnu recited the hymn to lord iva, contai ni ng
his past, present and future names as enjoined by the Vedas.
Visnu said :
Obei sance to you, O deity of holy rites, of infinite Splendour,
the overlord of the field ( ks et r a) , the sower of the seed, the
tridertt-bearer, of excellent penis deserving worship, the staff-
hol der and of dry and arid semen.
Eulogy of Lord iva 77
4. Obei sance to the eldest, the excellent, t he foremost
and the fi rst; Obei sance to one who i s worthy of honour and
worshi p. Obei sance to Sadyoj ta.
5. Obei sance to the unfathomabl e and t he l ord of j vas
(personal souls). Obei sance to the naked and the l ord of all
creat ed beings.
6. Obei sance to t he l ord of the Vedas, the Smrtis and the
lord of activities, charities and substances.
7. Obei sance to the lord of Yoga and Skhya. Obei sance
t o t he lord of t he sages who ar e bound t oget her by t he Pol ar
St ar.
8. Obei sance to you, the lord of stars and pl anet s;
obeisance t o t he l ord of t hunder i ng sound of l i ght ni ng, t hun-
derbolt and cl ouds.
9. Obei sance to t he lord of great oceans and t hei r islands.
Obei sance t o t he l ord of mount ai ns and cont i nent s.
10. Obei sance to t he lord of t he rivers and rivulets, to t he
lord of medi ci nal herbs and pl ant at i ons.
11. Obei sance t o t he cause of Dhar ma, piety and ri ght eous-
ness, to t he l ord of mai nt enance (of all creat ed bei ngs) , to t he
lord of Prvat and her eternal associate.
12. Obei sance to the lord of ' rasas' , jewels, and t he units
of ti me.
13. Obei sance to the l ord of day, night, fortnights and
mont hs ; Obei sance to you, the lord of seasons and the l ord of
number.
14 Obei sance to the lord of ' apar r dha' (half of Brahma' s
age) Obei sance to the lord of Par r dha (the ot her half of
Brahma' s age) ; Obei sance to the lord of Purnas and to t he lord
of creati on.
15-17. Obei sance to the lord of the Vyant aras, of yoga,
and of fourfold creation. Obei sance to one of infinite vision;
to the lord of all occupations t hat have sprung up from the
begi nni ng of kal pa (that is creation itself). Obei sance to the
lord of the universe and to the overlord of Brahm. Obei sance
to the source of origin of sacred lores and to the overl ord of
holy rites.
18-19. Obei sance to the source of origin and the overlord
of mant ras, pi trs and t he individual souls. Obei sance to you,
78
Likgapurna
t he deity of ri ghteous speech, t he anci ent bul l and the lord of
souls. Obei sance to the dei ty who has Nandi n, the leader of
cows and bulls, as his banner.
20. Obei sance to the lord of Praj patis, to the l ord of the
Si ddhas, to the l ord of daityas, dnavas and rksasas.
21. Obei sance to t he l ord of gandharvas, yaksas, garuda,
snakes, serpents and birds.
22. Obei sance to the overlord of the guhya and pticas,
to Gokarna, to the protector, to Sakukarna (one whose ears
resemble the pi ke).
23. Obei sance to the incomprehensibl e var ha( boar ) ; to t he
star bear, devoid of rajaS, t he lord of Devas and asuras and ganas.
24. Obeisance to the lord of the waters; the lord of reful-
gence; t he lord of Laksmi (glory and splendour) and t he lord
Of t he earth. /
25. Obei sance to one who unifies the strong and the weak;
to the agi tator who cannot be excited; to the bull (Nandi)
who has a single i l l umi nated hor n; and a huge hump. i
26. Obei sance to one who is stable in the body; to
one enveloped in hal o; to one who represents the past, future
and present. '
27. Obei sance to t he brilliant and virile, to the heroic and
t he unconquered, to the bestower of boons, to the best of
persons of great soul.
28. Obei sance to mahat ( t he first evolute of PrakrQ) in all
its 3 stages, past, present and future;* obeisance to you repre-
senting t he peopl e; to penance, to the bestower of boons.
29. Obei sance to the mi nut e as well as the gr eat ; to the
all-pervading lord. Obei sance to bondage and l i berati on; to
heaven and hell.
30. Obei sance to lord iva, who is worthy of worship.
Obei sance to the sacrifice, and to the deity of effulgent
bri l l i ance. Obei sance to the principl e beyond all attri butes.
31-32. Obei sance to the noose, to the weapon, to one
equi pped wi th missiles as ornament s; to one who is the
mat eri al for sacrifice; to one i nvoke^; to one who partakes of
what is offered in the sacrifice; to one who does- desirable acts;
to one who does acts of chari ty, such as digging wells; to the
94. The 26b, 27 and 28a are repeated in 34 and 35 of this Ch.
Eulogy of Lord iva
79
br ahmi n performi ng agni st oma; to t he member of t he assem-
bl y; to one who does t he sacrificial abl uti on after giving
rewards to t he sacrificers.
33. Obei sance to one refraining from violence, to one
devoid of temptati ons, to one who is a redeemer of souls (J vas),
to one who bestows nouri shment , to one who habi tual l y re-
presents and practises good conduct.
34-35. Obei sance to one who represents t he past, future
and present. Obei sance to t he bri l l i ant and virile, to t he
heroic and t he unconquered, to the bestower of boons and to
the best of persons of great soul. Obei sance to ' mahat ' the first
eyolute of Prakrti in all its three stages: past, present and
future. Obei sance to one wi t hout a fear.
^ 36. Obei sance to t he ever young, of golden form, t he
bestower of boons, t he lower, t he upper and the lord of t he
sleepers-on.
37-38. Obei sance to t he wearer of garl ands, to t he enjoyer
of objects t hrough t he vehicle of sense-organs. Obei sance to one
representi ng t he Universe, to one who i s universe-formed and
to one wi th heads, hands and feet all r ound. Obei sance to Rudr a
the unsurpassed. Obei sance to one who receives offerings
poured i nto the f i re. Obei sance to one who represents f i re t hat
carries oblations to the gods.
39. Obei sance to the holy one who has all at t ai nment s.
Obei sance to the sacrifice and to one devoted to the sacrifice,
to one who is a good warrior, to one of terrible aspect and to
one who agitates persons who cannot be easily excited.
40. Obei sance to one of good progeny, to one of good
intellect and to one who is the brilliant sun. Obei sance to the
enlightened, pure and all-pervasive and to one who is contem-
pl ated on by all.
41 Obei sance to one who is bot h gross and subtle, to one
who is bot h visible as well as invisible. Obei sance to one who
showers and blazes, and Who i s bot h t he wind and t he winter.
42. Obei sance to you, of curly hairs, of great chest and
tuft, of golden colour, or resembl ing gold.
43. Obei sance to one who has odd eyes, to one assuming
the form of Li ga, to one of tawny colour, to one of great
prowess and to the destroyer of rai n, to one of gentl e eyes.
\
80
Ligapurna
44. Obei sance to one of brown, whi te, black, red, tawny
and yellow colours. Obei sance to one who is possessed of a
quiver.
45. Obei sance t o you, marked and not marked by special
t rai t s; Obei sance to one worthy of worship and adornment ,
Obei sance to one who i s a sui tabl e p a t r o n ^
46. Obei sance to one befitting^wefare. Obei sance to the
elderly one. Obei sance to one favourably disposed. Obei sance
to one representi ng the past, to the truthful one. Obei sance to
one who i s bot h true and unt r ue.
47-48. Obei sance to one of lotus colour, to t he destroyer
of deat h, the l ord of deat h, to one of whi te, dark, tawny and
red colours and to one havi ng the col our of a charmi ngl y
brilliant cl oud at dusk, to one i ni ti ated, to one havi ng lotus-like/
hands ; t o one wi t hout garment s and t o one wi th mat t ed hai r.
49-50. Obei sance to one wi t hout magni t ude; to one iden-j
deal with al l ; to t he unchangi ng and i mmort al one; to one
who represents col our and smell; to the eternal and to t he
uni nj ured one; to t he huge one i n front; to one wi thout illusions;
to one full and satisfied; to one difficult of access; to one re-
presenti ng anger and to the tawny coloured one.
51. Obei sance to one whose physical body is capabl e of
bei ng known and (at the same time) not known; obeisance to
the powerful, to the brave; and the speedy one; obeisance to
t he deity behi nd sandy soil and behi nd current of wat er; to
one stati oned, extended and stretched.
52. Obei sance to you the intelligent pot t er; obeisance to
you, wi th the crescent Moon on t he forehead. Obei sance to
the wonderful one of variegated dress and colours and of the
form of intellect.
53. Obei sance to one, of great consciousness and alertness;
obeisance to you, t he most satisfied one and t he best bestower
of favours; obeisance to the forbearing one, to one havi ng self-
cont rol ; and to one of adamant i ne body.
54-55. Obei sance to the destroyer of the Rksasas, to the
dispeller of poisons, to t he bright-necked one and to one who is
above anger. Obei sance to t he all consuming God of Deat h; and
to one hol di ng sharp weapons, to one endowed wi th great j oy,
to one wi th great gaiety, to one comprehensible only to the
Eulogy of Lord iva 81
ascetics; to one devoid of ailments, to one identical wi th all
and to t he great god of Deat h.
56. Obei sance to Pr anava; to the lord of Pr anava; to the
destroyer of Bhaganet ra; to t he hunt er of deer; to the diligent
one and to the destroyer of Daksa' s sacrifice.
57. Obei sance to one, the soul of all creatures, to one who
excels all lords, to the destroyer of the Puras, to one havi ng
good weapons and to one havi ng bow and axe.
58. Obei sance to one who destroyed Ps adant a and
Bhaganet ra; to the bestower of desires; to the excellent one;
to one who bur nt t he body of Ka ma . .
59. Obei sance to one of terrible face in the battlefield; to
one havi ng face of a great el ephant ; obeisance to t he l ord who
destroyed the Dai tyas and to one who caused distress to t he
Dai tyas.
60. Obei sance to the destroyer of snow; to t he severe one;
to one weari ng wet hi de; to one havi ng perpetual interest i n
the cremat i on gr ound; to one hol di ng the fi re-brand.
61. Obei sance to you the protector of lives; to t he~wearer
of skulls and to one surrounded by care-free goblins of different
classes.
62. Obei sance to one havi ng male-cum-female body; to
one who pleases the Goddess; to one havi ng mat t ed hai r ; to one
having tonsured head and to one havi ng t he serpent for sacred
thread.
63. Obei sance to one the habi t ual dancer, to one fond of
dance and music, to the l ord of anger, to one practising
music and to one who is sung about by the sages.
64. Obei sance to one in the form of a lion, to one of sharp
nat ure, to one both pleasing and not pleasing, to the horrifying
and the terribl e one, to the suppressor of Bhaga demon.
65. Obei sance to one praised and sung about by the en-
l i ghtened souls. Obei sance to the highly blessed, to one who
l aughs boisterously, who roars like a lion and who flap? and
blows.
66. Obei sance to one who roars and j umps ; obeisance to
the j oyous soul, to the benevolent, to one who breathes,
runs and controls all.
(CAM* t"j
82
Ligapurna
67. Obei sance to one who medi tates, yawns, cries, runs,
gallops and sports about ; to one who has a prot rudi ng belly.
68. Obei sance to one who has functions and no functions to
perform, to one who has a thousand heads, to one who is poor
or miserly, to one who has an impassioned body, to one who
has small anklet-bells.
69. Obei sance to one of deformed dress; to t he ruthless
and unforgiving; to one who cannot be measured; to the pro-
tector; to the i l l umi nated and devoid of attri butes.
70. Obei sance to one fond of the elegant, to the beautiful,
to one adorned wi th a crest-jewel, to the mi nutest of the mi nut e
and to one who cannot be measured or known by qualities.
71-74. Obei sance to one possessed of good qualities; to the
secret one, to one who goes to impassable places. Thi s earth is t he
mot her of worlds. Your feet ar e resorted to by good men. Your
belly, the support of all Siddhis, contains the wide firmament be-
decked in clusters of stars. J us t like the galaxy of stars the glori-
ous necklace shines on your chest. To you, the ten quarters
are the ten arms bedecked in shoulderlets and bracelets. Your
neck has great gi rth and ext ent ; it is comparabl e to the bl ue
col l yri um; it is adorned wi th golden threads.
75. Your face isTirrepressible; it is terrible due to the cur-
vedTangs; it is i ncomparabl e. Your head whi ch is heaven it-
self shines all the more wi th its t ur ban of lotus garlands.
76-81. Refulgence in the sun, brilliance in the moon, firm-
ness in the mount ai ns, strength in the wind, heat in the fire,
chilliness in the waters and sound in the firmamentthe wise
know these qualities to be due to the internal throbbi ng of the
imperishable lord.
The following names of lord iva are to be used for J apa,
vi z. Mahdeva, Mahyoga, Mahevara, Purk' aya (lying i n
the city of mi nd) , Guhvsi n (dweller in the cave), Khecar a
(movi ng about i n the sky), Raj ani cara (walking at ni ght ) ,
Taponi dhi (storehouse of penance), Guhaguru (Sire of Guha ) ,
Nandana (delighler ), Nandavar dhana (the increaser of del i ght ),
Hayarsa-(horse-necked ), Payodht (yieJ der of mi l k), Vi dht
(dispenser of j usti ce), Bht abhvana (activiser of living be-
ings), Boddhavya (the object of knowl edge), Bodhi t (t he subject
of knowledge) Net (l eader), Dur dhar s a (i nvi nci bl e), Duspra-
Eulogy of Lord Siva
kampana (unshakeabl e), Brhadrat ha (havi ng a great char i ot ) ,
Bhi makarman (of terribl e activities) Brhatk rti (of great f ame),
Dhanaj aya (conqueror of weal t h) , Ghant pr i ya (fond of bells),
Dhvaj in (one wi th a banner ) , Chat r i n (one wi th an umbr el l a) ,
Pi nki n (bearer of the bow Pi nka) , Dhvaj an pati (Lord of the
army) Kavaci n, (having ar mour ) , ?a\\\i\n (having the i ron cl ub) ,
Khadgi n (havi ng swor d) , . Dhanur hast a (havi ng the bow i n the
hand) , Paras' vadhin (havi ng the axe), Aghasmara (non-des-
t royer), Anagha (sinless), ra (heroi c), Devarj a (ki ng of
Devas), Ar i mar dana (Supressor of enemi es).
82-83. F ormerl y, after propi t i at i ng you the enemies were
slain by us in the bat t l e. You are a submari ne fire. Not sati ated
by dri nki ng all the waters of the ocean, you are infuriated in
form, but delighted within. You are the bestower of desires;
you can go as you wi sh; you are fond (of us ) ; you are the
celibate religious student. You are unfathomabl e and
favourably disposed towards the Brahmi ns; you arc adored
by the society. -
84. You have madesacri f i t^thTeverlas^i ^treasure of the
Devas. The fire-god bears to you the offering, as menti oned in
the Vedas O supreme lord, if you are pleased we too become
pleased.
85. You are the lord of Prvat, you are beginningless.
At t he ti me of first creati on you are Brahm, the maker of
worlds. The followers of the Smkhya system realise ypu as
one beyond prakrti and at the close of medi t at i on they enter
you, devoid of deat h.
86. Those who medi t at e on you, underst and you as
perpet ual si ddha t hrough yoga and then eschew those yogas.
Those enl i ghtened persons who resort to you t hrough their
actions enjoy divine bliss.
87. The greatness of yours has been glorified in accor-
dance wi th what we know accordi ng to our capacity. Your
reality and principles cannot be enumer at ed; you are the
supreme soul who cannot be easily crossed.
88-91. Be auspicious towards us everywhere. As you are
so you ar e; obeisance be to you.
84
Ligapurna
Sta said:
He who recites this prayer by Br ahm and Visnu, he who
narrates this to the brahmi ns, or he who listens to this wi th
concentrati on shall obt ai n t hat benefit which one at t ai ns after
performing ten thousand horse sacrifices. Even a man of
sinful activity who listens to this in the templ e of iva or
respects this will be liberated and will live in Brahma' s world.
He who recites this at the time of rddha or a divine rite or
duri ng sacrifice or duri ng the sacred abl uti on or in the midst
of good men reaches the proximity of Brahm.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Creation of Rudras
Sta said:
1-2. On seeing bot h of t hem extremely humbl e, the lord of
Um wi th eyes tawny as honey, was much delighted, thanks
to the exposition of t rut h. The three-eyed, the pi nka-beari ng,
and the tri dent-hol der lord iva, the destroyer of Daksa' s sacri -
fice became very glad.
3. On heari ng their nectar like words lord iva sportingly
asked t hem t hough he knew their intentions.
4-7. " W ho are you nobl e souls eagerly yearni ng for each
other' s welfare ? You lotus-eyed ones have somehow met together
in this terribly extensive flood."
Gl anci ng at each other, the noble souls repl i ed: "O lord,
what is there t hat remai ns unknown to you ? O lord Rudr a of
great ' My' , we two have been created by you willingly."
On heari ng their words and havi ng honoured and greeted
t hem the glorious lord spoke sweetly in smooth words :
"O Brahm ! O Vi snu ! I am speaking to you.
8. I am delighted by your devotion couched in words of
perpetual value. Both of you are endeari ng to my heart.
9. W hat shall 1 give you now ? W hi ch is sweeter boon you
desire ?" Then the blessed lord Vi snu spoke to lord iva :
Creation of Rudras
85
10. O lord ! everything has been granted by you. If you
are so pleased wi th me, O lord ! grant t hat my devotion for you
remai ns stable.
11. On being requested thus lord iva realised it. He
honoured Vi snu and granted hi m devotion to his lotus-feet.
12. " You are t he creator of this world. You are its presi-
di ng deity. Hail unt o you, O dear, O lotus-eyed lord, I shall go
( now) . "
13-15. After saying this the great lord blessed Brahm too.
Greatl y delighted he patted Brahm wi th his auspicious hands
and s a i d: " Ode a r , surely you are equal to me. You are my
devotee too. Hai l unt o you. I shall leave now, O deity of good
rites, may there be perfect awareness in you. "
16-17. After saying this, the lord of the Ganas bowed t oby
all Devas, vanished there itself. After attai ni ng perfect know-
ledge from Vi snu, Brahm whose source of origin was the lotus,
performed terrible penance wi th a desire to create. Even as he
performed this penance, not hi ng resulted*
18. After a great deal of time his misery turned into anger.
F rom the eyes overwhelmed with anger drops of tears fell
down.
19-20. F rom those drops of tears, huge poisonous snakes
appeared. They had all the three humours, the wind, bile and
phl egm. They were highly blessed; they were adorned with
Svastika marks. Thei r hairs were dishevelled and scattered.
On seeing the snakes born at the outset Brahm censured
himself.
21. O fie upon the fruit of my penance of this sort, if it
were to be like this. Even in the begi nni ng, my progeny has
become t he destroyer of the world.
22. Ori gi nat i ng from anger and fury a severe loss of sense
overwhelmed hi m. Out of the distress resulting from his loss of
sense, he lost his life.
23. F rom the body of Brahm of unequal l ed valour, the
eleven Rudr as '
5
sprang up crying, out of sympathy and mercy.
95. The word Rudra is derivable from ^/ru to cry and f^/dru to move.
The Purnas make frequent reference to the crying of Rudras. P. {Vyaviya
12. 25-30) identifies Rudras with the life principles, i.e. the prnas that acti-
vate the insentient matter for creation. As soon as Rudra ar Prna becomes
86
Ligapurna
24. They became known as Rudras due to their crying.
The Rudras and the prnas are identical wi th each other.
25-28. The prnas are stationed i n all living beings. The
trident-bearing lord iva who enforces strict discipline granted
hi m life agai n. After obtai ni ng life, lord Brahm saluted lord
iva, the lord of Devas. By means of Gyat rl he perceived hi m
as identical wi th the universe. On seeing and eulogizing hi m
as such, Brahm was struck with wonder. Bowing to hi m again
and again, he procl aimed : "O lord ! how is it t hat you have
assumed such forms as Sadyoj ta and ot hers. "
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Various Kalpas
Sta said:
I. On heari ng the words of Brahm, lord iva in the
form of Brahman spoke to hi m smilingly, in order to enlighten
hi m.
2-3. W hen the veta kal pa was current , it was I who
existed then. I had whi te t urban, whi te garl ands and white
garments. I was whi te myself wi th white bones, white
hairs, whi te blood and whi te complexion
9 6
So the kalpa too was
known as vetakal pa.
4. Gyatrl , the goddess of Devas, born of me, had white
limbs, whi te colour, whi te blood. She was known as Brahmni .
5. O lord of Devas, t hat was why I had been understood
by you as the secret deity. By my penance I had assumed the
form of Sadyoj ta.
manifest in the organism it cries for food. Gf. Harivamia 3.74.22; 3.14.39.
Another characteristic of the Rudras is their rhythmic movement (dravana,
from -y/dru to move) which is responsible for the incessant flow of
creation represented by the atarudriya or Kofirudriya concept. Cf.
<TO^tff ^rrrV ^ *sf 3rf > Tnrr^ TV. 16.4; Vyu 10.58.
96. vetalohitahntana-veta-rpah. ST., of new white complexion.
For "lohita" as a synonym of 'new* see Viiva: 'lobitah syn nave bhaume'.
Various Kalpas
87
6. The title Sadyoj ta is a secret Brahma j the twice-
born who know me, who have assumed secret nat ur e, shall
at t ai n nearness to me whence there is no r et ur n.
7-12. W hen the next kal pa known as lohita, as a result of
my colour, came, Gyat ri glorified as a cow, bor n wi th red flesh,
red bone, red blood, red milk, red eyes and red udders was
known as Brahmn . Since the colour was changed into red and
since the lord was Vma, I was known as Vmadeva. O deity
of great strength, t hen also I, who was in a different colour, was
recognised by you who had practised self-control by resorting to
yoga. I was then known as Vmadeva. The twice-born who
realise my Vmadeva form shall go to Rudr a' s world whence
there is no ret urn.
13. W hen the yuga gradual l y changed and I became
yellow in colour, t he kal pa was known as Pi t at he name
assigned by me.
14. Gyat ri , the goddess of Devas born of me was named
Brahmni . She was yellow in body, yellow in blood and
yellow in colour.
15-17. O deity of great strength, there too. I was
realized by yogins devoted to the practice of yoga, through
your yogic mi nd. I was realized by you in the form of Tat pu-
rusa. Hence, it was, O deity born of the golden egg, I got the
Tat pur usa form. Persons endowed wi th penance, devoid of
impurities, who are i n contact wi th Br ahman and who know
me as Rudr a, and Rudrn as Gyat r l t he mot her of the Vedas
go to Rudr a' s world whence there is no ret urn.
18-21. W hen I became terrible and black in colour
the kal pa was known as Kr s na after t he colour assumed by
me. Ther e I resemble Kl a (god of deat h) . I am Kl a ( Ti me) ,
the reckoner of the worlds. O Brahm, I was then known by
you as Ghora (the terrible) with terrible exploits. O lord of
Devas, Gyatr , born of me, was black in body, black in blood,
black in form and was named Brahmni . Hence to those
who know me t hat I have assumed the ghora form, I, the
changeless one, shall be Aghora (non-terrible) and nta
(quiescent).
22-25. O Brahm, when I assumed the universal form I was
realized by you by means of the yogic trance. Gyatrl , the
88 LigapurSna
sustainer of the worl ds'
7
, also assumed the universal form. To
those who know me as havi ng assumed this universal form,
I shall always become auspicious and gentle. That Kal pa too
will be known as ViVarpa ( of universal f orm).
26-29. These four who are of all kinds of forms will be-
come popul ar as my sons. Since they are of different colours,
their subjects too will be of different colours or castes ( Var nas ) ,
and allowed the use of Gyatr . Man' s ai m of life will be four-
fold: virtue, wealth, desire and liberation. All living beings
will come under four groups* * , four stages of life. The feet of
Dhar ma will be f our " since my sons are four in number.
30. Hence t he universe consisting of the mobi l e and im-
mobile beings is stationed in the four yugas. Since it is stationed
in the .four yugas it shall have four feet.
31-32. Ther e are eight worlds: Bhh, Bhuvah, Svar, Mahar ,
J anar , Tapas, Satya and Visnu. These are established i n the eight
substratums each of whi ch is imperishable. Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svar
and Mahah constitute the four substratums.
33. The fi rst i s Bhh, the second Bhuvah, the thi rd Svar
and Mahar is the fourth.
34-35. The fifth is J anah, the sixth Tapas, the seventh Satya
whence people do not ret urn to this world. The worl d of Vi snu is
t he eighth. It is also the spot whence a r et ur n to this world is
difficult. Beyond t hat is the world of Skandha and Um endow-
ed with all attai nments.
36-39. Beyond t hat is the world of Rudr at he splendid
region of yogins. The twice-born who are devoid of ego, who
have nei ther lust nor anger and whose mi nds are devoted to
yoga alone can enter it. Since Gyatr was seen by you as four-
footed, the worlds are also four, viz. the world of Um,
Kumr a, Mahevara and Vi snu.
1 0 0
Again, since Gyatr was
97. Sarvabhaks"resorted to by all". ST. interprets differently:
sarvam ptlajtam bhaksayati niayati sSone who consumes all the
products of the nether regions.
98. catvrahfour classes of living beings as mentioned by ST:
jaryuja-andaja-svedaja-udbhijjarph.
99. The four feet of righteousness, according to ST. comprise day
(compassion), danam (charity), tapah (penance), satyam (truth).
100. pdntathe ultimate region, i.e. the world of Vi?nu.
Various Kalpas 89
seen as four-footed, the animals shall also be four-footed.
Thei r udders too will be four.
40-41. Since the Soma-juice, whi ch is the life of living
beings, accompani ed by Vedic chants, fell off from my mout h,
the cows came to be known as those whose udders are sucked.
Hence the nectar in the form of the Soma-juice is known as
the life of living beings. Hence too, the animals became quadru-
peds; the whiteness of their milk is also due to t hat .
42-44. Since the great Goddess was seen as bi ped in the
course of the rites, Gyat ri the creator of the worlds is also of
the same nat ur e. Hence all human beings are bipeds, endowed
with two breasts. Since the great goddess, the unborn deity of
great strength, was seen by you as supporti ng all living beings,
therefore, the subjects will have all kinds of form.
45-31. The unbor n deity shall have great spl endour and
universal form and from his face there will come out the
fire-God whose energy will be unfailing. Hence, the pure and
all-pervading fire-god has the form of living body. The pure-
souled men of two births who see me as endowed wi th the
faculties of overlordship, sense-control and omni presence
bi come liberated from rajas and tamas. Eschewing physical
b^dy they at t ai n my vicinity and never ret urn to this eart h.
O brahmi ns, lord Brahm who was thus addressed by Rudr a
bowed to hi m. Becoming purified in the mi nd he spoke to hi m
again. "O lord, you are aware of the greatness of Gyatr as
well as the glory of the Supreme lord ( Mahe var a) . O lord,
may you kindly gr ant me the highest abode of Gyatr and
that of yourself". The lord then grant ed the boon to him,
Hence, he who knows the multiformity or the universality of
the supreme lord as also of Gyatr attai ns identity wi th
Brahman, as stated to Brahm by the lord himself.
\
90
Ligapurna
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Incarnations of iva
Sta said :
1. On heari ng everything uttered by Rudr a, Brahm the
Praj pati bowed to Rudr a, lord of Devas and spoke thus :
2. "O lord, l ord of the chiefs of Devas, O multiformed,
O Mahevara, O husband of Um, O great god, honoured by
all, obeisance to you.
3-4. O multiformed, O highly blessed god, when and in
whi ch age (yuga) will these bodies honoured by all be seen by
the brahmi ns and by what penance or medi t at i on of yoga ?
Obei sance to you, O lord Mahdeva" .
5. On heari ng his words and seeing hi m i n front, the great
lord Rudr a revealed by Rk, Yajus and Sman smiled and
s ai d:
6-9. Except t hrough medi tati on, nei ther through penance
nor by conduct nor t hrough gifts and holy rites nor by visits to
pil grim centres nor through sacrifices wi th ampl e monetary gifts
nor t hrough the study of the Vedas
1 0 1
nor t hrough wealth nor
through knowledge of various kinds is it possible for men to
see me.
O Brahm, in the Var ha kal pat he seventh in number,
Varha, will be the il l uminator of the kal pa and your grandson,
Vaivasvata, will be the Manu.
10-13. In the course of t hat kalpa contai ni ng the four yugas,
towards the end of Kal i, I will be born to bless the worlds and
for the welfare of the brahmi ns, O Brahm. As the yuga
proceeds further, when the great lord himself becomes Vysa,
duri ng the first Dvpar a age I will be b om at the end of Dv-
par a
1 0 2
as sage veta. I will be endowed wi th a tuft and wi l l
stay on the excellent mount ai n Ghgal a
1 0 3
a beautiful peak of
t he Hi mal aya mount ai n.
I OI . Vedanaih istraih ST. by sacred books.
loa. Yugntikedvpara-samptau ST.at the end of Dvpara
age.
103. Chgala: This peak of the Himalayas has not been identified so
far.
Incarnations of iva 91
14-18. Then my disciples will be four noble brahmi ns, the
masters of the Vedas and having tufts. They will be veta,
vetaikha, vetsya and veta-lohita. After attai ni ng Brahman' s
goal, they will approach me and will be devoted to the pat h
of medi tati on and yoga. O Brahm, in the second Dvpar a age
lord Praj pati will become Vysa, known as Sadya. Then, in
the Kal i age, I will be born by the name Sut ra for the wel-
fare of the world, wi th a desire for blessing the disciples. My
disciples then will be known by these names:
19-24. Dundhubhi , at ar upa, Rc ka and Kct umn. After
attai ni ng yoga and medi tati on and after establishing the Brah-
ma
1 0 4
on the earth they will attai n the region and compani on-
ship of Rudr a. In the thi rd age, Dvpara, Bhrgava will be the
Vysa. Then, at the end of Dvpar a I will be born as Damana.
Ther e too four boys will be born to me, namely, Vi kei a, Vikoa,
Vipa and panana. These four of great prowess Will go
to the world of Rudr a through the same yogic pat h and will
never ret urn. In the fourth Dvpar a yuga, Agiras will become
Vysa. At that time I shall be bor n by the name Suhotra.
Ther e too, four ascetics will be born as my sons.
25. They will be excellent brahmi ns of steadfast rites and
yogic souls. They will be known as Sumukha, Dur mukha,
Dar dur a and Dhrt i krama.
26-28. By performing subtle yogic practices they will be-
come pure and shall wash off their sins by taking recourse to
the subtle yogic practice. Endowed with yoga and through
the same pat h (as described above) these courageous souls will
go to the .vorld of Rudr a and never ret urn. In t he fifth Dv-
para age Savitr will be the Vysa. At that time, I shall be born
as a person of great penance with the name Kaka for blessing
the worlds and propagati ng yoga among the peopl e.
29-30. F our blessed persons of pure origin shall be my disci-
ples. They will be yogic souls with steadfast rites. They will be
known as Sanaka, Sanandana, Sant ana and Sanat. They will be
devoid of ego, altogether.
31-38. In the end/hey will come to my ab ode an d never
re turn. In the si xth yuga, Mrty u will be the Vysa and I shall
104. Brahma-jnam ST. knowledge of Brahma, the impersonal
spirit, the supreme soul.
92 Ligapurna
be known as Laugksi . Then also my disciples will be four, all
yogic souls with steadfast rites, all blessed and popul ar. They
will be known as Sudhm, Virajas, akhapda and Raj as.
They all will be yogic, noble souls, pious and sinless, and en-
dowed wi th yogic practices. Through the pat h of medi tati on
they will come near me and never return.
In the seventh cycle of yugas, atakratu, who was famous
in the previous birth as Vibhu the shining one, becomes the
Vysa. Then at the end of Dvpara and the advent of Kal i I
shall be born as J aigsavya, the omnipresent, renowned, and the
best of yogins. Ther e too four sons will be born to me. They will
be known as Srasvata, Megha, Meghavhana and Suvhana.
Devoted to the pat h of medi tati on those noble souls will,
through the very same pat h, go to Rudral oka devoid of
misery.
39-42. In the eighth cycle, Vasisfha will become the
Vysa. I will be born by the name Dadhi vhana. There too my
sons will be yogic souls of steadfast rites and great yogic prac-
tice. Ther e will be none equal to them. They will be known as
Kapi l a, Asuri, Pacai kha
1 0 5
and Bskala. These will be
righteous souls of great prowess. After at t ai ni ng the yoga of
the lord they will bur n their sins and come near me, never to
ret urn.
43-47. In t he ni nth cycle when .Srasvata will be the
Vysa I will be bor n by the name R sab ha. Ther e too, my
sons will be persons of great prowess. They will be Parara,
Garga, Bhrgava and Ag i rasal l brahmi ns wel l versed i n the
Ve das, exal ted wi th the strength of thei r pe nanc e , and capabl e
of cursi ng an d bl essi ng. Attai ni ng the path of me di tati on i n the
the man n e r prescri bed i n the yogi c system those asceti cs will
go to Ru dral oka never to re turn.
48- 51. In the te nth Dvpara age, the sage Tr i pda will be the
Vysa. Then I will be born as a brahmi n sage on the excellent
105 Kapila is considered as the founder of the Smkhya system of
philosophy. Asuri and his pupil Pacaikha, like the founder-teacher Kapila,
are known only by their names. Perhaps they preached their cult by oral
transmission. Their works, if any, are lost to us.
Incarnations of iva
93
hill Bhrgut uga,
1 0 6
a beautiful peak of the Hi mal ayas. Tha t
peak adored by Devas is well known t hrough the name of sage
Bhrgu. Ther e too my sons will be steadfast in their holy rites.
They will be known Bal abandhu, Ni rmi t ra, Ket ubhr ga and
Tapodhana. They will be yogic and nobl e souls, endowed wi th
penance and yoga. Wi th their sins burned t hrough penance
they will go to Rudral oka.
52-54. In the eleventh Dvpar a age, Tri vrat a will become
Vysa. Then I will be born at Gagdvra i n
1 0 7
the Kal i age
as a person of great splendour named Ugra, famous in all the
worlds. There too I will have four sons of great prowess, vi z.
Lambodar a, Lambksa, Lambakea and Pral ambaka. After
at t ai ni ng the yoga of Mahevara they will go to Rudr a' s
world.
55-58. In the twelfth cycle the sage atatej as of great splen-
dour, the best among the wise, will become Vysa. At that time,
when Dvpar a ends, and Kal iyuga starts, I shall be known by
the name Atri in the forest Hai t uka
1 0 8
. Ther e too will be born
my sons who will have ashes for ablution and unguent , who will
be such yogins, and who will be devoted to Rudr a' s world.
They will be known as Sarvaja Samabuddhi , Sdhya and
Sarva. After attai ni ng the yoga of Mahe vara they will go to
Rudral oka.
59-62. W hen the thi rteenth cycle sets in due order, Dhar ma
under the name Nr yana will be the Vysa. At t hat time, I
will be bor n as the sage Vli in the holy penance grove of Vla-
106. Bhrgutuga is one of the peaks of the Himalayas. According
to Vurha (ch. 146, 45-46) it is a mountain in Nepal on the eastern bank
of the Gandaka river where the celebrated sage Bhrgu had a hermitage. The
V. (81. 33) locates it near the Vitast(Jhelum) and Himavat. See GEAMI
part i. p. 70.
107. Gagdvra representsmodernHaradvara.lt is also known
by other names like Hand vara, Moksadvra, Mydvra. Cf. SK iv.
1. 7. 114:
But according to P. KHS. (25.3)' Gag is said to have descended from
Brahmagiri situated in the south (Ibid. 24. 3) in the proximity of Nasik
near Tryambaka. This place of Gaga's descent is said to be Gagdvra
(Ibid. 27. 6).
108. Haituka vana. It is not identifiable.
\
94 Ligapurna
khilya on t he mount ai n Gandhamdana
1 0 9
. Ther e too those
ascetics will be born as my sons. They will be known as
Sudhm, K yapa, Vsistha and Virajas. They will all be en-
dowed wi th the power of great yogas, be devoid of impurities
and will remai n celibate. After attai ni ng the yoga of Mahevara
they will go to t he world of Rudr a.
63-66. In the fourteenth cycle Taraksu will be the Vysa.
Ther e too in the final yuga, I will be born in the excellent family
ofAgiras under the name Gaut ama. That penance grove
1 1 0
too will be named after Gaut ama. Ther e too my sons will be
born in the Kal i age. They will be known as Atri, Devasada,
ravana and ravisthaka. They will be yogic noble souk, and
endowed wi th yoga. After attai ni ng the yoga of Mahe.' vara they
will go to Rudral oka.
67-71. W hen t he fifteenth cycle comes in due order, Tray-
yruni becomes the Vysa.
I will be born as a br ahmi n by name Veda iras. Then I
shall have a powerful missile known as Veda<iras. Ther e will
be a hill named Vcdai ras
1 1 1
on t he banks of the Sarasvat
1 1 8
behi nd t he Hi mal ayan slopes. Ther e also four ascetics will be
my sons, viz., Kuni , Kun bhu, Ku ar r a and Kunet r a. All of
t hem will be yogic and noble souls who will remai n ascetics
throughout. After at t ai ni ng the yoga of Mahei var a they will go
to Rudral oka.
72-75. In t he sixteenth cycle of four yugas when Deva is
the Vysa, I shall be born by the name Gokar na
1 1 3
in order to
log. Gandhamdana. Its location is highly controversial. According
to the Pauranic account this mountain forms the division between Ilvrta
and Bhadrva to the south of Meru and is renowned for its fragrant
forests.
i to. Gautamavana can be placed in the proximity of Brahmagiri near
Tryambaka in which Godvar has its source where the sage Gautama had
its hermitage.
i n . Himavat or Himalaya. This most celebrated mountain forms
the northern boundary of Bharata extending from the eastern to the wes-
tern sea.
ti 2. Sarasvati. This sacred river rises in the Sirmur hills of the
Sivalika range in the Himalayas.
13. Gokarna. The Gokarna forest referred to here is located in the
Western Ghat. This place is sacred to iva and is celebrated for a jyotir-
linga of iva. There is also another Gokarna in Nepal on the Bgamati
river.
Incarnations of Siva 95
spread yoga among the devotees of restrained souls. Tha t
forest (where I live and preach) will .become sacred and
famous as Gokarna. Ther e too the four yogins will be my sons
viz., Kyapa, Uanas, Cyavana and Brhaspati . They will be
endowed wi th medi t at i on and yoga. By following the same pat h
and at t ai ni ng the yoga of Mahevara they will go to Rudr a
Himself.
76-84. W hen t he seventeenth cycle sets in duly, O Lord
Brahm, Kr t a j a ya
1 1 4
will be t he Vysa, and I shall be born,
under J i e name Guhvsa on the lofty and beautiful peak of
the Hi mal ayas, Mahl aya
1 1 5
. I shall be known as Guhvsi n.
This Mahl aya will become a Si ddhaksetra the pl ace of
sanctity. Ther e too my sons will be conversant wi th yoga and
expounders of Br ahman. They will be nobl e sons and devoid
of ego. They will be known as Ut at hya, Vmadeva, Mah-
yoga and Mahbal a. At t hat time, in the practi ce of yogic
medi tati on, they will have hundreds and thousands of disciples.
Engaged in the practi ce of yoga, and medi t at i ng upon t he
great lord within their hearts, they after observing the foot-
prints in the Mahl aya will at t ai n the region of the lord. The
other noble souls who engage their mi nds in medi tati on at t he
end of Dvpar a age and the advent of Kal i will become sinless
and pure in intellect. Devoid of distress they will go to Rudra-
loka, by my grace. By visiting the. sacred Mahl aya, the
region of the great lord, a devotee will cross the ocean
of worldly existence and redeem his ten previous and ten
future generations. Thus, including himself, he will redeem
twenty one generations in Mahl aya. These being free from
lever will go to Rudral oka, by my grace.
85-89. O lord, in the eighteenth cycle the sage Rt aj aya
will become a Vysa. Then I shall be born in the name of
Si khandi n in the most sacred region of the Si ddhas whi ch is
adored by Devas as well as Dnavas. On the beautiful peak
of the Hi mal ayas there is a hill named Si khandi n,
1 1 6
wherein
is siniated t he penance grove of the sage Si khandi n, resorted
to by the Siddhas. Ther e too four ascetics will be born
114. Deva-krtajayah. ST. takes Deva in the vocative case :
115. Thi s peak of the Himalayas has not been identified so far.
116 . Not identifiable.
96 Ligapurna
to me. They will be known as Vcaravas, Rc ka, yvva
and Yat vara. They will be yogic and nobl e sons and masters
of the Vedas. After at t ai ni ng the yoga of Mahevara they
will go to Rudral oka.
90-93. W hen the ni net eent h cycle sets in duly, t he great
sage Bharadvj a will become the Vysa. Then I will be born
by the name J a^ml i n on the beautiful peak of the Hi mal a-
yas where the mount ai n J at yu
1 1 7
exists. Ther e too four sons of
great prowess will be born to me. They will be known as Hi ra-
nyanbha, Kaual ya, Laugksi and Kut humi . Characteri zed
by yogic virtues they will remai n celibate. After attai ni ng
the yoga of Mahevara they will go to Rudral oka.
94-99. W hen the twentieth cycle of yugas sets in, t he
sage Gaut ama becomes a Vysa. Then I shall be born by the
name Attahsa, most liked by the people. Ther e itself on
the ridge of the Hi mavat a great mount ai n At t ahsa
1 1 8
is the
abode of Devas, Dnavas, Yaksas, Si ddhas and Cr anas.
Ther e too, powerful sons will be born to me. They will be
yogic and noble souls, habi tual l y medi t at i ng and performing
the holy rites. They will be known as Sumant u, Barbari ,
Kabandha and Kui kandhara. After attai ni ng the Yoga of
Mahevara they will go to Rudral oka.
100-102. W hen the twenty-first cycle sets in duly, the ex-
cellent sage Vca' ravas becomes a Vysa. Then I shall be born
by the name Dr uka. Hence there will be a splendid and
sacred forest of Deodars
1 1 9
. Ther e too my sons will be very
powerful. They will be known as Plaksa, Dr bhyani , Ket u
man and Gaut ama. They will be yogic and great souls, well con-
trolled and celibate. After practising the perpetual holy rites
they will go to Rudr a' s region.
103-106. In the twenty-second cycle when usmyana
becomes a Vysa, I shall be born as a great sage by the name
117. Not identifiable.
118. Not identifiable.
119. Devadruvana. It is identical with Dru or Drult vana and
is placed close to the western ocean (S~P. KRS 39. 4 ) . Another vana of the
same name also stands in the Himalayas near Badrinath (Mbh. XIII, 25.
27)-
Incarnations of Siva 97
of Lgal i n the terribl e, at Vrnas
1 2 0
. Ther e t he Devas includ-
i ng lord I ndr a will see me i n the Kal i age as Bhava and
Hal yudha. Ther e too my virtuous sons will be known as Bhal-
lav, Madhupi ga, vetaketu and Kua. After attai ni ng the
yoga of Mahe vara they will be engaged in medi tati on. F ree
from i mpuri ti es and identical with Brahman they will ent er
Rudr a' s worl d.
I07b-l l l a. In the twenty-third cycle of four yugas when
the sage Tr nabi ndu becomes a Vysa O Brahm, I shall be
born as t he virtuous son of a sage under the name Sveta wi t h
a great body. At t hat time I shall be spendi ng my days (in
penance) on a mount ai n which will therefore be named Kl a-
j a r a
1 2 1
. Ther e too four ascetics will become my disciples. They
will be known as Uika, Brhadava, Deval a and Kavi . After
at t ai ni ng the yoga of Mahevara they will go to Rudr al oka.
11 lb-114a. In the twenty-fourth cycle, O lord, when Rksa
will be a Vysa, I will be born at the end of Dvpara, in that
Kal i age as a great yogin named Slin in the Nai mi s a
1 8 2
forest,
saluted by Devas. There too these ascetics will be my disciples
vi z. l i hotra, Agnivea, Yuvanva and aradvasu. They too
will go to Rudral oka by the same pat h.
114b-117a. W hen the twenty-fifth cycle of four yugas sets
in, the son of Vasisdia, akti by name, will become a Vysa.
At t hat time, I will be born as Lord Dand Mund vara wi th
shaven head and a staff in the hand. Ther e too these ascetics
will be my sons, vi z. Chagal a, Kundakar na, Kumbhnda and
Pravhaka. After at t ai ni ng the yoga of Mahevara they will
at t ai n i mmortal i ty.
117b-120. In the twenty-sixth cycle whenPar ar a will be-
come Vysa, at the end of Dvpar a and the advent of Kal i age I
shall be born by the name Sahisnu. I shall go to the city, Bhad-
120. Vrnasiancient Kl. It came to be so called because it was
situated between the two rivers: Barn and Asi.
121. Klajara: The Mbh. (I I I . 85, 56) associates Klajara with
Citrakta. According to this reference, it lies in the Madhya Bharata terri-
tory formerly known as Bundelkhanda. Cunningham (A.G. see map at the
end) places it to the east of Mahoba, below Citrakta.
122. See p. I. note 4.
)
98 Ligapurna
ravata
1
* * where the four righteous sons will be bor n to me. They
will be Ul ka, Vi dyut a, ambka and Avalyana. After attai n-
ing yoga of Mahei var a they will go to Rudral oka.
120-124a. W hen t he twenty-seventh cycle of four yugas
arrives duly, the ascetic J t kar nya will become a Vysa.
Then I shall be born as the br ahmi n Soma ar man at Prabhsa
1
* *
T rt ha. I shall be known as a yogic soul by taki ng resort to
yoga. Ther e too four ascetics will be my disciples, viz.
Aksapda, Kumr a, Ul ka and Vatsa. They will be great
yogic souls, pur e in intellect and devoid of i mpuri ti es. After
attai ni ng t he yoga of Mahei var a they will go to Rudral oka.
124b-133. W hen the twenty-eighth cycle of four yugas
occurs i n due order, t he glorious son of Par ar a named
Dvai pyana
1 1 5
will become a Vysa. He is Vi snu himself, t he
grandfather of the worlds. At t hat time, Vsudeva, bl ack in colour
and t he best among men and exalted among t he Yadus, will
be bor n of Vasudeva. At the same ti me, by the power of my yogic
illusion I the Yogt man will be bor n as Brahmacri n and inspire
awe among the peopl e. On seeing a dead body left in the
cremat i on ground wi t hout a cl ai mant, I shall be enteri ng it
by the yogic power for the welfare of the brahmi ns. Along
wi th you and Vi s nu
1
" I will enter the divine and holy cave of
the Mer u.
1
*
7
O Brahm, at t hat ti me, I will be known as
Lakul i. Tha t holy pl ace where I entered t he dead body will
be known as Kyvat r aa name t hat will last as long as
the eart h lasts. Ther e too the ascetic sons will be born to me.
133. Bhadravata: Gf. P. SRS. 5. 39. This town has not been identi-
fied so far.
134. It is a celebrated place of pilgrimage in SaurSstra, the southern
part of Kathiawar.
135. Dvaipyana Vysa : See p. 3. note 6.
136. tvay srdham ca Visnun. ST. construes tvay with Visnun
(tvay Visnun srdham) and thus excludes Brahm.
- 137. Meru : It is situated in the centre of the earth. It is described
in the Purnas as the four-armed svastika, evolving in four directions, each
with seven constituent members. It can be identified with the highland of
Tartary, north of the Himalayas. It is variously called Su-meru, Hemdri
(the golden mountain), Ratnasnu (jewel-peaked), Karnikcala (lotus
mountain), Amardri, Deva-parvata, 'mountain of the Gods'. On its extent
and identification with the Great Pamir knot of Asia, see The Geography of
the Purnas:S. M. ALL Ch: III. pp. 47-53.
Incarnations of iva
99
They will be known as Kui ka, Garga, Mi t r a and Kaur us ya.
They will be great yogic souls and brahmi ns who will have
mastered all t he Vedas. They will remai n cel i bate and f ree
from i mpuri ti es. After at t ai ni ng the yoga of Mahe vara they
will go to Rudr a' s world, never to ret urn.
134-140. All these enl ightened souls will be the devotees
of iva and will have thei r bodies smeared wi t h ashes. They
will be perpetual l y engaged i n worshipping Li ga. They will
be steadfast and f i rm i n body and t he mi nd. W i t h devoti on
towards me and by means of yoga they will be established i n
medi t at i on and acqui re self-control. The great P upat a yoga
can snap worl dl y ties and i l l umi nate the pat h of knowledge.
It i s also conduci ve to Real knowledge. Ther e are several
pat hs of yoga and several pat hs of knowledge. But wi thout
taki ng recourse to t he f i ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a
1
*
8
one cannot
at t ai n eternal bliss. W hen a person performs penance eschew-
ing Dvandvas (mutual l y clashing opposites) he can be-
come a l i berated soul, as one who has at t ai ned t he ri pe fruit.
Even if a man performs P upat a rite for a single day he can
obtai n fruits, the like of whi ch he cannot have either by Paca-
rtra
1
* * or Skhya.
Thus I have nar r at ed the characteristics of i ncarnati ons
in the course of twenty-eight sets of four yugas in due order,
begi nni ng wi t h Manu and endi ng wi th Kr s na. The classifica-
tion of the Vedas revealing Dhar ma will take pl ace in t he kal pa
when Kr s na Dvai pyana becomes a Vysa.
Sta said :
141-144. On heari ng about the i ncarnati ons of Rudr a
described thus by the supreme lord, Lor d Brahm, of great
spl endour bowed to hi m and eulogised hi m wi th pleasing words.
Then he spoke to l ord iva.
Brahm said:
All the Devas and all the Ganas are i denti cal wi t h Vi snu.
Ther e is no other goal equal to the goal of attai ni ng Vi snu.
128. The five-syllabled mantra of iva : namah hrya.
129. Pacartraa name af the sacred books of the various Vaisnava
sects.
;
100 Ligapurna
Thus sing the Vedas perpetual l y. Then how di d this happen
t hat the l ord of Devas worshipped you i n the Li ga and
remai ned ever devot ed to you ?
145-150. On hear i ng t he words of Br ahm lord iva was
delighted on account of the weighty relevancy of the question.
He looked at hi m as if he woul d dri nk hi m t hrough his eyes.
F aci ng hi m, he t hen described the met hod of worship of the
Li ga. It was after worshipping the Li ga i n accordance wi th
the instructions t hat you ( Br ahm) , Vi snu and I ndr a, t he
best of Devas and the sages, had attai ned their respective
status. O lord, hence they conti nue to worship me further.
Ther e cannot be steadiness
1 80
>'n piety wi thout the worship of
the Li ga; hence lord Visnu worships me perpetual l y wi th
due devotion and faith.
After saying this and blessing Brahm by gl anci ng at hi m
once again, iva, the l ord of Devas, vanished there itself.
After gaining enl i ght enment
1 3 1
from iva to create every-
thi ng afresh, Brahm j oi ned his pal ms in reverence and bowed
to iva in the direction where he had vanished.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Method of camana and Ablution
The sages said :
1. O Romahar s ana,
1 3 2
how is the great lord to be wor-
shipped in his Liga-form ? Please explain this to us now.
Sta said :
2. At Kai l a
1 3 3
the great lord was asked the same by the
Goddess Prvat, the daught er of the lord of the Hi mal aya,
who was seated on his l ap. The lord, then, described to her
the procedure of worshipping the Liga.
130. nifthniscala-sthnam ST. a permanent abode.
131. labdha-samjahprptnujah ST. saj here means a direc-
tion, command or order. Ed.
132. See p. 2 note 7.
133. Mount Kailsa is a part of the Himalayan range lying to the
north of Mnasa-sarovara, not far off from the source of Ghogra (Sarayu)
river. The detailed description of the mount is found in the Matsya P. Gh. 121.
Method of camana and Ablution 101
3-5. At t hat time, Nandi n the son of l akyana was
standi ng nearby. O sages of good rites, he hear d everything
and ment i oned i t to Brahma' s son Sanat . F r om hi m Vysa
of great refulgence received the great discourse on the worship
of the Li ga, as also the bat hi ng and other rites, as decl ared in
the Vedas. I shall recount the same in the manner he hear d it
orally from Nandi n.
Nandin said :
6. Henceforth, for the welfare of the brahmi ns, I shall
recount the rules of procedure for the sacred abl uti on, whi ch
is destructive of all sins. F ormerl y it was decl ared by lord iva
himself.
7. By taki ng holy bat h in accordance wi th this procedure,
by worshi ppi ng lord iva and by observing Brahmakrca
1 3 4
at a time, one is l i berated from sins.
8. O most excellent among the sons of Br ahm, three types
of abl ut i on are enjoined by iva, the l ord of Devas, for the wel-
fare of t he brahmi ns and others.
9-10. One shall at t he outset perform t he watery bat h
and t hen the sacred ash-bat h
1 8 5
and thereafter the Mant r a
abl uti on and t hen t he worship of the lord. One who is defiled in
emoti ons and feelings is not purified even after taki ng bat h in
water or after appl yi ng ashes. Onl y one who is emotionally
pur e will proceed wi th purificatory rites and not otherwise.
11. Ther e i s no doubt t hat an emotional l y defiled man
does not become pur e even if he takes bat h in rivers, ponds
and lakes till t he dissolution of the universe.
12. The lotus-like mi nd of ma n i s asleep due to Tamas .
W hen i t i s wakened up by the refulgence of knowledge, man
becomes pur e
1 3 4
.
13-14. The devotee shall take clay, cowdung
1 3 7
, gingelly
134. It is a kind of penance in the observance of which the five products
of the cow (pacagavya) are eaten.
135. gneyamIt is the bath of bhasma (ashes)the product of
fire-consumed cow-dung or wooden sticks.
136. This verse is a fine piece of poetical composition involving
metaphor.
137. akrtcow-dung. It is considered to be pure and used in
religious rites.
102 Ligapurna
seeds, fl owers and ashes for bat h and keep t hem on the bank.
He shall t hen scatter Ku a grass i nt o t he holy wat er for bat h.
After washi ng his feet, doi ng camana and removi ng di rt from
t he body wi th the articles pl aced on the bank, he shall per-
form the ri te of abl ut i on.
15-16. Repeat i ng the Ma nt r a " Uddhr t s i "
1
*
8
he shall
cl ean the body agai n wi t h a small quant i t y of clay and weari ng
anot her cloth he shall bat he. Repeat i ng t he Mant r a " Ga ndha -
dvr m Dur dha r s m"
1 3 9
he shall smear himself wi t h t he
cowdung of t he tawny cow gat hered even before it touches
t he gr ound.
17-20. Taki ng bat h agai n he shall di scard the di rty cl ot h;
wear (fresh) whi t e one and perform abl ut i on agai n. F or dis-
pel l i ng sins he shall invoke Var una. He shall t hen worshi p
t he lord by medi t at i on. He shall perform camana thrice,
and t hen pl unge i nt o t he holy waters (all the whi l e) thinking
about iva. Again doing camana he shall inspire the
holy wat er wi t h Mant r as . Pl ungi ng agai n i nt o t he wa.ter he
shall repeat the Aghamar s ana
1 4 0
Mant r a. W i t h great self-
control the devotee shall remember the discs of the sun, moon
and f i r e i n t hat wat er.
21 -22. The knower of t he Mant r as shall perform camana,
and rise up from t he waters and st andi ng i n t he mi ddl e of
holy waters he shall pour water over his head from cow' s
hor n,
1 4 1
or by means of cups made of well washed Pal a leaf.
The wat er shall be scattered wi t h Ku a grass and f l owers.
23-25. O brahmi ns, while pouri ng wat er over his head,
he shall repeat these mant r as rememberi ng t he forms of t he
respective deities (invoked therein) and the sages concerned for
increase of his holiness. The mant r as i ncl ude Rudr a,
1 4 2
Pava-
mna what i s cal l ed Tvari t a, two nt i mant r as
1 4 8
and the man-
tra ' an no dev ,
1 4 4
and t he f i ve holy mant r as
1 4 5
of Sadyoj ta.
138. Udhrtsi Varhena TA. 10. 1.8; Mahn u. 4.5.
139. gandhadvrm durdharsm TA. 10. 1; Mohan u. 4. 8.
140. aghamarsana : rtam ca satyam T4. 10. 1. 13; Mahn u. 5.5.
141. rngenagosrgena ST. with the cow's horn.
142. tvaritayo rudro TS. 5.5.9.3.
143. sntidvayenaanno mitr RV.i.cp.g.io.
144. santidharnienaanno devi RV. 10.9.4.
145. paca-brahma-pavitrakaihmantras beginning with sadyojta.
Procedure of Sacred Ablution 103
He shall t hen medi t at e i n his heart on lord Tr yambaka
1 4
*
havi ng fi ve faces.
1 4 7
26-29. After ri nsi ng his mout h and doi ng camana as
prescri bed i n his own St ra and weari ng pavi t ra i n t he hand,
he shall sit comfortably in a clean spot, sprinkle kua wat er on
his body wi t h his ri ght hand and perform camana agai n.
The n artfully he shall wheel wat er r ound hi m and perform
ci rcumambul at i on. Thi s will wi pe off his sins of violence.
O vi rtuous brahmi ns, this excellent procedure of abl ut i on and
camana has been succinctly ment i oned for your welfare.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Procedure of Sacred Ablution
Nandin said :
1. Thereafter he should invoke the glorious and great
goddess Gyat r t he mot her of the Vedas, wi t h t he mant r a :
" yt u var ad dev " .
1 4 8
2-3. He shall offer pdya, caman ya, and arghya. He
shall t hen perform three prnymas. Thereafter, either sitting
or st andi ng he shall repeat the Gyat r al ong wi th Prartava
Om adopt i ng one of the three modes, viz., repeati ng it a thousand
or fi ve hundr ed or hundr ed and eight times.
4-6. He shall offer the arghya agai n and worship the mot her
Goddess. He shall bow to her and then ritualisticaliy dismiss
her by repeati ng the mant r a " ut t ame i khare dev , "
1 4 9
etc.
Looki ng towards t he east and sal uting the goddess Gyatr ,
mot her of the Vedas, he shall wi th the pal ms j oi ned in reverence,
pray t o the Sun God repeat i ng the Mant r as " Udut yar i i
J t avedas am" , " Gi t r a m" and others. He shall t hen salute the
sun and Br ahm i n accordance with the inj unctions.
146. tryambakamthree-eyed or three-mothered iva.
147. pacsyamfive-faced. See p. 49 note 65.
148. ytu varad devi TA. 10.26.1.
149. uttame ikhare devi TA. 10.3.1.
104 Ligapurna
7-10. He shall repeat the hymns to Srya, from Rk,
Yajus and Sman. He shall thereafter ci rcumambul at e the
sun
1 5 0
thri ce. He shall then bow t o At man, Ant ar t man and
Par amt man t he sun, Brahm and f i re.
1 6 1
Thereafter he shall
invoke t he sage, the Pitrs and Devas wi th thei r respective names
by saying " I ?m invoking al l ". Then he shall dul y perform the
t ar pana ri te facing ei ther east or nor t h after medi t at i ng on
thei r actual pri nci pal forms and saluting t hem i n due order.
11. The t ar pana t o Devas shall be performed wi t h t he
water inl aid wi th fl owers, the rites to t he sages wi th t he water
mixed wi t h Ku a grass and the rites to t he Pitrs wi t h water
mixed wi th gingelly seeds. Scents should be mi xed in the water
in all cases.
12. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, the sacred t hread is worn in
the usual manner (i.e. over the left shoul der) when the rites
to Devas are perf ormed; it is worn like a garl and when the
t ar pana to t he sages is perf ormed; it is worn from ri ght shoulder
leftward when the t ar pana to Pi trs i s performed.
13-15. F or procuri ng all achi evements t he wise devotee
who is well versed in the Vedas shall perform t ar pana to Devas
wi t h waters fl owing down the tips of all fingers. He shall per-
form t ar pana to t he sages wi th waters fl owi ng down the tip
of the little finger. He shall perform t ar pana to the pitrs wi th
waters f l owi ng down t he t humb of the ri ght hand.
Similarly, O l eadi ng sages, he shall perform the five sacri-
f i ces, viz., Br ahma, Deva, Manu ya, Bht a and Pi t r. He shall
be devotedly engaged in these rites and be pur e in soul.
16-19. O brahmi ns, the study of the Vedi c texts of one' s
own br anch is Br ahmayaj a;
1 8 2
t he offering of cooked rice
i nt o t he sacred fire is Devayaj a; t he offering of oblations to
Bhtas (living beings) as prescribed in t he ri t ual is Bhtayaj a;
i t bestows prosperi t y on all living bei ngs. Th e devot ee shall
bow to br ahmi ns well-versed in t he Vedi c ri t ual s as well as
150. Vibhvasuthe sun. ST. quotes Amara : "vibhvasur graha-
patih".
151. Vibhvasuthe fire. Ibid : "citrabhnu vibhvasuh".
152. brahma-yaja is defined as sva-f&khdhyayanamthe study
of particular recensions to which the scholar belongs. ST. quotes from an
unknown source : *'yat svdhyyam adhlyita ekmapi ream yajuh sma v
tad brahma-yajah".
Procedure of Sacred Ablution
105
feed t hem a nd t hei r wives. Thi s i s Manus ya Yaj a. Wha t
is offered for t he sake of Pi t rs (t he depar t ed souls) is Pi t ryaj a.
Thus he shall perform these fi ve Yaj as
1 5 3
for achi evi ng Si ddhi s.
20. Li st en O Brahmi ns ! Br ahmayaj a is t he great est of
these Yaj as. A ma n engaged in Br ahmayaj a is honour ed in
t he wor l d of Br ahm.
21-24. By Br ahmayaj a all t he Devas i ncl udi ng I ndr a,
Lor ds Brahm, Vi snu and iva, all the Vedas and Pitrs are
pleased. No doubt need be entertai ned i n this respect. The
br ahmi n who is adept in Brahmayaj a when he goes out of
his vi l l age out of si ght of hundr eds of hut s, shall t ur n t owards
t he east, nor t h or nort h-east '
6
* and t hen perform t he sacred ri t e
of camana for t he sake of Br ahmayaj a. For pr opi t i at i ng
t he Rks, O br ahmi ns, he shall fi l l t he cup of his pal m a nd
dr i nk wat er t hr i ce.
25. For pr opi t i at i ng t he Yaj us he shall wash his hands,
and wi pe off his face twice wi t h wat er . For t he pr opi t i at i on
of Smaveda he shall t ouch the head.
26. The br ahmi n shall wash the eyes, nostrils and other
limbs for t he propi ti ati on of t he At harvan and Agi ras texts.
F or the propi ti ati on of ei ght een
1 6 5
Pur nas begi nni ng wi th
Brahma, for t he propi t i at i on of eighteen Upapur nas begi nni ng
wi th Saura, and for the propi t i at i on of holy Iti hsas begi nni ng
wi t h ai va he shall t ouch his ears and the cardi ac region. O
sages, most excellent among t he knowers of the Kal pa, for the
propi t i at i on of the Kal pa texts, he shall perform t he Acamana
rite. After scatteri ng bundl es of Dar bha grass, the devotee
shall sit down and keep the ri ght pal m over t he left pal m.
Ther e must be a golden ri ng or t he Ku a l oop
1 6
* r ound his
153. The five daily sacrifices to be performed by a householder consti-
tute brahma-yaja, pitr-yaja, deva-yaja, bhta-yaja and nr-yaja. These
are defined as :
a p a r m W%tm: fl^'RFJ fW^ I
Liga substitutes 3{SZppTTr for 3TEi||UH4^ |
154. prgudicymnym ST. in the north-eastern direction.
155. For the nomenclature and number of the Purnas, see Intro-
duction.
156. brahma-bandha : the term is not clear.
106 Ligapurna
fi nger. W i t h great concentrati on and following his own school
he shall perform t he Br ahmayaj a dul y. Though an excellent
br ahmi n or sage but i f he takes food wi t hout performi ng t he
fi ve gr eat Yaj as, he will be bor n i n t he womb of sows. Hence
a person should assiduously perform t he same seeking for auspi -
ciousness.
33. After Br ahmayaj a he shall perform Abl ut i on for t he
self, collect t he hol y wat er dul y and ent er t he camp wi t h per-
fect self-control.
34. Out si de t he house he shall wash his hands and feet
wi t h wat er . Thereaft er, for pur i t y' s sake he shall perform
t he sacred bat h wi t h ashes dul y.
35-36. Th e ashes should be perfectly cl eaned by means of
Pr anava . It must be t aken from what remai ns after perform-
i ng Agni hot r a. Whe n t he sun has risen i n t he mor ni ng t he
Agni hot r a should be performed wi t h t he Ma nt r a "Jyot i h
s r yah. "
1 6 7
In t he evening the same should be performed wi t h
t he Mant r a " J yot i r Agni h" .
1 5 8
If the sun has not risen fully,
the performance of Agni hotra is rendered ineffective. The
ashes of the sacrifice performed after the sun has risen is al one
sacred and spl endi d.
37-41. Ther e i s not hi ng hol y like t r ut h and nothi ng
sinful like unt r ut h. Repeat i ng t he Mant r a of Ina he shall
smear ashes on t he head; repeati ng the Mant r a of Tat pur us a, he
shall smear ashes on his face; repeati ng the Ma nt r a of Aghora he
shall do so over his chest; O men of holy rites ! he shall appl y
ashes over t he secret part s by repeat i ng the Mant r a of Vma-
deva and similarly on the feet by repeati ng the Mant r a
of Sadya. By repeat i ng the Pr anava he shall smear ashes all
over the body. Thereaf ter he shall wash hands and feet. After
wasing t hem off he shall take ashes wi th his mi nd set on the
l ord of Devas and perform Abl ut i on repeat i ng t he Mant r as
viz., " Apo hi st h
1 6
* and ot her sacred formulas taken from Rk,
Yaj us and Sman texts. Thus for your welfare O br ahmi ns,
the mode of procedure for hol y bat h has been described to you
succinctly. He who performs thus even for once shall at t ai n
the highest abode of God.
' 57- jyotih sryah TA. 4.10.5.
158. Jyotir agnih TA. 4.10.5.
159. Apo hi ?{h TS. 4. 1. 5. 1.
Worship of Liga
107
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Warship of Liga
Nandin said :
1. Listen, I shall briefly ment i on t he rules of procedure for
t he worshi p of Li ga. It i s not possible to recount t hem i n
detai l even in a hundr ed years.
2. After bat hi ng t hus
1
*
0
in a befitting manner the devotee
shall ent er the pl ace of worshi p, take three pr nymas and
medi t at e on t he three-eyed l ord.
3-4. He shall resort to t he form of t he deity as follows.
He has f i ve faces and ten ar ms. He shines like pur e crystal.
He i s bedecked i n all ornament s and clothes of vari egated
colours. By means of cert ai n Tant r i c practi ces such as dhana,
pl vana etc. , he shall transform himself i nt o t he body of l ord
iva and begin to worshi p hi m.
5. After purifying t he body he shall perform t he rite of
Nysa of t he ml a mant r as . Everywhere t he f i ve Brahmans
(Sadyoj ta etc. ) shall be f i xed wi t h t he Pr anava i n order.
6-7. In the highly spl endi d aphori sm viz., " Na ma h i vya"
the Vedas are present i n subtl e form. J us t as t he hol y fi g tree
is present in t he subde seed of t he Nyagr odha so also t he great
Br ahman i s present i n t he great and spl endi d aphori sm, all
by Hi msel f in a subtle form.
8. The devotee shall sprinkle the pl ace of worshi p wi t h
scented sandal water, and consecrate t he materi al s of worshi p
ei ther by washi ng or by sprinkling water.
9-10. The washi ng and sprinkling i s performed by repeat-
ing t he Pr anava . The intelligent devotee shall dul y cover the
vessels wi t h a cl ot h; these are the Proksan (vessel cont ai ni ng
holy wat er ) , Arghya, Pdya and Acaman ya vessels.
11. These shall be covered wi th Dar bha grass and sprinkled
wi t h pur e water. He shall then pour cool wat er i n t he diffe-
rent vessels.
12. The intelligent devotee shall pour wat er i n t hem after
observing the materi al s. He shall pl ace U i r a and sandal i n
the Pdya.
i6o. It refers to the threefold bath, namely vruna, gneya and
mantra as specified in Ch. 25. 9.
108 Ligapurna
13. He shall dul y powder nut meg ( J t i ) , momor di ca
mi xta (Kankol a seed), the root of Bahuml a (a her b) ,
Xant hocymus epictorius ( Taml a seed) and camphor and put
the same i n t he Acaman ya vessel.
14. Similarly he shall put camphor, sandal and different
kinds of flowers in al l t he vessels.
15. He shall put tips of Ku a grass, unbroken rice grains,
barl ey grains, cereals, gingelly seeds, ghee, whi t e must ard,
fl owers and ashes i n t he Arghya vessel.
16. Repeat i ng t he Pr anava he shall put Ku a grass, f l owers,
barl ey grai ns, bits of Bahuml a herb and Taml a root as well
as ashes i nt o t he Proksan vessel.
17. He shall perform t he ri te of Nysa of t he fi ve-syl l abl ed
Mant r a, and of Rudr a Gyat r or only of Pr anavat he exc-
ellent essence of t he Vedas.
18. Thereafter he shall sprinkle the materi al s of worshi p
wi th wat er from the Proksan vessel, repeat i ng Pr anava as
well as t he fi ve Yaj us begi nni ng wi t h na.
19-21. By t he (ri ght) side
1
*
1
the l ord of Devas, Nandi n,
i.e. myself, shall be worshi pped. I shall have the lustre of
ten t housand bl azi ng fires, t hree eyes, t he face of a monkey,
four arms, the crescent moon as coronet, weari ng fl ower
garl ands, gentle, and bedecked i n all ornament s. My wife
Suya the auspicious and holy daught er of the Mar ut s shall
be worshi pped to t he nor t h of Nandi n i.e. myself.
142
She who
performs hol y rites shall be engaged in embellishing the feet
of Amb (Goddess Pr vat ) .
22-23. After worshi ppi ng thus he shall enter the sanct um
sanct orum of l ord iva. He shall then offer handfuls of flowers
on the f i ve heads of t he Lor d repeati ng the f i ve Mant r as .
W i t h different ki nds of incense and scented fl owers he shall
worship iva, Skanda, Gane a and the goddess, and then
consecrate t he Li ga.
24. After repeat i ng the Mant r as begi nni ng wi t h Pr anava
1 6 3
161. prvatah-daksina-prve ST. on the right side.
162. jmanahnandinah mama ST. of Nandi the speaker.
163. pranavdi-namontakammantras beginning with ''Om nidhna-
pataye namah" and ending with "parama-ligya namah".
Worship of Liga 109
and endi ng wi t h Namas he shall conceive of a lotus seat
1
*
4
for t he dei ty, by repeat i ng t he Pr anava.
25-28. It s i mperi shabl e pet al i n t he East shall be Ani m;
Laghi m shall be t he pet al i n t he Sout h; Mahi m the W est ern
pet al ; Pr pt i the Nor t her n, Pr kmyam t he South-eastern, Ii tva
t he South-western, Vai t va t he North-western, Omni sci ence
the North-eastern pet al . The moon will be t he peri carp. Beneath
the moon i s t he sun and beneat h t he sun the f i re-god. Dhar ma
1
*
5
and others shall be installed i n the subsidiary quart ers. He
shall t hen instal Anant a. He shall instal Avyakta etc. i n the four
quarters
1
* * i n order and t he three Gunas at t he extremi ty of
Soma.
29-34. Above i t he shall instal t he t hree At mans
1
*
7
and i n
the end Siva' s pedestal . Repeat i ng t he Mant r a " I resort t o
Sadyoj t a"
1
*
8
he shall invoke " the supreme lord. W i t h
the Ma nt r a of Vmadeva he shall instal Hi m over the seat.
W i t h Rudragyat r he shall establish Hi s presense and wi t h
Aghora Ma nt r a he shall stabilise t he presence of deity. He
shall t hen worship wi th t he Mant r a " I na h Sarvavi dynm.
1
*
9
He shall t hen offer Pdya, Acamani ya and Arghya to t he l ord.
In accordance wi t h the inj unctions he shall be t he Rudr a
wi th scented sandal paste water. After gat heri ng Paca
Gavya i n a vessel and after inspiring i t wi t h Pr anava he shall
bat he t he dei t y wi t h Pacagavya. Repeat i ng t he Pr anava
he shall perform t he ri t e of abl ut i on to t he dei t y (successively)
wi t h ghee, honey, sugar-cane j ui ce and ot her hol y mat eri al s
of worshi p. Wi t h holy Mant r as , usi ng pur e vessels he shall
pour wat er over t he dei t y.
35-39. Th e aspi rant shall wi pe it off wi t h a whi t e cl ot h.
164. padmsana : see p. 35 note 47.
165. dharmdayaha group of four, viz., dharma (virtue), jna
(knowledge), vairgya (detachment) and aivarya (supremacy or super-
natural power).
166. avyaktdia group of four, viz. pradhna (invisible prakrti),
mahat (intellect), ahamkra (ego), and manas (mint!).
167. tma-trayama trio consisting of Viva, Taijasa and Prja.
168. "sadyojtam prapadymi". Mark the use of parasmaipada
in 'prapadymi' for the grammatically correct form 'prapadye* in tmne-
pada.
169. inah sarvavidynm TA-10.47.
110 Ligapurna
He shall put Ku a grass, Apmrga, camphor, J asmi ne,
Chi na rose, whi t e j asmi nes, lotuses, lilies, whi t e ol eanders and
other f l owers i nto the wat er al ong wi t h sandal paste. He shall
inspire t he wat er by repeat i ng t he Mant r as of Sadyoj ta.
The wat er may be t aken in a vessel made of gold, silver or
copper. It may be i n a lotus cup or a cup of pal a. The conch
or an eart hern j ar can be used. In t he l at t er case i t should be
fresh and well washed. Repeat i ng t he requisite Mant r as he shall
bat he t he deity i n the wat er contai ni ng Ku a grass
1 7 0
or f l owers.
F or all achi evements he shall repeat the Mant r as . Now I shall
ment i on the mant r as to you; please listen.
40-45. A ma n who worships t he Li ga even once wi t h t he
following Mant r as will be l i berated. Those who are conver-
sant wi t h t he Ma nt r a st ra use t he following Mant r as for
the ri te of Abl uti on : Pavamna,
1 7 1
Vma,
1 7
* Rudr a,
1 7 8
N l a
1 7 4
Rudr a, r skta,
1 7 8
Rt ri skt a,
1 7 8
Camaka Hot r a, Atharva-
iras, nt i , Bhrunda, Aruna, Vr una, J yest ha, Vedavrat a,
Rat hant ar a, Purusa, Tvari t a, Rudr a,
1 7 7
Kapi , Kapar di ,
the Sman A vo r j nam,
1 7 8
Brhaccandra, Vi snu, Vi rpka
Mant r a, kanda, a gr oup of hundr ed hymns, t he hymns of
Paca Br ahmans, Packsar a Ma nt r a or Pr anava al one.
46-48. Th e devot ee shall bat he t he l ord of t he chiefs of
Devas for t he suppressi on of all sins. He shall t hen offer t he
following t o t he dei t y: Cl ot hes, t he sacred t hr ead, Acamani ya,
scents and fl owers, i ncense, light, cooked rice, scent ed wat er
a nd Acaman ya once agai n. Thereafter he shall offer a crown,
170. sakrcenakrca is a handful of kua grass used in religious
rites.
171. pavamnaa group of mantras designated after their sancti-
fying efficiency.
172. VmiyakaVma skta beginning with 'asya vmasya'.
173. RudrenaRudra mantras of Rudrdhyya also called atarudriya.
ST. quotes from iva-rahasya : Vede?u atarudryam devatsu mahevarah.
174. nilarudrenaAtharvavedyaih tatsamjakair mantraih ST.
Rudra mantras of the Atharvaveda-samhita.
175. ri skta RV.
176. Rtri sukta RV.
177. tvarita, see p. 102 note. 142
178. vo rjnam TS 1. 3. 12. 1.
Mental Worship of Siva
111
an umbr el l a a nd or nament s. Repeat i ng t he Pr anava al one
he shal l offer t he scent ed bet el .
49-54. On t he t op of t he Li ga he shall worshi p t he
unsul l i ed, i mperi shabl e Lor d, shi ni ng like a crystal glass, t he
cause of all Devas, i dent i cal wi t h t he uni verse, i mpercept i bl e
t o t he sages, Devas, Brahm, I ndr a, Vi snu, Rudr a and others.
The ruti says " He i s i mpercepti bl e t hrough even Vednt as,
to t he knowers of the Vedas t oo" . He i s devoid of beginning,
mi ddl e and end. He i s a medi ci ne unt o those who are afflicted
by t he sickness of worldliness.
17
* He is known as i vat at t va
(Pri nci pl e of i va) and i s stati oned i n t he iva Li nga. He shall
dul y r epeat t he prayers and make obeisance. He shall
ci rcumambul at e, offer Arghya, scatter flowers at t he feet,
bow to t he l ord of Devas and superimpose iva on the t man.
Thi s, in brief, is the procedure of worshi ppi ng iva in Li ga.
Now I shall describe the i nternal worshi p of Li ga to you.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Mental Worship of Siva
Nandin said :
1-2. The fi ery, solar and the l unar
1 8 0
disc shall be t hought
of wi t hi n t he heart . Above t hat t he trio of t he Gunas and t he
At mans shall be conceived. Above it, t he devotee shall
medi t at e upon and worship the lord i n bot h t he aspects wi th
and wi t hout attri butes wi th half his body taken over by his
beloved.
3-4. Since there are many objects to thi nk upon, t he thi nker
shall not think of anyt hi ng except t he following. The medi -
t at or shall conceive no distinction between t he obj ect and the
means of medi t at i on; otherwise, (i.e. if he thi nks of anythi ng
ot her t han these) knowl edge does not arise i n hi m.
179. bhesajam bhava roginm Gf. bbisaktamam tvm bhisajm
rnomi. RV. 2.33.4.
180. amrtam-somam candrarpam ST. lunar orb.
112
Ligapurna
5-6. The word Purusa is derived thus : pur i ete (he who
lies i n the body) . He who worships t he deity, t he object of
worship by means of medi t at i on, is known as yaj amna. Dhyeya
(the obj ect of medi t at i on) is t he l ord himself. Dhyna is the
act of thi nki ng. Ni rukt (bliss) t he fruit of dhyna. One who
knows about this at t ai ns t he ul t i mat e reality whi ch is t he sub-
st rat um of Pr adhna and Purusa.
7-10. Her e t he supreme lord, t he object of medi t at i on, is
t he twenty-sixth pri nci pl e, t he medi t at or (j va) is t he twenty-
fi fth, t he avyakta or pr adhna i s the twenty-fourth. The seven
principles consti tute mahat , ahamkra, and f i ve t anmt ras.
The organs of act i on are fi ve, as also t he organs of sense;
t hen there i s the mi nd and t he fi ve elements. Thus iva i s t he
twenty-sixth pri nci pl e. He al one i s the creator and sustainer.
He i s greater t han Br ahm. He has creat ed Brahm. He i s
one who i s above and greater t han the universe, and i s the
universe itself.
11. J us t as chi l dren are not bor n wi t hout their parent s,
so also the three worlds are not bor n wi t hout iva and his
consort.
Sanatkumra said :
12-13. If the great l ord who is the supreme power and t he
supreme soul is himself the doer how can he be an agent who
causes activity of the individual souls ? But the supreme lord
has been ment i oned by you as eternal , enl i ghtened and un-
qual i t at i ve.
1 8 2
How can he then bestow l i berati on ? If he is
wi t hout at t ri but es how can he function ?
Nandin said :
14. It is Kl a (Ti me) t hat evolves everything. Lord iva
evolves the Kl a always. W hen the mi nd devoid of qualities
181. jivtm, the individual soul, the enjoyer of the fruits of the
world-tree (cf. ebhih sampditam bhukte purusah pacavimakah. Matsya
3.27), constitutes the twenty-fifth category. He is also called 'bhokt purusah',
'bhokt suparnah' and he is controlled by the will of vara (cf. Ivarecch-
vaah so'pi jivtm kathyate budhaih). The latter is called sadvirhaka
ivathe twenty-sixth category who though transcendent is not competent
to bestow grace. (Gf. s^vimakamanivaram 1.71.109).
182. niskalahdevoid of attributes, hence passive or inactive, but
who imparts impetus to TimeKla who creates the universe t><rti|'fd I
Mtntal Worship of Siva 113
i s set on l ord iva, l ord i va reveals Hi s t rue, attri butel ess
nat ur e.
1 8
*
15-17. The universe appears to be existent by his very
activity. The ei ght
1 8 4
forms of t he lord represent t he empi ri cal
universe. W i t hout t he f i ve el ementsether, eart h, wi nd, f i re
and wat er and wi t hout t he priest, t he sun and t he moon, t he
worl d has no existence. On consi derati on, i t i s evi dent t hat
t he gross worl d consisting of t he mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings
is t he gross body of Rudr a. These ei ght are t he cosmic forms
of t he l ord.
18-19. O excellent br ahmi ns t he sages decl are t hat t he
subtl e body of t he l ord i s inexpressible. ( The Vedas decl are)
" F r o m hi m t he words recede after failing t o reach hi m al ong
wi t h the mi nd. He who realizes t he bliss of t he Br ahman
eschews fear from any quar t er " .
1 8 8
Hence, after real i zi ng t he
bliss of t he pi nka-beari ng l ord, no one need be afraid.
20. After perceiving t hr ough thei r i magi nat i on t hat t he
elegances
1 8
* of Rudr a are present everywhere, t he J ages who
percei ve t he t r ut h say, " Ever yt hi ng i s Rudra. * '
21-22. By maki ng incessant obeisance to Br ahm one' s
prestige is increased. All this is Br ahman; everythi ng is l ord
Rudr a. Pur us a i s t he great l or d; iva i s t he supreme l ord.
Thus t he l ord has been specified. Medi t at i on i s the sole t hought
about hi m.
183. The mind too when stabilized by concentration becomes inactive
(niskriya) as this helps in the emancipation of jiva. Gf. ST. :
^pj frw e*ti4 jfterrc CRCT% frfcj^ 11
But, as a matter of fact, the termsbondage and release are illusory
and so are creation and dissolution. Gf. PacadaJ as quoted in ST :
<TC*nW 11 VI. 35.
184. The eight forms of lord iva constitute the five gross material
elements, the soul, the sun and the moon. Each stands in relation to its
constituent as follows :
(i) arvaearth (ii) Bhavawater, (iii) Rudrafire, (iv) Ugrawind,
(v) Bhmaether, (vi) Paiupatisoul, (vii) Inasun, and (viii) Mah-
devamoon.
185. Gf. TA. 8.4.1. TU 3 . 4 1 , 9. 1 . Brahman is here identical with iva.
186. Rudrasya vibhtayah. The vibhties of Rudra comprise rta,
satya etc. Gf. rtam satyam param brahma, quoted in ST.
114
Ligapurna
23. O sage of good, holy rites, he should be t hought upon
i n fourfold
187
manner and perceived. He, t he cause of worldly
existence, is the worl d itself. He is t he cause of l i berati on. He
is t he greatest ecstasy.
24-27. The four-arrayed pat h is prescribed for a practis-
ing yogin. Thought is counted as manifold. If it is centred in
one pl ace it is called Suni s t h;
1 8 8
if centred i nRudr a it is called
Raudr i ; i f centred i n I ndr a Ai ndr ; i f i n Soma Saumy; i f i n
Nr yana or in the sun or in the fire it is called after those
names. If the devotee fi xes i n his mi nd i n bot h ways t hat he
is I and I am he t hat t hought is called Brhm . O brahmi ns,
thus should a devotee think of this uni versebot h mobi l e
and i mmobi l eas i denti cal wi t h Br ahman.
28-29. Keepi ng the goal in his mi nd, the devotee shall
eschew t he t hought of division between the mobi l e and i mo-
bile,
1 8
* as also bet ween what should be eschewed and what
should not be eschewed, as also between what is possible and
what i s not possible of achi evement and what should be done
and what should not be done. He shall also remai n sati ated
and contented. Such a man' s cont empl at i on is the real one
pertai ni ng t o Br ahman and not otherwise. Thus i n due order
the ment al worshi p of the l ord has been recounted.
30-33. Those who carry out this sort of ment al worship
should also be ador ed by means of obeisance, etc. Even if they
are hideous and deformed, these expounders of Br ahman should
not be censured. They should not be subj ected to scrutiny by
a discerning person. Those who censure t hem are narrow-
mi nded persons who will become miserably unhappy as those
sages of ol d who censured the l ord i n the Dr uk forest. The
187. caturvyha : Four vyhas constitute prna, manas, vijna
and nanda and exclude the gross annamaya koa. ST. offers an alternative
explanation : yad v dhyeya-dhyna-yajamna-prayojanarpaili catur-
vyhaih. But according to Liga purna, the caturvyha consists of(i)exis-
tence (samsra), cause of existence (samsrahetu), cause of emancipation
(moksahetu) and emancipation (nirvrti).
188. suni?thknowledge pertaining to Rudra (raudri cint) that
releases jva from the so-called bondage of birth and death.
189. carcara-vibhgamJagadbrahmarpam ST.distinction bet-
ween Brahma and the mundane
Victory over Death 115
knowers of t he Br ahman who are beyond the bounds of castes
and stages of life shoul d always be served and bowed to by t he
persons devot ed to the ri gi d discipline of castes and stages of
life.
CHAPTER TWENTYNI NE
Victory over Death
Sanatkumra said :
1-3. O hol y l ord, now I wish to know what was commi t t ed
by t he dwellers of t he Dr uvana, those persons who had puri -
f i ed thei r souls by means of penance. How di d Rudr a t he
naked l ord of subl i mat ed sexuality assume a hi deous form and
go to Dr u forest ? W hat di d t hat great soul do t here ? Please
r ecount factually t he activities of t hat l ord of Devas.
Sta said:
4. On heari ng his words Nandi n, t he most excellent
among t he knowers of t he Vedas, said after rememberi ng iva
and smiling a little.
Nandin said :
5. In order to propi t i at e the lord of Devas, t he sages per-
formed a terri bl e penance i n t he Dr u forest.
1 9 0
They were
accompani ed by thei r wives, sons and sacrificial fi res.
6. Rudr a, t he lord of t he universe, t he bul l -embl emed
omni sci ent dei ty known as N l al ohi ta, Dhrj at i and Par ame-
na was del i ghted.
7-9. The l ord of t he universe, Rudr a,
1 9 1
want ed to test the
sincerity of t he dwellers of the Dr u forest in respect of thei r
sacrificial rites. He want ed to t urn thei r mi nds from the
observance of sacrificial rites to t he pat h of renunci at i on. Thus
in order to test thei r faith, and sportively too, he assumed a
i go. See p. 96 note 119.
191. Cekitnahwho creates doubts by his power of creating illusion.
ST. quotes ivagit : ^TrT 3TpT fa^TR T f ^ T W T ^ c T ^ I
116 Ligapurna
deformed but attracti ve appearance. He had three eyes and
two hands. He was nude, and dark i n compl exi on.
10. Even i n this form he was extremel y handsome. He
was smiling and singing, wi t h seductive pl ay of his eyebrows,
t hereby creat i ng feelings of love in the hearts of women.
11. He the destroyer of cupi d, the lord of extremel y hand-
some features increased their sexual feelings.
12. On seeing a man of deformed features, black-red (in
col our ) , even t he chaste women followed hi m wi t h great
enthusi asm.
13. On receiving t he gesture of a smile from his lotus-
like face t he women who had gat hered at t he threshold of
hut s i n the forest or who stayed on t he hut s above trees, stopped
all ot her activities and followed hi m not cari ng for thei r
loosened garment s and ornament s.
14. Some of these women, on seeing hi m felt thei r eyes reel-
ing due to exci tement. Even the old women who were beyond
the age of seductive charms of the eye-brow began to display
t hei r amorous gestures.
15. On seeing hi m some women wore smiling faces. W i t h
thei r garment s loosened a little, and wi th thei r waist bands
dislodged they began to sing.
16. Some br ahmi n ladies on seeing hi m in t he forest
found t hat their own fresh silken garments had got loosened.
They cast off thei r bangl es of diverse colours and went to their
ki nsmen.
17. One of t hem, on seeing hi m di d not know t hat her
upper and lower garment s had stri pped off. Ot her s i n their
exci tement could not distinguish between thei r kinsmen and
t he mul t i -branched trees t hough they were familiar.
18-19. Some sang; some danced; some fell and rolled
down on the ground. O l eadi ng br ahmi n, anot her l ady sat
on t he ground like an el ephant and began t o tal k al oud. Look-
ing smilingly they began to embrace one anot her all round.
After stopping Rudr a on his way they began to show all shrewd
gestures.
20. They asked, " who are you ?"
Ot hers said, " Be seat ed".
Victory over Death 117
Del i ght ed in thei r mi nds some said, " W her e are you going ?
Be pl eased wi t h us . "
21. Due to the My of Rudr a even the chaste ladies fell
down i n an awkward posture wi th thei r clothes loosened and
thei r tresses dishevelled, in the very presence of thei r husbands.
22. Even after heari ng thei r words and seeing thei r diverse
activities, t he unchangi ng lord Rudr a di d not ut t er anyt hi ng,
good or bad.
23. On seeing t he crowd of women and Rudr a i n this
si t uat i on t he brahmi ns, t he l eadi ng sages began to say harsh
words.
24. Thei r powers of austerity were ineffective against
Rudr a i n t he same manner as t he lustre of t he stars i n t he sky
against t he refulgence of the sun.
25. (Such had been t he spiritual prowess of t he sages,
formerly) t hat the sacrifice of t he great-souled Br ahm
peri shed due to the curse of a sage,
1
'
2
even t hough t he sacri-
fice was meant for general welfare.
26. Due to the curse of Bhrgu
1
'
3
, Vi snu of great prowess
was compel l ed to take ten i ncarnati ons and undergo suffering
i n each i ncarnat i on.
27. O knower of Dhar ma, Indr a' s organ too was cut and
cast off by the infuriated sage Gaut ama
1 9 4
.
28. The Vasus had t o prol ong their stay i n t he womb by
a br ahmi n' s curse.
1 9 5
Nahus a was t urned i nto a serpent by the
curse of sages.
19
*
29. The milk ocean was dri ed by t he curse of br ahmi ns
t hough i t was the perpet ual abode of Vi snu. The wat ery
ocean was made unfit for dri nki ng by the br ahmi ns ' curse.
30-32. In order to at one for this Vi snu went to Vr nas
1 9
'
and resorted to the lord of Avi mukt a.
1 9 8
He performed the
abl ut i on of the three-eyed lord, the lord of Devas, wi t h milk.
W i t h unswervi ng devotion, he, together wi th Br ahm and the
tg2-ig6. The detail can be traced to the Mbh. It shows how the
spiritual power possessed by the sages was misused for worldly ends.
197. See -p. g7note iao.
198. avimuktevara, the celebrated liga of iva is placed in the holy
city Vrnas.
118 Ligapurna
sages, sprinkled iva wi t h mil k whi ch comi ng i n cont act wi t h
the body of the lord became nectarl ike and fi l l ed t he ocean
wherei n l ord Vi snu made his residential abode.
33. Dhar ma had been cursed by t he nobl e sage Mndavya.
The Vrsnis al ong wi t h Kr s na had been cursed by Durvsas
and ot her nobl e sages.
34. R ma and his younger brot her Laks mana had been
cursed by the nobl e sage Durvsas. Lor d Vi snu was even kicked
by t he sage Bhrgu.
35. These and many others, except the odd-eyed l ord of
Um, the overl ord of Devas had been made subservient by t he
brahmi ns.
36. Thus del uded t he sages of Dr uvana di d not under-
stand Rudr a
1 9
* . They spoke harsh words t o Rudr a who
t hereupon di sappeared.
37-38. In the morni ng all those sages wi th perpl exed
mi nds and bl urred thi nki ng went from Dr uvana t o Br ahm
of nobl e soul who was seated in the highest seat. They infor-
med hi m about what had happened i n t hat holy Dr u forest.
39-40. Ponderi ng over everything i n his mi nd Br ahm
understood what they di d i n t he hol y Dr u forest. He stood
up wi t h pal ms j oi ned i n reverence and bowed t o Rudr a. He
then spoke hurri edl y to t he sages who had t hei r abodes i n
Dr u forest.
41. F ie upon you all who had at t ai ned excellent treasure,*
0 0
O brahmi ns, but had unl ucki l y wasted it.
42. The man wi t h a Li ga who had been seen by you all
wi t hout Li gas, t he person of deformed features was t he
supreme l or d himself.
43. O br ahmi ns, never shoul d t he guests be di shonour ed
by t he househol der even i f they happen t o be deformed, di r t y
or i l l i t erat e.
44. For mer l y, on t hi s very same ear t h even Kl a t he
God of deat h was defeated by the excellent br ahmi n sage
Sudarana t hrough t he adorat i on of a guest.
45. Excepti ng t he adorat i on of the guests t here is no
199. Druvana : See p. 96 note 119.
3 0 0 . prptanidhanan i.e. though you have obtained a rich treasure
in the visit of iva to your hermitage.
Victory over Death 119
mode of self-expiation in this world, for excellent br ahmi n
househol ders; there is no ot her way to cross t he ocean of
worl dl y existence.
46. F ormerl y, a householder known as Sudarana, vowed
to conquer the God of Deat h.
2 0 1
He said to his chaste wife.
47. "O lady of good holy rites, fi ne eye-brows and good
fortune, listen to what I say, assiduously. Never should you
di shonour t he guests who visit your house.
48. Since everyone of the guests is t he Pi nk-beari ng lord,
you should dedi cate even your self to t he guest and adore hi m.
49. Tha t chaste lady, on being urged thus, became ex-
tremel y dej ected. Helpless t hat she was, she wept and said to
her hus b a nd" O lord ! please expl ain what you have j ust
sai d. "
50. On heari ng her words Sudar ana said a g a i n" O
nobl e l ady everythi ng belongs to lord iva and since t he Guest
is l ord iva himself, everythi ng is his. Hence t he guest shoul d
always be ador ed. "
On being urged thus by her husband the chaste wife ac-
cepted this behest (whol eheartedl y) j ust as one places on his
head (reverentl y) the fl owers offered to God. Thus she went
on (at t endi ng to her dut i es).
O excellent brahmi ns, in order to test their devotion,
Dhar ma himself assumed the form of a br ahmi n and came to
the house of the sage. That sinless lady wel comed the guest
and worshi pped hi m wi th t he materi al s of worship.
54. Thus worshi pped by her, Dhar ma disguised as a
br ahmi n s a i d" O gentl e l ady where has your nobl e husband
udar ana gone ?
55-58. O nobl e lady, enough of this cooked rice and other
eatables ! I say, you should dedi cate yourself (to me ) "
Remember i ng what had been previously ment i oned by her hus-
band t hat chaste l ady full of bashfulness and wi t h closed eyes,
began to move (towards hi m) . Again she began saying. But
t hen. . all the same, she made up her mi nd to dedi cate herself to
Dhar ma
2 0 2
there itself at the behest of her own husband. In t he
2oi. jetum (mrtyum iti esah) i.e. to conquer death.
2oa. dharmedharmarpe dvije ST. in regard to Dharma who had
assumed the guise of a brahmin. Or dharmedharmvisaye ST. in regard
to virtue.
120 Ligapurna
meant i me, Sudarana, t he hus band of t hat l ady, came t o t he
threshol d and called to he r " Come , come, O gentle l ady ?
W her e have you b e e n ? "
It was the guest himself who repl i ed t o hi m.
59-64. "O Sudar ana, O hi ghl y blessed one, I am now
engaged in sexual intercourse wi t h this wife of yours. W hat
should be done here may kindly be ment i oned. O l eadi ng
br ahmi n, the sexual i ntercourse is concl uded. O excellent
br ahmi n, I am satisfied."
Sudar ana t he nobl e br ahmi n t hen said i n great del i ght :
"O excellent br ahmi n, enjoy her as you please. I shall go
away now. "
Thereaf ter Dha r ma who was del i ghted (at this i nci dent )
revealed himself (in his own f orm). He gr ant ed hi m what -
ever he desired and told hi m agai n.
"O l eadi ng br ahmi n, even ment al l y this spl endid l ady has
not been enj oyed by me. Undoubt edl y, i t was to ascertai n
her devoti on t hat I came here. O br ahmi n of good rites,
wi t h this single act of piety you have conquered deat h. O t he
prowess of this penance ! " Sayi ng thus he went away. Hence
all guests shoul d be worshi pped i n the same manner .
2 0 8
65. O unf ort unat e nobl e brahmi ns, of what avail is much
talk. All of you should seek refuge in t he very same Rudr a
i mmedi at el y.
66. On heari ng the words of Br ahm t he l eadi ng brah-
mi ns became distressed. W i t h eyes bl i nded by tears they
sal uted Br ahm and sai d:
The Brahmins said :
67-69. O blessed one, we do not care even slightly for our
lives or for our woman folk who have become deformed. But
t hat i rreproachabl e omni present tri dent-beari ng and pi nka-
hol di ng l ord has been censured and cursed by us out of i gnorance,
t hough our power to curse was rendered ineffective by his
mer e looking at us. O l ord of Devas, you shoul d now tell us
t he procedure for renunci at i on i n order to see t he terribl e l ord,
t he chief of Devas, t he god wi th t he mat t ed hai r.
203. tathSudaranavat ST. just as Sudarana did.
Victory over Death 121
Brahm said :
70-74. O excellent brahmi ns, the devotee shall, at first,
l earn the Vedas wi th great devotion from his precept or. He
shall always ponder over their meani ngs and underst and
Dhar ma. He shall remai n a disciple till he compl etes all learn-
i ng or upt o twelve years.
He shall t hen take the sacred abl ut i on at the conclusion
of his st udent life. He shall mar r y a wife, and procreat e there-
after sons of holy rites. He shall then allot befitting means of
livelihood to his sons. Then he shall perform the rites of wor-
ship to the l ord by performi ng Agni st oma and other sacrifices.
After goi ng to forest he shall worship the great soul. Mai n-
taining a diet of milk and controlling his senses he shall worship
Devas in t he fire, for a peri od of twelve years, or twelve
mont hs or twelve fortnights or twelve days.
75-76. Then he shall offer in the same lire all vessels
used for the sacrifice. He shall consign all the ear t hen and
wooden vessels to the waters and the metal l i c ones to his pre-
ceptor. He shall di stri bute all his belongings to the brahmi ns
wi t hout hesi tati on. He shall prost rat e on the ground and
make obeisance to the preceptor. Becoming detached he shall
then renounce everything and become an ascetic.
77. He shall have off his hairs al ong wi th t he tuft and
cast off his sacred t hread. He shall perform five offerings in
the waters saying " Bhh s vh" .
78-80. Thereafter he shall roam about for at t ai ni ng com-
pl et e
2 0 4
l i berati on, observing the sacred ri te of refraining from
taki ng food, and mai nt ai ni ng himself ei ther on water, or
leaves, or mi l k or fruits. If living thus, the ascetic does not
die wi t hi n six mont hs or a year he shall strai n his body by
undert aki ng hazardous j ourneys. By these activities he attai ns
i denti ty wi t h iva.
81-83. O men of steadfast holy rites, one endowed wi t h
devot i on
2 0 3
may even at t ai n lib eral ion i mmedi at el y. Of what
204. iva-vimuktayeSivatp vhnuktih kaivalyarp ityarlhah
ST. for absorption in iva; for the total mergence of the individual soul into
the supreme soul.
203. Cf. Bhagavadagit ' cflf^f^ftsftr ^fT *tft SfrfsFRTtsff
122
Ligapurna
avail are these to a devotee of Rudr a ? Nei t her the holy rites
nor renunci at i on, i n accordance wi t h t he inj unctions, nor
sacrifices, nor chari t abl e gifts, nor the different sorts of Homas
nor the acquisition of all kinds of Sstras and Vedas are of any
avail to hi m. By means of devoti on to Rudr a, deat h was con-
quered by veta.
80
* May you too have such devoti on to the
great lord, t he benefactor and t he Supreme Soul.
Nandin said :
1. On being t hus urged by Brahm, the leading brahmi ns,
the great sages asked hi m about the sacred story of veta.
Brahm said :
2-6. O brahmi ns, there was a certai n sage named veta in
the cave of a mount ai n. His span of life was neari ng its end.
Hence he worshipped and eulogised t he great lord with devo-
tion. He repeated the Mant r as of the holy hymn Rudr dhyya
begi nni ng with " Na ma s t e " (Obei sance so The e ) .
2 0 7
Then the
god of Deat h, of great spl endour t hought t hat the time of
deat h had arri ved
2 0 8
for t he excellent br ahmi n. O leading
brahmi ns, thi nki ng of taki ng hi m away he approached the
sage. veta saw Kl a and t hough t he time of his deat h was im-
mi nent he medi t at ed upon the three-eyed lord Rudr a and wor-
shipped hi m:
"I worship the three-eyed l ord
2 0
* of great fragrance, who
increases prosperity. W hat will god of Deat h do for me ? Since
206. vetenaby Sage veta. For detail, read Ch. 30.
207. Namaste rudra manyave. TS. 4. 5. 1. 1.
208. Klaprptamgatyusam i.e. dead.
209. Cf. tryambakam yajmahe sugandhim pustivardhanam. TS.
1.8.6.2.
210. mrtyor mrtYuhdestroyer of death. Cf.
Having fed on death that feeds on men,
Death being dead there is no dyin gthen.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The Story of Sage veta
I am Deat h of De a t h. "
2 1 0
Victory over Death 123
Looki ng at veta, the god of deat h terrifying to the worlds
said smil ingl y:
7-11. " Come, O veta. W hat fruit do you gain by this means ?
O excellent brahmi n, who can save one caught in my clutches
even if he be Rudr a, or Vi snu or Brahm t he l ord of the uni-
verse ? O brahmi n, how does this procedure pertai ni ng to
Rudr a affect me. I am bent upon taking you to my worl d
0 sage, since your span of life has come to an e nd. "
On heari ng these terrible words t hough mi ngl ed wi th
virtuous thoughts, the leading sage cried out " H Rudr a,
Rudr a, Rudr a . " Gl anci ng at Kl a he spoke wi t h eyes full of
tears, excitedly, in dej ected mood:
veta sai d:
12. O Kl a, what can be done by you if our bull-emble-
med lord, Rudr a, the source of origin of all Devas, is present
in this Li ga ?
13. O lord of great ar ms, of what avail is this behest (of
your s) t o persons like me who are extremely devot ed t o Rudr a ?
1 ask you to go away, t he way you have come.
14-15. On hear i ng this Kl a of sharp fangs and terrible to
look at, became infuriated. The terrible god wi th the noose in
his hands roared like a lion and cl apped his hands agai n and
again. He then bound the sage whose ti me of deat h had arrived
and addressed hi m thus :
16. "O br ahmi n sage, O veta, you have been bound by me
for being taken to my abode. W hat has been done now by your
Rudr a the lord of Devas ?
17. W her e is Rudr a and where your devoti on ? W here is
your worship and where the fruit thereof ? W here am I and
whence have I to fear ? O veta, you have been bound by me.
18. O veta, is your Rudr a stationed in this Li ga ? If so,
he i s utterl y inactive. How can he be worshipped ?"
19-20. Then Rudr a, the destroyer of Ka ma and sacrifice,
the three-eyed lord came hurri edl y with a l augh, accom-
panied by Um, Nandi n and the leading ganas i n order to
slay Yama who had come to kill the br ahmi n.
21. O brahmi ns, then on seeing Rudr a, the mi ghty Yama
2 1 1
a n . ballvalorous (Yama).
124 Ligapurna
abandoned the brahmi n, out of fear and fell down near the
sage.
22-23 On looking at lord Rudr a, the destroyer of death,
as also at Yama who fell instantaneously at the sight of the lord,
veta roared loudly.
4 1
* O leading brahmi ns, the gods too cried
loudly, and bowed to* the lord as well as Um . The leading
sages were delighted much.
24. Over the heads of t he sage and Rudr a, the sky-roving
gods showered cool and splendid flowers from the firmament.
25-26. On seeing Yama dead, Nandi n bowed to lord Rudr a.
He the leader of the ganas and the follower of lord Rudr a, spoke
to the lord in great astonishment. " Thi s Yama of puerile intelli-
gence
2 1 3
is dead. Now, be favourable to the sage. "
27. On seeing Yama destroyed in a trice, the lord blessed the
excellent br ahmi n and di sappeared.
2 1 4
28. Hence, O brahmi ns, One should devoutly worship the
lord, the conqueror of the god of Deat h. He is the bestower of
liberation as well as of worldly pleasures. He is the benefactor
of all.
29. Of what avail is much tal k? After renounci ng and wor-
shipping Rudr a wi th great devotion you will all become free
from grief.
Nandin said:
30-31. On being addressed thus by Brahm, the sages, the
expounders of Brahman said once again : O lord, be pleased.
By what penance or sacrifice or holy rites can devotion to
Rudr a, the Pi nka-beari ng lord, be acqui red ? How will the
twiceborn become the devotee of Rudr a ?
Brahm said :
32-34. Nei t her by chari tabl e gifts, nor by learning, can, O
excellent sages devotion to iva, the great cause (of the
universe) be acqui red. It cannot be acqui red by long or sessional
212. uccadhihucc dhir yasya ST.the intelligent (vtea).
213. Bladhihthe stupid (Yama).
214. Gdha-arlramthe invisible form. Construe : ksand
gclhaarram vivea.
Hymn to iva 125
sacrifice, holy rites, vedic texts, yogic treatises or by restraints.
It is acqui red only by God' s grace.
On heari ng these words the anxious sages bowed to Brahm
al ong with their wives and sons. Hence, devotion to lord
Rudr a bestows virtue, love and weal th. It yields victory to the
sage. It grants hi m victory over death.
35-37. F ormerl y, by means of devotion, Dadh ca conquer-
ed lord Vi snu and his associate Devas. He killed Ks upa with
the tip of his foot. He acqui red adamant i ne bones. By glori-
fying the lord, I too conquered deat h. Even by the great sage
Sveta who had fallen i nto the j aws of death, deat h was con-
quered by the grace of the lord, in the manner it was conque-
red by me.
CHAPTER THI RTY ONE
Hymn to iva
Sanatkumra said:
1. O holy lord, please now recount to us how the dwellers
of Dru forest sought refuge in the lord, thanks to his grace.
Nandin said:
2. The self-born deity (Brahm) spoke thus to the blessed
residents of Dr u forest who had the lustre of fire due to their
penance.
Brahm said:
3. Thi s great lord should be known as Mahevara. Greater
t han hi m there is no other protecti on to be sought.
4-5. He is t he l ord of Devas, sages and pitrs. Duri ng the
period of dissolution at the end of a t housand sets of four
yugas,
2 1 5
the lord becomes Kl a and destroys all living beings.
He alone creates subjects by his splendour.
215. The period of dissolution is equal to a kalpa, or a night of Brahm,
equal to a period of four hundred thirty two million years of mortals.
126 Ligapurna
6. He i s the t hunderbol t -armed ( I ndr a) and t he discus-
beari ng Visnu marked by rvatsa. He i s called Yogin i n
the Kr t a age, Kr at u i n the Tr et , Kl gni i n the Dvpar a and
Dhar maket u in the Kal i age. These four are the forms of Rudr a
whi ch the l earned men medi t at e upon.
8. The Li ga shoul d be symmet ri cal wi t hi n and wi t hout ; at
the pl ace of suppor t of t he swollen knob ic should be oct angu-
l ar. In ot her places i t should be cylindrical and of at t ract i ve
appear ance. One should worshi p only such a fi ne Li ga.
9. Tamas is t he fire god; Raj as is Br ahm and Sattva is
Visnu. Al t hough there is a single deity at the base these are
glorified as its forms.
2 1
*
10-11. The l eadi ng brahmi ns who have conquered their
anger and sense-organs, make the Li ga endowed wi t h al l these
t rai t s. It is t here t hat t he Br ahman stays al ong wi t h all his
yogic powers. Hence t hey worship (i n t he l i ga) l ord I na the
lord of the chiefs of Devas, the unchangi ng dei ty.
12-17. The Li ga should be cyl i ndri cal , splendid, of the
size of a t humb, appeal i ng to all and level in the umbi l i cal
region. It may have eight or sixteen equal angles. Its zone must
be well built so that it should yield all desires. The supporting
al tar is twice its size or equal in size, and approved by all. The
cow' s hole shall have all the characteristics of the al t ar and
shall be a thi rd of its size. O excellent brahmi ns, the border all
round shall be at least one yava i n br eadt h. The Li ga shall be
made of gold, silver or copper. The al tar shall extend
up to thrice its size all round. It ( t he al t ar) shall be circular,
tri angul ar, quadr angul ar or hexagonal in shape. It shall be free
from cracks, and wi th all characteristics clearly defined. After
installing it duly in accordance with the rules governing worship,
O brahmi ns, the Kal aa (water-pot) shall be placed in the
mi ddl e of the al tar.
18. A piece of gold and cereal s
2 1 7
shall be pl aced within
it. The holy water shall then be inspired wi th the Mant r as of
216. Cf. Devi Bhga. 1.8.4; Brahmnda, prakriy. 4.6; Mar. 40.18; P
Vyaviya 10.27; Liga, 1. 1. 22.
217. sabjampacksara-mantra-sahitam ST. including the five-
syllabled mantra 'namah ivya'.
Hymn to iva 127
the f i ve auspicious Br ahmans
2 1 8
(Sadyoj ta et c) . The devotee
shall thereafter sprinkle t he Li ga wi t h the holy wat er
repeati ng t he sacred f i ve mant r as.
19. If you worship wi th such material s as are available
you will at t ai n Siddhi. All of you j oi ned by your sons and kins-
men shall worship hi m with concentrati on and ment al puri ty.
20. All of you wi th your pal ms j oi ned in reverence shall
resort to the tri dent-beari ng lord. You will then see the lord
of Devas who is inaccessible to persons wi th no self-control.
21-22. On seeing hi m your i gnorance and sins will perish.
Thereafter forest-dwellers ci rcumambul at ed Br ahm of
unmeasured prowess and ret urned to Dr uvana. They propi-
tiated the lord i n the manner prescribed by Brahm.
23-27. In the different dry tracts of l and, or in the caves of t he
mount ai ns or in the auspicious but isolated banks of the rivers
they performed penances. Some stayed in water, looking
splendid wi th moss clinging to t hem, some were exposed to the
rai n in the course of penance and some stood on the tips of
their toes. Ot hers lived on grains crushed by teeth. Others on
grains crushed with pieces of rocks. Some adopt ed V rsana
postures and others were engaged in the activities of deer.
Thus these wise devotees spent time in penance and worship.
W hen a year was compl eted and Spring arri ved, in that Kr t a
age, the lord want ed to bless t hem with his grace. W i t h sym-
pathy towards his devotees, t he delighted lord came to
Dru forest on the splendid mount ai n Hi mal aya.
2 1
*
28-32. The lord had vul gar traits. He was stark nude. He
had smeared his limbs wi th ashes
4
His hands were engaged in
whirling a firebrand. His eyes were red and tawny. Sometimes
he l aughed biosteriously, sometimes he sang surprisingly.
Sometimes he danced amorousl y and sometimes he cried
repeatedly. He roamed r ound the hermi tages and begged for
alms. He assumed forms of his choice by his my. W hen the
lord thus came to the forest t he sages eulogised hi m wi th
devotion. By their pleasant count enance and in the company
218. brahmabhihsadyojtaditnantraihwith mantras beginning
with 'sadyojtya namah'.
219. See p. 94 note i n .
128
Ligapurna
of thei r wives, sons and at t endant s, they greeted the lord with
waters, garl ands of vari egated colour, incense and scents. They
spoke to the lord t hus:
33-35. "O lord of chief of Devas, please forgive whatever
fault has been commi t t ed by us mental l y, verbally and physi-
cally, out of our i gnorance. O Rudr a, your activities wonderful
and i ncomprehensi bl e are secret and unintelligible even to
Brahm and other Devas. W e do not underst and either your
progress or regress. "
36. O lord of the universe, O supreme lord, you are as you
are. Obeisance be to you. The, sages of noble soul eulogise you
as the lord of Devas, the supreme lord.
37. Obei sance to Bhava, to the splendid one, to the
conceiver of all objects, to the source of their origin, to one of
infinite strength and prowess and to the lord of all living
beings.
38. Obei sance to the destroyer, to the tawny-coloured one,
to the changi ng and the unchangi ng one, to one who bore the
flow of the Gangeti c waters and to the support of all. Obeisance
to one who manifests in all the three Gunas.
39. Obei sance to the Lor d wi th three eyes, to the hol der
of the excellent trident, the bestower of pl easure
2 2 0
to the fire
god and the great Atman.
40. Obei sance to the bull-emblemed iva, to the lord of
Ganas ; to Kl a armed with a staff and a noose in his hands.
41-42. Obeisance to one who is the chief deity of the Vedi c
hymns, and who has hundred tongues. O lord, this entire uni-
verse is born out of your body whet her it be of the past, pre-
sent or future, whether it be mobile or immobile. O lord, wel-
fare unto you. You protect and destroy everything. Hence be
pleased with us.
43. W hatever man does out of ignorance or knowledge is
done by the lord
2 2 1
himself through his yogic My.
220. kandarpyakam sukham tena darpayati harjayati, mohayati
v kandarpah tasmai ST. One who delights his devotees by giving them
pleasure.
221. bhagavnIt has been defined as ^Tf % f^TRT
Vifnu quoted in ST.
Hymn to Lord iva 129
44-46. After eulogising t he lord with del i ghted i nner soul,
the sages endowed wi th austerities request ed
8 2 2
hi m" Le t us
see you in your real f orm. " Then the delighted lord assumed his
real form of three eyes. To see t hat form the lord granted t hem
divine eyes. Looking at the three-eyed lord of Devas by the
vision they had acqui red, t he dwellers of Dr uvana again
eulogised t he lord.
CHAPTER THI RTYTWO
Hymn to Lord iva
The sages said :
1. Obei sance to t he lord who is naked,
2 2 8
who bears t he
trident, who dissolves the universe,
2 2
* who i s hands ome,
2 2 5
who
is an axe to the tree of the uni verse,
2 2 6
to one with terrifying
face.
2 2 7
2. Obei sance to formless one; to one of handome form;
to one of t he form of the universe. Obei sance to one who em-
braces the el ephanti ne face of his son Ganes' a ;*
2 8
obeisance to
Rudr a; obeisance to one in t he form of yaj amna.
2 2
*
3. Obei sance to one bowed by al l ; obeisance to one who
bows to his own At man; obeisance to one with bl ue t uf t ;
2 8 0
obei-
sance to one wi t h poison in his neck.
4. Obei sance to one who is blue-necked, to one who applies
the ash from t he cremati on ground all over the body. You are
Brahm among all Devas. You are N l al ohi ta among all
Rudr as .
222. ycantaan archaic form for aycanta.
223. digvsaseaparichinnarpya ST.not conditioned by limit.
224. krtntyapralayakranya ST.the cause of dissolution.
225. Vikatyasundarya 52".of beautiful form.
226. karlyakuthrya ST.an axe to the world-tree.
227. karla-vadanyaof terrible face.
228. katakatyawho one touches lovingly the elephantine face
of Ganea.
229. svhkryaone who has a form of yajamna.
230. nila-ikhandyaof dark hair.
130
Ligapurna
5-6. You are the soul of all living beings. You are known as
Purusa in the Skhya system. You are Mer u among moun-
tai ns; moon among pl anets; Vasistha among sages; I ndr a among
Devas; Om among Vedas and the excellent Sman among
Sman verses.
7. You are lion among beasts; bull among animals and lord
of all men.
8. In whatever form you are, whatever form you may
assume, may we be able to see you there in the manner mention-
ed by Br ahm.
8 3 1
9. Lust, anger, covetousness, despondency and arrogance
we wish to know all these; be pleased, O supreme lord.
10. W hen the ti me of great Dissolution arrived, O lord, the
hand was rubbed against the forehead and fi re was generated
by you the self-possessed soul.
11. Then the whole worl d was enveloped by t hat fire.
Hence these (lust, anger etc.) are distorted fires equal to the
fire of dissolution.
12-16. Lust, fury, greediness, delusion, arrogance and harass-
ment and all living beings mobi l e and i mmobi l e are burn-
ed by the fire ori gi nati ng from you. O lord of Devas, be
our protector even as we are being burned. O highly blessed
one, O supreme lord, for the welfare of the worl d you sprinkle
the living beings. O auspicious observer, O lord, command
us: we shall carry out your behest, i n thousands and crores
of living beings, in hundreds and crores of forms, we are unabl e
to reach the extremities. O lord of Devas, obeisance be to you.
CHAPTER THIRTYTHREE
Statement of the Sages
Nandin said:
1. Thereafter the lord was delighted and he blessed t hem.
On listening to their eulogy he spoke t hus :
231. paymahtath kurv iti esah ST. Do so that we may see you.
Statement of the sages
131
2. The br ahmi n who reads or listens to the hymn glorified
by you all or narrates this to the brahmi ns shall at t ai n leader-
shi p among my at t endant s.
3-4. O l eadi ng sages, I shall ment i on what is conducive to
your welfare and sacred to t he devotees. Everythi ng feminine
is goddess Prakrti born of my body. O brahmi ns, everything
mascul i ne is Purusa born of my body. O brahmi ns, undoubt -
edly my creation is through bot h of t hese.
2 3 2
5. Hence no one shall censure the naked ascetic who is
devoted to me, who expounds Brahman but who behaves like
chi l dren and mad peopl e.
6-8. Those devotees of Mahdeva who are interested in
appl yi ng ashes; who bur n thei r sins t hrough ashes; who are
engaged in medi tati on and carry, out what has been laid down
in the scri ptures; who have perfect control over the sense-
organs; who have subl i mated their sexuality; who worship t he
great lord with perfect verbal , ment al and physical cont rol ;
reach Rudr a' s worl d and do not r et ur n therefrom. Hence this
secret, sacred and divine ri te of the deity of manifest Li ga.
9. The observers of the above holy rite have all types
of forms; they shave off thei r heads and they observe the ri te of
ashes. No l earned man shall revile at t hem nor should they
be transgressed.
10. No one shall l augh derisively at them nor shall he
speak words displeasing to them if he desires for welfare here
and hereafter. The stupid man who censures them, censures
the lord himself.
11-12. He who worships t hem worships iva. Thus, with
a desire for the welfare of the worlds, the great lord sports about
as a great yogin in every yuga, wi th ashes smeared all over
his body.
2 3 3
23a. The half man and half woman form of iva known as 'ardha-
nrivara'. It symbolises the origin of creation by copulation. Cf. Mbh.
as quoted in ST. H TO^T T ^ Tf J T *T ^JT^T TT: Jf3f | f^T^I^r
132
Ligapurna
You too shall observe all the rites. Then welfare will be
yours and you will at t ai n perfection.
13. Graspi ng the great knowledge i mpart ed by iva, whi ch
being i ncomparabl e is t he destroyer of fear, the sages bent
their heads and made obeisance to iva wi th thei r mi nds clear-
ed of fear, greed and delusion i mmedi atel y.
14-15. On heari ng what was recounted thus, the del ighted
brahmi ns, began t he abl uti on of lord iva wi th pur e scented
waters wi th Ku a grass and f l owers scattered therei n. They
poured water out of wat er j ars. They sang various songs of
esoteric meani ng and produced humkras wi th sweet tones.
16. Obei sance to the overlord of Devas; obeisance to t he
great lord, obeisance to one who shares half of body wi th his
consort;
2 8 4
obeisance to the i ni ti ator of Skhya and Yoga.
17. Obei sance to one who is bl ack as a cluster of clouds.
Obei sance to one weari ng el ephant' s hide. Obei sance to one
having deerskin for t he upper gar ment ; obeisance to one hav-
ing serpent for the sacred t hread.
18. Obei sance to iva wi t h wonderful wel l -arranged
ear-rings; wi th well knit garl ands and or nament s ; to one wi t h
the fine lion skin as gar b; obeisance to one of extensive
reputati on.
19. Then t he delighted lord spoke to t he sages"O ye
of good rites, I am delighted wi th your penance. Choose your
boons. "
20-24. All those sages bowed to the lord. Then Bhrgu,
Agiras, Vasisdia, Vi vmi tra, Gaut ama, Atri, Sukea, Pul a-
stya, Pul aha, Kr at u, Mar ci , Kayapa, Kanva and Samvart a
of great penance, spoke to the lord after payi ng due homage:
" W e wish to know t he mystic secret behi nd the smeari ng of
ashes, nudi ty, indirectness (i n worship) contrari ety in the
nat ural or der ,
2 3 5
the propri ety of service or ot herwi se. " On
heari ng their words t he great lord looked at the excellent sages
and said smilingly.
334. See p. 18. note 27.
235. Vmatvamsavya-mrga-prakrah ST. the left-hand ritual
or doctrine of the Tantras. pratilomatthe opposite of Vma-mrga, i.e.
a tantric ritual in which left hand practices find no place.
133
CHAPTER TIHRTYFOUR
Praise of the Togin
The lord said :
1. I shall recount to you t he whol e story in a nutshell.
Tl m~Agni (F ire god) t he creator of Soma and I am Soma t hat
resorts to Agni.
2. Agni carries what is consigned to it by way of Homa.
Since it rests in the world, the universe consisting of the mobi l e
and i mmobi l e beings is often bur ned by it.
3. Everythi ng reduced to ashes becomes excellent and
sacred. W i t h ashes Soma attai ns power and rej uvenates living
bei ngs.
4. He who performs the rite of oblation i nto the fi re
2 3 8
as also the ri te of ' Tr yyus a'
2 3
' is l i berated from sins due to
t he vi rtue of ashes whi ch constitute power.
5. The word Bhasman is derived from ' bhs' to shine,
bhsate-shines or from causal of ' bh' to cause to reach, v f mi f t or
from ' bhaks' to eat, *rerfii j since it devours all sins it is called
Bhasman.
6. The Pitrs dri nk f i re; Devas dri nk Soma. The
enti re universe of the mobile and immobile beings is of the
nat ur e of Agni and Soma.
7. I am Agni of great splendour. Thi s great Um is
Soma. I am Agni and Soma together. I am Purusa as well as
Prakrt i .
8. Hence, O blessed ones ! the ashes constitute my
virility. I hold my virility by my physical body. Thi s is
the fact.
9. Ever since then, protecti on is afforded by the ashes.
At times of inauspicious events and even in lying-in chambers
it is resorted to for securing protection.
10. One whose soul is purified by appl ying ashes over the
body, one who has conquered anger and t he sense-organs, never
returns after comi ng near me.
236. agnikryamsacrificial rite.
237. tryyusamash-hath by reciting the mantra ' tryyusam
j amadagne' VS. 3. 62.
134 Ligapurna
11. The holy Pupat a yoga and the Snkhya of Kapi l a
2 3
*
have been evolved by me. It was the excellent Pupat a rite
t hat was evolved at the outset.
12. Persons occupying different stages of life have been
created by Brahm afterwards. Thi s creation involving bash-
fulness, delusion and fear has been evolved by me.
13. Devas and sages are verily born nude. The other
human beings are also born nude.
14. A man may be clad in silken garments. But if his
sense-organs are not in control he is naked. But if his sense-
organs are subdued he himself is well covered (even if he does
not put on cl othes). The cloth is not regarded as t he specific
cause in these cases.
23
*
15. Forgiveness, fortitude, non-violence, det achment , equal
reaction in regard to honour and di shonoural l these consti-
tute excellent covering for the body.
16-17. One who has taken holy bat h of ashes, one who
after smeari ng ashes over the body, ment al l y medi tates on
Siva, even if he has commi t t ed thousands of faults gets all his
sins washed by the ash-bath i n the manner as t he fi re bur ns t he
forest. He who strenuously takes holy bat h of ashes thrice a day
would at t ai n the status of the lord of Ganas.
18-21. Those who perform sacrifices,
240
observe holy rites
and medi t at e on the great lord wi th devout feelings about t he
divine sports of the lord, at t ai n i mmortal i ty by passing through
the noble nort hern pat h. Those who resort to the cremati on
ground, by means of t he southern pat h, at t ai n the eight
perfections : Ani m: Gar i m, Laghi m, Prpt i , Kmvasyi t ,
Prkmya, Iitva Vai tva and also i mmortal i ty (i n the end) .
2 4 1
238. Kpilam Smkhya-astrm ST. a system of philosophy
founded by Kapila and known after his name.
239. Mark the contribution of ethics to the aivite cult.
240. kratnfive great sacrifices (mahoyajas) described in Ch. 26,
Verses 14-19 (p. 104)
241. The eight siddhis (attainments of supernatural power) comprise
(i)anim (the power of becoming as small as an atom), (ii) laghim (the
faculty of assuming excessive lightness at will), (iii) prpti (the power of
obtaining everything), (iv) prkmya (irresistible will) (v) mahim (the
power of increasing one's size at will), (.vi) iitva (supremacy), (vii) vaitva
(the power of subduing all to one's own will) and (viii) kmvasyit (the
Praise of the Togin
135
22. I ndr a and ot her Devas who had adopt ed the hol y
rite conduci ve to the realisation of all desires at t ai ned the
greatest power and prosperi ty; all of them are well known for
their spl endour and refulgence.
23. One shall be devoid of delusion, arrogance, passion
and the defects of t amas and rajas in his character. Under-
standi ng t hat things of the worl d are subject to decay and dest-
ructi on one shall always be devoted to t he yoga of Pa upat i .
2 4 2
24-26. He should medi t at e on the vrat a of Paupati (i va)
t hat is destructive of all sins.
He who reads this, bei ng pur e and faithful, havi ng conque-
red t he sense-organs, shall become purified of all sins and
shall go to Rudr a' s world. On heari ng this all those sages,
Vasi sdi a and others and all t he excellent brahmi ns smeared
thei r bodies wi th ashes and became freed of all desires. At the
end of t he kal pa they st art ed towards the worl d of Rudr a.
27. Hence even the deformed and dirty persons are
worthy of worship and should not be censured. Leadi ng
brahmi ns whet her handsome or di rty should also be worshipped.
They may be l eadi ng yogins.
28. Of what avail is much talk ? Excellent br ahmi n devo-
tees of Siva should be worshipped by all means like iva
himself.
29-31. Even di rty leading brahmi ns may be devotees of
Siva and steady in their rites. By devoti on to iva much can
be achi eved i n t he worl d i n t he manner of Dadh ca who could
conquer even Vi snu the lord of Devas. Hence by all means, those
devotees wi th mat t ed hai r or tonsured head, or naked anchori-
power of suppressing desire). The last one is sometimes substituted by
sarvajatva. Liga reads icch-kmvasyitvam for kmvasyitvam.
Some other siddhis such as dra-ravana (hearing from a distance),
agnistambha (checking the heat of the fire) etc. are also added to these. For
detail, see Vcaspati's Tattva-Kaumud on Ivarakrsna's Srhkhya-Karik.)
242. Paupat-yogaa concentrated devotion in lord Siva, who is
called paupati, the lord of the paus (jivas) whom he binds with the pas
(strings) of visayas (objects of senses). Cf. Ru&ra-bhfya of Ahobala cited in
ST. "Brahmdyh paavas tesm patih paupatih srortah". Jivas in different
strata of life from Brahm to man are paus, bound with the noose of
visayasobjects of worldly pleasure. But each pau can get release by
eschewing these visayas and by his concentrated meditation on iv?.
136
Ligapurna
tes, who have smeared their bodies wi th ashes should be
worshipped always like iva himself mental l y, verbally and
physically.
CHAPTER THTRTYFTVE
Defeat of Ksupa
Sanatkumra said:
1-2. O sage of holy rites, how did Dadhl ca strike king
Ks upa wi th his foot after conqueri ng Vi snu, the l ord of Devas
in battl e ? How di d t hat sage of great penance at t ai n adaman-
tine bones from lord iva ? O Nandi n, please recount how
Deat h was conquered by you.
Nandin said:
3. Ther e was a king of great spl endour known as Ksupa.
He was the son of Brahm. He, the lord of the peopl e, was t he
friend of Dadhi ca, a l eadi ng sage.
4. In course of ti me, incidental l y a dispute arose between
Ks upa and ' Dadhl ca as to who was the bet t er a Ksat ri ya or
a Brahmi n.
5-6. ( Ks upa said) The king holds t he physical body of
the eight guardi ans of the quart ers.
2 4 3
Hence I am I ndr a,
Agni, Yama, Ni rrt i , Var una, Vyu, Soma ( Moon) , and Dhanada
(Kubera, the lord of weal t h). I am Ivara (overl ord). I should
not be di shonoured.
7-9. O sage of holy rites, t hat deity ( i . e. the king) is
243. The king embodies the essence of eight lokaplasthe guardian
deities presiding over the quarters, viz. (1) Indra, east; (2) Agni, south-
east; (3) Yama, south; (4) Sfirya south-west; (5) Varuna, west; (6)
"Vyu, north-west; (7) Kuvera, north; (8) Soma, north-east. As such, he
is a divine being. He is authorized to maintain the system of four varnas
and Aramas. But none of the sacred textsrutis and smrtisempowers
him to rule over the Brhmana varna. Cf. G. Dh. S. rj sarvas.yeste brh-
mana-varjam.
Defeat of Ksupa 137
greater t han the greatest.
2 4
* Hence, O blessed one, O son of
Cyavana, I must never be insulted by you. I must always be
honoured.
On heari ng t hat opinion of Ks upa t he great sage Dadh ca,
son of Cyavana, struck Ks upa on the head wi th his left fist,
believing in his own supremacy as a br ahmi n. But t he power-
ful Ks upa hi t Dadh ca wi th his t hunderbol t .
10-12. F ormerl y, he was born in the world of Brahm
when Br ahm sneezed. He was urged by t he thunderbol t-
wi el di ng I ndr a to perform a task. He obt ai ned t he t hunderbol t
as a reward for his task. Out of his own will, he became a
human, bei ng and afterwards a king. The powerful king
then conquered the leading br ahmi n like t he powerful I ndr a
himself, full of tamas qualities. W hen struck by the t hunder bol t
the l eadi ng brahmi n fell on t he ground.
13-14. Out of sorrow he remembered sage Bhrgava.
Bhrgava, t he best among the embodi ed beings, came there
and by his yogic power he stitched the body of Dadh ca who
had been struck by the t hunderbol t . After stitching the
severed body Bhrgava sai d:
15-16. O highly blessed Dadh ca, worshi p iva, t he un-
sullied lord of Devas, worthy of worship by Br ahm and others,
O br ahmi n sage ! by the grace of t he three-eyed lord, you
become i mmort al . O br ahmi n, this power of resuscitating one
to life has been obtai ned from hi m by me.
17. Ther e is no fear, anywhere, from deat h for t he devo-
tees of iva. I shall now tell you Siva' s Mant r a t hat revives
one to life.
18-2la " W e worship the lord, father of the t hree worlds,
2 4 5
the lord of the three deities, three Gunas, t hree principles,
three sacred fires, of three Vedas, of everything sph' tin to three.
He is the scented one, the increaser of nouri shment in all living
beings in all places: in the Prakrti havi ng the three Gunas, in
the sense-organs and their objects, i n Devas and Ganas. The
fragrant l ord is as subtle as fragrance in t he flowers.
244. Cf. Manu : ^ f t ^cT ^qt STT^rj f^sftr I 7.8.
245. triyambakamtryambakam. Cf. TS. 1.8.6.2.
138 Ligdpurna
21b-25. O excellent br ahmi n of holy rites, O great sage,
because pusti (nourishment) is t he very name of Purusa,
He is the increaser of nouri shment (pust t vardhana) of all the
divine creations begi nni ng wi th Mahat and endi ng with Viesa,
of Visnu, of Brahm, of sages, of Indr a, and of Devas. Hence,
we do worship t hat i mmort al nect ari ne lord Rudr a by means of
actions, by penance, by study of the Vedas, by yoga and by
medi tati on. By this t rut h, iva himself shall liberate us from
the bondage of Deat h. The lord is the cause of bondage and
liberation like the cucumber frui t.
1
'
2 4 6
Thi s Mant r a t hat resus-
citates life has been acqui red by me from iva.
26. By repeati ng this Mant r a, by doing sacrifice wi th this, by
dri nki ng wat er inspired by this mant r a, by medi t at i ng on this
Mant r a in the presence of the Li ga, O br ahmi n, one shall
not have any fear of deat h.
27. After heari ng his words Dadhi ca propi ti ated iva by
means of penance and at t ai ned adamant i ne bones, indestructi-
bility and absence of affliction.
28-30. Havi ng obtai ned indestructibility and adamant i ne
bones Dadhi ca hi t the king severely on the head wi th the ti p
of his foot. Ki ng Ksupa, in return, hi t Dadh ca in his chest
wi th his t hunderbol t . But by the grace of l ord iva the t hun-
derbol t was rendered ineffective. It could not inj ure
Dadh ca t he great soul of adamant i ne body.
31. On seeing t he greatness and power of Dadh ca by way
of indestructibility and unafHicted state, Ks upa propi ti ated the
lotus-eyed l ord Vi snu, the younger brot her of I ndr a.
246. TS. 1.9.6.2. Cf. faSRT *TRf<*rfe3i3'ri 4i4<J*J4T: I Sf f a%
*m*r +H?(tr *rfa^sf%5rR*rft" t ivagit quoted in ST.
139
CHAPTER THIRTYSIX
Dialogue between Ksupa and Dadhca
Nandin said :
1-3. Lord Visnu was pleased wi th hi s(Dadh ca' s) worship.
Accompani ed by r and Bhrni (hi s consorts), hol di ng t he
conch, t he discus, the iron club and lotus in his hands, weari ng
crown, bedecked in all ornament s, cl ad in yellow robes, sur-
rounded by Devas and asuras, the Garuda-bannered glorious
lord Vi snu granted hi m divine vision. Seeing hi m by his divine
vision, Ks upa bowed to t he Garuda-bannered deity and eulogi-
sed hi m wi th pleasing words.
4-8. You are the pri mordi al deity wi th no origin. You
are Prakrti , you are Purusa, the prot ect or of the world. You
are Vi snu the l ord of the universe. You are Brahm, wi th t he
universe for your body. You are the first pri nci pl e. O Vi snu,
you al one are the greatest l umi nary. You are t he supreme
soul, O l ord of ri, you are t he greatest abode. O lord of the
eart h, Rudr a enveloped by tamas ori gi nated from your fury.
Brahm, the creator of t he universe enveloped by rajas was
born of your grace. The lord enveloped by sattva, was bor n of
your grace. O Vi snu, O Rudr a, you are i denti cal wi th the
universe.
9. The principles of intellect, ego, the subtle el ements and
the sense-organs O lord, omniformed, are all presided over by
you al one.
10. O great lord, O lord of t he universe, O Brahm, O
preceptor of the universe, be pleased, O lord of the chiefs of
Devas, be pleased.
11. O Lord of t he universe, be pleased. I seek refuge in
you, wort hy of bei ng sought refuge in. O omni sci ent lord of
long arms.
12. O l i berator of manki nd, O hi ghl y blessed one! O lord
of great strength ! O best of souls ! O unopposed ! O great
Visnu ! perpet ual obeisance be to you.
13-14. O Vi snu your divine invisible seat in the mi dst of
the ocean is the thousand-hooded esa envel oped in t amas .
140 LigapurSna
O lord of Devas, O deity of holy rites, beneat h this seat, virtue,
knowledge, prosperity and det achment form the four feet.
15-18. The seven nether worlds are your feet; the earth
constitutes your loins; the seven oceans
2
*
7
are your clothes; the
four quarters are your great arms. O lord, the heaven is your
head; the sky is your umbi l i cus; t he wi nd is your nose; t he
sun and t he moon are your eyes, Puskara and others consti-
t ut e your tresses. The stars, constellations and firmament are
t he ornament s round your neck. How shall I eulogise you the
lord of Devas ? You are worthy of worship. W hat ever was
done, heard and gloried faithfully as di vi ne, what ever was
sacrificed by me O Lor d ! you shall bear all. Obei sance be
to you.
Nandin said :
19-21. Thi s hymn of Vi snu is destructive of all sins. He
who reads or listens t o this hymn ut t ered by Ks upa, he who
narrat es this to t he br ahmi ns wi t h devotion, goes to t he worl d
of Vi snu. After worshi ppi ng thus and eulogising t he invinci-
bl e lord who is eulogised by t he lord of Devas and others and
after bowi ng t o hi m wi t h bent head, Ks upa spoke i n
submission.
The King said :
22. O lord, long before, a certain Brahmi n, known as
Dadh ca became a friend of mi ne. He is the knower of
Dhar ma and a humbl e soul.
23-25. He is engaged in worshipping iva always. He
cannot be killed by anyone at all times. O lord of Devas, he
struck me on t he head wi th his left foot, in the open assembly
wi th great cont empt . O Visnu, O Viva, O lord of the
Uni verse, arrogantl y he said: " l a m not afraid of anybody
anywher e" . O lord of universe, I wish to defeat that
brahmi n Dadh ca. O Vi snu, please, hel p me to my welfare.
247. sapta sgarh. The purnas mention seven oceans, viz., of salt,
sugarcane, wine, ghee, curd, milk and water Vkhich surround Jamtu, Plaksa,
Slmali, Kua, Krauca, ka and Puskara continents respectively.
Dialogue between Ksupa and Dadhica 141
Nandin said:
26. Vi snu understood t hat Dadhl ca was indestructible.
Vi snu t hen remembered the i ncomparabl e prowess of iva.
27. After rememberi ng thus, Vi snu said to Ks upa, born
of the sneeze of Br a hm " O leading king, after attai ni ng l ord
iva, brahmi ns have not hi ng to fear.
28. Particul arl y O king, t he devotees of Rudr a are free
from fear always. If this be true in every respect in regard to
base men what t hen in the case of Dadhi ca ?
29. Hence, O blessed one, O king, you have no hope of
victory. Of course I shall give a slight pai n to t he br ahmi n
inviting a curse on me al ong wi th Devas.
30. O l eadi ng king, at Daksa' s sacrifice due to Dadh ca' s
curse I and other Devas will be destroyed but revived agai n.
31. Hence, O king, comi ng i nto contact wi th t he l eadi ng
br ahmi n I shall endeavour for your victory over Dadh ca.
Nandin said :
32. On heari ng these words Ks upa said t o Vi s nu" So be
i t " The lord too went t o the hermi t age of t he br ahmi n
Dadh ca.
33. The l ord, favourably disposed to his devotees, assumed
the form of a br ahmi n. The preceptor of the universe con-
grat ul at ed the br ahmi n sage Dadh ca and sai d:
The lord said :
34. "O Dadh ca, O brahmi ni cal sage, O unchangi ng one
engaged in t he worship of iva, I desire to choose a boon from
you. You should grant t he s ame" .
35. On bei ng requested by Visnu, t he l ord of Devas,
Dadh ca sai d: " Al l t hat you desire has been understood. I am
not afraid of you.
36-37. O Vi snu, you have come to me in t he guise of a
brahmi n. By the grace of Rudr a, I can underst and everything
the past, future and present. O Visnu, O lord of Devas, O
deity of good rites, leave off this guise of a brahmi n. O des-
troyer of Madhu, O lord of Devas you have been propi ti ated
by Ks upa.
38. O lord Visnu, I know you are favourably disposed
towards your devotees. O lord Visnu, your favouritism to your
devotees is but proper.
142 Ligapurna
39. O lord, O lotus-eyed, bestower of boons, it behoves you
to say frankly if you are afraid of me engaged t hat I am in the
worship of iva.
40. O Vi snu, I do not speak in vain. I am not afraid. In
this worl d I am not afraid of Devas, Daityes or brahmi ns.
Nandin said:
41. On heari ng the words of Dadhi ca Vi snu i n a moment
cast off his guise of a brahmi n. He assumed his own form and
said smilingly.
The Lord said:
42. O Dadh ca of good holy rites ! You have no fear any-
where since you are engaged in the worship of i va. Indeed you
are omniscient.
43. O l eadi ng brahmi n, at my behest you should say at
least once "I am af rai d". Obei sance t o you. Please say t o
Ks upa i n the open assembly t hat you are afrai d.
44. Even after heari ng the appeasing words of Visnu, t he
great sage di d not say t hat he was afraid.
45. It was due to t he prowess of the Pi nka-beari ng iva,
the l ord of Devas, t he benefactor and omniscient lord t hat t he
great sage di d not say he was afraid.
46. Then the infuriated lord Visnu desired to bur n the sage
and so raised his discus.
47. By t he power of Dadh ca even in t he presence of
Ksupa, t he discus Sudarana became bl unt ed.
48. On seeing the discus wi th bl unted ti p, Dadh ca said to
the Discus-bearing lord, who is the cause of manifesting dis-
tinction between t he existent and non-existent.
49. O lord Vi snu, formerly, the terrible discus, Sudarana
was assiduously got by you from Siva.
50. That discus can never kill me. You now try wi th the
missile of Brahm or other similar weapons.
Nandin said.
51. On heari ng his words and on seeing his own weapon
powerless, lord Vi snu discharged all missiles from all directions
towards hi m.
Dialogue between Ksupa and Dadhica 143
52. The powerful Devas thereafter rendered hel p to Vi snu
who was engaged in fighting against a single brahmi n,
53. Then Dadhi ca who had adamant i ne bones and who
had perfect all-round self control took up a handful of kua
grass. Remember i ng iva he di scharged i t against Devas.
54. It became a divine tri dent as lustrous as fire of dissolu-
tion. Li ke fire at the close of a yuga it felt inclined to bur n
all Devas.
55. O sage, all those weapons whi ch were discharged by
I ndr a, and ot her Devas bowed t o t he tri dent.
56-57. O excellent brahmi n, Devas whose strength was dis-
sipated fled from the scene. Then lord Visnu, created out of his
body millions and millions of divine at t endant s resembling
himself. The excellent sage bur nt all of t hem immediatel y.
58-60. Thereafter, Vi snu became Universe-formed in order
to instil awe in Dadh ca. The excellent br ahmi n saw several
groups of Devas distinctly, as also crores of Rudras, crores
of Ganas , crores of Cosmic Eggs in t he body of Vi snu.
On seeing all these therein, the son of Cyavana was surprised.
61. The great sage sprinkled t he universe-formed Vi snu
with water. He spoke to Vi snu, t he unbor n lord of t he universe,
identical wi th t he universe.
62. O mi ght y-armed one, eschew this decepti on. O Visnu,
there are thousands of skills (or tricks ) wi t h me also whi ch are
difficult to comprehend, and whi ch come handy by mer e thi n-
ki ng.
2 4 8
63. O uncensured one, you can see wi thi n me t he enti re
universe al ong wi th yourself, Br ahm and Rudr a. I shall give
you di vi ne vision.
64. After saying this, the sage showed everythi ng in his own
body. He spoke agai n to lord Vi snu, the source of origin of all
Devas.
65. " Of what use is this deception ? O lord, of what avail
is the power of magi c ? O Visnu, what purpose is served by
the intrinsic power of objects or by the power of medi tati on ?
66-67. Hence, eschewing this decepti on you should fight
against me st renuousl y. "
248. Vi jnammy.
144
Ligapurna
On heari ng these words and on seeing his mi racul ous
power Devas r an away once agai n. The lotus-born preceptor
of t he universe Br ahm restrained lord Vi snu who had
become inactive.
68. On heari ng the words of Brahm, lord Vi snu who was
defeated bowed to t he sage and went away.
69. Ks upa was extremely afflicted and dej ected. He honour-
ed and adored Dadh ca the l eadi ng sage and prayed thus :
70. O Lord and friend Dadh ca, what has been commi -
tted by me due t o i gnorance may be excused. W hat can be
affected by Vi snu or Devas in your case since you are a devo-
tee of Rudr a ?
71. O great Lor d, be pleased. O br ahmi n, the most
excellent among men of devotion, devoti on of this type is
difficult of access to wicked persons, to base Ksat ri yas like me.
72. On heari ng the words of t he king the br ahmi n Dadh -
ca, t he most excellent of those who perform penances blessed
the king . The l eadi ng sage t hen cursed Devas.
73-74. May you i ncl udi ng I ndr a and l ord Vi snu and all
great sages be destroyed by t he fi re of fury of Rudr a i n t he
holy sacrifice of the pat r i ar ch Daksa.
After cursing t hus and glancing at Ks upa t he br ahmi n said
agai n.
75. O l eadi ng king, brahmi ns shoul d be worshi pped by
Devas, kings and by t he different groups of peopl e. O leading
king, t he br ahmi ns al one are strong and powerful.
76. After saying this the br ahmi n of great l ustre entered
his own hut .
After sal uting Dadh ca the king too went to his own abode.
81
*
77. The pl ace of this event is known as the holy centre.
SthnvVara.
86 0
After reachi ng Sthnv vara one shall at t ai n
i denti ty wi t h iva.
249. ksayamgrham ST. abode.
250. Sthnesvara or Sthnviivara is mentioned by Bnabhafta
in his historical prose kavya Har?acarita written in the first half of the seventh
century A.D. The earliest notice of this place by a foreigner is found in the
record of the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Thsang, the contemporary of Harsa-
vardhana, the king of Sthnesvara and Kannauj.
The city is identified with the modern town Thanesar, near Kuru-
ksetra, Haryana State. It derives its name from an ancient temple dedicated
to lord iva.
Grant of boons to Brahm
145
78. O great sage, t he di spute between Ks upa and Dadh ca
has been briefly recount ed to you, as also t he power of i va
and his protege Dadh ca.
79. He who reads this di vi ne dispute between Ks upa and
Dadh ca will conquer pr emat ur e deat h. After Deat h he will
go to t he region of Br ahma.
80. He who enters t he battlefield after repeat i ng this story
need not be afraid of deat h. He will always come out victori-
ous.
CHAPTER THTRT YSEVEN
Grant of boons to Brahm
Sanatkumra said:
1. How di d you at t ai n Mahdeva t he l ord of Um ? O
holy lord, it behoves you to nar r at e everything. I wish to
hear.
Saildi said:
2. O great sage, my bl i nd father i l da was desirous of
a progeny. F or a l ong ti me he performed a penance very
difficult to be performed by others.
3. The thunderbolt-wielding lord I ndr a was pl eased wi th
his penance. He said t o i l da" I am pleased. Choose your
boons " .
4. O l eadi ng sage, he bowed down to the thousand-eyed
lord of Devas along wi th Devas. W i t h pal ms j oi ned in
reverence he spoke to hi m.
ilda said:
5. O l ord of good holy rites, O destroyer of the enemies
of Devas, O bestower of boons, I wish for a son devoid of
deat h and not born of a womb.
Indra said:
6. O brahmi n sage, I shall give you a son born of a
146 Ligapurna
womb and liable to di e. I will not give you anyone otherwise.
Ther e are no persons wi thout death.
7. O great sage, even l ord Brahm will not gr ant you a
son wi t hout deat h or not born of a womb. Then what about
others ?
8. Even t hat l ord Brahm is not devoid of deat h himself.
The lord himself is bor n of a womb. The lotus-born deity of
great spl endour is bor n of an egg.
9. The lord is bor n of Mahevara. He is t he son of Um.
Hi s span of life is limited to two Parrdhas.
10. Thousands and crores of kalpas t hat consti tute his
day have passed by. So many yet remai n.
11. Hence O leading brahmi n, eschew your ar dent desire for
a son devoid of deat h or not born of a womb. Accept a son like
yourself.
aildi said:
12. On heari ng his words my meri tori ous father well-
known in t he worl d as il da agai n spoke to the husband of
ac (i . e. I ndr a ) .
ilda said:
13. O lord, I have al ready heard t hat Br ahm was born
of an Egg, was bor n of a lotus and also was born of Mahevara.
14-15. F ormerl y O Mahendr a, of great arms, Nr ada
my elder brother, had been saying this and I have hear d i t
from hi m. But tell me, how this can be ? Dksyan was t he
grand-daught er of Br ahm since Daksa was the son of t he lotus-
bor n deity ? How t hen can Brahm be her son ?
Indra said:
16-18. O brahmi n, your doubt is reasonable. I shall tell
you the cause of the same t hat happened to Brahm in the
Tat pur us a kal pa. After ponderi ng over all things t he supreme
l ord created Brahm. In the Meghavhana kal pa, Vi snu, the
lord of the universe, became a cloud and bore the supreme
lord iva for a thousand years wi th ease and comfort.
19. On seeing the devotional feeling of Vi snu towards hi m-
Grant of boons to Brahm 147
self t he great lord entrusted to hi m everything al ongwith
Br ahm wi th instructions to create further.
20-21. Then they call t hat kal pa by the name Megha-
vhana. On seeing hi m bor n of Hi s body Brahm approached
iva and sai d: "O l ord, Vi snu was bor n of your left and 1 am
born of your ri ght si de. "
22-26. "Sti l l Vi snu created the enti re universe along wi th
me. Taki ng t he form of a cloud identical with the world he
bor e you the lord of Devas, preceptor of the universe, day and
ni ght. O lord, I am a better devotee of yours t han hi m. Be
pleased wi th me, O lord, grant me omni sci ence. "
Then Br ahm attai ned omniscience i n a trice. He t hen
hurri ed out and met Visnu i n the vast ocean
2 5 1
enveloped by
darkness. He saw Vi snu in an illustrious spot studded with
gol d and j ewels whi ch was mental l y created by Vi snu himself.
It was inaccessible to wicked persons, invisible even to the
pious like I ndr a and others.
27-32. Br ahm saw t he Purusa i n whose heart the enti re
universe rested. He was lying down on the couch constituted
by the body of the serpent esa.
2 6 2
He had lotus-like eyes
and four arms holding t he conch, dicus, i ron cl ub, and the
lotus. He was weari ng ornament s and i n t hat form he resem-
bl ed the orb of the moon. He bore the mar k rvatsa over his
breast. Br ahm behel d hi m with pleasure evi dent in his face.
Hi s lotus-like feet had turned red due to the contact wi th the
lotus-like soft hands of Laksm . He was I na the greatest
At man. By t amas he was in the form of Kl a. By rajas he
was the i ni ti ator of creation of the world. By sattva he was
the sustainer of all. He was Paramevara, the soul of all, the
nobl e At man, t he supreme soul. Brahm saw hi m lying down
in his yogic sl umber in the milky ocean full of nectar. On
seeing hi m he spoke to hi m t hus :
33-35. " J us t as you had swallowed me before, so also I
shall swallow you now by the grace of iva. The lord with
great arms woke up a little surprised and looking at hi m smiled
slightly. Swallowed by t hat noble soul, he entered the body
251. See p. 15 note 2 3 .
252. See p. 15 note 23.
148
Ligapurna
of t hat deity born of the Egg. Then Brahm created Vi snu
through the mi ddl e of the eye-brows. Creat ed by hi m Vi snu
stood near hi m observing.
36-40. In t he meant i me Rudr a, t he source of origin of
all Devas, who had grant ed boons to both, assumed an
uncivil form and came to the pl ace where Vi snu stood. Lor d
Paramevara, the soul of the universe, want ed to bless bot h
with great favour. Both of t hem simultaneously saw t he lord
resembling the fire of Deat h. They eulogised the terrible lord
wi th mat t ed hai r. They bowed to t he lord, the bestower of
boons, standi ng far away out of respect. The great lord,
the protector of the universe blessed Brahm and Vi snu and
vanished there itself.
CHAPTER THIRTYEIGHT
Creation of Brahm
aildi said:
1. W hen lord Siva had gone, lord Vi snu, the origin of
Brahm, bowed down i n t hat direction and said to the lotus-
born deity.
Sri Visnu said:
2. " T h e supreme god iva, t he lord of the universe, is omni -
present. He is the lord and refuge of us bot h as well as of the
entire universe.
3. O Brahm, I am bor n of the left side of iva the supreme
soul. You are bor n of his right side.
4. The sages observe me and say t hat I am Pr adhna, t he
Prakrti , the Avyakta (unmanifest) and the Aja ( unbor n) . They
call you Purusa.
5. They call the supreme lord the cause of us bot h, as lord
of the universe. He i s the unchangi ng lord v a r a . "
6. At the instance of the lord of t he immortal s, the lotus-
born deity eulogised and bowed to Rudr a t he most excellent
one and the bestower of boons.
Creation of Brahm 149
7. Then Vi snu assumed the form of a Boar and lifted up
the eart h submerged under the water. He re-established i t as
it was originally.
8. W i t h great effort he made the earth even, wi thout ups
and downs. The lord created the rivulets, rivers and the oceans
as before.
9. The lord havi ng the form of a boar
2 5 3
the uplifter of the
earth, gathered all t he mountai ns together. As before he created
the four worlds begi nni ng with Bhh.
10. The lord who was the most excellent of all intelligent
persons became inclined to create the chief creation, the ani mal
creati on, and then the divine and human creations.
11-16. W i t h the intellect free from wretchedness the lord
at t he outset created Sananda, Sanaka and Sant ana the most
excellent among the good. All these practised Nai skarmya and
at t ai ned the greatest being. By his yogic l earni ng he created
Mar ci , Bhrgu, Agiras, Pulastya, Pul aha, Kr at u, Daksa, Atri,
Vaistha, Sakal pa, Dhar ma and Adhar ma. Thus there are
twelve s-- ns to Brahma born of the unmanifest.
At the outset the eternal lord had created Rbhu and
Sanat kumra. These two fresh born sons had subl i mated their
sexuality, and were divine expounders of Brahman. They were
bachelors, omniscient, conceivers of everything and equal to
Br ahm himself. After creati ng the sargasMukhya etc. O
ilana, the lotus-born deity, the creator of the universe,
evolved all the special characteristics of the different ages.
253. bhdharkrtiin the person of King Prthu, son of Vena. Bhga.
ascribes the levelling of the earth to King Prthu. ^ I Tf , ^H' -' tDd'MI
ftrffcffa T r a n s : 1 ?j ^U*?IDk *Nr: s r w-ni *n fag:cited in sr.
which offers also another interpretation : *Ti*T 3) | 5fiftMWI?t
'H^H<1^
c
t^>M $Wf : in the form of boar, uplifting the earth
submerged in waters.
150
Ligapurna
CHAPTER TTORTYNINE
Specific Dharmas of Four Tugas
aildi said:
1. On heari ng t he narrat i on of Indr a, my father, the great
sage, bowed to t he lord of Devas, and with the pal ms j oined in
reverence he asked hi m again.
ilda said:
2-3. O lord Indr a, O omniscient one, bowed down by the
chiefs of Devas O lord of Sad, O thousand-eyed lord of t he
universe, O Mahevara, how did the lotus-born deity Br ahm
evolve the specific dharmas of the yugas ? It behoves you now
to recount it to me who have bowed down to you.
aildi said:
4. On heari ng the words of ilda, the noble-souled I ndr a
recounted t he dhar mas of the yugas i n detai l i n the manner
seen by hi m.
Indra said:
5. Know t hat first comes Krt ayuga. O sage, Tr et comes
next. Thereafter Dvpar a and Tisya (Kali) yugas. These are
the four yugas in brief.
6. Sattvaguna signifies Kr t a y ug a ; rajas signifies Tr et ;
raj as-cum-tamas signifies Dvpara. Tamas signifies Kal i .
These should be known as the special characteristics in each of
the different yugas.
7. Medi t at i on is the greatest activity in Kr t a yuga; yaja
(sacrifice) i n Tr et ; worship is the mai n activity in Dvpar a
and pure chari tabl e gift in the Kal i age.
8. F our thousand divine years constitute Kr t a yuga. So
many hundred years (i.e four hundred) constitute the preceding
transition period (sandhy). The following transition period
(sandhyma) is also of the same durat i on.
9. O ilana, O man of good holy rites, know t hat the
longevity of the subjects in Kr t a is four t housand human years.
Specific Dharmas of Four Tugas 151
10. W hen the Kr t ayuga together with its sandhyrra
passes off, the yug a dharma becomes re duc e d by a qu arte r al l
rou nd.
11. The excel l ent Tr et yuga extends to a period one fourth
less t han Kr t a. Know t hat Dvpar a extends to half of the dura-
tion of Kr t a. Kal i yuga is still half of it.
12. O sage, the Sandhy periods are respectively t hree
hundr ed, two hundred and one hundred years. The sandhyma
periods are also the same. The same thing holds good in all t he
kalpas, and yugas.
13-14. In Kr t a, the eternal dhar ma has all t he four feet;
in Tr et it has three feet; it stays on two feet in Dvpar a; in
Kal i , it is devoid of three feet and is stationed by its mere exis-
tence. In Kr t a, the subjects are born i n twins; thei r avocation
abounds i n taste and happi ness.
15. Theyar e always satisfied. They enjoy all pleasures and
bliss. Ther e is no inferiority or superiority among t hem; t here
are no special characteristics among subjects; they are all
auspicious.
16. Longevity, happiness and features among t he people in
Kr t a are the same for al l ; they have no special l i ki ng; they have
no Dvandvas (mut ual l y opposing pai rs), no hat red, no fatigue.
17-19. Those who have no abodes live on mount ai ns and in
the oceans. Even then they are devoid of misery. They have mostly
sattva gunas and are mostly isolated. They move about wi t hout
specific desires; they are perpetual l y delighted in thei r mi nds.
They refrain from virtuous and sinful activities.
At t hat ti me there was a well-defined arrangement of castes
and stages of life; but there was no i ntermi ngl i ng of castes.
O brahmi n, by efflux of time, in Tr et yuga thei r tastes a nd
happi ness perish.
20-22. W hen t hat Si ddhi has perished anot her i s generated.
W hen water attai ns subtl ety it gets transformed i nto clouds.
F rom the t hunderi ng clouds rainfall proceeds. As soon as t he
surface of the eart h comes i nt o contact wi th rain, trees appear.
These trees form thei r abodes. The subjects have thei r susten-
ance and pleasures out of these trees.
23-26. In the begi nni ng of Tr et the subjects sustained
themselves t hrough them. Then after the lapse of a great deal
152 Ligapurna
of ti me, when there was a change, the feeling of lust and cove-
tousness was sudden. The trees whi ch formed their abodes
began to perish. W hen they perished the twin-born subjects
at t hat ti me were bewildered. Thereafter they began to
ponder over the mat t er. Since they were truthful i n their
thought the trees reappeared.
27-28. They used to produce clothes, fruits and ornaments.
On t he very same trees honey of great potency but not genera-
ted by bees, got evolved in every leafy cup. Thi s honey had
great fragrance, good colour and sweet taste The subjects
always sustained themselves thereby and passed their days
comfortably at all times.
29. They were delighted and well-nourished. Thr ough
this achi evement they were free from ailments. Then after the
lapse of some time, they became greedy.
30-32. They began to chop off the trees and take the
honey forcibly. Due to thei r mi sdemeanour as well as their
greed the kal pa trees perished in certai n places al ong with
honey. As time rolled on only a little of this perfection surviv-
ed. As Tr et was repeated in every cycle the Dvandvas
(mut ual l y conflicting pai rs) cropped up. Then t he subjects
became very miserable due to the chilly rai n and scorching sun.
33. W hen they were harassed by Dvandvas they began to
make clothes and garment s for covering themselves. They
made abodes on the mount ai ns in order to war d off Dvandvas.
34. F ormerl y they roamed about as t hey pleased. They
had no fixed abodes. Now they began to stay in houses in
accordance wi t h their availability and pleasure.
85-36. After taki ng preventive measures against t he Dvan-
dvas they began to think about their means of sustenance.
W hen t he kal pa trees had perished along wi th honey, the sub-
j ects became confounded and agitated due to disputes. They
were harassed by thirst and hunger. Then, again i n Tret ,
new perfections came in sight.
37. They had more rai ns t han they desired or needed for
product i on. Heavy downpour of waters flowed down the slopes.
38. Due to conti nuous rai n sources of wat er currents arose.
Thus in t he course of second creation of rains, streams and
rivers began to function.
Specific Dharmas of Four Tugas 153
39. Smal l collection of those waters fell on the earth.
Due to the mi ngl i ng of waters and t he eart h, pl ants and herbs
came i nto being.
40-41. Then trees and hedges grew up. Very few of
t hem were cul ti vated. They were not sown. F our t een
8 8 4
types of trees and grasses grew up in t he rural and forest
areas. They put forth fl owers and fruits i n accordance wi th
t he season. Different types of trees and medi ci nal herbs also
appear ed. The subjects sustained themselves wi th these a*
t hat ti me of Tr et .
42. Thereafter the subjects became lustful and greedy in
every respect on account of what is destined to happen
inevitably i n Tr et age.
43. The n the subjects forcibly occupied t he fi el ds near the
rivers and on the mount ai ns. They seized the trees, hedges
and herbs as much as they coul d.
44-45. On account of this perversity the fourteen types of
medi ci nal herbs perished. Thi nki ng t hat these pl ants and
herbs have entered the earth, Brahm milked t he eart h assidu-
ously for t he welfare of living beings. Ever since, the pl ants
are ploughed by ploughshares her e and there.
46. Those who were desirous of sustaining themselves
assiduously took to agri cul ture. The word Vr t means
avocati on and t he avocation in this context is the endeavour
and desire for agri cul ture.
47. Otherwi se, towards t he close of Tr et , t he subjects
have no means of livelihood. Then water has to be lifted by
hand i n general.
48. In t hat Tr et the subjects in thei r fury seized one
another, even their sons, wives, riches etc. , forcibly. Such was
the characteristic of t hat yuga.
254. The Purnas divide the vegetation life into three classes, viz.
(1) grmya, (2) grmranya, (3) yajya (cf. Vyu) but this classification
is very obscure.
Manu classifies the plant-world into (1) Vanaspati (trees not having
flowers, (2) Vnaspatya trees bearing fruits and flowers), (3) Osadhi
(plants such as grass) and (4) lata, valli (creepers). Further, Vi?nu (cited
in ST.) mentions fourteen osadhis by name. They are vrhi, yava, m&f*,
godhma, arm, tila, priyagu, kulittha, ymka, nivra, jartila, gavedhuka,
Venuyava, and markataka.
154
Ligapurna
49. Knowi ng all this, t he lotus-born l ord creat ed Ksat ri -
yas, to prot ect peopl e from wounds and inj uries and also for
establishing t he rules of conduct .
50. Charact eri sed by his own spl endour the l ord establish-
ed castes and stages of life. The l ord of the uni verse t hen
created avocati on and conduct of life for respective castes of
people.
51. The avocati on of sacrifices was evolved i n Tr et gradu-
ally. But persons of good holy rites di d not resort to ani mal
sacrifice even then.
52. It was t hen t hat t he seer Vi snu performed sacrifices
forcefully. That is why the brahmi ns praise a non-vi ol ent
sacrifice.
53. In the Dvpar a too, men have different incl inations
mental l y, verbally and physically. It is wi th great difficulty
t hat agri cul ture proceeds i n t hat age.
54-55. Then all living beings exert gradual l y and strain
thei r bodies. Covetousness, service on wage basis, business,
fighting, indecision about principles, division of Vedas, confusion
of dharmas, destructi on of discipline among the four castes and
stages of life, lust and hat r edt hes e are t he specifics pert ai n-
ing to t hat age.
56. It is in this Dvpar a t hat the following begin to
function, vi zpassi on, covetousness, arrogance, etc. In the
begi nni ngs of Dvpar a the Vedas are classified i nto four by
Vysa.
57. It i s laid down t hat duri ng Tr et t he Vedas constituted
one single whol e wi th four sections. Since the span of life be-
comes less and less t he Vedas are classified in Dvpar a.
58-59. They are further differentiated t hrough the whi ms
of t he sons of sages, when t he order of Mant r a and Br hmana
texts i s al tered and the accents and letters are changed. The
compendi ums of Rk Yajus and Smans are compi l ed by t he
l earned men. Al though the texts are common, they are differ-
enti ated due to different view-points.
60. The different sections to the Vedas are evolved, viz.,
Specific Dharmas of Four Tugas 155
Br i hmanas
2 6 5
Kalpastras*
8
* and Mant r apr avacanas .
2 8 7
Some
departed from t hem and some abi ded by t hem.
61-63. The Itihsas and Pur nas
2 8 8
differ from ti me to
e. They are Brahma, Pdma, Vai snava, aiva, Bhgavata,
visya, Nrad ya, Mrkandeya, Agneya, Brahmavai vart a,
ga, Vrha, Vmana, Kr ma, Matsya, Gr uda, Sknda
and Br ahmndat hes e are the eighteen Purnas.
64-65. The eleventh Li ga Pur na was classified i n
Dvpar a. The following sages, thousands i n number , wrot e
Smrtis et c. Manu, Atri, Vi snu, Hr t a, Yj aval kya, Uanas,
Agiras, Yama, pastamba, Samvart a, Kt yyana Brhaspati ,
Parara, Vysa, akha, Li khi t a, Daksa, Gaut ama, t t apa,
Vasi stha and others.
66-70. Absence of rai n, deat h, the harassments of pestilence
etc. occur. Indifference to worldly affairs results from various
miseries, ment al , verbal and physical. F r om this indifference
they begin to thi nk about their liberation from pai n and
misery. Thi s process of thi nki ng leads to det achment and
from det achment they begin to realize t he deformities and
defects in the world. Thanks to this percepti on, perfect know-
ledge becomes possible in Dvpar a. Thi s is due to the behavi-
our of mixed rajas and t amas. In t he f i rst yuga viz. Kr t a
yuga dhar ma originates. In Tr et i t begins t o function. In
Dvpar a it becomes distracted gradual l y and in Kal i it perishes
al together. *
255. Brhmanam. Brhmana literature comprises treatises such as
Aitareya, Taittirya, Gopatha, atapatha, etc, and their ancillaries Aranyakas
and Upanisads which together with the mantra portion, called Samhit
constitute the Vedas. Cf. mantra-brhmanayor Veda-nmadheyam.
256. Kalpastraskriy-pratipdakastrni ST. ritual treatises
Arseya, etc.
257. Mantra-pravacannimmms-nyyastrni ST., philoso-
phical treatises such as mmms and nyya.
258. On the authenticity, extent and number of the Purnas, see In-
troduction.
156
Ligapurna
CHAPTER FORTY
Extent of four Yugas
Indra said:
1. In Kal i age men excited by t amoguna adopt My
(deception) and j ealousy. They do not hesitate to kill ascetics.
They are always tormented by j ealousy.
2. In Kal i age there is always carelessness, illness, hunger,
fear, and terrible suffering from drought. Ther e is also opposi-
tion from and among the different parts of the country.
3. Sruti (i. e. Vedas) is not considered an authori ty. Men
resort to sinful activity. People are sinful, irritable and narrow-
mi nded. They misbehave.
4. Greedy and wicked subjects, born in Kal i ut t er false-
hood. They are engaged in evil desires, evil study, misbehaviour
and misleading scri ptural texts.
5. Due to defects in the activities of the brahmi ns fear arises
in the subjects. The twice-born neglect the study of Vedas and
do not sacrifice as prescribed.
6-7. Men perish. Ksatri yas and Vaiyas decline gradually.
In Kal i dras claim kinship with brahmi ns t hrough their
l earning through i nterdi ni ng and sharing seats and beds.
Ki ngs become mostly. dras and they harass brahmi ns.
8. Killing of foetus and mur der of heroes become preva-
lent. dras adopt the conduct of life prescribed for the
brahmi ns and the brahmi ns adopt the ways of dras.
9. Thieves function as kings and kings function as thieves.
The chaste ladies cease to exist and want on sluts increase in
number.
10. Stability and discipline of four castes and stages of
life disappear from all places. At t hat time the eart h yields
very little fruit in one place and great fruits in another.
11. O Silana, the kings confiscate and mi sappropri ate
publ i c property. They cease to be protectors. dras acquire
knowledge and are honoured by the brahmi ns.
12. Non-ksatriyas become rulers. Brahmi ns depend on
dras. dras proud of their intellect remai n sitting in
their seats and do not stir on seeing brahmi ns.
Extent of four Yugas
157
13-18 Petty-mi nded dras strike the leading brahmi ns.
Out of humi l i ty, brahmi ns keep thei r hand over thei r mout h
and whisper i nto t he ears of base dras. O nobl e Brahmi ns,
knowi ng t hat dras are seated on lofty seats ami dst brahmi ns,
the king does not puni sh t hem. People of meagre learning, for-
t une and strength worship dras wi th fl owers, scents and
other auspicious things. O br ahmi n, arrogant dras do not
even gl ance at t he excellent brahmi ns. W ai t i ng for t hei r
opport uni t y to serve t hem, the brahmi ns stand at thei r
threshol ds: The brahmi ns dependi ng upon dras serve t hem
when they r et ur n seated i n thei r vehicles and eulogise t hem
by means of eulogies and prayers. In Kal i , even t he excellent
brahmi ns demean themselves by selling t he fruits of their
austerities and sacrifices.
19-25. In Kal i there will be many ascetics. As the yuga
draws to a close, men become reduced in number while women
increase i n proporti on. In Kal i even t he br ahmi ns censure
Vedic l earning and holy rites. In Kal i lord Mahdeva,
fiankara, Ni l al ohi ta reveals himself as one of deformed features,
for the establ ishment of ri ghteousness. The brahmi ns who
resort to hi m by any means conquer the evils of Kal i and
attai n the highest abode.
It should be known t hat towards t he close of yuga, t he
beasts of prey wi l l be very violent. Cows will decline and good
men will recede from active spheres. Thei r Dhar ma which is
subtle, conducive to good results and difficult of access, which
has its roots in chari tabl e gifts, becomes shaky due to in-
stability in t he four stages of life. The kings mi sappropri at e
shares from the obl ati ons offered to God. They do not protect
the people. Towards t he close of yuga, they will be more
interested in protecti ng themselves. In Kal i cooked food
will be kept for sale in living places. The selling of Vedas and
other sacred l i terature will occur in cross streets; young
women will sell even their honour .
8 5 9
259. attalhattarh kanydravyarh lo ye?m ST.those who
indulge in the barter of girls. Or aftacooked food. ivaslhthose who
Indulge in the sale of Vedas. Catu'pathhbrhmanas (Medini cited in
T.)Kesasulhtyaktalajjh ST. Or those who have bartered their
bajtity. mukta-kehapagatahrikh. Cf. Viiva cited in ST.
158 ^of^- ^ u / Ligapurna
^ stvWy j *
y

26-31. The lord of rai n will be wayward in maki ng
showers at t he close of yuga. Merchant s will resort to mal pra-
ctices. They will be surrounded by heretics i ndul gi ng in vai n
out ward show. Ther e will be many beggars and petitioners
among t he people soliciting one anot her. Ther e will be no
one not indulging i n harsh words; there will not be any
straightforward ma n; there will hardl y be anyone who i s not
j eal ous; when the yuga comes to a close, there will scarcely
be any man readily willing t o r et ur n the hel p rendered. F al l en
peopl e and cesurers charact eri se this closing peri od of yuga.
Th e eart h will be devoid of kings, + riches. and foodgrains will
not flourish; groups of conspirators will be formed in t he
cities and countries. The ear t h will have short suppl y of wat er
and will be deficient in fruits. Those assigned to be prot ect ors
will not be so. They will not be subject t o discipline.
32-33. Me n will r ob ot hers of t hei r weal t h and violate t he
chast i t y of ot her men' s wives. They will be lustful, wicked at
hear t , h a s e a n d foolhardy. They will lose pr oper perspective of
things. Suffering from col i cj hey will have t hei r hai rs disheve-
lled. Towar ds t he close of t he yuga peopl e will be bori whose'
age will be only sixteen years.
34. W hen t he end of the yuga is i mmi nent Sdras will
begi n the practi ce of dhar ma wi th white teeth, deerskin and
Rudr ks a beads, wi th shaven heads and ochre-coloured
robes.
35. Men will steal pl ants and grains. They will covet the
clothes they see; thieves will rob other thieves of their weal t h;
one robber will rob anot her.
36-37. W hen nobl e and befitting holy rites are no longer
performed; when all the peopl e become inactive and lethargic,
germs, mice and serpents will t orment men. Prosperity, welfare,
heal t h and efficiency will be difficult to attai n. People afflicted
by hunger and fear will resort to the lands near the Kaui kl
2
*
0
river.
260. Kauiik. It is the modern Kosi that issues from the Himalayas,
flows through Nepal and Tirhut and joins the Ganges below Patna. But
originally the river passed through North Bengal and fell into the Brahma-
putra. See Sircar, GAMI p. 42. . . t}\(\
C 1' / / / ^
CP-
Extent of four Tugas 159
38-39. Peopl e overwhel med by misery will never see t he
ma xi mum span of life of hundr ed years. In Kal i al l t he Vedas
will not be avai l abl e. Yajas perish,afflicted by peopl e of no
vi r t ue. Ochr e- r obed and naked anchori t es will be wander i ng
and many Kpl i kas (ascetics hol di ng skulls as t hei r begging
bowls) will infest t he territories.
40-41. Some sell Vedas and others sell T rt has (holy Waters)
i . e. make illegal gai n out of these. W hen Kal i yuga begins
heretics will be bor n who will be opposed to t he system of four
castes and stages of life. Sdras will l earn t he Vedas and will
become experts i n t he meani ng of dhar ma.
42-44. Ki ngs born of dr a wombs will perform horse-
sacrifice. People begin to harass one anot her by killing women,
chi l dren, cows and one anot her.
Since peopl e are inclined towards evil, thei r behavi our
will be wrought by t amoguna. At t hat ti me t he crimes such as
the sl aughter of a br ahmi n begin to appear.
45. Hence duri ng Kal i , longevity strength and features
become less and less. Men at t ai n perfection wi t hi n a short while.
46-47. Excellent brahmi ns of blessed nat ur e will still
practi se dhar ma wi thout mal i ce towards the end of yuga as
l ai d down i n t he rutis and Smrtis. W hat i s gai ned by t he
pract i ce of dhar ma for a year in Tr et is at t ai ned by t he prac-
tice of it for a month* i n Dvpar a. In Kal i an intelligent devotee
at t ai ns t he same i n a day by practising Dhar ma strenuousl y.
2 6 1
48. Thi s is the state of affairs in t he Kal i yuga. Under -
stand the situation in the peri od of endi ng j unct i on (sandh-
yrha) from me. In every yuga the Siddhis are reduced to
three-fourths of what they were in the begi nni ng.
49. Onl y a quart er of the features of t he yugas remai ns in
thei r sandhys (precedi ng transition peri ods). Similarly only
a quar t er of the features of the sandhys abides in the san-
dhyni as (succeeding transition periods) (i . e. duri ng t he
sandhym aperi od only l/6th of the yuga Dhar ma will prevai l ).
261. Gf. Visnu as cited in ST. q^fcT l f*H&-3cf Itfj jpi^fT I
I NT TspTlfcT ar^tTt^W II 3 W t W^HP?* *TMI&* <m
ftrarr: 15irTtf?i 5 ^ *>fa: mf i Krf a i i f wr 11
160
Ligapurna
50-53. W hen t he yuga has come to a close and t he period
of j unct i on too has arrived, the chastiser of the wicked peopl e
will rise up in order to kill all the bad living beings. He will be
born i n t he family of t he Moon. He will be called Prami t i by
name. Previously i n the Svyambhuva manvant ara, he had
been born of the parts of Manu (i.e. in the family of t hen
Ma nu ) ; for full twenty years he will be roami ng about on the
earth. He will be taking al ong wi th hi m a big army consisting
of horses, chariots and el ephants. He will be surrounded by
hundreds and thousands of brahmi ns wielding weapons. He
will kill the Ml ecchas (al i en outcaste people) in thousands.
54-55. After killing the kings of dr wombs he will exter-
mi nat e t he heretics completely. He will kill those who are not
pious and virtuous. He will kill those who are b o m of diffe-
rent castes and those who depend upon t hem .
56. Thus maki ng himself powerful wi th an active a F my
under his control , he the destroyer of the Ml ecchas, invincible
to all living beings, will roam about the world.
57-58. In the previous bi rth he was born in the family
of Manu who himself was a par t i ncarnati on of Vi snu. W hen
the Kal i yuga is compl ete (i.e. comi ng to an end) he will be
born i n the line of the Moon as the powerful Pr ami t i .
4 6 2
He
will start his campai gn in his thirty second year and conti nue
it for twenty years.
59. He will be killing hundreds and thousands of living
beings. By means of this cruel act be will reduce the entire
earth to the seeds. - "
60-69. Get t i ng infuriated mutual l y (t he peopl e will attack
one anot her ) . Prami ti will defeat a l l those alien outcastes and
all unrighteous persons and ul ti matel y rest in the mi ddl e l and
between the Ga g and Yamuna along wi th his ministers and
followers, after killing all the kings and alien outcastes in
thousands. W hen the sandhyma period sets in at the end of
the yuga there will be groups of people among the subjects left
behi nd here and there. Get t i ng unrestrai ned and covetous they
will be attacki ng and killing one another. W hen anarchy
262. PramitiCandragupta Vikramditya II, son of Samudragupta.
A similar account is found in Matsya, Ch. 144. For detail, see MPA Study,
by V.S. Agrawal, pp. 228-231.
Extent offour Tugas 161
spreads in view of the series of affairs in the yuga, when peopl e
begin to suspect one anot her, all those peopl e will be afflicted
by fear. Agitated and bewildered they will leave off thei r wives
and houses. They will not care even for their own lives.
Though themselves mi serabl e yet they will be worthless. W hen
the holy rites laid down in the rutis and Smrtis perish, these
people will at t ack and kill one anot her. W hen Dhar ma is des-
troyed t hey will become mannerless, unbounded, shameless and
unloving. They will not hesitate to at t ack one anot her. They
will be stunted in growth and live as far as twentyfive years.
2 8 8
Get t i ng involved in disputes they will abandon wives and sons.
W hen lack of rai n affects t hem they will, abandon agri cul ture.
They will leave off thei r l and and resort to frontiers.
2 6 4
They
will resort to rivers, oceans, mount ai ns and wells.
70. In thei r misery they will sustain themselves on wine,
meat , roots and fruits. They will wear barks of trees, leaves or
deer skin. They will not perform holy ri tes or accept monet ary
gifts.
71. They will fall off from the rigid discipline of four
castes and stages of life. They will be involved in a terrible
cal ami ty. Thus the few remai ni ng subjects at t he end of Kal i -
yuga will be in miserable circumstances.
72-73. They will be afflicted by old age, sickness and hunger.
Due to sorrow their mi nds will become dej ected. Thr ough dejec-
tion thi nki ng sets in. An even at t i t ude of the mi nd is what is
called vi cran (t hi nki ng). Thi s at t i t ude leads to knowledge.
Thr ough t rue knowledge arises pious nat ur e. The subjects who
survive the concl udi ng years of Kal i yuga will be devoid of
physical features and ment al peace.
74-78. At t hat time, the yuga changes for t hem overnight,
after creati ng illusion in their mi nds as in the case of a sleeping
or mad man. Thanks to t he inevitability and force of future
events Kr t ayuga will set in. W hen thus the Kr t ayuga is ushered
in, the subjects surviving from the Kal i yuga, become those
263. pacavimakh i.e. with their span of life extending only to
twentyfive years or whose gross and subtle bodies constitute twentyfive
tattvas.
264. pratyantnmlecchadesan ST. Cf. pratyanto mlecchadeah
sytAmara.
162 Ligapurna
bel onging to the Krt ayuga. Those Siddhas
2
*
5
(enlightened souls)
who still remai n and move about invisibly, will be made mani -
fest then al ongwi th the sleeping Saptarsis. (seven sages)
Ther e will be some brahmi ns, ksatriyas, vaiyas and dras
for the purpose of seeds [i.e. as nucleus for the subsequent
generati on. They will get mi xed wi th the people surviving
from the Kal i yuga. The seven sages and others will teach these
peopl e their Dhar ma.
79. They will t each t hem the two-fold Dhar ma of t he ruti
and Smrti
2
* *
3
al ongwi th the conduct of life pecul i ar to the four
castes and stages of life.
Thereafter when they begin to perform holy rites, the subjects
f l ouri sh i n the Krt ayuga.
80-83. W hen t he Dhar mas have been propounded by the
seven sages, other sages promul gat e t hem (among the people)
by differentiating t hem between those pertai ni ng to ruti and
Smrti . Some of these sages stay even at the ti me of dissolution
for the purpose of establishing Dhar ma. The sages indeed stay
in office t hroughout t he manvant ar a, j ust as trees remai n
(unaffected) when the forest fire consumes t he grass. But when
rai n falls this grows up agai n. In the same manner , after the
peopl e of Kal i die the peopl e of Kr t a yuga come up. The
conti nui ty from one yuga to anot her goes on wi t hout break in
this manner till the manvant ar a comes to a close.
84. Happi ness, longevity, strength, beaut y ( or physical
features), vi rtue, weal th and love become reduced to three-
fourths from yuga to yuga gradual l y.
85. The Siddhis of Dhar ma become (proportionately)
265. Siddhasa class of human beings of great purity, holiness and
divine power. They are said to be seven. Gf. mantrajo mantravit prjo
mantrart siddhapjitah siddhavat paramah siddhah sarvasiddhipradyinah
cited in ST.
266. seven sages, viz. Marici, Atri, Agiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu
and Vasistha. They are represented by a group of seven stars called Ursa
Major. ST. cites a verse with a few variations in names : Kayapo' trir
bharadvjo Vivmitro' tha Gautamah Vasisfho Jamadagni ca saptarsaya
udhrth
266a. rauta and Smrta dharma : norms of righteousness derived
from the authority of ruti (Vedas) zrd Smrtis (legal treatises).
Extent offour Yugas 163
reduced in the parts of t he j unct i ons of yugas. Thus the mode
of achi evement in order has been recounted.
86-92. In t he same manner all the four yugas must be
understood. A thousand such cycles of four yugas are said to
consti tute one day of Brahm. The ni ght too consists of as many
yugas. By the time t he yuga comes to a close the living beings
lose thei r straightforward and sentient feelings. Thi s is t he
characteri sti c feature of all the yugas. Seventyone cycles of
four yugas constitute a manvant ar a. W hat happens in one set of
four yugas is repeated in the other cycles of four yugas in t he
same manner and at the same ti me as well as in the same order.
The differences t hat occur from creation to creation are limited
to twentyfive, nei ther more nor less. The kalpas too have the
same characteristics as the yugas. The same characteristics
mar k all the manvant aras also.
93. J us t as the changes and alterations in the yugas have
happened from early days ( and have conti nued for a long time)
in view of the nat ur e of t he yugas, so also the worl d of living
beings goes round and round al ternati ng between deat h and
bi rt h.
94. Thus the characteristic feature of the yugas of the
past and future in all the manvant aras has been recorded in
brief.
95. W i t h the expl anation of one manvant ar a all the man-
vantaras have been undoubtedl y expl ai ned; similarly with one
kal pa and other kalpas too.
96-100. In regard to the future kalpas the same argument
should be conti nued by one who knows. In all the manvant aras
past and future, the ei ght
2 6 7
classes of Devas, the rul ing lords of
manvant aras, Manus and sages will have the same status
t hrough their names and forms, as also the same purpose and
intention. The same is the case with the division of castes and
stages of life in every yuga. It is the lord who lays down the
nat ure and characteristics of the yugas, the divisions of castes
and stages of life, the yugas and the Siddhis of the yugas. Inci -
dental l y, the magni t ude of the yugas was menti oned to you. I
shall now recount to you how the lotus-born deity became
Brahm the son of the goddess.
267. Eight classes of Devas : Gf. Aditya-viva-vasavas-tusita-bhs-
varnilh mahraksika-sdhys ca rudras ca ganadcvathcited in ST.
164
Ligapurna
CHAPTER FORTYONE
Nativity of Brahm
1. W hen the peri od of a thousand yugas lapsed and it was
morni ng for hi m, lord Brahm created once agai n the subjects
who had fallen off, in the same manner as they were before.
2-6. O leading brahmi n, when thus the peri od of twice
Par r dha lapsed, the eart h merged into the water, the water i nto
the fi re, the fi re i nto the wind, the wind i nto t he ether al ong
with the t anmt ras. O excellent brahmi n, eleven sense-organs
and the t anmt ras merged into t he ego lo ! in a trice. Ego
merged into intellect ( mahat ) in a moment . O br ahmi n, t he
intellect also at t ai ned the unmani fest(avyakta) and merged i nto
it. The unmanifest became merged i nto the lord al ong with its
Gunas. Thereafter creation took pl ace as before from Purusa
iva.
2
*
8
Then the ment al sons were created by hi m by mere
thinking. _
7-9. The subjects thus created by the lotus-born deity di d
not flourish in this world. F or the purpose of increase, lord
Brahm performed a penance with the supreme lord in view, in
the company of his ment al sons. The great lord was pleased
by their penance. Realising Brahma' s desire, t he lord pierced
through the mi ddl e of Brahma' s forehead. Saying "I am your
son" he then became mal e-cum- female in his form.
10-14. The lord wi th half-female body becamehi s son. Then
the lord bur nt Brahm, the preceptor of the universe. Thereafter
for the purpose of the flourishing increase of the worlds the lord
adopted the yogic pat h and enjoyed his own prosperous semi-
Mt r , Paramevari . He created Vi snu and Brahm i n her. The
lord of the universe, t he soul of the universe, created the Pupat a
missile too. Hence Vi snu and Brahm were born of t he par t of
Mahdev . Thus Brahm who was the Egg-born, and the lotus-
born was born also of the body of t he l ord.
2 6 9
Thus, in brief, the
s68. At first there was nothing except Prakrti and Purusa (i.e. iva
and My). Then iva created twentyfive tattvas out of himself. Cf.
cTr^Tf'T fWtfltflP T^^Ssr'T'ftW'T: I Liga, par t I I ; and SP
cited in ST. : iKttTc+f ^rT^T jjTRifcsrfifo 3 ^ fafT ^ f e ^ ^ Hi ^
269. Brahm is born of (i) the Cosmic Egg, (ii) the lotus, as well
as (iii) the body of iva.
Nativity of Brahm 165
enti re anecdot e has been menti oned to you, as also what
happened duri ng the first Par r dha of Brahm.
15-21. I shall now briefly menti on the det achment of Brahm
born of t amoguna. Lord Vi snu split his body i nto two and
created universe consisting of t he mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings.
He then created Brahm who in t urn created Rudr a. O sage, in
anot her kal pa, Rudr a created Brahm. Then O sage, in an-
other kal pa, Vi snu created Brahm, then Brahm created
Vi snu, t hen the lord created Brahm. Then Br ahm thought
t hat the world was full of misery and he abandoned the activity
of creation. He engaged his soul in the higher soul. He restrained
the movement of the vital breaths and remai ned motionless like a
rock. He remai ned in Samdhi (ecstasy) for ten thousand years.
The splendid lotus t hat faced downwards and was stationed in
the heart was fi l l ed wi th i nhal ati on. It became blossomed out.
W hen by means of retention of breat h it was restrained t hat
lotus became rdhva-vaktra (wi th facelifted upwards).
22-27. In the mi ddl e of its peri carp he installed the lord.
Then Brahm, the self-controlled who had purified his soul by
perfect restraint of his senses installed the great lord iva in his
heart. The lord was situated there in a space as small as the
hundred part of t h e thread of the lotus stalk
2 7 0
by repeati ng ' om'
in a series of half measures of time. He who was worthy of wor-
ship himself,
271
then propi ti ated the unchangi ng l ord(i . e. iva)
by means of flowers of restraint et c.
2 7 2
Then at the behest
of the Is vara situated in the heart-lotus (of Brahm) the all-
pervadi ng lord born of the body of Bhava came out of Brahm
by piercing through his forehead.
That l ord born from Siva' s heart was blue originally but
became red by contact wi th fi re. Because t hat Purusa was bot h
N l a (blue) and Lohi ta (red) j ust like the form of Kl a, the God
270. mrnla-tanu-bbga : Cf. nivrasukavat tanvi pt bhsvatya-
npam tasyh ikhy madhye hi paramt m vyavasthitah; also
Blgramtram hrdayasya madhye...cited in ST.
271. yjyah.yajanayogyah ST. worthy of worship.
272. yama-puspdibhih : in the form of observances such as yama,
niyama, sana, prnyma, pratyhra, dhran, dhyna and samdhi.
166
Ligapurna
of Deat h, he was named N l al ohi ta by Is vara and lord Kl a by
Brahm. The all-pervading one (i.e. Kl a) became pleased
thereby.
28. Q great sage, Brahm, the soul of the universe eulogised
the lord who was delighted i n his mi nd and who had t he uni-
verse as his form by means of the Nms t akat he set of eight
names.
2 7 3
Brahm said :
29-32. O lord Rudra, obeisance to you of unmeasured
splendour like t he sun. Obei sance to you lord Bhava identical
with water and taste. Perpetual obeisance to Sana who has
the form of eart h and smell. Obei sance to you, Ua, identical
with air and the qual ity of touch. Obei sance to Paupati the
lord of individual souls, identical wi th fire of excessive spl endour.
Obeisance to you, Bhxma, identical wi th ether havi ng t he qual i ty
of sound. Obeisance to Mahdeva, identical wi th the moont he
abode of nect ar. Obei sance to you, Ugra, t he Yaj amna (one
who performs sacrifice) who is the agent for all acti ons.
2 7 4
33-34. He who reads this hymn sung by Brahm unt o
Rudr a, he who listens to this or he who narrat es this to
brahmi ns wi th great concentrati on will at t ai n i denti ty with the
lord of eight cosmic bodies, within a year. After eulogising thus,
Brahm looked at the great lord.
35-36. The great lord stood wi th the eight forms spreads
all round. The sun shone. So also the fi re and t he moon. Ther e
were earth, wind, water, ether and yaj amnat he sacrificer.
Ever since t hat ti me they call Ivara, Ast amrt i .
37-38. Thanks to the grace of Ast amrt i , Br ahm created
again. After creati ng the world of mobile and i mmobi l e beings,
he fell asleep for the peri od of a thousand yugas. In the next
kalpa when he woke up he became desirous of creati ng the
subjects, and so he performed great and severe penance.
273. Eight names of iva. P. Viaytivara-samhit(Ch. 20. 47) mentions
eight names as Hara, Mahevara, ambhu, lapni, Pinkadhrk, iva,
Paupati and Mahdeva. But Liga has a different list, represented by the
the eight forms of iva.
274. karma-yogine : karma-yogin is the eighth form of iva called
yajamna (a sacrificer) and Ugra. According to ST. karmayogine=karma-
phala-bhoktreone who enjoys the fruits of his actions i.e. Jva.
Nativity of Brahm
167
39. Even when he performed t he penance thus, not hi ng
happened. After a great deal of time he became miserable and
his sorrow t urned i nto anger.
40. W hen he was overwhel med wi th anger, drops of tears
fell from his eyes. F r om those drops of tears goblins and ghosts
originated.
41. On seeing this first-born creation consisting of goblins,
ghosts and demons, the unbor n deity l ord Brahm censured
himself.
42. Ther eupon, the infuriated lord Brahm, abandoned
his fife. Thereafter, Rudr a in the form of Pr na (vital breat h)
appeared t hrough the mout h of lord Brahm.
43. The lord, havi ng a lustre resembling t hat of the rising
sun became Ardhanr vara (male-cum-female f orm). He
divided himself i nto el even
2 7 5
parts and settled down there.
44. W i t h half a porti on of himself Ardhanr vara, t he
soul of all, created Um . She created Laksmi , Dur g and Saras-
vat.
45-48. (She further created) Vm, Raudr i , Mahmy,
Vaisnav the lotus-eyed goddess, Kal avi kari ni , Kl residing in
the lotus, goddess Balavikarin, Bal apramathi n , Sarvabhat ada-
man, (the suppressor of all living beings) and Manonman .
Similarly thousands of other women were created by her. Accom-
pani ed by those<Xadies and the Rudras} Mahdevat Par ame var a
the lord of the three worlds) stood in front of l ord Brahm,
Paramest hi n who was the soul of all but was now lying dead.
49. Lor d Mahe vara, t he sympatheti c son of Brahm,
grant ed hi m vital airs.
50. Then Rudr a the lord of Devas was delighted and he
spoke these pleasant words to Brahm who regained his life
a little.
51. O highly blessed lord Brahm, O preceptor of the worlds,
do not be afraid ; t he vital airs have been established yhere^iujp
your heart. Hence, O l ord get up.
275. ekdaiadh : in eleven forms, as stated in Visnu (cited in ST).
They are named Aja-ekapd, Ahirbudhnya, Tvaftr, Rudra, Hara, Tryam-
baka, Aparjita, Vrskapi, ambhu, Kapardin and Raivata. Other Purnas.
give different lists. For detail, see MatsyapurnaA study, pp. 65-67.
168 Ligapurna
52-54. On heari ng his words as though in dreams passing
t hrough his mi nd, Brahm became delighted in his heart. With
t he vital airs comi ng back to hi m, he looked at Mahevara with
his eyes t hat had t he lustre of full bl own lotus. After glancing
ti p at hi m for a long time, lord Brahm got up and said with
pal ms j oi ned in reverence in a tone affectionate and majestic.
"O highly blessed one, tell me. You are delighting my
mi nd: W ho are you standi ng with eight cosmic bodies and i n
eleven f or ms ?"
Indra said:
55-58. On heari ng his words, Mahevara the slayer of the
enemies of Devas spoke t hrough all his mout hs.
The lord said:
" Know me the great soul and know her the birthless My.
These standing by are the Rudr as, who have come here to
protect you" .
Thereafter Br ahm bowed down to t he l ord of Devas and
said wi th pal ms j oi ned in reverence. Hi s words were choked
wi th delight.
"O lord, O lord of the chiefs of Devas, I am agi tated and
excited due to miseries.
59-60. O na, O akara, it behoves you to release me
from the bondage of worldly existence.
Ther eupon t he lord of Um l aughed at Brahm. Then the
l ord of the universe vanished from there along wi th Um and
the Rudras.
Indra said:
61-64. Hence O ilda, underst and t hat in all the worlds
it is difficult to get a person who is not bor n of a womb and
who is deathless. Even the lotus-born deity has deat h. But
if Rudr a the lord of Devas is pleased, a son not born of a
womb and devoid of deat h is not difficult for you to get. It is
not possible for me, for Vi snu and for Br ahm to offer you a
son not born of a womb and devoid of deat h.
Origin of NandiSvara 169
ailSdi said:
After speaki ng thus to t he l eadi ng br ahmi n and blessing
hi m, t he ki nd lord accompani ed by Devas went away ri di ng
on his whi t e el ephant .
CHAPTER FORTYTWO
The origin of Nandiivara
Sta said:
1. W hen the thousand-eyed meritorious bestower of boons
had gone, i l da propi t i at ed Mahdeva. He del ighted t he
iord by means of penance.
2. Even as the br ahmi n pursued t he penance eagerly and
perpetual l y, a t housand divine years surprisingly passed off
like a moment .
3. The sage was completely enveloped by an anthi l l .
He became the victim of t ort ure by groups of worms and
blood-sucking insects wi th t hei r mout hs poi nt ed like di amond
needl es. ,
4. W i t h skin al one, devoi d of flesh and bl ood he stood
t here like a wall unaffected. He was a mer e skeleton t hen.
The auspicious l ord t hought of hi m t hen.
5. W he n t he sage was touched wi t h hand by the lord,
t he enemy of t he Cupi d, the l eadi ng Brahmi n sage eschewed
all his fatigue and strain.
6. Lor d i va was delighted at the penance of the sage.
(Approachi ng him) al ong with his Ganas and Um he said to
hi m, " I am delighted wi th your penance" .
7. "O highly intelligent one, what wi th this penance ? I
shall give you an omniscient son who has mastered all t he
Scri pt ural t opi cs".
8. Thereafter bowi ng down to the lord of Devas and
eulogising hi m ilda spoke to the moon-bedecked lord, accom-
pani ed by Um,*
TC
wi th words choked wi th great pl easure.
276. somamUmay saha, accompanied by Um.
170 Ligapurna
ilda said:
9. "O lord, O akar a t he most excellent among t he good,
0 lord of t he chiefs of Devas, O dest royer of Tr i pur as ,
1 wish for a son not bor n of a womb and devoid of deat h" .
Sta said:
10. Rudr a, Paramevara who had al ready been propi ti ated
by his penance by Br ahm spoke thus agai n to il da wi th
very great pl easure.
The lord said:
11. O br ahmi n, O ascetic, formerly I had been propi ti ated
by Brahm, sages and Devas by penance, for t he sake of my
i ncarnat i on.
12. I shall become your son, not bor n of a womb, by t he
name Nandi n. O sage, I am the father of worlds and you will
become my father.
13. After saying thus to the sage who was standi ng t here
after bowi ng to hi m and looking up to hi m, t he delighted
merciful l ord who was accompani ed by Um and who was
comparabl e to t he Moon vanished there itself.
14-15. O great sage, havi ng obtai ned t he assurance of a
son from Rudr a, my father was del ighted. He was the most
excellent among the knowers of sacrifice. F or the purpose of
sacrifice he came to t he court yard of a great sacrificial cham-
ber. F ormerl y I was bor n in t hat court yard as his son, at the
behest of l ord iva. I had the lustre of fire at the closing of
a yuga.
16. W hen I was born as the son of ilda, the clouds
Puskara, Avart aka and others showered rai n. The heaven-
wal kersKi nnaras, Sdhyas and Si ddhas sang songs. Vi snu
showered fragrant fl owers.
17-19. I had t hen the lustre of Kl asrya (sun at t he
ti me of pral aya or dissol ution). I was havi ng mat t ed hai r and
coronet. In the form of an infant I had three eyes, four arms
hol di ng the tri dent, axe, iron cl ub and t hunderbol t . My curved
fangs were adamant i ne. I was the infant adored by the t hunder-
bolt-wielding I ndr a. I was terrible in appearance wi th di amond
ear-rings. My voice was comparabl e to the t hunderi ng sound of
Origin of Nandiivara 171
the cl ouds. On seeing me Brahma, I ndr a and all ot her gods and
ing sages eulogised me. The groups of celestial damsels
uted and danced all round.
20. O l eadi ng sage, wi t h mant r as pert ai ni ng to Mahe var a
M well as those taken from Rk, Yajus and Sman, the over-
j oyed sages eulogised and bowed down to me.
21-25. The following stood all ar ound me: Br ahm,
Vi snu, Rudr a, I ndr a, iv, Ambi k herself, J upi t er , t he moon,
t he sun of great spl endour, wi nd god, fi re god, I na, Ni rrt i ,
Yaksa, Yama, Var una, Vive Devas, Rudr as, Vasus of great
strength, Laksm herself, ac, J yesti i , goddess Sarasvat,
Aditi, Di t i , r addh, Lajj, Dhr t i , Nand, Bhadr, Surabhi ,
Sul, Sumanas, the l ord of bulls, Dhar ma of great spl endour
and the sons of Dhar ma. They surrounded me, embraced me
and eulogised me. O excellent sage, even i l da my father,
the sage, on seeing me like t hat bowed to me wi t h love. The
meri tori ous soul eulogised his son who gave hi m what he
liked.
ilda said:
26-31. O l ord, O l ord of t he chief of Devas, O three-eyed
one, O unchangi ng one, you ar e my son since you are my
prot ect or and the protector of worlds from misery. Since you
are t he protector of worlds, O son, you are my father. You are
omni present. O son, not bor n of a womb, obeisance to you, O
source of origin of t he universe, O grand father, O father, O son,
O Mahe na, O preceptor of the universe, O dear one, O
highly blessed one, O Paramevara protect me. O l ord of
Devas, since I am delighted by you, you are to be known by
t he name Nandi n. Hence O Nandi n, del ight me. I bow down
to you, the l ord of the universe. O lord, del ight my parent s
who have gone to Rudr a' s world. O lord, my grandf ather
too has gone to the worl d of Rudr a. O Nandi n, when
Mahe var a has i ncarnat ed my bi rt h in the worl d is fruitful. O
lord, the bi rt h of the worlds too is fruitful.
32. W hen you have i ncarnat ed as my son for my protecti on
O Ivara, O Nandi n, O l ord of Devas, obeisance to you. O
Nand vara, obeisance to you.
33-38. O son of mi ghty arms, protect me. O l ord of Devas,
172 Ligapurna
O preceptor of the worlds, O dear one, please forgive what
was said by me considering you as my son. You are worthy of
bei ng eulogised by means of hymns by Devas and Asuras.
W hoever reads or listens to this speech addressed to my
son, whoever narrat es this to brahmi ns with devoti on, rejoices
along wi th me. After eulogising t he boy his son, after bowing
down to hi m wi th respect and looking at the leading sages
ilda of good holy rites s ai d:
"O ye sages, see my great fortune, since the unchangi ng
lord has i ncarnat ed as Nandi n in the court yard of t he sacri-
ficial hal l . W hi ch ma n is like me in this worl d ? Nei t her Devas
nor Dnavas are equal to me since this Nandi n is born in the
sacrificial ground for the sake of my welfare.
CHAPTER FORTYTHREE
Coronation cf Nandiivara
Nandivara said:
1. After bowi ng down to Mahevara, my delighted father
i mmedi atel y went back to his hut along wi th me like an
i ndi gent man after obtai ni ng a treasure-trove.
2. O great sage, when I went to the hut of ilda I esche-
wed my divine form and assumed a human shape.
3-4. My divine memory was obl i terated for some unknown
reason. On seeing t hat I had assumed human form, my father,
worshipped by all the worlds, became extremel y miserable
and he l amented. Surrounded by his kinsmen, he, the knower
of everything, performed my postnatal and other holy rites.
5-8. ilda son of l akyana was highly fond of me
his son. It was he who t aught me all these:viz, the recensions
of Rgveda, Yaj urveda and the thousand branches of Smaveda
with their ancillaries and subdivisions. He taught me
Ayurveda (science of medi ci ne), Dhanur veda (science of
ar cher y) , Gndhar va (musi col ogy), Aval aksana (characteris-
tics of horses), the details of elephants and also the character! -
Coronation of NandiSvara
173
tics of men. W hen I compl eted my seventh year two excellent
di vi ne sages Mi t r a and Var una, who were equi pped wi t h
penance, and yogic power came to his hermi tage to see me.
It was at the behest of the lord t hat they had come there.
9-11. On seeing me repeatedl y t he two nobl e sages sai d:
" O dear one, t hough this Nandi n has mastered all t he scriptu-
ral topics, he is shortlived. Thi s type of wonder has not been
seen before. Hi s life does not extend beyond a year.
W hen they said thus il da t he leading brahmi n, extremel y
fond of his son, embraced me. Excessively dejected he l amen-
ted wi t h a highly di scordant voice, "al as my son! my son, my s on"
He t hen fell down flat. ,
12-13. He was sad and he sai d"Al as! the power of t he
adverse fate and of the creator ! " On heari ng his l ament at i on
the residents of the hermi t age gathered there in great bewil-
der ment . They evolved amul ets and observed auspicious rites
to ward off the evil. They eulogised Mahdeva, the three-eyed
lord of Um .
14. They performed homa repeat i ng t he mant r a of Tri -
yambaka, offering ten thousand times Drv (Darbha grass)
soaked i n honey, and accompani ed by ot her materials of
worshi p.
15. My father and grandfather lost consciousness. W i t h all
their activities ceased, they l amented, fell down as though dead.
16-19. I was afraid of deat h. Er e l ong I bowed down to
my father and grandfather who were lying down as t hough they
were dead. I ci rcumambul at ed t hem. I was then engaged in t he
repeti ti on of Rudr a mant r a. I medi t at ed on t he three-eyed l ord
in t he lotus cavity of my heart, t he quiescent lord Sadi va
with ten arms and five faces. Even as I was standi ng in t he
mi ddl e of the holy river t he delighted lord Mahdeva accomp-
ani ed by Um , and adorned by t he crescent moon appeared
and s ai dO dear Nandi n of great arms, whence is fear from
deat h for you ?
20-24. Those two brahmi ns had been sent by me al one.
Ther e is no doubt t hat you are like myself. O dear, this body
of yours is factually worldly. It is not di vi ne. O dear, what
was formerly seen and worshipped by ilda, Devas, sages, Sid-
dhas, Gandharvas and Dnavas was divine. O Nandl vara.
174 Ligapurna
this is the nat ur e of t he worl d t hat happiness and misery be-
fall repeatedl y one after t he other. It is t he dut y of t he discri-
mi nat i ng man to avoid bi rt h t hrough t he womb. *
7 7
After saying
thus to me, Paramevara, lord Rudr a, Har a, the great lord
of all Devas, t he destroyer of distress touched me with his
splendid hands.
25-28. After glancing at the goddess, Um the daught er of the
Hi mavat , and at the chieftains of t he Ganas, the bul l -embl emed
Mahdeva, Lord of Devas, said with satisfaction in his heart,
"Al ong wi th your father and friends you will be unagei ng and
deathless. You will be devoid of pai n and misery. You will be
imperishable and unchangi ng. You will have my virility and
exploit. You will be my favourite chief of Ganas. I will be al-
ways fond of you. You will be at my side for ever. You will
have my strength. You will be endowed with great yogic power. "
29-31. After saying this to me t he lord accompani ed by
his at t endant s, took off his lotus garl and. The bull-emblemed
lord of great spl endour tied it on me. W i t h t hat splendid gar-
l and clinging to my neck I became as though a second akara
wi th three eyes and ten arms. Then Parame vara took me by
the hand and s ai d" Tel l me. W hat excellent boon shall I give
you no w? "
32-35. The bull-emblemed lord then took the pur e water
embedded in his mat t ed hairs. Saying " Be a ri ver" he Cas t it
down. The n it began to flow as a great river full of splendid,
divine, whi te (shining) water with lots of lotuses and lilies in it.
Mahdeva said to t hat extremely splendid r i ver " Si nce you
began to flow as a great river from the waters of my mat t ed
hairs you will be an excellent holy river named J at odak. "
36-39. " Any man will be liberated from all sins by tak-
ing b a t h i n you. " Then lord Mahdeva said to the goddess
" Thi s i s your s on" and made me the son of ilda, fall at
h e r f eet . She kissed m e o n the head and stroked m e with her
hands. W i t h three pourings of water as white as t h e conch,
with three sons s h e bat hed me with t h e affection d u e t o a s o n
a l l the while gl anci ng at the lord of Devas. These three pour-
277. Nrnm yoniparitygah : release from the bondage of Birth and
Death, which is the goal of man's life. According to ST. yoni-paritygah=
str-samgama-tygah. ST. cites Bhgavata in support of this meaning.
Coronation of Nandvara
175
ings fl owed down to become a river wi th three branches. The
l ord Bhava therefore called it Tri srotas (river with t hree
t ri but ari es).
40-43. On seeing the ri ver Tri srotas t he bul l (vehicle of
i va) was extremel y del ighted. It bellowed. F r om t hat bellowing
sound anot her river ori gi nated. Tha t river was called " Vr s adh-
vani " by the l ord of Devas. The bul l -embl emed lord pl aced on
my head his divine golden crown t hat was made by Vivakar-
man, st udded wi th all jewels, and t hat was vari egated au-
spicious and wonderful. Mahdeva, MaheVara himself fi tted i n
my ears his spl endid divine ear-rings bedecked wi t h di amonds
and Lapi s Lazul i .
44-47. O sage, on seeing me honoured thus, t he sun in t he
sky showered Si l dana with waters from t he clouds. W hen he was
thus showered, those waters flowed as a stream. Since this river
ori gi nated from gold, the three-eyed lord of Devas called her
Svarnodak. Since anot her spl endid ri ver ori gi nated from the
crown made of gold they call t hat ri ver J mbnad . Thus t he
set of five rivers flowed near t he lord J apyevara.
48. He who visits Pacanada, *
7 8
takes t he hol y di p t here and
worships Lor d J apye vara shall undoubt edl y at t ai n i denti ty
wi th iva.
49. Then l ord Mahdeva, Bhava, t he lord of all living
beings said to goddess arvn, Um, the unbor n, and daught er
of t he mount ai n.
50. O goddess, I am going to crown l ord Nand vara as
the lord of goblins. I shall call hi m t he l eader of the Ganas . O
unchangi ng goddess, what do you thi nk ?
51-53. On heari ng his words the del i ght of Bhavn was
evi dent in her face. Smilingly she said to Bhava her l ord, the
lord of goblins, and the bestower of boons, "O lord of Devas, i t
behoves you to grant hi m t he overlordship of t he worlds as
also the l eadershi p of the Ganas, aildi is my own s on. "
Thereafter lord arva, the lord of the chiefs of t he world,
the bul l -embl emed lord, remembered all the divine chiefs of
the Ganas.
278. pacanadam : a confluence of five rivers, vi z. Jafodak, Tri-
srotas, Vrsadhvani, Svarnodak, and Jmbnadl.
176
Ligapurna
CHAPTER FORTYFOUR
Coronation of Nandivara
aildi said:
1. As soon as Rudr a remembered t hem, the leaders of
Ganas came there. All of t hem had a thousand arms wi th
weapons i n all thei r thousand hands.
2. They had t hree eyes. These nobl e ganas were saluted
even by Devas. They resembled crores of fires t hat bur n at t he
ti me of dissolution. They had mat t ed hairs and crowns.
3. Innumer abl e lords of Ganas of nobl e souls came there wi th
j ubi l ati on. They were accompani ed by crores and crores of
Ganas all equal in exploits to the chief. Thei r faces were terri-
bl e due to t he curved fangs. They were eternal , enl ightened
and devoid of impurities.
4. Those strong ones were singing, runni ng, danci ng and
pl aying on various i nstruments wi th facial gestures.
5. These Ganas rode in chariots, on el ephants, horses, lions
and monkeys. They were seated i n aerial chariots decorated i n
gold.
6-8. The Ganas of great yogic power came to t he assembly
of the lord, pl ayi ng on drums and other musical i nstruments
such as Bher, Mr dagaka, Panava, naka, Gomukha,
Pafaha, Ekapuskara, dambar aka, Muraj a, Di ndi ma, Mar dal a,
Venu(f l ut e), V n ( l ut e) , different kinds of cymbals, Dar dur a,
Tal aght a, Kacchapa and Panava.
9. Those lords of Ganas of great strength and stami na,
the lords of t he chiefs of Devas bowed down to the lord and
the goddess and spoke these words:
10. O blessed l ord, O l ord of t he chiefs of Devas, O
three-eyed lord, O bul l -embl emed lord, why are we summon-
ed ? O lord of great splendour, command us.
11. Shall we dry up t he oceans ? Shall we kill Yama al ong
wi t h his servants? Shall we kill Mrt yu, the daught er of God of
Deat h ? Shall we kill the lotus-born deity as an insignificant
ani mal ?
12. Infuri ated t hat we are, shall we bi nd up I ndr a along
wi th Devas or Vi snu al ong wi th Vyu or Dai tyas along with
Dnavas and bri ng t hem here ?
Coronation of Nandivara
177
13. Ol or d, at your behest, to whom shall we bri ng about
destruction and distress today ? W ho has great festivities t oday
for the prosperi ty and increase of his desires ?"
14. The lord honoured crores and hundred crores of those
chieftains of Ganas. Even as they earnestly spoke to hi m thus,
he replied as follows:
15. " You are all persons striving for the welfare of t he uni -
verse. Listen why you have been called. O noble ones of pur e
souls, on heari ng it do accordingly wi thout hesitation.
16. Thi s Nand vara is our son. He is the lord of all chiefs.
He is a prosperous brahmi n, your leader and commander-i n-
chief.
17. Hence at my bi ddi ng, you all, highly respected ones,
crown hi m as your lord and commander-in-chief, as the great
lord of yogas"
18. Thus di rected by t he lord, the chieftains of the Ganas
agreed to the same, by saying "so be i t " and thereafter began
to gat her all the requisites.
19-23. They brought the usual di vi ne seat of arva, t he
splendid seat made of gold, t he beautiful one resembling Mer u
to be offered as seat for hi m ( Nandi n) . They made a Man-
dapa wi th many pillars shining with golden lustre. Pearl pen-
dants were suspended and they were studded wi th gems and
jewels. Ther e were col umns of Lapis Lazul i covered wi th small
tinkling bells. The Mandapa had doors on all sides bedecked
in beautiful gems and jewels. After maki ng the Mandapa they
placed a splendid seat in the mi ddl e. In front of it was t he
foot-stool shining wi th bl ue stones. F or the installation of t he
pedestal they kept two water j ars nearby. They were fi l l ed wi th
sweet waters and covered wi th lotus flowers.
24. Ther e were a thousand j ars of gold, silver, copper and
clay. They were filled wi th waters from all T rt has.
25-25. Brahm, P a r a me c i n t he nobl e soul,, offered these
things, v i z : a pai r of cloths, divine scents, shoulderlets, ear-
rings, crown, necklace, hundred-ri bbed umbrel l a and the chow-
ries.
27. Ther e was a fine Cmar a (bushy tail of deer used as a
flyflap or fan) with gold shaft. The fan was as pur e as the moon.
It shone with its back as whi te as conch or pearl necklace.
178
Ligapurna
28. The divine elephants Ai rvata and Suprat ka were
fully caparisoned. A gold crown was made by Vi vakarman.
29-30. Ther e were two pur e and divine ear-rings. The ex-
cellent weapon thunderbol t was kept there. Ther e was a golden
thread and two bracelets. The unexcited leaders of Ganas highly
honoured by Devas brought many requisite materi al s from all
round.
31-34. Then all these assembled t here j oyousl y: Devas
al ong wi th I ndr a, Vi snu and others, t he sages, Br ahm and
ni ne Br ahms
2 7 9
. W hen all of t hem had come, l ord Parame-
vara di rected Br ahm to perform t he ri te. At t he behest of
the lord, Br ahm performed the rite of abl uti on wi t h great
at t ent i on. After worshi ppi ng hi m Brahm himself poured the
water.
35. At the behest of iva, Vi snu, I ndr a and the guardi ans
of quarters bat hed the leaders of Ganas in succession.
36-37 The sages wi t h Brahm at thei r head eulogised hi m.
W hi l e they eulogised, Vi snu t he l ord of t he universe kept his
j oi ned pal ms over t he head and eulogised wi th great attenti on.
W i t h pal ms j oi ned i n reverence he bowed down and cried out
shouts of victory.
38-39. The n t he commandant s of Ganas, Devas and Asuras
one after the other, eulogised and bat hed hi m. Thus after
being eulogised and bat hed by Devas along wi t h Brahm, his
marri age too was performed at the behest of Paramest hi n. Hi s
wife was the gentl e l ady named Suya, the daught er of
the Mar ut s .
40-41. A well-decorated umbrel l a havi ng the lustre of the
moon was offered to her. She had Cmaras also and she was
accompani ed by groups of women hol di ng Cmar a in their
hands. Along with me, the most excellent throne was occupied
by her. She was adorned by Mahl aksm wi th coronet and
other ornament s.
42-43. The excellent necklace from the neck of the goddess
was gifted to her. The l eadi ng bul l , the whi te el ephant, the
lion, the lion-emblem, the chari ot, the golden umbrel l a with
279. Cf. Liga. Ch. 70, 81-82. They are called Marci, Bhrgu.
Angiras, Pulaha, Pulastya, Kratu, Daksa, Atri and Vasistha.
Description of Nether Worlds 179
the lustre like t hat of t he disc of the moonal l these were
there. Till now no other lord was equal to me.
44-45. The great lord mount ed t he bul l after taki ng me
on, al ong wi th all the members of my family, ki nsmen and
relatives. He set off wi th the goddess. On seeing the goddess
and the l ord al ong wi th me, the sages, Devas, Siddhas and
brahmi ns requested for the lord' s order.
46-49. At the behest of the l ord, the husband of the daugh-
ter of t he mount ai n, Nand grant ed those who deserved the
splendid behest of the lord. On receiving the order from the
l eadi ng sage they became great devotees of iva. Hence one
shoul d worshi p the l ord.
If a person utters t he name of the lord wi thout obeisance he
will i ncur great sin on a par wi t h t hat of ten brahmin-slayers.
Hence by all means, one shall ut t er words of obeisance. At the
outset one shall make obeisance and at t he end ut t er the
name i va.
2 80
CHAPTER FORTYFIVE
Description of Nether Worlds
The sages said:
1. O Sta, everything pertai ni ng to Lord Siva has been
clearly stated. It behoves you to nar r at e the form of t he lord
as the soul of all.
Sta said :
2-3. Bhh, Bhuvah, Svah, Mahah, J ana, Tapas, Satya,
Pt l a, the crores of hellish seas, stars, planets, the sun, the
moon, the polar star, the seven sages ( Gr eat Bear) and
those going about in aerial chariotsal l these abi de by his
grace.
4. All these are created by hi m. O excellent brahmi ns,
280. It refers to the five-syllabled mantra of Si va" namah ivya."
180 Ligapurna
they have hi m as thei r soul. Siva is always stationed in t he form
of samasti (t he collective whol e). He is t he soul of all.
5. Those who are confounded, those who are del uded by
his My do not know the great lord Mahe vara the noble soul,
the t man of all.
6. Indeed the three worl ds consti tute his body. Hence
after bowing to hi m I shall recount the splendid detai l of t he
worlds.
7. F ormerl y, I had ment i oned to you about the shape and
features of the Cosmic Egg. I shall now describe t he features
of the worlds in t he cosmic Egg.
8. The Eart h, the f i rmament , Svah, Mahah, J ana, Tapas
and Satyathese seven are the splendid worl ds originating from
the Cosmic Egg.
9. O brahmi ns, beneat h these are the seven worlds begin-
ni ng wi th Maht al a. Beneath t hem are the hells one by one.
10. Maht al a has the golden ground surface, whi ch is ren-
dered splendid by jewels, mansions and shrines dedi cated to
lord iva.
11. It i s occupied by Anant a, Mucukunda and king Bali
who is the resident of Ptl a and Svarga.
12. O brahmi ns, Rast al a is rocky, Tal t al a is full of
gravels, Sutal a is yellow and Vi tal a has t he lustre of coral.
13-15. Atal a is whi te. Tal a is bl ack. O men of good holy
rites, the extent of all the Tal as below is as much as t hat of the
earth, viz., 1000 yoj anas each. The sky above each Tal a extends
to ten thousand yojanas. The magni t ude of all the seven along
wi th t he clouds is seven thousand lakhs of yoj anas. The root
(i.e. the space below the last world Pt l a) is thi rty thousand
yoj anas.
16. O excellent sages, the splendid Rastal a is frequented
by Suvarna, Vsuki and by others as well.
17. W ha t is famous as Tal t al a is endowed with all splen-
dours and i s frequented by Vi rocana, Hi ranyksa, Nar aka and
others.
18. Sutal a is occupied by Vai nyaka and others, by
Prvadevas (demons) wi th Kl anemi at the head and by
others too.
19. Vi tal a is occupied by Dnavas and others begi nni ng
Dvipas and their lords 181
wi th Tr akgni , serpents Mahnt aka and others and by the
Asura Prahl da.
20. Atal a is occupied by Kambal va, by the heroic
Mahkumbha and the intelligent Hayagri va.
21. Tal a (i.e. Maht al a) i s rendered splendid and occu-
pied by akukarna and other heroes begi nni ng wi th Namuci .
22-23. In all these net her worlds the great lord is present
al ong wi th Um, Skanda, Nandi n and all the chieftains of
Ganas. O excellent ones, above all these seven Tal as are the
eart h and ot her worlds. The eart h too is of seven divisions
about whi ch I shall tell you now.
CHAPTER FORTYSIX
Dvipas and their lords
Sta said:
1. The Eart h consists of seven cont i nent s.
2 8 1
It is full of
rivers and mount ai ns. It is surrounded by seven oceans'
282
all
round and embellished by t hem.
2. The seven continents begi nni ng wi th the i nner one are
J amb, Plaksa, lmali, Ku a, Kr auca, ka and Puskara.
3. Lord iva is present in all the seven continents, accom-
pani ed by Um (his consort ), surrounded by the Ganas, and
assuming different guises.
4-5. The seven oceans in order are those havi ng, (1) bri ny
water, (2) sugercane j ui ce, (3) wine, (4) ghee, (5) curds,
( 6) milk and (7) sweet water. In all these oceans the glorious
lord iva assumes the form of water and sports with the
waves al ong with the Ganas.
281. seven continents: p. 71, note 89. The verse 2 of this ch. mentions
their names. On the identification of these dvipas on the basis of climatic
and vegetation data available in the Purnas, see S. M. Ali. op. cit.
Ch. II.
282. samudraih saptabhihby seven seas. According to S. M. Ali,
' 'samudra does not necessarily mean 'a watery sea'. The Purnic sea can be
a large expanse of sand as well as water. The sea of sand and that of water
as barriers to human settlement and movement are synonymous when con-
sidering the geography of the inhabited world."
182
Ligapurna
6. Lord Vi snu always sleeps in yogic sl umber in the milky
ocean as though he were the nectar from that, wi th his intellect
concentrated on the knowledge of iva.
7. W hen the lord wakes up, t he enti re universe wakes u p ;
when he is asleep it is also asleep; t he mobile and i mmobi l e
beings are identical wi th hi m.
8. W i t h the favour of Paramethi n lord of Devas, every-
thi ng was created, held, protected and anni hi l ated by hi m
alone.
9. O excellent sages, those who are well known as susenas
worship Ani r uddha the leading Purusa hol di ng conch, discus
and iron cl ub.
10-14. O sages, most excellent among the knowers of
Atman ! those who medi t at e on Ani ruddha Purusa are all
similar to Vi snu and become endowed wi th all riches. Sanandana,
Sanaka, Sant ana, Vlakhilyas, Siddhas, Mi t r a and Var una
these all worship Vi snu who is the origin of the universe. In
all the seven conti nents there are lofty mount ai ns, some rising
to great heights, some extending as far as t he oceans, others
havi ng many peaks and caves. Ther e were many kings i n
these continents who were overlords and who rul ed wi th
efficiency accordi ng to t he demands of t he period. - They were
powerful, thanks to the lord (i va), t he father of the enemy of
Kr a u c a
2 8 3
(i . e. Kr t t i keya) .
15-18. I shall ment i on t he kings in all t he manvant aras
past and future, begi nni ng wi th those i n t he Svyambhuva
manvant ar a. The grandsons of Svyambhuva Ma nu were all
very strong, wi th similar status, honour and identical pur-
poses. They were the heroic sons of Pri yavrat a
2 8 4
and they
are reput ed to be t en,
2 8 6
viz., Agndhra, Agni bhu, Medh,
Medht i t hi , Vasu, J yot i smn, Dyut i mn, Havya, Savana and
Put ra. Pri yavrata crowned seven of t hem as kings over the
seven continents.
283. Kraucrih : the enemy of Krauca, i . e. Krttikeya, so called
because he split the Himalaya range Krauca, situated in the eastern part
of the chain on the north of Assam.
284. Priyavrata, son of Svyambhuva Manu and atarp.
285. Though the number is the same, their names differ in the
Purnas.
Dvipas and their lords 183
19-24. He made Agn dhra the lord of J ambdv pa a nd
Medht i t hi t he king of Plaksadvpa. He crowned Vapus mn
the king of lmali, J yot i smn t he king of Kuadv pa, Dyut i mn
the king of Kr aucadv pa, Havya t he lord of kadvi pa. O
sages of good holy rites, he made Savana t he overlord of
Puskara. Savana had two sons Mahv ra and Dht ak . They
were most excellent t hat men could have. The ki ngdom of
Mahv r a i s known as Mahv r a Varsa after t he name of t hat
nobl e soul. The ki ngdom of Dht ak is called Dht ak khanda.
2 8
*
Havya the lord of kadv pa procreated seven sons.
25. They were J al ada, Kumr a, Sukumra, Man caka,
Kus umot t ar a, Modki and Mahdr uma.
26-29. The Varsa conti nent of Tal ada i s called ( 1) Tal a-
da; t he Var s a of Kumr a i s called ( 2) Ka um r a ; t hat of Suku-
mr a is glorified as (3) Sukumr a; t he Varsa of Man caka is
called (4) Mn caka; the Varsa of Kusumot t ar a is (5) Kusu-
mot t ar a, the Varsa of Modki is glorified as (6) Modaka;
after the name of Mahdr uma, the next Varsa is (7) Mah-
dr uma; all t he seven Varsas are thus named after thei r rulers.
30-34. Dyut i mn, t he lord of Kr auca Dv pa had seven
sons named Kual a, Manuga, Usna, Pvara, Andhakraka,
Muni and Dundubhi who had splendid sub-continents named
after t hem, i n the Kr auca Dvi pa. The sub-cont i nent of
Kusal a i s Ku al a; t hat of Manuga is Manonuga; t hat of Us na
is Us na; t hat of P vara is P vara; t he l and of Andhakra is
Andhakr aka; the l and of Muni i s called Muni and t hat of
Dundubhi is Dundubhi . These seven shining countries are in
Kr auca Dv pa.
In the Kuadv pa, J yot i smn had seven powerful sons.
35. They were Udbhi da, Venumn, Dvai r at ha, Lavana.
Dhrt i , Prabhkara and Kapi l a.
36-37. The first Varsa is Udbhi da; the second is Venu-
mandal a; t he t hi rd is Dvai r at ha; t he fourth is Lavana;
the fi fth i s Dhr t i mat ; the sixth i s Prabhkara, and t he seventh
is Kapi l a.
38-41. The seven sons of Vapus mn were t he rulers of
286. Dhtak Khanda. Prof. Ali identifies this with the Gobi desert
on the west of Khingan range in the Japanese Highlands. See The Geography
of the Purnas, p. 287.
184
Ligapurna
various countries of Slmali Dv pa. They were veta, Har i t a,
J mt a, Rohi t a, Vai dyuta, Mnas a and Supr abha; The l and
of Sveta is veta; t hat of Har i t a, Hr i t a; t hat of J mt a is
J mt a ; t hat of Rohi t a is Rohi t a; t hat of Vai dyut a is Vai dyut a;
t hat of Mnasa is Mnas a and t hat of Supr abha is Supr abha;
thus there are seven countries marked after t he names of
thei r rulers. I shall ment i on the divisions in t he Pl aksadv pa
t hat is beyond J ambdv pa.
42-45. Medht i t hi had seven sons; they were the kings of
Plaksa Dv pa whi ch consists of seven Varsas. The eldest
among the sons was nt abhaya. After hi m were iira;
Sukhodaya, Ananda; Siva, Ksemaka and Dhr uva. The conti-
nent was divided i nt o seven Varsas and named after these sons.
F ormerl y i n t he Svyambhuva manvant ar a these Varsas were
colonised by t hem. Subjects endowed wi th t he discipline of
four castes and four stages of life were colonised in the Varsas
by those sons of Medht i t hi , t he residents of Plaksadvpa.
46-47. In t he f i ve conti nents begi nni ng wi th Plaksadvpa
and endi ng wi th kadv pa, the Dhar ma, was promul gat ed
in accordance wi th t he division of four castes and four stages
of life. O excellent brahmi ns, in these five Dvpas, happiness,
span of life, handsome features, strength and Dhar ma were
their individual characteristics respectively.
48-49. The characteristic common to all the five continents
was t hat the subjects there were all perpetual l y engaged
i n the worship of Rudr a and devoted to Mahevara. The kings
bor n in t he Puskaradv pa enjoy the nect ar of their devout
feelings towards Praj pati and Rudr a.
CHAPTER FORTYSEVEN
Bharata sub-continent
Sta Said :
1. Ki ng Pri yavrat a crowned his eldest son Agn dhra who
was t he eldest i nheri t or and who was a loveable son of great
strength, as t he ki ng of J ambdv pa.
2 8 7
287. For detail, Ibid. p. 64 ff.
Bharata sub-continent 185
2. O l eadi ng br ahmi ns, he was an ascetic and a great
devotee of iva. He was a young ma n engaged i n t he worshi p
of iva. He was prosperous and intelligent and he possessed
many cows.
3. He had ni ne sons at par wi t h Praj pati s. All of t hem
were followers of Mahe var a and devoted to Mahdeva.
4. Hi s eldest son was known as Nbhi . Ki m purusa was
his (Nbhi ' s) younger brot her. The t hi rd son was Hari varsa.
Th e fourth son was Il vrt a.
5. Ra my a was t he f i f t h; di e sixth was Hi r anmn. Kur u
was t he seventh. Bhadrva was t he ei ghth.
6. The ni nt h was Ket uml a. Under s t and t hei r l ands now.
The subcont i nent of Nbhi i nheri t ed from his father i s called
He ma whi ch lies i n t he sout h.
7. He gave Ki mpur us a t he subcont i nent Hemakt a. He
gave t he subcont i nent cal l ed Nai s adha t o Har i .
8. To Il vrt a he gave t he mi dl ands enci rcl i ng t he moun-
t ai n Mer u. He gave Ramya t he subconti nent ar ound N l cal a.
9. The subcont i nent veta to t he nor t h of i t was given to
Hi r anmn. He gave Kur u the subcont i nent r ga Var s a whi ch
is to t he nor t h of it.
10. He gave t he subcont i nent r ound about Ml yavn t o
Bhadrva. He gave Gandhamdana t o Ket uml a.
11-12. These are t he ni ne great subconti nents i n brief.
After crowni ng his sons as the kings in those subcont i nent s,
Agn dhr a
2 8 8
t he vi rtuous became engaged i n penance. After
purifying himself by penance he became engaged i n t he study
of t he Vedas.
13-15. After bei ng engaged in the st udy of t he Vedas he
became engaged i n medi t at i on on iva. Ther e i s nat ural per-
fection in all the eight excellent subconti nents begi nni ng wi t h
Ki mpur us a. W i t hout any strai n the subjects are always happy.
The opposite of j oy is not seen in t hem. They have no fear from
deat h or ol d age. They have nei t her Dha r ma nor Adhar ma.
Ther e i s no di sti ncti on such as t he excellent, t he mi ddl i ng and
t he base. In all these eight subconti nents t here are no subdivi-
sions of yugas.
288. According to Liga, Agndhra was the eldest son of Priyavrata.
But according to a Vyu version he was the son of Priyavrata's daughter.
186 Ligapurna
16. Those who di e in a holy centre of Rudr a whet her
mobi l e or i mmobi l e whet her devotees or casual visitors are
reborn there.
17. F or thei r benefit eight holy centres were created by
Rudr a. In all those places Mahdeva was always present.
18. By seeing Mahdeva in t hei r hearts the residents of
the eight hol y centres were always happy. He al one was the
greatest goal unt o t hem all.
19-20. I shall now recount tne count ry of Nbhi mar ked
by * hima' (snow; i.e. Bhrat avarsa as ment i oned bel ow). The
intelligent Nbhi begot a son of Merudev , Rs abha by name
who was a great ki ng adored by all ksatriyas. A heroi c son
Bharat a was bor n to Rs abha. He was the eldest among his
hundr ed sons.
21-25. Rs abha who was fond of his son Bhar at a crowned
hi m as king. By adopt i ng t he pat h of knowl edge and det ach-
ment he conquered t he serpents of his sense-organs; by all
means he stabilised vara, t he supreme At man, wi t hi n his own
hear t ; he was i mmersed i n devout feelings; he observed fasts;
he wore bar k garment s and mat t ed hai r. He reti red i nt o dark-
ness (i.e. solitary pl ace) . Devoid of all desires and his doubts
all cl eared, ( i n t he end) he at t ai ned the great region of iva.
He gave t he subconti nent to t he south of t he mount ai n
Hi mavat t o Bharat a. Hence l earned men call t hat subcont i nent
as Bharat a Var s a
2 8 8
after his name. Bharat a' s son was the
vi rtuous Sumat i . Bharat a entrusted the ki ngdom to his care.
After transferring the royal glory to his son t he king entered
the forest for penance.
289. Bharata. Liga ascribes the origin of the name to King
Bharata, the eldest of the hundred sons of Rsabha and grandson of
Nbhi. Cf. Vyu 33. 51-52; Marka 53. 39-40. For detail see Bhga 11. 2. 15-
17 and Sk I. 11. 37. 55-57. But according to Matsya 114-5-6, Bharata is
the name of Manu himself who creates and supports the people here. For
further detail, see Avasthi : Studies in Skandapurna, pp. 17-23. Formerly
Bharata was known as Hima-varsa or Haimavata Varsa.
187
CHAPTER FORTYEIGHT
The Mountain Meru
Sta said:
1. In the mi ddl e of this J a mbu Dv pa i s the great moun-
tain Me r u
2
'
0
. It i s the most excellent among the mount ai ns,
havi ng many peaks full of jewels.
2. It is reput ed to be eightyfour thousand yoj anas in
hei ght. It has entered sixteen thousand yoj anas beneat h the
ground and it extends to sixteen thousand yoj anas.
3. Since it is stationed like a shallow pl at e the extent on
the topj J s_thirty-two thousand yoj anas. Thr ee times its wi dth is
its gi r t h atTtKeTidges.
4. It i s re nde re d gol den du e to the auspi ci ous c ontac t wi th
the body of Mahe a. It resembl es the fl owe r of the Dhat t r a
pl ant (t horn appl e) . It i s t he abode of all Devas.
5. It is t he sporting ground for Devas. It is full of miracles.
The total wi dt h and extent of this mount ai n is a hundred
thousand yojanas.
6-7. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, beneat h t he eart h its extent is
sixteen t housand yoj anas. The remai ni ng par t of t hat moun-
t ai n is above the eart h. The extent at the root is thus sixteen
t housand yojanas and the extent above, they say, is twice the
extent at the root.
8. In the east it has the lustre of the r uby; in the south it
resembles gol d; in the west it shines like the bl ue stone and in
the nort h it has the coral lustre.
9. In t he eastern side of this mount ai n is Amarvat
(the city of I ndr a) . It is full of mansions of different kinds. It
is t hronged by different groups of Devas. It is surrounded by
clusters of j ewels.
10-14. It has many ornament al gateways of different shapes
bedecked in gold and jewels. The arches at the gateways are
rendered wonderful with gold, wi th j ewels set in. Thousands of
women t hrong the roadways. They are clever i n conversation
and el ocuti on. They are bedecked i n all ornament s. They stoop
down due to the weight of thei r heavy breasts and thei r eyes
290. P. 98, note 127.
Of "
((Ox
188
Ligapurna
roll to and fro due to intoxication. The Apsaras (wat er ny-
mphs) move about all round. Ther e are wonderful lakes, tanks,
and rivers, all clustered wi th full bl own lotuses. They have
golden lines of steps. Even t he sands on thei r banks are golden.
Blue and fragrant gol den lotuses abound i n t hem. Thus the
whol e city shines splendidly. W i t h t hat city the mount ai n i s
considered auspicious.
15. In t he south-eastern side of the mount ai n is Tejasv-
in t he city of the fire god. It is di vi ne and similar to Amar-
vat . It is endowed wi th all means of pleasures.
16. O sages, most excellent among those who have self-
control, in t he southern side of the mount ai n is t he city of
Yama Vai vasvata. It i s full of many di vi ne abodes bui l t i n
gold and very spl endi d.
17-18. In the south-west is the splendid dark-coloured city
uddhavat .
2 9 1
Similarly in the north-west is t he splendid city
Gandhavat . The city i n the nort h i s Mahoday and t hat i n
t he north-east is Yaovat. Thus cities in all t he quarters
always shine.
19. Ther e are the abodes of Brahm, Vi snu and Mahe a
as well as of others on it. Thus the mount ai n endowed wi th
all means of pleasures and contai ni ng many lakes, is the most
excellent among t he mount ai ns.
20. It is full of Si ddhas, Yaksas, Gandharvas, sages and
t he four kinds of living beings.
21-22. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, on the mount ai n towards the
left, stands a pal ace of seven storeys t hat is as cl ear as pur e
crystal. It is as extensive as though it has a t housand l andi ng
grounds. Ther e stays lord iva of great arms, whose eyes are
the sun, moon and fire. He is seated in a gemset t hrone along
wi t h the goddess and t he six-faced deity Krl t i keya.
23-27. The pal ace of Vi snu is also t here. It extends to
half of t hat of lord iva and he (Vi snu) stays t here. In the
south is the divine pal ace of the lotus-born deity Brahm. It
is full of rubies. Ther e is t he city of I ndr a whi ch is very large.
Ther e is the beautiful city of Yama. Ther e are t he cities of
291. Since no city in the west is mentioned, Krsnavarn and ud-
dhavati in the first half of V-17 may also mean two cities, i.e. Krsnavarn
in the south-east and uddhavat in the west.
Mountain Meru 189
Soma, Var una, Ni rj ti , Pvaka (fire-god), Vyu (wi nd) and
Rudr a. In thei r different respective palaces t here are the
abodes of all people. In t he north-east i n the hol y cent re of
t he l ord, perpet ual worshi p i s mai nt ai ned. The holy Nand stays
t here al ongwi th his disciples and t he l eadi ng Si ddhas. Sanat
i s comfortabl y lodged t here al ongwi th the Si ddhas. The l ord
of Devas is t here "alongwith Sanaka, Sananda and others.
28. Some par t of it, is t he gr ound for t he pract i ce of
yoga. In some places are t he grounds for enj oyment of plea-
sures. Ther e is a spl endid pal ace wi th seven storeys resem-
bl ing t he rising sun.
29-35. It i s t he splendid pal ace of Nandi and the chieftain
of the Ganas is seated there in t he mi dst of six-faced deity,
Gane a, thousands of Ganas , Suya of beautiful eyes, t he
mot hers and Madana. The r i ver J amb
1 8
* f l ows r ound t he
base of this mount ai n.
To its ri ght there i s a spl endid J a mb u (Rose Appl e) tree.
It i s very tal l wi t h extensive growt h all r ound. It yields fruits
at all times. The Il vrta sub-conti nent i s spl endi d and ex-
tensive all r ound t he Mer u. Some subsist t here on t he fruits
of J a mb and some on nect ar. Some have t he lustre of gold and
others are of vari ous colours. They enjoy all ki nds of pleasures.
O brahmi ns, this is t he spl endi d mi d-l and of t he Dv pa, whi ch
extends all r ound the foot of t he Mer u. Ther e are ni ne sub-
conti nents in J ambdv pa. * *
, a
I shall recount all of t hem
wi t h t hei r rivers, streams, and mount ai n ranges. Under s t and
thei r extent i n yoj anas.
292. Jamb : According to Marka. (55. 28-30) this river springs from
the juice of the fruits which the Jambu tree produces on the Gandhamdana.
The river passes around Meru and then enters Jambmla.
292a. Jambdvpa represents the geographical conception of the territory
ruled over by the Aryan people. The territory was divided into nine units
(varsas), of which Bharata was one. St. Epiphanius (theend of the
fourth century A.D.) has recorded that India was formerly divided into
nine kingdoms (vide S.B. Ghaudhuri, JIH. Vol. XXVII part III, 1949,
pp. 24> )
190
Ligapurna
CHAPTER F ORTYNI NE
Ilvrta sub-continent
Sta said:
1. The first Dv pa, it is said, extends to a t housand
yoj anas. The ot her Dvpas successively extend to twice the
previous one.
2-3. The eart h al ong wi t h all t he oceans is stated as ex-
tendi ng to fifty crores of yojanas. It consists of seven Dvpas.
It is splendid and is surrounded by the Lokloka mount ai n.
2
'
3
The mount ai n N l a i s to the nort h of t he Mer u. The veta i s
to the nor t h of this and the rg is still further nort h of veta.
O brahmi ns, these t hree are the mount ai ns of the sub-con-
tinents i n the nor t h.
4. The J at f i ar a
2
'
4
and t he Devakt a
2 9 5
are t he mount ai ns
i n the eastern quart er. The Ni s adha
2 8 8
i s to the south of the
Mer u. Still south of i t i s t he mount ai n Hemakt a.
2 9 7
The
Hi mavat is to its sout h.
5. To t he west of the Mer u t here are two mount ai ns : Ml -
yavn
2 8 8
and Gandhamdana.
2 8 9
These two extend towards the
nor t h.
293. Loklokaa belt of mountains bounding the outer-most of the
seven seas and dividing the visible world from the regions of darkness.
294-295. On the eastern side of Meru there are two mountains,
namely the Jafhara and the Devakta which run north to south and
stretch up to the Nila (Tien Shan) and Nisadha mountains (Vyu 35.8).
Jatiara is identified with Kuruk-Tagh and Devakta with Altin TaghNan
Shan Tsing-Ling of Sinkiang and Northern China. The Geography of the
Purnas, pp. 99-100.
296. Nisadha: p. places it to the south of the Meru, along with the
Himavat and Hemakta. It represents Hindukush Kunlun chain.
297. Hemakta : a sacred hill situated to the north of Mnasarovara
It represents Ladakh-Kailash-Trans-Himalayan chain.
298. Mlyavn : This mountain bounds Ilvrta Varsa on the east.
299. Gandhamdana: It is placed to the south of Meru.
Ilvrta sub-continent
191
6. All these l eadi ng mount ai ns are frequented by t he
Si ddhas and Cr anas. The inter-space bet ween t wo mount ai ns
is ni ne t housand yoj anas in each case.
7-10. Thi s sub-conti nent south of t he Hi mavat is known
as Bharat a. Hemakt a i s beyond t hat . The sub-conti nent wi t hi n
it is Ki mpur us a. Ni sadha is beyond Hemakt a. Its sub-conti-
nent i s called Har i var sa. Beyond Har i var sa and Mer u i s t he
spl endi d Il vrt a. Beyond Il vrt a i s N l a and t he sub-conti nent
Ramyaka. Beyond Ramyaka i s veta and the sub-conti nent
known as Hi r anmaya. The mount ai n beyond Hi r anmaya i s
known as rg and sub-conti nent beyond i t i s Kur u. The two
Varsas one i n t he south and one i n t he nor t h (i.e. Hi mav?rsa
and Ramyaka) are stati oned like an arch.
11. The ot her four are hori zontal i n shape. Il vrt a i s i n t he
mi ddl e; to the west and east of t he Mer u there are two sub-
cont i nent s and they ar e smaller ( t han t he four ment i oned
before).
12. The area above Ni sadha i s known as t he nort hern
Vedyar dha (hal f of t he whol e Dv pa whi ch is conceived as a
sacrificial al t ar ) . Thus t here are t hree Varsas i n the southern
half and t hree Varsas i n the nor t her n half.
13. Il vrt a wi th the Mer u i n t he mi ddl e i s i n t he mi dst of
t he two halves.
14-15 The great mount ai n Ml yavn extends towards t he
nor t h. Its wi dt h above i s two t housand yoj anas. It s l ength
i s stated to be thirtyfour t housand yoj anas. The mount ai n
Ga ndha m da na is to t he west of it.
16-17. Its l ength and wi dt h is similar to t hat of Ml yavn.
These six Var s a mount ai ns of good ridges extend to t he east
and are bounded on bot h sides by the Eastern and Western
seas.
18. Hi mavat is full of snow. The Hemakt a contains gold.
The Ni s adha i s also golden resembl i ng t he mor ni ng sun.
19. The gol den Mer u whi ch extends upwards has four
colours. Its gi rth is symmetri cal and cyl i ndri cal . It rises hi gh.
20. The mount ai n N l a is full of Lapi s Lazul i stones. The
veta is whi te in col our and full of gold. The three-peaked
mount ai n rg has the col our of the feathers of the peacock
and contains gold.
192 Ligapurna
21-25a. Thus t he mount ai ns have been succi nctl y recount ed.
Again listen to t he description of t he l eadi ng hills or peaks.
Mandar a and Devakt a are the mount ai ns i n t he eastern
quart er. Kai l sa and gol den Gandhamdana extend from the east
towards south and end wi t hi n t he ocean. The excellent moun-
tains Ni s adha and Pri yt ra are stationed i n t he west, like those
i n t he east. Tr i r ga and J r udhi are t he excellent mount ai ns
i n t he nor t h. They are embedded wi t hi n t he ocean and they
also extend towards t he East. Lear ned men call these mount ai ns
" Mar ydpar vat as " ( mount ai ns of t he boundar y) .
25b-27. O excellent brahmi ns there are foot ranges to t he
lofty gol den mount ai n Mer u, extendi ng to t he four quart ers.
Support ed by these, t he eart h consisting of t he seven Dvi pas,
does not move. Thei r l engt h i s ment i oned to be t en t housand
yoj anas. In t he east it is Mandar a; in the south it is Gandha-
mdana, in t he west it is Vi pul a and in the nor t h it is Suprva.
28-34. F our lofty trees grow on these as t hough they are the
fl agstaffs of the Dv pas. The great tree on t he peak of t he moun-
tai n Mandar a i s t he Kadamba, the king of f l agst af l s. It has
l ong hangi ng branches. It acts as a cai t yapdapa (hol y bi g tree
in a sacred t empl e) .
On the peak of t he mount ai n i n south (i . e. Gandhamdana)
there is a J a mb tree (Rose Appl e) wi th holy fruits and flowers
hangi ng i n garl ands. The J a mb tree i s known i n all t he worlds
as the f l agstaf f i n t he southern region.
On the peak of t he lofty mount ai n Vi pul a, in the west, a
great Avat t ha tree (hol y fig tree) grows like a great Cai tya-
pdapa (a sacred tree i n a holy t empl e) . On the peak of t he
mount ai n Suprva i n the nor t h grows the big Nyagrodha
( Indi an fi g t r ee) , wi th a huge t runk extendi ng to many
yojanas in circumference.
I shall now ment i on t he four sporti ng grounds of Devas on
the leading mount ai ns. They are devoid of human beings and
have trees and pl ants t hat bl oom i n all the seasons.
35-57. Ther e are groves in t he four directions. Underst and
t hem by their names. The forest grove in t he east is Cai t r ar at ha;
in the south it is Gandhamdana; it is Vai bhrj a in the west;
in the nort h it is the garden of Savitr ( s un) .
(The holy shrine) in the east is Mi t revara. Thereafter
Ilvrta sub-continent 193
(i.e. in the south) it is asj hevara. In the west it is Varyevara
and in the nor t h it is Amrakevara.
Similarly, O l eadi ng sages, there are four great lakes also.
38-40. The sages sport about there on the mountai ns and
i n t he gardens.
The lake in the east is Ar unoda;
3 0 0
t hat in the south is
Mnas a; i n t he west Sitoda and i n t he nor t h Mahbhadr a.
In the south there is t he holy cent re of kha, in t he west
it is of Vi kha; in the nor t h of Nai gameya and in the east of
Kumr a. I shall ment i on briefly t he l eadi ng peaks begi nni ng
from the eastern lake Arunoda only by thei r names. It is
not possible to describe t hem in detai l .
41-45a. These are t he great mount ai ns, vi z: t nt a,
Kur anda, Kur ar a, Vi kara, Mani ai l a, Vrksavn, Mahn l a,
Rucaka, Savi ndu, Dar dur a, Venumn, Samegha, Ni sadha and
Devaparvat a. These and ot her mount ai ns are t he abodes of
Si ddhas in the east of Mandar a. Ther e are di vi ne shrines of
Rudr a, Vi snu and Nr yana on all these hills, t hei r caves and
forests.
45b-49. I shall now ment i on t he great hills to t he south of
t he lake Mnas a in brief. aila, Viiras, i khara, Ekarga,
Mah l a, Gaj aaila, Picaka, Pacaaila, Kai l sa, and
Hi mavat . These are all lofty excellent hills frequented by Devas.
On all these different mount ai ns and forests divine shrines of
Rudr a have been installed by Devas. The mount ai ns i n t he
southern direction are thus ment i oned to you. I shall now tell
you about the hills in t he west.
50-52. To the west of the lake Sitoda there stand Surapa,
Mahbal a, Kumuda, Madhumn, Aj ana, Mukut a. Kr sna,
Pndur a, Sahasrai khara, the l eadi ng hills Prij ta andr rga.
These are the promi nent excellent mount ai ns frequented by
Devas in the western quart er and they cont ai n shrines of
Rudr a.
53. The extremely powerful mount ai ns to the nort h of t he
lake Mahbhadr a are being stated now succinctly.
300. Arunoda. It lies to the east of Meru.
^[e.<T ^ Lingapvrana
301. Jrudhi : This range is identified with the Kirghiz-Zailai
Al-Tau, Ketmen chain. GP. p. 82.
54-56. They are: akhakf a, Mahai l a, Vrsabha,
Hamsaparvat a, Nga, Kapi l a, Indraai l a, Snumn, Ni l a,
Kant akarga, atarga, PuspakoJ a, Praaila, Virajas,
Varhaparvat a, Mayr a and J r udhi .
3 0 1
All these are stationed
i n the nort h.
57. Ther e are thousands of divine palaces of t he tri dent-
beari ng l or don those divine hills.
58. In tnei i rtersti ces of these l eadi ng hills there are many
internal water reservoirs, lakes and parks.
59. Thanks to t he favour of Paramesdi i n, Devas, sages,
Si ddhas purified by thei r devotional thoughts of iva reside
here along wi th their families in their respective abodes.
60-69. The different deities reside in t he various forests as
follows:
The residence of Laksm is in the Bilva grove; Ka yapa
and others stay i n the Kakubha grove; the residence of Indr a,
Upendr a and of the snake gods is in the Tl avana (forest of
pal m t rees); the residence of Kar dama and his tribe i s i n t he
Udumbar a grove; the residence of t he Vi dydharas and
Si ddhas is in the holy and splendid mango-grove; t he abode of
t he Ngas and Si ddhas i s i n the forest of Ni mba (Margosa),
t hat of t he sun and Rudr a i s i n the Ki m uka; the precep-
tor of Devas is stationed in the holy forest of B j apra;
t he abode of t he nobl e lords begi nni ng with Vi snu is in t he
forest of lilies; the serpents stay on the Nyagrodha within the
clusters of St hal apadma (l and lotuses). It is here t hat esa the
lord of the nether worlds stays. He alone is the god of Deat h unt o
all. The pl oughshare-armed lord is only a form of Vi snu him-
self, the preceptor of t he universe; he is the l eani ng couch of
Vi snu; he is the bangl e of the lord (i va). Dnavas i ncl udi ng
their preceptor ukra stay in the forest of j ack trees. The
serpents are stationed in the Vi khaka forest al ong with the
Ki nnar as ; there are i nnumerabl e trees of all kinds in this beau-
tiful forest. Nand vara is also stationed there and is being
eulogised by the leading Ganas. Goddess Sarasvat stays in t he
mi ddl e of the region full of Sant naka (wish-yielding) trees.
The abodes of Devas
195
Thus are t he residents of these forests recounted in brief. It is
not possible to describe t hem in detai l .
CHAPTER FIFTY
The abodes of Devas
Sta said:
l a. I ndr a stays in the auspicious forest of Pri j t a
3 0 2
(wish-
yielding tree) on the peak called t nt a.
3 0 3
lb-2a. To t he east of it is the extensive peak of Kumuda
3 0
*
mount ai n. O excellent brahmi ns, on it are the eight cities of
Dnavas.
2b-3a. In the holy Suvarnakofara, O excellent brahmi ns,
they say, are the sixty-eight cities of the noble-souled Rksasas
called Nlakas.
3b-4a. Ther e are fi fteen cities on t he leading mount ai n
Mahn l a whi ch are the abodes of the horse-faced Ki nnaras.
4b. O men of good holy rites, there are t hree cities of the
Vi dydharas on Venusaudha, the great mount ai n.
5. The glorious Gar uda stays i n Vai kunt ha. The prosperous
N l al ohi t a stays i n Ka r a j a .
3 0 5
The Vasus live i n Vasudhra.
30a. Prijta-vanaforest of coral trees (Erythrina Indica) which lose
their leaves in June and are then covered with large crimson flowers.
303. tnta : It means 'end of cold', i.e. "a range which marks the
dividing line between the cold and hot regions. If the river Kizil-Su repre-
sents the head waters of the Purnic river St, tnta is obviously the
Kashghar range, i.e. the last longitudinal range of the Pmir region facing
the Tarim basin, on the east. It is a range which, to a traveller coming from
the east across the hot and sandy Tarim Basin, stands athwart the route to-
wards the west and promises a cool climate beyond. It is an effective climatic
barrier which separates a hot and dry desert on the east from the cold pla-
teau on the west. Coming from the west it literally marks the 'end of cold'
and is therefore rightly qualified for its name, tnta". GP. pp. 100-101.
304. Kumuda : Peak Barzengi (16, 456 feet) beyond the Pakshif
Pass.
3Jj . Most of the mountains mentioned in this chapter are not
identifiable.
196 Ligapurna
6. Ther e are seven holy spots on the mount ai n Rat nadhr a,
belonging to t he nobl e seven sages. They cont ai n the abodes
of the Siddhas as well.
7. The great abode of Praj pati is on t he mount ai n
ekarga. Dur g and others stay on the Gaj aaila and t he
Vasus on the Sumedha.
8. The Adityas, Rudr as and AVins have their abodes i n
eighty divine cities on the mount ai n Hemakaksa.
9. Ther e are five hundr ed crores of abodes of t he Rksasas
on the Sunla mount ai n whi ch has fi ve peaks wi t h fi ve crores
of cities in each.
10. The hundr ed cities of t he Yaksas of unmeasured pr o-
wess are on the at arga; the cities of Kdraveyas are on
the mount ai n Tmr bha; t he city of Guha i s on the Vi kha
bill.
11. O excellent sages, the abode of Suparna is on t he
vetodara; the abode of Kuber a i s on the Picaka and t hat of
Vi snu is on the Hari kuj a,
12-14a. The residence of the Ki nnaras i s on t he Kumuda ;
t hat of Cranas i s on t he Aj ana; Kr s na has t he abode i n t he
mansi ons of t he Gandhar vas ; t here ar e seven cities of Vidy-
dharas on the Pandur a and they contai n all the means of
pleasures, O Brahmi ns. Ther e are seven t housand cities of t he
Dai tyas of terrible activities, the enemies of Indr a, on the moun-
tain Sahasrai khara.
14b-16. The residence of the Pannagas (serpents) O
Leadi ng sages, is on the Mukut a, full of flowers. The resi-
dences of Vai vasvata, Soma, Vyu and t he overl ord of serpents
are i n four abodes on t he Taksaka mount ai n. The abodes of
Brahm, I ndr a, Vi snu, Rudr a, Guha, Kuber a, Soma and other
noble persons are on the Boundary mount ai ns.
17-19. The residence of lord iva
s 0
* al ong wi th Um is in
the cave of mount ai n rkantiia. rikantiia is the overlord of
all the chiefs of Devas. Undoubt edl y the Cosmic Egg functions
by the grace of Sr kandi a. Anant a, "a and others are severally
the protectors of the Cosmic Egg. They are called Vidyevaras
as well as Cakravarti ns ( Emper or s ) .
306. Sarvvsahi.e. Siva, sarvarh vivam vso yasya sah. ST.
Various Continents
197
20-21. Now, I shall briefly describe all the abodes presided
over by rkantiia on t he border mount ai ns. The universe con-
sisting of t he mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings is presided over by
r kandi a. How can I recount all in detai l upt o Kl gni i va ?
CHAPTER FUTYONE
Various Continents
Sta said:
1-7. The beautiful forest Bht avana, t he residence of the
different groups of Bhtas (gobl i ns), is on t he highly spl endid
mount ai n Devakt a. Thi s mount ai n has great peaks. It i s
spl endi d and devoid of impurities. It i s made up by gold, Lapi s
Lazul i , rubies, emeral ds, lustrous Gomeda (onyx) and other
preci ous stones. It ranges in a number of branches on all sides.
It is adorned wi th all kinds of trees such as Campaka, Aoka,
Punnga, Bakula, Asana and Pri j ta. It contains many f l ocks
of birds and herds of el ephants. It is variegated in colour wi th
hundreds of mi neral s. It abounds in wonderful specimens of
flowers. It s ridges are covered wi th bunches of flowers hangi ng
down. Vari ous kinds of ani mal s live therei n. It contains many
springs and fountai ns wi th pur e and sweet water. It i s adorned
wi t h many waterfalls and cascades"trewn wi th f l ower s . T t l ?
beautified by runni ng streams wi th rafts of flowers floating on
t hem. Thi s Bht avana
3 0 7
has pleasing colours. It contains many
trees wi th great roots and stems. The thick shade of these trees
spreads to ten yoj anas all-round.
8. The bri ght and well-lit abode of lord Mahdeva, the
noble-souled akara, is there. It is beautified by means of
great j ewels.
9-10. It has ornament al gateways made of crystal and
shaped i n different wonderful forms. It has golden r ampar t
walls. It is well adorned with festoons of j ewels. Ther e are
307. Bhtavana : Bhta is a name of iva; Bhta-vanaSiva's forest.
198 Ligapurna
many splendid gem-set thrones covered wi th five cloths pl aced
here and there on the ground and occupied by Lord iva
now and then.
11-16. In t hat mansi on of iva there are many apart -
ment s decorated with garl ands of never-fading flowers of dif-
ferent colours. Ther e are many raised platforms ( Mandapas )
of different shapes and sizes with crystal col umns. The l eadi ng
goblins (Bhtas) adored by Brahm, I ndr a and Upendr a stay
there. Ther e are many Pramat has wi th thei r faces resembl i ng
those of boars, el ephants, lions, bears, tigers, camels, vul tures,
owls, deer, humped bulls and goats. They are stout and huge
like great mount ai n peaks. They are terribl e wi t h having" huge
arms. Some have green hai rs on thei r heads. They are of dif-
ferent shapes and sizes. They are seated in all possible pos-
tures and positions. Ther e are spl endid Ganas such as Nan-
dvara, wi t h bri ght beami ng faces and spotless charact er.
They possess supernat ural qualities and they resemble Brahm,
I ndr a and Visnu. The pl ace is never devoid of crowds of i m-
mort al beings, (i.e. Devas) who worship the lord of Bhtas (i.e.
iva) there, always.
17-19. akara, Mahdeva, the lord of Pr amhat has is
worshipped by t he Si ddhas, Devas, Gandhar vas ^Br ahm, and
others such as Upendr a. They use these musi cal i nst rument s
(drums, etc. ) in the course of thei r worshi pJ harj haras (cym-
bals) conches, Pat ahas, Bhers, Di ndi mas, Gomukhas* Dur i ng
their worship they sing in low, mi ddl e and hi gh pi t ches; they
also j ump, dance and shout i n j oy. akara when bei ng
worshipped thus appears as though he has divided i nto two
the beautiful peak (Kai l sa) havi ng the lustre of the conch.
20. Kai l sa*
0 8
is t he abode of Kuber a, the king of Yaksas
as well as other nobl e beings.
21. Ther e too, iva the lord of Devas has a great
abode. He stays there always accompani ed by Um and the
chiefs of Ganas.
22-25. The holy river Mandki n wi th pl enty of water
and aboundi ng in lotuses flows over the splendid peak Kuber a
i khara; the steps l eadi ng to its waters arc buil t of gold and set
308. Kailsa : p. 100 note 133
Various Continents 199
wi th gems. Ther e are gol den lotuses with fragrance, very soft
to the touch. Ther e are great lilies wi th sweet smells and leaves
resembling bl ue lapis lazuli. The river is beautifully adorned
wi th big lotuses and lilies. It is frequented by t he womenfolk
of the Yaksas and Gandharvas. The waters of the holy and
splendid river Mandki n
3 0 9
are used by Devas, Dnavas, Gan-
dharvas, Yaksas, Rksasas and Ki nnar as for bat hi ng and drink-
ing purposes.
26. On its nort hern bank is the splendid abode of Lord
Siva, fi ni shed wi th lapis lazuli and other gems. He, the unchang-
ing l ord, stays t here.
27. O brahmi ns, on the eastern and southern banks of the
river Kanakanand there is a forest wi th thousands of Brah-
mi ns,
3 1 0
ani mal s and birds.
28-31. Ther e also the lord sports in a mansi on similar to
the one on the mount ai n (Kai l sa) al ong wi th Um and chief
Ganas. On the western bank of the Nand
3 1 1
, a little towards
the South there is the city Rudr apur . It is full of many man-
sions. In these also Lord iva assuming hundreds of forms sports
about al ong wi th Um and the Ganas. It i s called ivlaya
(abode of Si va). Thus there are hundreds and thousands of
shrines of iva in every Dv pa, O excellent sages, on the moun-
tains, in the forests, on the banks of rivers, lakes and on the
j unct i ons of waters.
303. Mandkin : identical with Svargag. For detail, see Gagva-
tra-varnana (Vyu, ch.47; Matsya ch. 124). According to this description
"col d and fresh water from the springs of the Kailsa mountain flows into
a lake from which issues river Mandkin around which stands the pictures-
que Nandana forest of vast dimensions." S.M. Ali holds that the river
Mandkin probably refers to the river Um and the Zhong Ghhu, which
flow through Gaur Kunda (lying on the eastern flank of Mount Kailsa) in
the Rksasa Tal (the twin lake of Mnasarovar) ".
310. dvija here means 'ascetic brhmanas'.
311. Nand : Nand, Alakanand and Bhgrathi are three famous
branches of Gag in the upper course in the Pauri-Garhwal region. Accor-
ding to Pargiter (Mark. p. 383), the nrivers and and Apara-nand are
often mentioned as situated in the north between the Ganges and Kauik
or Kosi. and near the river Bhudand mount Hemakta.
200 Ligapurna
CHAPTER FIFTYTWO
Geography of the World
Sta said :
1-2. O best of Brahmi ns, on every sub-continent there
are many holy rivers always full of water and originating from
great lakes. They flow in all four directions : east, south,
nor t h and west.
3. The storehouse of water in the sky whi ch is called Soma
(moon) is the support of all living beings. To Devas, it is
the receptacle of nectar.
4-8. F r om this has originated the river of auspicious
waters and it flows in the firmament. W i t h nectari ne waters
i t functions t hrough the seventh pat h of the wi nd. Thi s river
follows the pat h of the l uminaries. It is frequented by .
groups of l umi nari es, and by thousands and crores of stars of
the sky.
81
* J us t like the moon it also goes r ound and round
every day.
Mahmer u, the tender sporting ground of r kant ha is eighty
four thousand yojanas hi gh. Lord Siva is seated there together
wi t h Um and the chiefs of his Ganas and also sports
3 1 3
about
there for a long ti me. Thi s auspicious river of holy waters
ci rcumambul ates the mount ai n Mer u.
9. W i t h its waters agi tated by the wi nd and by its own
velocity, the river flows down on all the four inner peaks of
t he Mer u.
312. The Purnas describe the three stages in the evolution of
Gag: (i) It is a starry river (i.e. ksa-Gang the Milky Way) in the
form of snow, (ii) As the snow falls on the high plateau of the Pamir
(Meru) (v.7) and also on the high ridges and ranges which surround and
radiate from the Pmr region, it is still 'snowy Gang' (=hima-Gag).
(iii) As snow melts, it divides into the four main rivers (v. a) of Asia
which radiate in different directions. The Gang at this stage becomes a
stream, or rather streams of water. After passing through thousands of
mountains, valleys,forests and caves, it falls into the southern sea (v. IO)
313. Mark the archaic form 'kridate' in the tmanepada for 'krdati'
in the parasmaipada.
Geography of the World
201
10. After going beyond all the mount ai ns parti al l y it
ent ers the great sea at the behest of lord iva.
11. Ther e are hundr eds and thousands of rivers branchi ng
out from this, whi ch fl ow t hrough all the sub-continents and
cont i nent s as well as the mount ai ns therei n.
12a. Since t he Ga g has gone to the eart h from the fi rma-
ment , t here are i nnumerabl e small ri vers.
12b-13a. In t he Ket uml a subconti nent men are dark-
col oured.
8 1
* They subsist on j ack fruits. Thei r women have
the lustre of bl ue lotuses. Thei r life span is ten thousand years.
13b-15a. In the Bhadrva sub-conti nent women are
whi te-col oured, resembling the rays of the moon. They have
their staple di et of bl ack mangoes. They are devoid of anguish
and agony and fond of sexual pleasures. Ment al l y medi t at i ng
on iva they live upt o ten thousand years. Li ke t he Hi r anmayas
8 1 5
t hey have freely dedi cat ed thei r mi nds to Ivara.
15b-18. In t he sub-conti nent Ramanaka, t he living beings
subsist on t he fruits of t he Nyagr odha (the holy fi g t r ee) .
They live up t o eleven thousand f i ve hundr ed years. They
are all whi te-compl exi oned and engrossed i n t he medi t at i on
on iva. The hi ghl y blessed Hai r anamayas are those dwelling
in the forest of Hi r anmaya. They live upt o twelve thousand five
hundr ed years mai nl y subsisting on t he Avat t ha (holy f i g
tree) fruits. They haVe also dedi cat ed thei r mi nds freely to
the l ord like t he Hi ranmayas.
19. The Kur us i n Kur uvar s a are those who have fallen
down there from t he heavenl y world. All of t hem are bor n
by copul at i on. They are fond of mi l k
81
* and live on mil k
diet.
20. They love one anot her and have qualities similar to
those of the Cakravka bi rds. They are devoid of ailments
and sorrow and perpet ual l y seek happi ness.
21. They live up t o fourteen t housand f i ve hundr ed years.
They have great virility, but do not associate wi th other women.
314. klh=< krsna varnh ST. of dark complexion.
315. Hairanmayahresidents of Hiranmaya Varsa.
316. Kslrinahof milk-white complexion. Contrast with Klh V. 1 a.
202
Ligapurna
22. All t he residents of the Kuruvarsa like the heaven-
dwellers di e simultaneously. They are delighted and fl ouri -
shing. They take in all kinds of cooked rice and nectar.
23. They shine always like the moon; they have perpet ual
yout h; they are dark i n colour i n their bodies and always
wear ornament s.
24. Among all the sub-continents i n the J ambdv pa t he
sub-conti nent of Kuruvarsa is extremely splendid. Ther e is a
magnificent pal ace of the moon-crested lord iva. It has the
lustre of t he moon.
25. In t he sub-continent Bhratavarsa*
1 7
men are auspi-
cious and their longevity depends on thei r Kar mans. They
are said to live for a hundr ed years. They are of different
colours and thei r bodies are small.
26. They are engaged i n t he worship of different Devas;
they experience t he fruits of different kinds of Kar mans ; they
are richly endowed wi th knowledge and wi th different mat e-
rials. They are weak and have very little pleasures.
27-28. Some of t hem have gone to Indr adv pa
3 1 8
and
some to Kaseruka. Ot her s have gone to Tmr adv pa and some
to the Co u n t r y Gabhas t i mat . Some have gone to Nga-
dvpa, some to Saumyadv pa, and others to the Dv pa of
Gandharvas as well as of Var una. Some of t hem are Ml ecchas
and Pul i ndas bor n of different castes.
29. In the Eastern parts of the Dv pa are the Ki rt as; i n
the western extremities the Yavanas; i n t he mi ddl e the Brahmins
Ksatri yas and Vaiyas. The dras are everywhere.
3 1 9
317. The glorification of Bharata is one of the common topics in the
Purnas.
318. Bharata is one of the nine khandas of Jambdvlpa; the other
eight being Indradvipa, Kaserumn, Tmra-varna, Gabhastimn, Nga,
Saumya, Gandharva, and Varuna.
319. The Purnas are conscious of the foreign tribes that surrounded
Bharata (cf. Matsya, 50. 75-76; Mark. 57,8.). The Kirtas mentioned along
the eastern limits are probably the uncivilized tribes of the forests and
mountains with the Burmese type of features. The Yavanas in the west are
Greeks originally and afterwards the Mohammedans.
Geography of the World 203
30-31. They are established there mai nt ai ni ng themselves
by worship, warfare and business dealings (respectively).
Mut ual dealings in connecti on wi th the activities of the dif-
ferent castes are rel ated onl y to vi rt ue, weal th and love. They
are interested i n thei r own duti es. The conception and pri de i n
performing the duties of the various stages of life are mai nt ai ned
properly.
32. It i s onl y here t hat human beings endeavour for hea-
venly pleasures and salvation. O l eadi ng sages, only her e
they pursue t he duties specified for each yuga,
8
* * not elsewhere.
33. In the sub-continent Ki mpur us a men live Up to ten
t housand years. Men are golden-complexioned and women
resemble the celestial damsels.
34. They are devoid of ailments and sorrow. They are all
purified by medi tati ons on iva. They have Sat t va qualities
and the lustre of gold. They live onPl aksa fruits al ong wi th thei r
wives.
35-37a. Men i n the sub-continent Hari varsa have com-
plexion resembling gold. They are persons fallen from the worl d of
Devas. They have divine forms and features i n every respect.
They worship l ord iva. They i mbi be the auspicious sugarcane-
juice. Hence old age does not afflict t hem and they do not
decay. They live upt o ten thousand years.
37b-38. In t he sub-continent Il vrt a t hat was ment i oned
by me as situated in the mi ddl e of t he Dv pa, t he sun does not
Blaze and men do not become old. Ther e is no light in Il vrta,
neither the sun nor t he moon nor t he stars.
39. The peopl e there have the lustre of lotuses. Thei r faces
resemble the lotus. Thei r eyes are like the petals of the lotus.
They have t he fragrance of the petal s of the lotus. They ar e
purified by thei r medi t at i on on iva.
40. The j ui ce of t he J a mb fruits constitutes t hei r di et .
They are sweet-scented. They have no duti es to perf orm.
8 8 1
They
have come t here from t he wor l d of Devas and have nei t her
death nor old age.
320. Since Bharata alone is Karma-Bhmi (land for performing;
action), the yuga-dharmas (duties pertaining to yugas) prevail only here.
Cf. Visnu cited in ST.
321. agnispandih. N. S. reads anispandh ( dharmadisunyah ST).
204 Ligapurna
41. In the di vi ne sub-conti nent Il vrta, t he excellent men
live thei r full span of life whi ch is thi rteen t housand years.
42. By dri nki ng t he j ui ce of t he J a mb fruits t hey are not
afflicted by ol d age. They have nei t her hunger nor fatigue.
They do not di e a pr emat ur e deat h.
43. The gol d found t here i s cal l ed J mbnada. It i s t he
di vi ne met al . It shines and resembles a glow-worm.
44. Thus t he persons occupyi ng t he ni ne sub-continents
have been recounted by me. Thei r colour, span of life, di et and
ot her things have been succinctly ment i oned and not i n detai l .
45-46. It shoul d be known t hat t he GandharVa, and
celestial nymphs reside i n Hemakt a. esa, Vsuki, Taksaka
and all others live i n Ni s adha. The very strong Brhmanas
cal l ed Yjikas live on sacrifices. They number t hi rt y t hree
t housands and t hey live happi l y on t he mount ai n N l a, full of
l apis lazuli, t he Si ddhas and Brahmarsi s devoid of impurities.
47-51. The mount ai n veta i s the homel and of t he Dai tyas
and Dnavas. The mount ai n rgavn (rg ) i s the abode
of Pi tts. The Hi mavat i s the abode of Yaksas, goblins and lord
Siva. The lord is seen in all t he mount ai ns and forests. He is
accompani ed by Vi snu, Brahm, Um, Nandi n and Ganas.
In parti cul ar, l ord N l al ohi t a i s seen on t he mount ai ns N l a,
veta, and Tr i r g a
8
" perpetual l y together wi th t he Siddhas,
Devas and Pi trs.
The N l a is of t he col our of lapis lazuli. The veta is whi te.
The Hi r anmaya has the colour of the feather of the peacock.
The Tri srga is golden in colour. All these lofty mount ai ns
ar e i n the J ambdv pa.
333. Nila-Sveta-Trirge: i.e. on the mountain* of Jamb, viz., Nila,
veta and Trisrnga.
205
CHAPTER FI FTYTHREE
Geography of the World
Sta said :
1. Ther e are seven i mport ant mountai ns in each of t he
seven Dvi pas beginning wi th Plaksa. They extend straight in
all directions and form the boundari es of the great conti nents.
2-4. I shall ment i on the seven great mount ai ns in the
Pl aksadv pa. The f i rst mount ai n i s Gomedaka; the second
i s Cndr a; the t hi rd i s Nr ada; the fourth i s Dundubhi ; t he
fifth is Somaka; the sixth Smanas, the same is called Vai bhava;
the seventh i s Vai bhrj a. These are the seven i mport ant moun-
tains i n t he Pl aksa Dv pa.
5-9. Ther e are only seven i mport ant mount ai ns in t he
l mal dv pa. I shall ment i on t hem in order. They are
Kumuda, Ut t ama, Bal haka Drona, Kaka, Mahi sa and
Kakudmn.
In the Kuadv pa there are seven sub-continents and seven
Kul aparvat as. I shal l ment i on t hem by name, i n brief. The
first mount ai n is Vi druma, t he second is Hemapar vat a the
third is Dyut i mn, the fourth, is Puspi ta, t he fifth is Kueaya,
the sixth Hari gi ri , t he seventh is the glorious mount ai n
Mandar a. It i s the abode of t he great lord. The word Ma nda
denotes the waters. Since t he mount ai n holds the waters, it is
called Mandar a.
10. The bull-emblemed l ord of t he universe iva, the deity
wi thout impurities, stays there in person in an excellent gol den
pal ace accompani ed by Um and Nandi n.
l l -13a F ormerly the l ord was propi t i at ed i n the great
holy centre, Avimukta, by the mount ai n Mandar a. He t hen
obtai ned a great boon. Mahdeva was requested by hi m for
his stay there along wi th Um. The l ord left Avi mukta
and stayed on the Mandar a al ong wi th his Ganas , Nandi n
and Um . Therefore, he does not leave this mount ai n.
13b-16. The Kul a Parvatas i n the Kr a uc a Dvi pa are
seven. They are Kr auca, Vmanaka, Andhakraka Di vvrt,
Vivinda, Pundar ka. and Dundubhi s vana. These seven
mount ai ns i n the Kr a uc a Dvi pa ar e full of gems.
206 Ligapurna
17-19a. Ther e are seven mount ai ns i n the kadv pa.
They are Udaya, Rai vat a, ymaka Rj at a, mbi keya, Ramya
cont ai ni ng all medi ci nal herbs and Kesar . It is from this
Kesar t hat wi nd is generated.
19b-24. In t he Puskara Dv pa there i s only one glorious
mount ai n named Mah ai l a. It has wonderful peaks full of
j ewels. The rocky ridges are lofty. In the eastern half of the
Dv pa it rises very hi gh wi t h ridges of vari egated colours. Above
the ground level it is fifty t housand yoj anas hi gh. The great
mount ai n goes deep below the ground level thirty four thousand
yojanas. Thi s mount ai n stretches over half of the Dv pa with
the Mnas a range to t he nor t h of it. Si tuated near the sea
shore it appears like the newl y rising moon.
Above the ground level it rises fifty thousand yojanas
hi gh. Its total wi dt h and gi rth i s also t hat much. The same
i s called Mnas a i n t he western port i on of the Dv pa. The
same mount ai n of great ridges appears split into two due to its
position. >
25-26. Ther e are two meritorious and splendid J anapadas
on either side of t he Mnas a mount ai n, and shining like silver.
The sub-continent Mahv t a
8
*
8
i s on the exterior of t he Mnas a.
The J anapada i n the interior i s called Dht ak khanda.
8 8 4
27-28. The Puskara Dv pa i s surrounded by the ocean
of sweet water. All r ound this ocean extends to as much area
as the Puskara Dv pa. In gi rth and extent i t i s equal to Puskara.
In the same manner all the seven Dv pas are surrounded by
oceans severally and there are seven oceans in all.
29. The seventh ocean is beyond all Dvi pas. Thus the
comparati ve sizes of dvpas and oceans are stated.
30. The great ocean of sweet waters is stationed envelop-
i ng the Puskara.
31. Beyond t hat is the situation of the world. The earth
is golden and twice in extent. The entire thi ng is comparabl e
to a single rock.
32. Beyond it is the globular mount ai n of del imitation.
323-324. Mahvta and Dhtakkhanda. These are the two provinces
of Puskara-dvpa (identified with Japan, Manchuria and SE Siberia). The
maintain Mnasa runs in a circle like a full moon and divides the two
provinces. The exterior province is Mahvta and the interior is Dhtak.
Geography of the World
207
It i s parti al l y di m and parti al l y bri ght. It i s called Lokl oka.
33. O brahmi ns, this eart h abides, as l ong as this visible-
cum-i nvi si bl e mount ai n exists. It s hei ght i s stated to be t en
t hous and yoj anas.
34. The ext ent of t he great mount ai n Lokl oka i s also
t hat much. The rays of t he sun pass over its i nner and net her
half.
35. In its ot her half t here i s perpet ual darkness. Hence
i t i s cal l ed Lokl oka. Thus , t he worl d Bhr i s expl ai ned succin-
ctl y.
36-39. The Bhuvarl oka is upt o the sun. O excellent sages,
t he Svarl oka i s upt o Dhr uva (pole s t ar ) . Ther e are seven
wheel s of the wi nd,
8 2 8
viz., Avaha, Pr avaha, Anuvaha, Sam-
vaha, Vi vaha, Par vaha and Par i vaha, O brahmi ns, these are
t he seven wheels of the wi nd.
O brahmi ns, the cl ouds, sun, moon, stars, pl anet s, seven
sages ( Gr eat Bear) are one above the ot her. The di stance from
the surface of t he eart h up to pole star i s fifteen hundr ed t hou-
s and yoj anas.
40-43. The solar sphere i s one hundr ed t housand yoj anas
above t he surface of the ear t h. Above i t t he chari ot of t he sun
i s sixteen t hous and yoj anas. The Mer u i s eighty-four t housand
yoj anas above t he surface of t he eart h. The Mahar l oka extends
to a crore of yoj anas above Dhr uva. O br ahmi ns, t he J anal oka
extends to two crores of yoj anas beyond Mahar l oka. Tapo-
l oka extends to four crores of yoj anas beyond J anal oka. Beyond
t hat t he Brahmal oka extends to six crores of yoj anas. O
brahmi ns, the hol y worlds i n this Cosmi c Egg are thus seven.
44. Beneat h the seven net her worl ds are the crores of
hells. They are twentyei ght i n number begi nni ng wi t h Ghor a
and endi ng wi th My.
45-46a. The sinners are cooked i n t hem i n accordance
wi t h thei r past activities. They say t hat i n each of t hem t here
are f i ve hells begi nni ng wi t h Raur ava and endi ng wi t h Avci.
46b-47. The Cosmic Egg has been ment i oned by me at the
outset. So also the sheaths of t he Cosmi c Egg. Inci dent al l y t he
creati on of Br ahm too was ment i oned i n great det ai l . It shoul d
325. All the Purnas mention seven divisions of the strata -sphere.
208 Ligapurna
be known t hat t here are t housands and crores of Eggs like these.
48-52. Since Pr adhna i s present everywhere wi t hi n each
of these Cosmic Eggs t here are fourteen worl ds in all sides as
well as above and bel ow. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, t he cause of thei r
creati on is lord iva himself. The ei ght-bodi ed i va is present
in all t he Eggs, in the exteri or of t he Eggs, in t he coverings of
the Eggs, i n t he extremi ti es of the darkness and beyond dark-
ness. Wonderful it is, every thi ng in t he uni verse is t he body
of the unembodi ed great t man, of Mahe a, of t he intelligent
Mahdeva.
The mistress of t he ei ght-bodi ed iva i s t he di vi ne Pr akr t i .
Ma ha t etc. are his pr ogeny; all t he Paus (Indi vi dual Souls)
who identify themselves wi t h thei r bodi es are Hi s servants.
3 2
*
53. The l ord iva i s infinite. He i s devoi d of begi nni ng
and end. He i s t he Pur us a. He i s i denti cal wi t h the seven
pri nci pl es
8 8 7
begi nni ng from Pr adhna. Hi s body i s Pr adhna
itself, havi ng sixteen l i mbs.
8 8 8
(i.e. t he organs of knowl e3ge,
organs of acti on, el ements and mi nd) . He himself i s
Mahe var a and Asf atanu (ei ght -bodi ed).
54. It i s due to the power of Hi s command t hat the
eart h is hel d steady. So also t he mount ai ns, cl ouds, oceans,
l umi nari es, Devas begi nni ng wi t h I ndr a, those who go about i n
the aeri al chari ots as well as the mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings.
55. Devas i ncl udi ng I ndr a saw the l ord devoi d of specific
characteristics i n t he guise of a Yaksa.
3 2
* On seeing hi m they
wondered " W ha t i s t hi s ? " They went t o the Yaksa. Unabl e
to come to any conclusion, fi re and others exerted themselves
but became weak and inefficient.
56. O brahmi ns, in front of t hat Yaksa t he fire-god coul d
not bur n even a bl ade of grass; t he wi nd-God coul d not shake
a bl ade of grass; all t he l eadi ng i mmor t al beings failed to exer-
cise thei r respective powers over hi m.
57. At t hat t i me, the enemy of Vr t r a (i.e. I ndr a ) , the lord
336-328. The a?tamurti (eight-formed, p. 166) iva is the house-
holder whose mistress is Prakrti, whose subjects are intellect, ego and five
subtle elements. His eight-formed body has sixteen parts, viz., five gross
elements, five organs of action, five organs of knowledge and the mind.
329. Yaksaiva in the form of Yaksaa semidivine being, cf. Brahma-
Gtt cited in ST.: fat OT=f ^ II 3j l (WH iff
MV\v \ I II
Movements of Luminaries 209
of Devas, t he cause of all prosperity, appr oached hi m al ong
wi th the l eadi ng Devas. He said to the Yaksa, the l ord of Devas,
wi th great curiosity i n his mi nd, " W ho are you, Sir ?"
58. At t hat ti me the Yaksa vani shed. Then the splendid-
faced daught er of Hi mavat , Um, shi ni ng gloriously
with many auspicious or nament s appear ed i n front of hi m.
59. I ndr a and others asked t hat unbor n daught er of
Hi mavat , Um, the intensely bri ght o n e ; " O Goddess, O
excessively refulgent, what is this ? O Um, who was this
shining one i n t he body of Yaksa ?"
CO. On heari ng it, Um said : " t he Yaksa i s i nvi si bl e. "
Devas i ncl udi ng I ndr a bowed down t o t hat dei ty havi ng t he
gait of a lion, and to Um unbor n and of red, whi t e and bl ack
col our.
61. On bei ng honoured by all the l eadi ng i mmort al beings,
the dei ty, the cause of the activity of Devas and Asuras, s ai d:
F ormerl y I was Prakrt i subservient to t he behests of t he Pur us a
the Yaksa.
62. Hence, O brahmi ns, the enti re Egg ori gi nat ed from
the unbor n at his behest and from t he Egg ori gi nated Br ahm.
The ent i re worl d ori gi nated from hi m al ong wi th t he l umi na-
ries. Thus t he universe i s i denti cal wi th the Unbor n ( aj a) .
CHAPTER F BF TYF OUR
Movements of Luminaries
Sta said :
1. In order to compr ehend t he movement s of t he pl anet s
3 8 0
after observing the holy centres of t he lord I shall ment i on t he
movement s of l umi nari es wi t hi n the Cosmi c Egg succinctly.
330. The system of stars, planets and constellations known as
imumra-cakra is conceived as rotating like the potter's wheel. In the
vast space the stars are arranged like the body of an alligator. They
move around Dhruva (i.e. the fixed centre). But it should be known that
Dhruva is relatively fixed, for, in fact, it itself moves in the heavens. (Cf.
Liga. 55. 10; Matsya 125.6) For detail, Matsya. Chs. 134-128.
210
Ligapurna
2-3. Ia the east of t he Mer u, the ci ty of Ma he ndr a i s situa-
t ed on the mount ai n Mnas a; i n t he south t he city of the son
of the sun (i.e. Ya ma ) ; i n the west i s the city of Var una and
i n t he nor t h t he city of Soma ( Moon) . In all these directions,
t he deities of t he quart ers are stati oned. They are the cities
of Amarvat , Samyaman , Sukh and Vi bh i n order.
4. Under s t and t he movement of the sun when he has
reached quar t er over and above t he guardi ans of t he quart ers
i n t he course of his sout hern transi t.
5. In his southern transit the sun rushes on like an arrow
t hat i s shot. Taki ng the mul t i t ude of l umi nari es wi th hi m he
revolves perpetual l y.
6. O brahmi ns, when the l ordl y sun comes to t he extremi ty
of the city of I ndr a t he sunrise is seen by all t he peopl e in Sam-
yaman .
7. At the same ti me in Sukhvat t he sun is seen as at the
close of the ni ght. But in Vi bh, the lord, the eye of t h* universe,
i.e. the Sun sets.
8. It has been ment i oned by me ma t j ust as he absorbs
waters in Amarvat so also he, the traverser of t he firmament,
after reachi ng Samyaman , Sukh* *
1
and Vi bh, absorbs
waters.
9-11. W hen there is afternoon in Agney (i.e. south-east),
O brahmi ns, it is forenoon in the south-west. W hen it is terrible
l at t er half of the ni ght in the north-west, it is the earlier par t
of the ni ght in the north-east. Similarly, when the sucker of
waters (i.e. the sun) moves about i n the mi ddl e of Puskar a
3 3 2
t he mount ai n to the nor t h of Mnasa, he traverses a thi rti eth
par t of the eart h in a Muhr t a (48 mt s ) . Under st and this
number in yoj anas travelled in a Muhr t a.
12-17. The speed of the noble-souled sun per Muhr t a is
t hree million one hundr ed and f i f t y t housand yoj anas. W hen
t he sun moves to the southern quar t er wi th this speed from
t he nor t h t hrough the mi ddl e of Puskara dur i ng his nort hern
transi t and when he moves i nto the nort hern di recti on (from
331. Sukh or Su?. It is the capital of Varuna in the western direc-
tion and is the same as Sus of the ancient Achemenian empire in Iran.
333. Pusjcara or sky, atmospheric region. Gf. Viva cited in ST.
"Puskaram pakaje vyomni".
Movements of Luminaries 211
t he south) t hrough t he Mnas a hill i n the course of his southern
t ransi t , he, of great spl endour, passes over one hundr ed and
ei ght y mandal as (degrees of space). The nort hern and southern
t ransi t s are called the exterior and i nteri or (parts of t he celes-
tial sphere). The sun traverses t hrough these (180) mandal as
everyday (bot h ways). J us t as the end of t he potters' wheel
whirl s, mor e qui ckl y (than its mi ddl e par t ) , the lord (sun) tra-
verses qui ckl y in his southern transit.
3
*
3
18-19 Hence he traverses a greater ar ea in a short time.
In the course of Daks i nyana (southern transi t) the sun traver-
ses to the ext ent of thi rteen and a hal f stars (i.e. star spaces)
dur i ng the day ti me i n only twelve muhr t as ; while dur i ng
t he ni ght ti me of ei ghteen muhr t as he covers as many stars
(star spaces). *
3 4
20. J us t as the mi ddl e of the pot t er' s wheel moves more
slowly (t han the end par t ) so also i n t he Ut t ar yana (nort hern
t ransi t ) the sun moves slowly.
21-25. Hence he traverses a smaller area in the course of a
l onger ti me. Tha t char i ot of the sun i s occupi ed by Adityas,
sages, Gandhar vas , Apsarases, Grman s, Serpents, and Rk-
sasas. The t housand-rayed sun emi ts his rays i n front, behi nd,
bel ow and above. Ther eby he i l l umi nates the excellent
assembly of Br ahm. Dur i ng the sandhys (dawn and dusk)
t he br ahmi ns and sages offer water-l i bati ons. W i t h these
waters, the sun kills the demons as and when they come near
hi m and t hen goes ahead.
333. The text here appears highly defective. Uttaryana or northern
transit is the period from 22nd Dec. to 21st June and Daksinyana or southern
transit is from 22nd June to 21st Dec. During the former, the sun appears to
travel from Capricorn to Cancer (through Aquanus, Pisces etc.) and during
the latter from Cancer to Capricorn. But as the earth revolves round all the
signs of the Zodiac once a day, the sun is said to iravel over these, every
day. The word mandala is used in the peculiar sense of degree as no other
meaning will suit the context.
334. A star space is 36o27 or i3-j- 13-4 Star space is thus equal to
180
0
. In other words the whole consists of 360 which is the space of
the 27 constellations Avin etc. The sun is visible at any time only on
half of the sphere (called day). Hence half of the sphere is 180
0
or 13^.
star spaces. The reference here is to that day when the day time is shortest
(i.e. g hours 36 minutes) and night longest (14 hours 24 minutes) which
occurs in India in Kashmir.
212
Ligapurna
Duri ng the l at t er par t of the ut t ar yana the day extends to
eighteen muhr t as , dur i ng whi ch the sun moves slowly.
He covers the extent of thi rteen and a hal f stars dur i ng the ni ght
consisting of twelve muhr t as and as many stars duri ng t he
day consisting of ei ghteen muhr t as .
26. J us t as the wheel whirls slowly at t he nave, so also
Dhr uva whirls like t he l ump of clay i n t he mi ddl e.
27-28. Those who know the anci ent lore, say t hat t hi rt y
muhr t as consti tute a day and a ni ght duri ng whi ch t he sun
traverses t he space in bet ween t he two limits (i.e. t he solstitial
poi nt s). J us t as the nave of the wheel of t he port er remai ns
there al one (i.e. wi t hout movi ng) so also Aut t napda (i.e.
Dhr uva) rotates (wi thout movi ng) as the l eader of the l umi na-
ries al ong wi t h t he pl anet s.
29-33. The group of the sages and the l umi nari es moves
i n accordance wi th his will ( mi nd) . Presided over by hi m t he
sun, al ong wi t h the wi nd, takes up wat er from everywhere.
The son of Ut t napda at t ai ned the state of Dhr uva, t hanks
to the favour of Vi snu. It was obt ai ned by Aut t napda on
account of his father.
The waters dr unk by t he sun penet r at e t he moon gradual l y
and from t he moon they dr i p down t o the cl ouds. On bei ng
tossed about by t he wi nd, t he cluster of cl ouds causes shower
on the ear t h. The word bhskara (sun) i s deri ved as follows:
Bhsayet t ena bhs kar ah( He who i l l umi nates i s bhs kar a) .
Ther e i s no destructi on of wat er. The same wat er revolves.
34-38. F or t he welfare of creatures, t he waters have been
evolved by l ord iva as t hei r ul t i mat e resort. The waters alone
consti tute Bh, Bhuvah, Svah, anna (cooked ri ce) as well as
nect ar. The waters are t he vi tal breat hs of the worl ds, t he
living beings, t he worl ds themselves. Of what avail i s much
talk ? The worl d of mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings is consti tuted
by the waters.
Lord iva is the overl ord of t he wat ers. He is glorified as
such. The universe i s i denti cal wi t h hi m. W ha t i s there to
wonder at i n this ? The desi gnati on Nr yana was acqui red by
Vi snu by t he grace of t he wat ers. Vi snu i s t he abode of worl ds
and t he waters consti tute his abode. W hen t he mobi l e and
i mmobi l e beings are bei ng bur ned by t he f i re and tossed up
Movement of Luminaries
213
as smoke by t he wi nd, the vapours t hat go up urged by t he
wi nd form t he clouds.
39-40. Hence the mi xt ure of smoke, fire and wi nd is
cal l ed cl oud. The word abhr a (cl oud) i s deri ved as follows:
" t ha t whi ch showers wat er . " The l ord of t he clouds i s t he
thousand-eyed I ndr a. The cloud ori gi nati ng from sacrificial
smoke is conduci ve to the welfare of the twice-born. The cl oud
ori gi nat i ng from t he smoke of the forest fires, is conduci ve to
t he welfare of the forests.
41. O brahmi ns, t he cloud ori gi nati ng from the smoke
of the dead bodies bri ngs about evil. The cloud ori gi nati ng
from the smoke of t he fi re duri ng magi c rites brings about t he
destructi on of living beings.
42. Thus there is weal or woe unt o t he worlds due to diffe-
rent kinds of smokes. Hence a man shall stifle the smoke
arising from t he bl ack magi c rites.
43. If a br ahmi n were to perform bl ack magi c rites wi th-
out covering up t he smoke thereof, he will want onl y become
the cause of destructi on of t he worl d.
44. O men of holy rites, the clouds t hat are receptacles
of waters shower waters at t he behest of the wi nd for six mont hs
for the welfare of the worlds.
45. The t hunder pertai ns t o the wi nd; t he l i ghtni ng arises
from fire. O l eadi ng sages, the origin of snow from those clouds
is in three ways.
46-48. The word abhr a i s derived t hus : na bhrayant i
yat ah (since they do not become dest royed).
The word megha i s deri ved as mehant me g ha hI t i s called
megha because i t makes waters.
The cl ouds are of different kinds, vi z. , Kst hvhas, Vai-
ri cyas and Pksas.
W hen ksths (sacrificial wigs) soaked in ghee come i nto
cont act wi t h fire, smoke is generated (and this smoke forms the
cl ouds). The origin of the second type of clouds is from the
exhal ed br eat h of Br ahm. The origin of the t hi rd type of
cl ouds is from the wings of mount ai ns chopped off by I ndr a.
The cl ouds ari si ng from fi res are auspicious and their pl ace
of resort is Avaha (a part i cul ar region of wi nd) .
49-53a. All those clouds arising from the br eat h of Br ahm
214
Ligapura
are i n the l ayer of the wi nd Pr avaha, whil e t he cl ouds origi-
nat i ng from Paksa (wi ngs)
3 3
* Pus kar a and others shower
water. They are respectively silent, noisy and destructive* * * .
The different clouds behave differentlySome rai n i n showers;
some have cool wi nds bl owi ng for a l ong ti me, some are en-
liveners; some are weak bei ng devoi d of l i ghtni ng and t hunder .
Some stay here and there in t he sky wi t hi n a kroa (3 kms)
from the surface of t he eart h. All the clouds clinging to t he
mount ai ns are wi t hi n hal f a kroa. The cl ouds (called)
meghas stay wi thi n a yoj ana from t he surface of the ear t h.
They shower much wat er on the eart h because i t i s possible
for t hem to do so. They are equi pped wi t h l i ghtni ng.
53b-56. Thei r way of maki ng downpours of t hree types
has t hus been nar r at ed to you.. The clouds of the Paksaj a
type ori gi nate from t he cl ipped wings of the mount ai ns. They
are called kalpaj as (born i n t he kal pas). These aut umnal
clouds shower at ni ght towards t he close of t he kal pa bri ngi ng
about destructi on.
W hen t he Paksaj a, Puskar a and other cl ouds shower wat er,
everything becomes a vast sea of wat er. Dur i ng t he ni ght, t he
l ord lies down there.
O l eadi ng brahmi ns, the smoke of the cl ouds arising from
fire, from the exhal ed br eat h and from the cl i pped wings, is
refreshingly enlivening.
57. The showers of the clouds Paundr as , (i.e., those falling
i n the l and of Pundr a) are accompani ed by l i ghtni ng, are cool
and hence conduci ve t o pl ant (growt h). They are ice-cool and
look like the spray of waters from el ephants' trunks.
58. The cl ouds called Ggas ori gi nate from the waters
of Gag. Thr ough t he wi nd i n the Par vaha region these
agi tate the mount ai ns, rivers and el ephants of the quart ers.
59. The wat er separat ed from t he cl ouds goes from one
mount ai n t o anot her. The wi nd Par vaha takes the cloud t o
the Hi mavat mount ai n.
60. O brahmi ns, t he remai ni ng shower after crossing the
335. Puskardyh : Puskara, Avarta, etc. comprise a class of cloud*
that rain in torrents at the dissolution of the world.
336. du;t&sah-dust yesm, pralayakarh ST. Of wicked inten-
tion since they cause destruction of the world.
The sun's chariot 215
Hi mavat approaches the sub-continent Bharata in order to
make t he other side f l ouri sh.
61. The showers have been recounted now. They are of
two types bei ng conduci ve to the increase of two types of vege-
tati on. I shall ment i on t hem briefly accordi ng to my knowledge.
62. The sun of great spl endour, the l ord wi th the eye of
the universe is t he creator of rai ns. O excellent brahmi ns, he
is the great na, iva himself.
63-64. He al one i s t he spl endour, power and strength,
O br ahmi ns. He is fame himself. He is t he eye, ear, mi nd,
Mr t yu, soul, Manyu, the quart ers and the interstices, t r ut h,
order, discipline, wi nd, firmament, pl anets, t he guardi ans of
the quart ers, Vi snu, Brahm, Rudr a and Mahe var a himself.
65-68. Thi s glorious thousand-rayed deity l ord iva is
very auspicious. He has eight hands, a body semi-female and
three eyes. He is the overl ord of Devas. O brahmi ns, it is due
to his favour al one t hat rai n of various kinds occurs. The sun
takes up wat er by his rays in order to give it back thousandfold.
Ther e is nei t her increase nor decrease of water, if we consider
i t dul y. The wi nd presided over by Dhr uva wi t hdraws t he
rai n. It falls off t he pl anet sun and spreads t hrough t he sphere
of the stars. At the close of t he movement, it re-enters t he sun
and i s presided over by Dhr uva.
CHAP TER F I F TYF I VE
The sun's chariot
331
1-2. I shall briefly describe t he chari ot of t he sun, moon
and other pl anets as also how the sun traverses dri nki ng up the
waters.
337. The solar car. Cf. Matsya, Ch. 145. For the ra Heptadf of the
solar system Cf. MP.A Study pp. sn-ai a. The solar system with the
sun as the central point is conceived as a chariot which moves upto 180
degrees both north and south of the equator (V. 14; also Matsya,
, 2
5-57) -
216 Ligapurna
The chari ot of the sun has been creat ed by Br ahm for a
specific purpose. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, it is conceived through
t he par t s of t he year.
3. The gol den chari ot of the sun is t he abode of all Devas.
It has a single wheel wi th five spokes and t hree naves.
4. Its l ength and br eadt h i s ni ne t housand yoj anas. Twi ce
t hat l ength i s t he di stance bet ween t he dri ver' s box and the
poleshaft.
5. The horses are stati oned on t he side where t he wheel is.
They are unat t ached
8 3 8
but appear t o be yoked. Ther e are
seven horses. They are evolved out of t he vedic passages
and metres.
3 8
*
6. The horses are bound to the side of the wheel. The
axl e is fitted to the poleshaft. The chari ot revolves al ong wi th
the wheel and the horses, and the poleshaft ^revolves al ong
wi t h the axle.
7. The axle pr ompt ed by t he poleshaft whirls al ong wi th
t he single wheel . It i s t he i ntel l i gent Dhr uva (Pole star)
t ha t urges t he l umi nari es by means of t he wi nd and t he rays
(or by t he wi nd whi ch acts as rei ns).
8. Ther e are two rei ns i n the chari ot . They are uni t ed to
t he extremities of t he yoke and t he axle. The chari ot tied by
means of t he reins to t he yoke and t he axle revolves by the grace
of Dhr uva.
9. As t he chari ot whirls and moves al ong the fi rmament
t here shall be circles of bri ght lustre. The extremities of t he
yoke and t he axle are to t he ri ght of the chari ot .
10. W hen t he horses beyond the wheel
3 4 0
are pul l ed by
Dhr uva by means of reins, bot h of t hem (the yoke and axl e)
as also t he reins follow t he poleshaft t hat whirls.
11-13. The extremi ty of the yoke and t he axle of this
char i ot whi ch has t he steed of wi nd whirls i n all di recti ons like
a rope fixed to a nai l . In the course of Ut t ar yana as the chari ot
moves about i n t he mandal as t he reins i ncrease i n size (i.e.
338. asangaih=antarikjagaih ST. those that move in the void.
339. The seven horses of the solar car are the seven metres, viz.,
gyatri, usnik, anusfup, brhatl, pankti, triftup and jagati.
340. VicakrJvewhen the horses, wheel and Aruna the driver (are
secured by Dhruva).
The sun's chariot
217
are let l oose). In the course of t he Daksi nyana, when t he
chari ot moves about i n t he mandal as t he rei ns are pul l ed
i nwards. In ei ther case, t he reins are operat ed by Dhr uva
and t hen the sun seated wi t hi n, moves about i n t he mandal as .
14-15. The di stance bet ween t he two solstices consists
of one hundr ed and eighty degrees. The sun moves about the
mandal as external l y as t he reins are bei ng released by Dhr uva.
He t hen encircles t he mandal as and moves quickly.
16. Devas and sages perpet ual l y worshi p l ord Bhskara, who
is himself Bhava and Is var a day and ni ght.
17. That chari ot is occupi ed by Devas, Adi tyas sages,
Gandhar vas , Apsarases as well as serpents, Rksasas, and
Gr man s .
18. These reside wi t hi n t he sun for two mont hs in succession
and devel op and nouri sh t he auspi ci ous sun by means of thei r
spl endour.
19. The sages eulogise t he sun by means of hymns. The
Gandhar vas a nd Apsarases worshi p hi m by musi c and dance.
20. The Grmanl s, Yaksas and Bhtas hol d the reins.
The serpents bear t he sun and Yt udhnas (Rksasas) follow
hi m.
21. The Vl akhi l yas surround t he sun from his rise to
his setting and accompany hi m. In this manner these reside
in the sun for two mont hs in succession.
22-23. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, the following twelve mont hs
const i t ut e t he human y e a r : Ma dhu ( Cai t r a) , Mdhava
(Vai' kha), ukra ( J yes t ha) , Suci ( Asdha) , Nabhas (r-
vana) , Nabhas ya ( Bhdr apada) , Isa( A vi na) r j a ( Kr t t i ka) ,
Sahas (Mrgal rsa) Sahasya ( Paus a) , Tapas ( Mgha)
and Tapas ya ( Phl guna) .
24. The (six) Rt us (seasons) are Vsant i ka (Spri ng),
Gr ai s ma, ( s ummer ) Vrsi ka (rai ny season) arad ( aut umn) ,
Hi ma (early W i nt er ) and iira (late W i nt er )
25.44
The seven groups accompany and abide in the sun, as follows:
1. Devas are twelve in number . They nouri sh t he sun by
means of lustre. They ar e: Dht r , Aryaman, Mi t r a, Var una,
218 Ligapurna
I ndr a, Vi vasvn, Pusan, Parj anya, Ariiu, Bhaga, Tvasf r
and Vi snu.
2. The sages are twelve i n number . They eulogise t he
sun by means of hymns. They a r e : Pul astya, Pul aha, Atri ,
Vasistiia, Agi ras, Bhrgu, Bharadvj a, Gaut ama, Kasyapa,
Kr at u, J amadagni and Vi svmi t ra.
3. The serpents are twelve i n number . They bear the great
lord Sun. They are : Vsuki , Kakan kar a, Taksaka,
Nga, El pat ra, akhapl a, Ai rvat a ( I r vn) , Dhanaj aya
Mahpadma, Kar kot aka, Kambal a and Avat ara.
4. The twelve excellent Gandhar vas worshi p the sun
t hat takes i n wat er by means of Songs. They ar e: Tumbur u,
Nr ada, H h , Hh, ViSvvasu, Ugrasena, Surugi , Parvasu
Ci trasena, r nyu, Dhr t ar f r a and Sryavarcas.
5. The twelve Apsarases worshi p the sun by their char mi ng
Tndava dance. They ar e: Kr t as t hal of spl endi d face,
the divine l ady Puj i kast hal of spl endi d hips, Menak, Saha-
j any, Praml oc of sweet smiles, Anuml oc, Ghrt c , Vivc,
Urva also known as Purvaci t t i , t he gentl e l ady Ti l ot t am
and Ra mbh of lotus-like face.
6. The twelve Gr man s hol d the rei ns. They a r e :
Rat hakr t , Rat hauj as, Rat haci t r a, Subhu, Rat has vana,
Var una, Susena, Senaj it, Trksya, Ari st anemi , Ksataj i t and
Satyaj it.
7. Then t here ar e twelve Yt udhnas . Wi el di ng thei r
weapons they accompany the sun. They ar e: Raks ohet i ,
Prahet i , Pauruseya, Badha, Sarpa, Vyghr a, Apa, Vt a,
Vi dyut, Di vkara, Br ahmopet a the l eadi ng Rksasa and
Yaj opet a.
These seven groups of t wel ve member s i n each ar e pr oud
of t he i r posi t i on.
Two from each of these seven gr oups occupy t he sun for
two mont hs . Th e det ai l s are given bel ow:
45- 48.
During the Months of Caitra-Vaikha
1. Twelve Devas
2. Twelve Sages
3. Twelve Serpents
Dht r and Ar yaman
Pul ast ya and Pul aha
Vsuki and Kakan kar a
The sun's chariot 219
4. Twel ve Gandhar vas Tumbur u and Nr ada
5. Twel ve Apsarases Kxtasthal and Puj i kast hal
6. Twel ve Gr man s Rat hakr t and Rat hauj as
7. Twel ve Yt udhnas Raksohet i and Prahet i
49-51.
During the Months ofjyestha and Asdha
1. Devas Mi t r a and Var una
2. Sages Atri and Vasi st ha
3. Serpents Taks aka and Nga
4. Gandhar vas H h and Hh
5. Apsarases Menak and Sahaj any
6. Gr man s Subhu and Rat haci t r a
7. Yt udhnas Pauruseya and Badha
52-54.
During rvana and Bhdrapada
1. Devas I ndr a and Vi vasvn
2. Sages Agi ras and Bhrgu
3. Serpents El pat r a and akhapl a
4. Gandhar vas Vivvasu and Ugr asena
5. Apsarases Praml oc and Anuml oc.
6. Gr man s Rat has vana and Var una
7. Yt udhnas Sar pa and Vyghr a
55-57.
During vina and Krttika
1. Devas PQs and Parj anya
2. Sages Bhradvj a and Ga ut a ma
3. Serpents Ir vn and Dhanaj aya
4. Gandhar vas Suruci and Par avasu
5. Apsarases Ghrt c and Vivc
6. Gr man s Susena and Senaj it
7. Yt udhnas Apa and Vt a
58-61.
During MrgaUrsa and Pausa
1. Devas Amsu and Bhaga
2. Sages Ka yapa and Kr at u
220
Ligapurna
7. Yt udhnas
62-65
3. Serpents
4. Gandhar vas
5. Apsarases
6. Gr man s
Mahpadma and Karkc-taka
Ci trasena and Ur nyu
Urvas and Prvaci tti
Trksya and Ari stanemi
Vi dyut and Di vkara.
During Mgha and Phlguna
2. Sages
3. Serpents
4. Gandhar vas
5. Apsarases
6. Gr man s
7. Yt udhnas
1. Devas Tvast r and Vi snu
J amadagni and Vi vmi t ra
Ka mb a l a and As vat ar a
Dhr t ar s t r a and Suryavarcas
Ti l ott' am and Ra mb h
Rat haj i t and Satyaj it
Br ahmopet a and Yaj nopeta
66. These deities occupy the sun for two mont hs (in diffe-
rent groups as ment i oned above). These twelve Hept ads are
t he governing forces dur i ng the twelve mont hs of the solar
year.
67-69. The deities nouri sh and develop the sun by thei r
spl endour. The sages eulogise the sun by the hymns of the
Vedas. The Gandhar vas and the Apsarases worshi p hi m by
thei r music and dance. The Gr man s, Yaksas and Bhtas
hol d the rei ns; the serpents bear the sun, and Yt udhnas
follow hi m; Vl akhi l yas l ead the sun to his setting pl ace after
surroundi ng hi m at the ti me of his rise.
70-71. The sun is nouri shed by the spl endour of all these.
The sun blazes i n accordance wi th their spl endour, penance,
yogic power, Mant r as , Dhar mas and strength. These stay
i n t he sun i n groups, for two mont hs each.
72-73. The sages, Devas, Gandharvas, Serpents, groups
of Apsarases, Gr man s , Yaksas, and Yt udhnas mai nl yt hese
blaze, shower rai n, i l l umi nate, bl ow, creat e and remove the
evil activities of living beings. They are glorified as such.
74. They destroy t he meri ts of the wicked and the sins
of good persons in cert ai n cases.
75. They are seated i n an aerial chari ot t hat i s divine,
t hat has the sp eed of the wi nd and t hat can go wherever i t wills.
These move ahead al ong wi th t he sun t hroughout t he day.
Description of the Moon 221
76. They shower rai n. They bl aze, t hey delight. O Sages,
they prot ect all t he living beings and fi rmament from destruc-
tion.
77. They take pr i de and identify themselves wi th t hei r
positions i n all t he manvant ar as of the past, present and future.
78. These seven groups live in the sun in groups of fourteen
in all t he fourteen manvant ar as .
79. O l eadi ng sages, t he activities of t he intelligent
l ord of Devas have been recount ed, some i n bri ef and some i n
detai l , i n accordance wi t h what I have hear d and how they had
happened.
80. These seven groups of twelve deities in each are those
who take pri de i n thei r positions and identify themselves wi th
t hem. They reside i n t he sun for two mont hs i n t he above
order.
81. Thus t he sun, t he harbi nger of t he day moves ahead
quickly in a single-wheeled char i ot
3 4 1
dr awn by seven green
i mperi shabl e horses.
82. He whirls day and ni ght i n his chari ot whi ch has a
single wheel . He traverses i n heaven over t he seven conti nents
and oceans wi t h t he hel p of seven groups.
CHAPTER ETFTYSLX
Description of the Moon
Sta said :
1. The Moon traverses the stars stati oned in its orbi t.
Hi s chari ot has t hree wheels and t he horses are on ei ther side.
2. The chari ot i s fi tted wi th t hree wheels, each wi th hund-
red spokes. The horses are whi te i n col our and t en i n number .
They are di vi ne and stout. They are not connect ed wi t h the
yoke. They have t he speed of the mi nd.
3. The moon traverses i n this chari ot al ong wi t h Devas
341. ekacakraThe single wheel of the solar chariot is represented
by the year (samvatsara).
222
Ligapurna
and Pitrs. It has whi t e rays i n the form of sparkl i ng wat er
particles.
4-6. The moon increases in force in the begi nni ng of the
bri ght hal f and i s stati oned i n the way of the sun. Day by day
it gets refilled till t he end of t hat half. The sun develops
and nourishes it. It i s dr unk up by Devas dur i ng the dark
half.
348
It i s bei ng dr unk i n conti nui ty for fi fteen days by Devas.
The sun refills i t par t by par t by his single r ay Susumn :
Thus the physi cal body of the moon i s devel oped and nouri shed
by the vigour of t he sun.
7-10a. On the full moon day it appears wi t h its full whi t e
disc. Begi nni ng wi t h the second and endi ng wi t h the fourteenth
day i n t he dar k half, Devas dr i nk up t he moon t hat was nouri -
shed and devel oped day by day dur i ng t he bri ght half. They
dr i nk the wat ery honey and nect ar t hat had been accumul a-
t ed in t he course of hal f a mont h, thanks to the spl endour of the
sun. They sit near the moon for a single ni ght on the full
moon day for dri nki ng up the nect ar from t he moon, al ong
wi th the sages and Pitrs.
10b-13. The digits of the moon facing the sun get di mi -
ni shed daily, bei ng dr unk up from the begi nni ng to the end of
the dark half. Thirtysix t housand three hundr ed and thi rty
t hree Devas dri nk t he moon. After the moon has been dr unk
for half a mont h, day by day by t hem, those excellent Devas
go away on the new moon day. On the new moon day the
Pitrs occupy t he Moon.
14-18. W hen the fifteenth par t remai ns as the last digit,
t he groups of Pitrs occupy this i n the afternoon. F or the dur a-
tion of two kals (uni t s of time) they dri nk up the remai ni ng
di gi t t he nect ar of svadh t hat has oozed out of the rays on
the Amvsy day. After dri nki ng the nect ar they attai n full
satiety for the whol e of mont h and then go away. By the time
t he remai ni ng digit of the moon drunk by the Pitrs gets dissol-
ved, a fifteenth par t is replenished. The increase and the
decrease of the moon in the begi nni ng of each fortnight is on
the sixteenth day.
3 4 3
The increase in the moon is thus due to
t he sun.
342. Cf. susumnah sryaramii candram gandharvahy .TS 3.4.7.1.
343. sodaym=on the sixteenth, i.e. on the new-moon day.
223
CHAPTER FIPTYSEVEN
Movements of the Planets
3
**
Sta said :
1-5. The chari ot of t he son of t he Moon (i.e. Budha^-
Mer cur y) i s fi tted wi t h ei ght horses, tawny-col oured and very
spl endi d. It has the characteri sti cs of wat er and f i re.
The chari ot of ukra (Venus) the precept or of Dai t yas i s
fitted wi t h t en stout horses of different colours. It is ear t hen in
nat ur e.
The chari ot of Bhauma ( Mar s ) i s gol den, spl endi d and
fitted wi t h ei ght horses.
The horse of J i va ( J upi t er ) i s also gol den and f i t t ed wi th
ei ght horses.
The chari ot of Ma nda
8 4 5
( Sat ur n) i s made of i ron. It i s
fi tted wi t h ten bl ack horses and i s wat ery i n nat ur e.
The chari ots of R hu and Ket u ar e f i t t ed wi t h ei ght horses
each. All these pl anet s ar e bound t o Dhr uva (Pole St ar )
by reins whi ch are of t he form of wi nd. Ma de to whi rl by
the Pole star t hey move ahead.
6. Ther e are as many rays as t here are stars. All of t hem
are bound to t he Pole star. W hi l e revolving (round i t ) they
make it revolve also.
7. The stars and t he l umi nari es, urged by t he ci rcul ar
gusts of wi nd, move like fire brands. Since t he wi nd bears
the l umi nari es, it is cal l ed Pr avaha.
8. Al ong wi th t he pl anets and constellations, t he sun and
stars occupy the firmament in a circle looking upwar ds and
sideways.
9. Presided over (i.e. cont rol l ed) by Dhr uva t hey ci rcum-
ambul at e Dhr uva. They move on i n t he fi rmament to see
Lor d Dhr uva t hat acts like the pivot.
344. Chapters 56-57 describe the movement of the planetsSoma,
Budha, Magala, Brhaspati, ukra, ani and Rhu.
345. alta-cakra-vat : The imagery of the wheel implies a fixed
centre (medhbhtam dhruvam divi, ch. 57.9) to which thewhoje^
system of moving stars is secured by certain pullsTspoken 01 as winds,
(vta-ramibhih, ibid, V. 5; Matsya 125.7; vtnikamayair bandhaih.)
224 Ligapurna
10. The di amet er of t he sun is ni ne t housand Yoj anas.
Its ci rcul ar ar ea is t hree times this.
11. The extent of the moon is twice t hat of the Sun. Rhu
assumes a size equal to t hem and moves ahead beneat h t hem.
12. The abode of Rhu is full of darkness and is the t hi rd
(one in size) because it is evolved out of t he ci rcul ar shadow
of the eart h.
13. The di amet er, t he circumference and t he distance i n
yoj anat of Bhrgava (Venus) is a sixteenth par t of t hat of
the moon.
14-18. Brhaspati (J upi t er) is of three-fourths of t he size
of Venus. Mar s and Sat urn are three-fourths of the size of
Brhaspati . Budha (Mercury) is three-fourths of thei r size in
extent and circumference. The stars and constellations, t hat
have a body are equal to Budha i n extent and circumference.
The knower of t r ut h must not e t hat the stars t hat ar e' i n conj un-
ction wi th t he moon are ordi nari l y known as Rksas. The spheres
of the comparat i vel y smaller stars extend to five, four, three or
two yoj anas. Over all these t here are still clusters of smaller
stars whi ch extend only to two hundr ed yoj anas. Ther e i s
none smaller t han this.
19-20. Over and above these starry spheres are the t hree
pl anets viz., Sat urn, J upi t er and Mar s , whi ch travel at a great
distance from t hem. They should be known as slow-moving
ones.
Ther e are four ot her great pl anet s beneat h t hem, viz.
t he Sun, Moon, Mer cur y and Venus. They traverse quickly.
21. Al together t here are as many crores of stars as t here
are constellations. They too are stati oned i n t he orbi t of con-
stellations due to t he restrai ni ng force of Dhr uva.
22-26. The sun t hat has seven horses has an upper and a
lower position by t urns. W hen t he sun is in his nort hern transit
and when the moon on the full moon ni ghts, appears qui ckl y
because itsj position is above, but t he rays are not very clear,
the moon (?) t hen i s i n the sout hern orbi t t hat i s ^l ower .
The sun covered by t he line of t he ear t h on F ul l moon and
New Moon days i s seen at the usual t i me, but i t sets quickly.
Hence on the New-Moon day the moon i s i n the nor t her n orbi t.
It i s i nvari abl y not seen i n t he sout hern pat h on account of
Movements of the Planets
225
the movement of the pl anet s and because i t i s enveloped by
the shadow of t he sun. On t he equi noti cal days t he sun and
t he moon rise and set simul taneousl y.
3 4
*
27-28. In the nor t her n orbits they rise and set wi t hout
any difference i n ti me on new moon and full moon days. They
shoul d t hen be known as following t he groups of l umi nari es.
W hen t he sun is in t he southern transit, it moves ahead beneat h
all other pl anets.
29. Keepi ng his sphere wi der the moon revolves above i t
(the s un) . All t he groups of constellations move above the moon.
30. Mer cur y is above all constellations; Venus is above
Mercury. Mar s i s above Venus and J upi t er i s above Mar s .
31. Sat urn is above it. Above Sat ur n is the sphere of
seven sages (Great Bear) and Dhr uva (Pole St ar) is stati oned
above the seven sages.
32-39. By knowi ng the region of Vi snu, beyond all these,
one is l i berat ed from sin. Two hundr ed t housand Yoj anas
above constellations, stars, the pl anet sSun and Moon whi ch are
uni t ed wi t h divine refulgence, move ahead day and ni ght i n
due order. They come i nto cont act wi th the constellations
everyday. Hence t hey are sometimes stati oned below, some-
times above and sometimes i n u strai ght l i ne. They glance at
the subjects (below) simultaneously when i n conj unction or
when separat ed.
Ther e are six seasons but of fi ve distinct features. They
overl ap one anot her and thei r combi nat i on should be under-
stood by l earned men wi t hout overl appi ng. O brahmi ns, t hus
the movement of pl anet s has been succinctly ment i oned, i n
the case of the sun and ot her pl anet s as I have hear d and obser-
ved. The thousand-rayed l ord Sun was crowned as the over-
lord of pl anets by the l otus-born Brahm, like Guha who was
crowned by Rudr a.
Hence, for the real i zati on of purpose and (to war d off
evils) at the ti me of harassment of the pl anets and the sun,
the worshi p of the pl anets should be pursued by good men,
Offerings should be made to fi re i n accordance wi t h the in-
j unct i ons of the stras.
346. Gf. Visnu, cited in ST. JrqT^T ^ 3<?rT?t ^ ^#jrf ^f c?f ?T: I
226 Ligapurna
CHAPTER FIFTYEIGHT
Coronation of the Sun and others
The sages said :
1. Tel l us now how Br ahm Praj pati , who is t he soul of
all, crowned as overlords, Devas, Dai tyas and others.
Sta said:
2. Lor d Br ahm crowned the Sun as t he overl ord of
pl anets. Brahm, Praj pat i , crowned Soma ( Moon) as the
l o r d of constellations and medi ci nal herbs.
3. (He crowned) Var una as t he l ord of t he W at er s;
t he l eadi ng Yaksa
8 4 7
(Kubera) as t he l ord of ri ches; Vi snu as
the l ord of Adi t yas; and Pvaka (fire) as t he l ord of Vasus.
4. ( He crowned) Daks a as t he l ord of Praj pat i s; I ndr a as
t he l ord of Mar ut s ; Pr ahl da, t he l eadi ng Dai t ya as fife over-
l ord of Dai t yas and Dnavas .
5. ( He C r o w n e d ) Dha r ma as t he overl ord of t he Pi t rs;
Ni r r t i as t he overl ord of Rksasas; Rudr a as t h e overl ord of
Paus (Indi vi dual Souls) and Nandi n, the l eader of Ganas ,
3 4 8
as the overlord of Bht as (gobl ins).
6. ( He crowned) V r abhadr a as t he overl ord of heroes;
Bhayankar a (the terri bl e one) as t he overl ord of Picas
(ghost s); Cmund who i s bowed to by Devas as t he sovereign
of Mot hers.
7. ( He crowned) l ord N l al ohi ta, l ord of the chiefs of
Devas, as t he overl ord of Rudr as ; the el ephant-faced lord
Vi nyaka, bor n of Vyoman
8 4 9
as the overl ord of obstacles.
8. (He crowned) goddess Um as t he sovereign of women;
goddess Sarasvat as t he sovereign of speech; Vi snu as the
overl ord of the wielders of My and himself
3 5 0
as the overlord
of the worl ds.
9. (He crowned) Hi mavat as t he overl ord of t he moun-
t ai ns; the Ganges (born of sage J a hnu) as the sovereign of the
rivers; and ocean the storehouse of t he waters as t he l ord of
all seas.
347. yaksa-pugavam : chief of the Yaksas, i.e. Kubera.
348. gaoa-nyakam : read nandinam gana for nandin am gap a.
349. vyomajam : son of iva, i.e. Ganesa.
350. svtmnam : his own self, i.e. Brahm.
Form, of solar rays
227
10-12. Br ahm crowned the Pl aksa and A vat t ha as the
lords of trees; he made Ci t r ar at ha the l ord of Gandharvas,
Vi dydhar as and Ki nnar as ; Vsuki of terri bl e vigour as the
l ord of Serpents and Taks aka of terribl e vigour as the l ord of
Sapas ( Cob ras ) . He made the l e adi ng e l e phan t Ai rvat a of
terri bl e val our t he lord of el ephants. He made Gar uda the l ord
of bi rds. He made Uccai ravas (the horse of I ndr a) the ki ng
of horses.
13. He made t he lion the l ord of ani mal s; t he bul l the l ord
of t he ki ne and ar abha (t he fabulous eight-footed beast) the
l ord of l i ons; t he i ncomprehensi bl e Guha t he l ord of all com-
manders-i n-chi ef and Lakul a the l ord of rutis and Smrtis.
14. He made Sudhar man, akhapl a, Ket umn and
He ma r oma n t he overlords of all quart ers i n or der .
3 6 1
15. ( He crowned) Pr t hu as the l ord of the ear t h;
Mahe var a as t he l ord of al l ; t he bul l -bannered omniscient
l ord akar a as t he overl ord among t he four dei ti es.
85 2
16. By t he grace of iva, the l ord crowned these in due
or der . After crowni ng t hem at first t he l ord of the worlds
felt fully satisfied.
17. O l eadi ng sages, this has been ment i oned to you in
det ai l : These persons of special characteri sti cs were all crown-
ed by Lor d Brahm the source of origin of the universe.
CHAPTER FIFTYNTNE
The form of solar rays
Sta said :
1. On heari ng this, the sages became overwhelmed wi th
doubts and agai n asked Romahar s ana.
351. The four guardian deities, viz. Sudharman, akhapla, Ketu-
mn ,Hemaroman were consecrated in their respective quarters. Cf. Visnu
1% ?ta>Mt% ^ f oP T II cited in ST.
352. caturmrtisu : in four forms, viz. Viva, Prja, Taijasa, and
Tur i ya.
228 Ligapurna
The sages said :
2. O Sta, most excellent among the speakers, kindly tell
us in detail the exact nat ure of t he l umi nari es briefly.
3. On heari ng thei r words, St a of great concentrati on
and puri ty spoke these weighty words in order to clear t hei r
doubts.
4. In this mat t er I shall tell you what has al ready been
stated by highly intelligent persons
3 5 3
with t ranqui l wisdom. I
shall recount t he movement of the sun and the moon.
5. I shall tell you how t he sun, the moon and other pl anets
are the abodes of Devas. Thereafter, I shall ment i on the three
3 5
*
types of fires and thei r origin.
6-9. The three types of fire are : the divine fire, the ele-
ment al f i re and t he terrestrial f i re.
W hen the ni ght of Brahm born of the unmanifest reached
the stage of dawn, this visible universe was one t hat had not been
anal yzed. It was still enveloped in the noct urnal darkness.
W hen the worlds were still in the state of destruction, when a
fourth of the peri od still remai ned, the self-born lord, he who
achieves all t he affairs of the worlds, moved about like a glow-
worm, wi th a desire to manifest. At the begi nni ng of the world,
he created Agni ( heat ) i n combi nati on wi th eart h and water.
The Lord gathered these together to make i t shine and then
divided it into three.
10-11. The fire in t he world of manki nd is called Prthi va.
The fire that blazes in t he sun is called uci. The fire born of
lightning is known as Abja (i.e. originating from the water
port i on). I shall now menti on their characteristics. There are
three types of fires wi th water within, viz., Vai dyuta, J t har a
(gastric) and Saura (Sol ar).
12-13. Hence, i mbi bi ng water t hrough his rays the sun
blazes (f urt her). The Abja (waterbornl i ghtni ng) fire even
when immersed in water is not quenched by it. The fire that is
353. mahprjairi : by the most intelligent men, i . e. by Vysa and
others.
354. Threefold fire : (i) celestial, as represented by the sun, (ii)
atmospheric, as symbolized by the lightning, (iii) terrestrial, which is
used for the sacrificial and household purpose. Fire is called Pvaka on
earth, uci in heaven and Vaidyuta in firmament.
Form of solar rays
229
wi thi n t he stomach of men i s not put out by water. The gastric
fire emits flames (i.e. heat ) , but is devoid of l ustre.
3 5 6
14-19. W hen the sun is setting, t he solar lustre becomes
a ci rcul ar mass wi t hout heat and enters t he fi re at ni ght t hrough
his rays. Hence t he light of fire is seen even from a distance at
ni ght. The heat i s transmi tted to the sun from fi re, when t he
sun rises. Onl y parti al l y does the terrestrial fire enter the sun.
Hence the f ire continues to bl aze. Thus the f i re el ement i n bot h
terrestrial and solar fi res contains heat and light. They penet rat e
mut ual l y and develop each other. In t he nort hern and south-
ern hemispheres of the earth, t he fi re and the sun thus develop
each ot her. The sun rises up from the waters and re-enters t hem.
Therefore, due to this exit (from and i nt o waters) by day and by
night, the waters become copper-coloured. Again when the sun
sets, t he day (i.e. dayl i ght) enters the waters. Hence at night,
the waters are seen shining whi te.
20. By means of this activity he enters waters perpetual l y,
duri ng day and ni ght at the ti me of rising and setting bot h in
the southern and nort hern hemispheres.
21. The sun who blazes, imbibing the waters through his
rays has the mi xt ure of earthl y and fi ery particles within it. It
is called divine fire.
22-23. Thi s fire (i.e. sun) has a thousand feet (i.e. rays).
It is like a circul ar pot. It takes up waters from various water-
resorts t hrough the thousand t ubul ar rays. It takes waters
from the rivers, seas, wells, clouds etc. It takes up bot h mobi l e
and immobile-waters i.e. those of the canals and tanks.
24-25. He has a thousand rays emi tti ng snow, rai n and
heat. Of t hem four hundred t ubul ar rays have forms of variegated
colours. They shower rai n. Thei r collective name i s Amrt a and
the several individual names are Bhajanas, Ml yas, Ket anas
and Pat anas.
26-27a. The t ubul ar rays carrying and emi tti ng snow are
three hundr ed in number . The several names of these rays
emi tti ng snow are Reas, Meghas, Vtsyas and Hl di nl s. Thei r
collective name is Candr abh and they are yellow in lustre.
355. Fire on earth is the symbol of heat and fire in heaven is the symbol
of light and both are interdependent. Cf. Matsya. 128.12. jrT^TT?^ ^ cPTTW
230 Ligapurna
27b-28a. ukl ah, Kakubhah and Vi vabhrt are t he indivi-
dual names of the rays emi tti ng heat ; t hei r col l ecti ve' name
is also ukla.
28b-29. The moon sustains human beings, Pitrs and Devas
through t hem ( t he above rays) .**
He propitiates human beings t hrough the medi ci nal herbs;
t he Pitrs wi th Svadh and Devas t hrough nect ar.
30-3l a. Duri ng spring and summer the sun blazes by his
three hundred rays. Dur i ng t he rai ny season and Aut umn he
showers rains t hrough t he four hundr ed t ubul ar rays. Dur i ng
the early and t he l at e wi nter he discharges snow t hrough his
t hree hundr ed rays.
31b-35a. The twelve suns are I ndr a, Dht r , Bhaga, Psan,
Mi t r a , Varuna, Aryaman, Amu, Vivasvn, Tvastr, Parj anya
and Vi snu.
Var una i s the sun i n Mgha; Psan i n t he Phl guna. In
the mont h of Cai t ra, Amu i s t he sun. Dht r i s t he sun i n
Vai kha. In J yest ha I ndr a i s the sun. In sdha, t he sun i s
Aryaman. Vivasvan i s the sun i n rvana. In Bhdra the sun
is Bhaga. Parj anya is the sun in vina. Tvast r is the sun in
Krt t i ka. In Mrgasl rsa Mi t r a i s t he sun and Vi snu i s the sun
i n Pausa.
35b-38. W hi l e performi ng t he dut y of t he su, Var una has
five thousand rays; Ps an six t housand rays; Amu seven
thousand rays; Dht r eight thousand rays; I ndr a ni ne thousand
rays; Vivasvn ten thousand rays; Bhaga eleven thousand rays;
Mi t r a seven thousand rays; Tvast r eight t housand rays; Arya-
man ten thousand rays; Parj anya ni ne thousand rays; Vi snu
scorches the eart h with six thousand rays.
39-40. In t he spring the sun is tawny col oured; in the
summer he has t he lustre of gold. Dur i ng t he rainy season the
colour of the sun is whi te. In t he aut umn the sun is grey-
coloured. In the early wi nter the sun is copper-coloured and in
the l ate wi nter he is red in colour.
356. The numerous solar rays have their functional division. For
instance, four hundred of them function for creating rain (V.24-26), three
hundred for heat (V.28) and three hundred for cold (V.26). These rays
are distributed over the seasons and bring about the changes of cold,
heat and rain.
Solar Sphere
231
41-45. The sun infuses strength i nto t he medi ci nal herbs;
he propi ti ates the Pitrs by means of Svadh rays; he instils
nect ar i nto t he i mmort al beings. Thus, he i mpart s t hree things
to t he three groups.
The thousand rays of t he sun serve t he purpose of t he worl d.
Reachi ng t he eart h they assume different forms by emi tti ng
snow, rai n and heat. Thus the sphere of the sun i s whi t e and
is named after hi m. He is the support and source of origin of
the stars, pl anets and the moon.
It should be known t hat t he moon, stars and pl anets are all
born of the sun. The moon is the lord of constellations and the
left eye of t he lord. The ri ght eye of the lord is t he sun himself.
The word nayana (eye) i s derived from y ' ni " t ha t whi ch leads
(nayati) the peopl e to this worl d. "
Sta said:
1. It is ci t ed
3 5 7
t hat the sun is fire and the moon is water.
The other fi ve planets are known as lords who move about as
they please.
2. Underst and t he source of origin of the remai ni ng pl anets
whi ch is clearly being recounted now. It is cited t hat t he pl anet
Mars is Skanda (Kartti keya) the commander-in-chief of t he
army of Devas.
3-5. Peopl e of perfect knowledge say t hat Mer cur y is l ord
Nr yana. O excellent brahmi ns, the great pl anet Sanai cara,
the slow-moving Sat urn is Yama, the lord of the worlds. The
preceptors of Devas and Asuras are t he great planets Venus
and J upi t er wi th (refulgent) rays. They are ment i oned as t he
sons of Praj pat i .
3 6 8
357. For the celestial fire as identical with the sun, cf. 3PT ^wffsfWt:
qTTfi)'WI<H(jrir4-
,
*ra': cited in ST.
358. ukra (Venus) and Brhaspati (Jupiter), the preceptors of Dna-
vas and Devas are respectively the sons of patriarchs Bhrgu and Agiras.
CHAPTER SIXTY
The Solar Sphere
232 Ligapurna
Ther e is no doubt t hat t he three worlds have their source
in the sun.
6-8. The enti re universe i ncl udi ng Devas, Asuras and
human beings originates from hi m. He is the lustre of all lumi-
naries and the universal refulgence. The refulgence of Rudr a,
Indr a, Upendr a, the moon, the l eadi ng brahmi ns, the f i re and
the heaven-dwellers comes from t he sun. He is the soul of
all. He is the lord of all worlds. He alone is Mahdeva, Praj-
pat i and the lord of the three worlds. He is the original great
deity. Everything originates from hi m and dissolves in hi m.
9. The existence and non-existence of the worlds origi-
nat ed from t he sun formerly. O brahmi ns, this refulgent sun
of great lustre is an incomprehensible pl anet . *
10-11. All these units of time begin from hi m and end ir.
hi m again and agai n, viz., kanas (moment s), muhrt as (a uni t
of 48 mt s. ), days, nights, fortnights, mont hs, years, seasons and
yugas. Hence wi t hout the sun there is no reckoning of time.
12-15. W i t hout Kl a ( t i me) there i s no order, no initia-
tion, no daily ri tual . How can there be the division of the sea-
sons ? W hence are these flowers, roots and fruits ? W hence is
the outcome of pl ants ? How can there be t he different kinds
of grass and medi ci nal pl ants ? The dealings of t he creatures in
heaven and here too will be non-existent wi t hout the sun who is
t he form of Rudr a, the scorcher of t he universe. He alone is
ti me, fire, Dvda t man (one having twelve forms) and Praj-
pat i . O excellent brahmi ns, he scorches the three worlds includ-
ing the mobi l e and immobile beings. He is t he mi ne of splend-
our. He is all in all, the whol e set of worlds.
16. Adopti ng the excellent pat h, he scorches the enti re
universe from the sides, from above and from below in the
course of nights and days.
17. If a bri ght l amp is hung in the mi ddl e of the house,
it dispels darkness from the sides, the porti on above and the
porti on below, at the same time.
18. In the same manner the thousand-rayed sun, the king of
planets, the lord of t heuni verse, illuminates t he enti re Universe
by means of his rays.
19. Seven rays, t hat are the source of origin of the planets
Situation of the planets 233
ar e t he most excellent ones among t he thousand rays ment i on-
ed by me before.*
6
*
20-21. They are Susumna, Hari kea, Vi vakarman, Viva-
vyacas, Sannaddha, Sarvvasu and Svarf.
The sun' s ray Susumna makes t he southern region f l our-
ish.
3
*
0
Sus umna is glorified as the ray t hat moves about above,
below and on t he sides.
22* 26. Hari kea whi ch is in front (in the east) is glorified
as t he source of origin of constellations.* *
0
* In t he south, t he ray
Vi vakarm develops Budha ( Mer cur y) . The ray Vivavyacas
whi ch is in t he west ( behi nd) is t he source of origin of ukr a
( Venus ) . The ray Sannaddha i s t he source of origin of Mar s .
The ray Sarvvasu is t he source of origin of Brhaspati ( J upi t er ) .
The ray Svart nourishes anai car a( Sat ur n) . Thus i t i s due t o
the power of t he sun t hat t he constellations, pl anets and stars
are seen i n t he heaven. Thi s ent i re uni verse i s sustained by hi m.
The constellations are called Naksatras. The word i s derived
from y' ksi wi th t he prohi bi ti ve parti cl e ' na' i.e. na ksi yante
(i.e. those whi ch do not peri sh).
CHAPTER SI XTYONE
The situation of the planets
1-2. All these are the abodes which bl aze by means of
solar rays. The constellations and stars are the abodes to be
at t ai ned by meri ts. They are called Tr akas because they
enabl e peopl e to cross the ocean of worldly existence and
also because they are whi te.
3. The sun i s called Adi t ya because he takes up the divine
and terrestrial spl endours as well as the noct urnal darkness.
359. The principal seven rays, Susumna etc., of the thousand-rayed
sun are the source of energy and movement of stars, planets and constella-
tions. For instance, the solar ray, called Susumna, causes the movement of
the moon.
360. daksinm rim i.e. the moon. The Lingapurna describes vividly
the respective functions of the seven solar rays.
360a. Each planet or star has its respective sphere (deva-sthna) in
which its influence reigns supreme. These spheres are established by the
Creator in the beginning of a kalpa and they last till the dissolution of that
kalpa.
234 Ligapurna
4. The root ' su' i s used i n two meani ngs to extract j ui ce
or to fl ow. Since t he sun extracts refulgence and makes water
flow, it is called Savitr.
5. The root ' cadi ' from whi ch t he word Gandra i s derived
means ' t o del i ght' . It implies whiteness, dul l ness, and nect ari ne
nat ure of t he moon ( Gandr a) .
6. The divine discs of the sun and t he moon are refulgent.
They move i n the sky. They are whi t e and ar e of t he nat ur e of
fi re and water. They are spl endi d and they resemble a ci rcul ar
pot.
7. The disc of t he moon is of the nat ur e of dense water.
The disc of t he sun is whi te and is of t he nat ur e of dense fire.
8. Devas reside i n constellations, sun and pl anets. They
live everywhere in these abodes in all t he manvant aras.
9. Hence t he pl anets are abodes named after thei r respec-
t i ve planets. The Sun entered t he abode Saura. The Moon
entered t he abode Saumya.
10. Venus entered the abode aukra. J upi t er , the valorous,
wi th sixteen rays entered t he abode Brhad (bi g). The Mar s
entered t he abode Lohi t a pertai ni ng t o Mar s .
11. The Sat urn entered the abode anai cara. The Mer-
cury entered the abode Baudha. The evil pl anet Rhu entered
the abode Svarbhnu (named after hi m) .
12. The deities of constellations entered all these abodes.
These l uminaries are t he abodes of meritorious souls.
13. These abodes have been created by the self born deity.
They began to function at the begi nni ng of kal pa and they
stay unti l all t he living beings are dissolved.
14. In all t he manvant ar as they al one are the abodes of
Devas. These deities who have identified themselves with t he
abodes occupy these divine abodes agai n and again.
15-20. They occupy these abodes al ong wi th Devas of t he
past, present and future. In this current manvant ara t he
pl anets are movi ng about i n aerial chariots.
In t he Vai vasvata manvant ar a t he sun i s Vivasvn the son
of Adi t i ; t he lustrous l ord Moon t he son of sage Atri ; lord
ukra, Bhrgava, is known as t he priest of Asuras.
The precept or of Devas, t he shining one of massive splen-
dour, is the son of Agiras (Brhaspat i ). Budha (Mercury) is
Situation of the planets
235
the charmi ng son of a sage. Sat ur n is t he ugly son of Vi vasvn
born of Samj . Agni was bor n of Vikei
3
*
1
as t he youthful son
of Lohi trchi s. The constellations named Naksat ra and Rksa
are Dksyan s (daught ers of Daks a) . R hu i s t he son of
Si mhi k. He is an Asura causing distress to living beings.
21. Thus the constellations and pl anets i n t he sun and the
moon as also their abodes and the various deities occupying
them have all been ment i oned.
22. The fi ery abode Saur a belongs to the thousand-rayed
Vivasvn. The abode of the snow-rayed moon i s watery and
whi te.
23. The abode of Budha ( mer cur y) i s watery, dark-
coloured and charmi ng. The regi on of ukra (Venus) is also
watery but whi t e with sixteen rays.
24. The abode of Bhauma (Mars) is reddish and it has
nine rays. The abode of Brhaspati (J upi t er) is yellow wi th
sixteen rays and is very l arge.
25. The abode ani (Saturn) i s black wi th eight rays. The
abode of Svar bhnu ( Rhu) is gloomy and is a pl ace of great
distress to living beings.
26. All t he stars should be known as the abodes of sages
wi th one ray each. They are t he resorts of men of meritorious
renown and are whi te i n colour.
27. They are of the nat ur e of dense wat er (snow). They
were created i n the beginning of the kal pa. Thanks to t he
contact wi th the rays of the sun they have a shining appear-
ance.
28. The di amet er of the sun is ni ne t housand yoj anas.
The extent of its circul ar surface is three times t hat .
29. The extent of the moon is twice t hat of the sun. R hu
assumes a form equal to bot h of t hem and moves about beneat h
thein.
30. The thi rd massive abode of Rhu is dark and dreary^ \
It is created in t he form of a circle out of the shadow of the
eart h.
3G i. Vikei': The graha Bhauma (Magala) bora of Vikei is here
called agni (fire). Gf. agnir murdh(RV. 8.44.16) wherein Bhauma is called
agni. Vikei is^ one of the eight wives of the eight-formed (a?tamurti)
Rudra, others becal, Svavarcal 'Um, iv, Svh, Dik, Dks and /
Rohin .
6
236 " f t ^ r ^
31-3 2a. Se tti ng ou t from the sun du ri n g the parvan days j
i t goes to the moon .
3
*' Agai n du ri ng the sol ar parvan days i t /
goes to the sun from the moon. Si nce Rhu pushes and prompt s
the sun in the heaven it is called Svarbhnu.
32b-33. The di ameter, circumference and distance i n terms
of yojanas of Venus is a sixteenth part of t hat of the moon.
J upi t er is three-fourths of the size of Venus.
34. Mars and Sat urn are a fourth less t han J upi t er. In
extent and wi dth Mercury is a fourth less t han these two.
35. The forms of those constellations and stars t hat are
embodi ed are equal to Mercury i n wi dth and ci rcul ar area.
36-39. The constellations t hat are in conj unction with the
moon are ordinaril y known as Rksas. The spheres of the com-
paratively smaller stars are five, four, three or two yojanas.
Over all these there are clusters of still smaller stars which extend
to only half a yoj ana in wi dth. Ther e is none smaller t han this.
Over and above these starry spheres are the three pl anets which
move at a great di stance from them. They should be known
as slow movi ng ones. The speed of these has al ready been
menti oned i n due order.
40-45. All t he planets are born of constellations. O excellent
sages, the sun, the son of Aditi, t he first among the planets, is
born of the constellation Vikh. The lustrous son of Dhar ma,
lord Vasu, Soma (moon), t he cool-rayed lord of t he night, is
born of t he constellation Krt t i k. The sixteen-rayed son of
Bhrgu, ukra (Venus) who is the most excellent among the
stars and planets after the sun, is born of the constellation
Ti sya. The pl anet Brhaspati ( J upi t er ) , the twelve-rayed son of
Agiras, the preceptor of t he universe, is born of the cons-
tellation Prvaphl gun .
The pl anet (Mars) son of Praj pati, the nine-rayed red
bodied pl anet is born of the constellation Prvsdh.
The son of sun, the seven-rayed Sat urn, was born of the
constellation Revat .
46-47. The five-rayed pl anet Budha (Mercury) the son of
the moon is born of the constellation Dhani st h.
ikh ( Ket u) the great pl anet t hat destroys all, who is dark
in nat ur e, who is the son of Mr t yu the god of Deat h and who is
362. Read So mam for samam.
Situation of the planets 237
the cause of destruction of the subjects, is born of t he constel-
l ation sles. Daksa' s daughters were bor n of t he constellations
whi ch have their own names.
48. Dark-sphered R hu who is full of Tmasai c vigour,
i s t he pl anet t hat suppresses t he moon and t he sun. He i s bor n
of the constellation Bharan
49-50. It should be noted t hat the pl anets begi nni ng wi th
Bhrgava (Venus) are known as star-planets (i.e pl anets re-
sembling st ars). Persons who are affected by afflictions from their
bi rt hday stars ar e liberated from t hat defect by devotion to thei r
respective pl anets. Among all the pl anets the first one, it is said,
is Adi tya ( Sun) .
51-54'. Among all the star-planets ukra is the first. Among
all the Ket us (flaglike Meteors) the smoky one is the first, ( i t
is usually called Dhmaket u) . Dhr uva is t he first among the
pl anets di stri buted in all t he four quart ers. Among /cons-
tellations t he first is ravi fth
883
. Among t he Ayanas (transits)
the Ut t ar yana (nort hern transi t) i s t he fi rst. Among di e fi ve
884
years the first is Samvatsara. Among t he seasons it is t he l ate
wi nter (i i ra). Among the mont hs i t i s Mgha. Among the
fortnights it is t he bri ght half and among Ti thi s it is Prat i pat
(first day) . Among the division of days and nights, the day is
the first. The first of the muhr t as is t hat t he dei ty of whi ch
is Rudr a.
55-58. Ks ana has the ni mesa as its first uni t of ti me, O
excellent ones among the knowers of ti me. Beginning wi th t he
constellation Dhani sti i and endi ng wi th ravana shall be a
yuga comprising of five years. The universe whirls like a wheel
due to t he movement of t he sun. Hence t he sun i s the lord and
deity del imiting dme. He i s the instigator and castigator of the
four types of living beings. Rudr a, the lord himself, is the i nducer
363. ravi?th=Dhani?th.
364. A group of five years constitutes a yuga which should not be
confused with the cycle of four yugas. This five-yearly cycle forming a
yuga corresponds to the Vedic doctrine of paca-devati or five deities
who have entered tbe Purusa. Gf. TB 1.4.10.1. The five years wi th then-
presiding deities are^named (i) samvatsaraagni; (i i ) parivatsarasrya;
(iii) idvatsarasoma; (iv) anuvatsaravyu; (v) vatsararudra. Cf.
Matsya. 141. 17-18*.
238
Ligapurna
of t hat sua
3
*
6
. Thus the specific and fixed establ ishment of the
luminaries and pl anets has been evolved by t he great l ord for
t he working of t he worl d.
59-63. It has been made to function intelligently by the
lord at the beginning of the kal pa. The lord is the support of
all l uminaries and he identifies himself wi th t hem. Thi s is a
wonderful phenomenon t hat i s caused by t he uni que Pr adhna
and i s incomprehensible. The movement of the l umi nari es can-
not be understood by t he man wi th his physical eye. It can be
understood by t he l earned man only through Vedi c treatises, by
inference and di rect percepti on, by cogent arrangement s and
careful analysis in his mi nd.
O excellent sages, the causes for t he decision in regard to
the validity concerning the luminaries are five jriz :the eye,
scri pture, water, the wri t t en document and cal cul ati on.
CHAPTER SI XTYTWO
Situation of Dhruva
Sages said:
1. O foremost among t he intelligent, it behoves you now to
recount how, due to the grace of Vi snu, Dhr uva became the
central pi vot of t he planets.* * *
Sta said :
2. O brahmi ns, when he was asked about this mat t er by
me in former time, Mrkancieya who is an expert in different
sciences said to me as I was desirous of heari ng.
Mrkandeya said :
3. An emperor of great splendour, the best among all those
who wield weapons, king Ut t napda, rul ed over the eart h.
365. For Rudra as the life-principle of the sun compare : 'bhi$odeti
sryah.'cited in ST.
366. The Sta narrates the legend of Dhruva, son of Uttnapda
and Sunti, how Dhruva became the pole star, the pivot of the solar
system. Here, the astronomical phenomenon is sought to be explained
on the basis of a legend.
Situation of Dhruva 239
4-5. He had two wives, Suniti and Suruci. A highly intelli-
gent son of great renown, named Dhruva was born of Suniti
the elder wife. He had great understanding and was the light
of the family. When he was seven years old, once he sat in the
lap of his father.
6. O leading brahmins, Suruci who was proud of her
beauty pushed him away. Delighted in her mind she placed
her own son on the lap of his father.
7. The intelligent boy Dhruva became dejected in his mind
because he was unable to occupy the lap of his father. He went
to his mother and lamented.
8. Overwhelmed by her grief the mother said to her weep-
ing son :"Suruci is the most beloved of her husband. Her
son too is likewise.
9. You, a son born of me, a very unfortunate woman, are
also equally unfortunate. Why do you bewail ? What for do
you weep again and again ?
10. If you are distressed in heart you will increase my
sorrow. My dear son, you shall by your own power attain a
more comfortable and stable abode."
11-12. On being advised thus by his mother he set out
towards the forest. On meeting Vivmitra, he bowed to him
duly and spoke with his palms joined, in reverence:
"O holy sir, foremost among the pious sages, it behoves you
to tell me how I shall obtain a place above everyone.
13. O sage, I was seated on the lap of my father. My
step-mother Suruci pushed me aside. My father, the king, did
not protest.
14-16. For this very reason, O brahmin, I went to my
mother in fright. My mother said to me : "O son, do not be
sorry. You deserve to attain a far greater abode by your own
endeavour". On hearing her words, O great sage, I have come
to you for shelter in this forest. O holy sir, O brahmin, I have
now met you. By your grace I shall attain the wonderful and
excellent abode.
17-18. On being requested thus, the glorious sage said
laughingly "O Prince, listen to this. You will attain an excel-
lent abode by propitiating Kesava the lord of the worlds, and
240 Ligapurna
t he destroyer of distress. He is bor n of t he ri ght l i mb of
iva t he intelligent great l ord.
3
* '
19. O highly intelligent one, repeat the Mant r a of t he
lord continuously. It is great, pur e and holy, it destroys all sins
and yields all desires.
20. Repeat this divine Mant r a control l ing your sense, wi th
the Pranava : " Namos r u Vsudevya" [Obeisance be to Vsu-
deva]. Medi t at e on the eternal Visnu. Be interested i n j apa and
homa.
21-24. On bei ng advised thus, t he boy of great renown
bowed to Vi vmi t ra and began his j apa facing the east He
restrained himself and was del i ghted i n his mi nd. Alertfully
he repeated the ma nt r a continuousl y wi t hout break for a year,
sustaining himself on vegetables, roots and t r ai t s . Terri bl e
vampires and demons, l arge fierce beasts like lions rushed at hi m
i n order to confound his wits. But , repeat i ng the name Vsu-
deva he di d not take noti ce of anyt hi ng else.
25. A female ghost assuming the form of his mot her Sunti
came near hi m and wept bi tterl y and miserabl y.
26-27. "O you are my only son. W hy do you torture your-
self ? Leavi ng me helpless, you have taken to penance" .
The boy cont i nued his great penance and di d not even
glance at t he l ady who spoke thus. W i t h delight i n his
heart he repeated the name Har i .
28-29. Then all t he forms of i mpedi ment and harassment
subsided from all sides. Seated on Gar uda l ord Vi snu who
resembled t he bl ack cloud in l ustre, who is the destroyer of
enemies, who was surrounded by Devas and who was being
eulogised by great sages, came t here before Dhr uva.
30-31. On seeing t he l ord come near, he simply t hought
wi thi n his mi nd " who is this ?" Dri nki ng as it were Hrsi kea
the lord of the Uni verse, by his eyes t he boy of great lustre,
seated himself and repeat ed " Vs udeva" . W i t h the tip of his
conch t he lord t ouched his face.
32. Ther eupon he at t ai ned the highest knowledge. W i t h his
pal ms j oi ned i n reverence he eulogised t he l ord the most
excellent of all di vi ne beings.
367. Visnu is born of the right side of iva, while Brahm is born
of the left.
Origin of Devas and others 241
33. Be favourable, O lord of the chiefs of Devas, O wielder
of conch, discus and i ron cl ub ! O soul of t he worlds ! O soul
of all, O soul of all secrets of the Vedas, O Keava, I
have sought refuge in you.
34. Even t he great sages Sanaka and others have not com-
prehended you, t he great At man. Then how can I know you ?
O l ord of the worlds, obeisance to you.
35. The n Visrni said t o hi m smiling : " O dear one, come
on. You are Dhr uva ( s t eady) . Attai ni ng a fi xed and steady
abode be the f i rst among all l umi nari es.
36. You al ong wi th your mot her shall at t ai n t he abode of
l umi nari es. Thi s abode is mi ne, t he greatest, t he steady splen-
di d abode.
37-38. It was acqui red by me from l ord iva formerly
after propi t i at i ng hi m by penance. The devotee who repeats
continuousl y the name Vsudeva al ong wi th t he Pr anava ' om'
the word ' Bhagavat' and t he word ' namas ' denot i ng obeisance
at t ai ns the fi xed abode of Dhr uva. "
39-42. Then all Devas, Si ddhas, sages and Gan-
dharvas installed Dhr uva i n t hat abode al ong wi t h his mot her.
Thus, at the behest of Vi snu he at t ai ned t he abode of l umi -
naries. By means of the twelve-syllabled mant r a
3 8 8
, Dhr uva of
great spl endour at t ai ned the highest perfection.
Sta said:
Hence, t he man who makes obeisance t o Vsudeva attai ns t he
world of Dhr uva and achieves steadiness.
CHAPTER SI XTYTHREE
Origin of Devas and others
1he sages said:
1. O Sta, recount the origin of Devas, Dnavas, Gan-
dharvas, Serpents and Rksasas, i n an excellent way and i n due
order.
36;;. The twelve-syllabled mantra of Visnu is : Om namo bhagavate
Vlsudevya.
242 Ligapurna
Sta said :
2. The creation of anci ent peopl e was by means of ment al
concepti on, di rect percepti on or t ouch. Subsequent to Daksa
the son of Pracetas, creati on is by means of sexual intercourse.
3-6. W hen he began to create the group of Devas, sages
and serpents, t he worl d di d not increase. Ther eupon, by
means of sexual intercourse, Daks a begot of Sti , five thousand
sons.
On seeing those blessed ones who were desirous of creating
different kinds of progeny, Nr ada spoke to Haryavas, the
sons of Daksa who had assembled together.
" Under s t and t he extent of the ear t h
3 6 8
from above and
below, O excellent sages, and then proceed ahead wi th your
special cr eat i on. " *
On heari ng his words they went away i n all directions.
7-10. Even t oday they have not ret urned like the rivers
after j oi ni ng the ocean.
W hen Haryavas vanished, lord Daksa Praj pati begot of
Sad herself anot her t housand sons. O brahmi ns, they were
named abal as and they assembled together for di e purpose of
cr eadon.
Nr ada spoke to those persons of solar spl endour, who had
assembled before hi m" You should proceed wi t h your special
creati on after underst andi ng t he full extent of t he eart h, or on
r et ur n after f i ndi ng out what has happened t o your brothers.
They too followed thei r brothers and at t ai ned the same
goal as their brothers before.
11 W hen they too vani shed the Praj pat i Daksa the son
of Pracetas, begot sixty daughters of Vrin.
12-15. He gave ten of t hem i n marri age to Dhar ma, thir-
teen to Kayapa, twentyseven to t he moon, four to Ari stanemi ,
two to the son of Bhrgu, two to t he intelligent Krva and two
to Agiras. Now listen to t he names of t he mothers of Devas
and the details of their progeny from the very beginning.
The ten wives of Dhar ma were : Mar ut vat , Vas,
369. or after knowing the extent of the field (i.e. the subtle body)
as also its capacity for creating the living beings. ST. cites Bhga. in
support of this interpretation
:
*<Jfa TfHTfe fagf^q^PT |
Origin of Devas and others
243
Ymi , Lamb, Bhnu, Arundhat , Sakal p, Muhr t , Sdhy
and Vi v.
I shall tell you t he names of thei r sons.
16-20a. The Vivedevas were bor n to Viv. Sdhy
bore t he Sdhyas. Mar ut vat s were born of Marut vat . Vasus
were born of Vasu. The Bhnus were born of Bhnu; t he
Muhr t akas were born of Muhr t a; the Ghosas were born of
Lamb. Ngav th was born of Ymi . Sakal pa was born of
Sakal p. I shall tell you t he creation of t he Vasus. Devas
who ar e l umi nous and who pervade all t he quarters are called
Vasus.
3 7 0
They are the well wishers of all living beings. They
ar e reput ed t o be eight, viz. Apa, Dhr uva, Soma, Dhar ,
Ani l a, Anal a, Prat ysa and Prabhsa.
20b-22a. The eleven Rudr as ,
3 7 1
t he leaders of the Ganas
ar e : Aj aikapd, Ahi rbudhnya, Vi rpksa, Bhairava, Har a,
Bahurpa, Tr yambaka t he lord of Devas, Svi tra, J ayant a,
Pi nki n and Aparj ita.
22b-26. I shall ment i on the sons and grandsons of Ka-
yapa from his thi rteen wives : Adi ti , Di d, , Arista, Suras,
Muni , Surabhi , Vi nat , Tmr , Kr odhava , Il , Kadr ,
Tvi s and Danu.
I shall tell you t he names of the sons of these.
Devas who were known as Tusi tas i n t he Cksusa man-
vant ar a are spoken of as the twelve Adityas in t he Vaivasvata
manvant ar a. The following twelve are the thousand-rayed
Adityas :
I ndr a, Dht r , Bhaga, Tvast r, Mi t r a, Var una, Aryaman,
Vi vasvn, Savitr, Psan, Ami umat and Vi snu.
27. W e have heard t hat Di ti had two sons from Kayapa
viz. Hi ranyaka i pu and Hi ranyksa
28. Danu bore a hundred sons to Kayapa. They were
mi ght y and arrogant . O excellent brahmi ns, among t hem
Vi praci tti was t he chief.
370. Vasus arc a class of deities, eight in number. They seem to
have been personifications of natural phenomena. They are Apa (water),
Dhruva (Pole star), Soma (moon), Dhar (earth), Anila (wind), Anala
(fire), Prabhsa (dawn) and Pratyiisa (tight)-
371. In regard to the names of the eleven Rudras the Purnas are not
unanimous.
244 Ligapurna
29. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, T mr bore six daught ers
3 7
*
viz.uk , Syen, Bhs, Sugriv, Gr dhr i k and Suci.
30-31. uk dul y gave bi r t h to parrot s and owls. yen
gave bi rt h to hawks (falcons), etc. Bhs gave bi rt h to deers.
Grdhr bore t he vul tures, doves, pigeons and ot her bi rds.
uci gave bi rt h to swans, cranes and ot her aquat i c bi rds such
as Kr anda, Pl ava.
32-34. Sugrv gave bi rt h to goats, horses, sheep, camels
and donkeys. Vi nat gave bi rt h t o Gar uda and Aruna, ( t wo
sons) and t hen a daught er Saudmi n (lightning) terri bl e
unt o all t he worlds.
A thousand cobras were bor n to Suras. Kadr u gave bi rt h
to a thousand thousand-hooded serpents. Twenty-six excellent
ones among t hem ar e well known as their chiefs.
35-37. They ar e : es, Vsuki, Kar kot a, akha,
Ai rvata, Kambal a, Dhanaj aya, Mahn l a, Padma, Avatara,
Taksaka, El pat r a, Mahpadma, Dhrt arsf ra, Bal haka, a-
khapl a, Mah akha, Puspadamst ra, ubhnana, akhal o-
man, Nahus a, Vmana, Phani t a, Kapi l a, Dur mukha and
Pat aj al i .
38-41. Kr odhava gave bi rt h to t he Rksasas wielding great
power of deception and also t he group of Rudr as . The excellent
lady Surabhi , gave bi rt h to cows and buffaloes as ' t he chil dren
of Ka yapa. Muni gave bi rt h to t he group of sages and Apsaras.
Arista gave bi rt h t o Ki nnar as and Gandhar vas . Il gave bi r t h
to grasses, trees, creepers and hedges. Tvi s gave bi rt h to crores
and crores of Yaksas and Rksasas
These are the i mmedi at e descendants of Ka yapa, narrat ed
succinctly.
42-45. These had thei r own numerous sons, grandsons etc.
Thei r races are many. After t he chi l dren had been procreated
by t he nobl e Kasyapa, after all the mobi l e and i mmobi l e
beings had been well established, Praj apati crowned t he chief
ones among each of t hem as overlords. He made Vaivasvata
Ma nu the overl ord of human beings. Those who were
crowned by Brahm i n the Svyambhuva manvant ar a, even
372. Kaiyapa's wives and children are given differently in other
authorities, e.g. Mbh. Adi p. xvi. lxv and Ixvi; Krma xviii; Agni xix;
Bd. V. 143-146.
Origin of Devas and others
245
now prot ect and rul e over t he eart h wi th its seven conti nents
and mount ai ns. They rul e virtuously i n accordance wi t h the
i nstructi ons of t he lord.
46. Onl y those who had been crowned formerly i n t he
Svyambhuva manvant ar a by Brahm are crowned now. They
become the Manus .
47-49. In t he past manvant aras these had been the kings.
Ot her s are bei ng crowned when a new manvant ar a arrives.
All the kings of the past and future manvant aras are menti on-
ed in det ai l .
After procreati ng these sons for t he conti nui ty of t he race
Ka yapa performed penance once agai n wi th the desire to have
a son who will preserve the spiritual line.
50-51. Even as Ka yapa was medi t at i ng thus, two son's of
great prowess manifested themselves by t he grace of Br ahman.
Those two Vat sara and Asita were expounders of Br ahman.
Nai dhr uva and Rai bhya were born of Vat sara.
52-54. The sons of Rai bhya ar e known as Rai bhyas. I
shall ment i on those of Nai dhruva. Sumedhas was bor n of t he
daught er of Cyavana. She became t he wife of Nai dhr uva
and t he mot her of Kundapyi ns.
The glorious son Deval a was bor n of Ekapar n and Asita.
He was a knower of Br ahman, t he best of al l t he ndi l yas
and one possessing great penance. Thus t he descendants of
Ka yapa became three br anches; ndil yas, Nai dhruvas and
Rai bhyas.
55-58. Devas had ni ne sources of origin. I shall menti on
t he line of Pul astya.
After eleven cycles of four yugas have practically passed by
when Ma nu was the lord and half the period of Dvpar a had
passed by, Dama was born as t he son of Nari syant a, a descend-
ant of Manu. Dama' s descendant known as Tmabi ndu became
king i n the t hi rd quart er of Tret yuga. Hi s daught er Il avil
was unrival l ed in beaut y and the king gave her in marri age to
Pul astya.
59. Viravas t he great sage was born of Ilavil. Hi s four
wives are t he progenitors of the famity of Pul astya.
60-65. The first wife Devavarni n was the splendid daugh-
ter of Brhaspati . The second and t hi rd wives were the two
246
Ligapurno
daughters of Ml yavn, viz. Puspot kat and Balk and t he
fourth wife Kaikas was the daught er of Ml i n.
Now listen to the children of these ladies. Devavarni n
bore the eldest son Vai ravana to hi m. Kaikas gave bi rt h to
Rvana, t he king of Rksasas, Kumbhakar na, r panakh and
Vi bh sana. O excellent brahmi ns, Puspot kat bore hi m Maho-
dara, Prahast a, Mahpr va, Khar a and t he daught er Kum-
bhnas. Now listen to the childern of Bal [i . e. Bal k]. They
were Triiras, Dsana, Vidyujjihva and the daughter Ml i k.
Thus the Rksasas of ruthless activities bel onging to the family
of Pulastya are ni ne.
66-68. Vi bh sana is glorified as the knower of Dhar ma. He
was a highly pur e soul.
The deer, t he fanged ani mal s, tigers, goblins, ghosts,
serpents, boars, el ephants, monkeys, Ki nnar as and Ki mpurusas
were the sons of Pul astya.
In the Vai vasvata manvant ar a Kr at u is said to be issueless.
Atri had ten beautiful and chaste wives.
69-70. Bhadrva begot of the celestial damsel Ghrtci
ten chil dren viz Bhadr, Abhadr, J al ad, Mand, Ana' nd
(or Nand) , Bal, Abal , Gopbal , Tmar as and Vara-
krd
71-73. These are t he progenitors of the family of Atreya.
Thei r husband i s Prabhkara. W hen t he sun was swallowed by
Rhu and he fell down towards t he eart h from the heavens
t he whole world was enveloped in darkness. At t hat time Atri
spread lustre everywhere. He said " Hai l t o The e " and then t he
falling sun ceased to fall at the instance of the br ahmi n sage.
Then Atri was called Pr abhkar a by the great sages.
74. He begot of Bhadr the renowned son Soma ( Moon) .
The sage procreat ed mor e sons of those wives.
75. They are well known as Svastytreyas. They were
sages and masters of the Vedas. Two of t hem became well reno-
wned. They had realised Brahman. They were very powerful.
76. Dat t a was the eldest son of Atri. Durvsas was his
younger brother. The youngest sister was Amal , an expounder
of the Br ahman.
77. F our of t hem born of two Gotras are well known in
the world, viz. yva, Pratvasa, Vaval gu and Gahvar a.
Origin of Devas and Others 247
78. F our lines of the spiritual family of Atreyas of nobl e
souls are known as Kyapa, Nr ada, Parvat a and Anudd-
hat a.
79. These were born as ment al sons. Now underst and t he
chi l dren of Arundhat . It was Nr ada who gave Arundhat to
Vasi stha.
80-82. Due to a curse of Daksa, Nr ada of great spl endour
became a bachel or by compulsion.
F ormerl y, when a terri bl e war between Devas and Asuras,
on account of the demon Tr aka, took pl ace, the worl d was
oppressed due to drought . Along wi th t he guardi ans of t he
quart ers, t he intelligent sage Vasistha sustained the subjects by
means of his penance. He made water, cooked rice, roots, fruits
and medi ci nal herbs and out of mercy he enlivened t he peopl e
wi th medicines.
83. Vasistha begot hundred sons of Arundhat . Adryant i
bore to akti, t he eldest of those hundred, the son Parara.
84-88. akti was swallowed by the demon Rudhi r a (al ong
With his brot hers). Kl bore to Par ar a t he son Kr s na
Dvai pyana.
Dvai pyana begot of Aran the son uka and the son
Upamanyu of Pvar.
Know t hat the following are the sons of uka viz. Bhrira-
vas, Pr abhu, ambhu, Kr s na and Gaur a. Ther e was a daught er
K rt i mat . She was a yogic mot her, performi ng holy rites. She
was t he wife of Anuha and mot her of Br ahmadat t a. The follow-
ing are t he descendants of Par ar a viz Sveta, Kr sna,
Gaur a, yma, Dhmr a, Aruna, N l a and Bdari ka. Thus
there are eight lines of these noble-souled Pararas.
89-91. Henceforth underst and the descendants of I ndr apr a-
mi ti . Vasistha begot of Ghrt ci the son Kapi j al ya. He who i s
known as Tr i mt r i is called I ndr apr ami t i . Bhadra was bor n of
Prt hu' s daught er. Hi s son was Vasu whose son was Upamanyu.
Ther e are many descendants of Upamanyu, Mi t r a and Var una.
Those who are known as Kaundi nyas are the descendants of
Mi t r a and Var una.
3 7 3
373. Kaundinyas and Vsis^has have a common ancestry in Mitr-
Varuna. Hence the matrimonial alliances do not take place between
them.
248 Ligapurna
92-95. Ther e are others of single sage-head, who are well
known as Vsisdias. Ther e are ten lines of the nobl e descendants
of Vasi stha.
Thus these ment al sons of Brahm are known on t he earth.
These blessed ones are the supporters of t he spiritual legacy.
Thei r descendants are well known. They are compet ent to
support even the three worlds. They are bor n of t he families of
di vi ne sages. Thei r sons and grandsons are hundreds and
thousands. The t hree worlds are pervaded by t hem i n the
same manner as by the rays of the sun.
CHAP T ER SEXTYF OUR
0
Grant of boons by Pulastya
The sages said:
1. O Sta, O best speaker, it behoves you to recount how
akti the son of Vasi stha was devoured by a demon al ong wi th
his younger brothers.
Sta said:
2-3. The demon Rudhi r a
3 7
* devoured akti t he son of
Vasi stha al ong wi th his younger brot hers due to a curse by
akti on king Kal ms apda. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, urged by
Vi vmi tra, Rudhi r a haunt ed the king Kal ms apda for whom
374. There are different versions of this legend in the Rmyana,
Mahbhrata and Vi?nupurna. According to Mbh. Kalmsapda, king of
the solar race, was the son of Suds and a descendant of Iksvku. While
he was out hunting in the forest he met akti, the eldest son of Vasistha. Since
akti refused to get out of his way, Kalmsapda was enraged. He then
struck akti with the whip. Thereupon, akti cursed him to become a rksasa.
Thus, Kalmsapda was turned into a rksasa Rudhira by name and he de-
voured akti together with his brothers. But according to Liga, the rksasa
Rudhira entered the body of King Kalmsapda when the latter was engaged
in sacrifice, under the leadership of Vasistha. Instigated by Vivmitra,
who was a rival priest, Rudhira devoured akti as well as his ninety-nine
brothers.
Liga refers to the legend of Viivmitra. According to Vlmiki's
Rmyarf a, akti was cursed by Vivmitra in the context of king Trianku's
sacrifice.
Grant of boons by Pulastya
249
a sacrifice was bei ng performed by Vasi stha and swallowed
akti .
4-5. On heari ng t hat t he most powerful Sakti had been
devoured by t hat demon al ong wi th his brothers, Vasi stha
repeatedl y l ament ed " h (my) son, h (my) s on" . The wai l i ng
sage fell down on the ground al ong wi t h Ar undhat i .
6-10. Rememberi ng his hundr ed sons, t he eldest of whom
was akti, and knowi ng t hat t he family was extinct, the power-
ful sage deci ded to di e. Comi ng to this conclusion t hat he will
not remai n alive wi thout his sons, he felt all t he mor e miser-
abl e. Vasistha the son of Brahm, t he knower of everything, t he
self-possessed sage who had realized t he At man, cl imbed
to the t op of a mount ai n al ong wi t h his wife. W i t h tears welling
up i n t he eyes he suddenl y fell down on t he ground. As
he fell down on t he gr ound, the ear t h (assuming t he form
of a l ady) who had a wonderful necklace and the sportive
gai t of an el ephant, caught hi m up wi t h her lotus-like
hands and as he cried she too bewai l ed wi th hi m. At t hat
t i me, his daughter-in-law, the wife of akti, cried in great
fright and spoke thus to Vasi stha, t he great sage and t he best
among t he el oquent sages.
11. "O l ord, O excellent br ahmi n, O powerful sage, pre-
serve this excellent body of yours to see your grandson, t hat is
my son.
12. O l eadi ng br ahmi n, this splendid body should not be
di scarded by you, since the child t hat i s bor n of akti and
t hat is bound to be one who realises all objects, is wi thi n my
womb. "
13-14. After saying thus, t hat l ady who was conversant
wi t h Dhar ma and whose eyes resembled lotus f l owers lifted up
her father-in-law by her hands and wi ped his eyes wi t h water.
Al t hough she was herself mi serabl e' she requested the dej ected
Arundhat to save her father-in-law.
15-16. On heari ng t he words of his . daughter-in-law
Vasi st ha got up from the ground after regai ni ng consciousness.
Ar u nd ha t i embraced hi m i n great distress and fell down. Th e
l eadi ng sage touched Ar undhat , i n whose eyes tears had welled
up and cri ed al ong wi t h her .
250 Ligapurna
17-18. Thereafter t he son seated in t he couch of the womb
of his mother, like t he four-faced lord Br ahm i n t he umbi l i cal
lotus of Vi snu repeat ed a sacred verse. The holy sage Vasi stha
listened enthusiastically to t he sacred verse wonderi ng, by whom
coul d i t have been repeat ed. He t hen medi t at ed wi th great con-
centrati on.
19. Ther eupon Vi snu whose eyes resemble t he lotus petals,
who had been stati oned i n t he court yard of the f i rmament, who
is t he soul of t he universe and who is t he storehouse of mercy
spoke to Vasi stha mercifully.
20. O dear one, O dear one, O Vasi stha t he l eadi ng brah-
mi n, fond of his son, this sacred verse has emanat ed from
t he lotuslike face of your grandson.
21. O sage, this grandson of yours, the powerful one bor n
of akti is on a par wi t h me. Hence, 0**most excellent sage and
son of Brahm, discard your grief and rise up.
22. The chil d i n t he womb i s a devotee of Rudr a. He i s
engaged i n the worshi p of Rudr a. Thanks to t he power of
Rudr a he will redeem your family.
23. After saying thus to Vasistha, t he l eadi ng Brahmi n
sage, t he merciful l ord vanished t here itself.
24. Vasi stha of great spl endour bowed his head to t he lotus-
eyed lord and then stroked the belly of Adryant wi t h great
respect.
25-27. O brahmi ns, he cried out " h my son, h my s on" ,
and fell down extremely depressed. Gl anci ng at Arundhat
who was also cryi ng and rememberi ng his own son he cried
out in mi s er y" O son, come again, come agai n. O akti, after
t he bi rt h of your son who will sustain this family. I shall undou-
btedly come near you al ong with your mot her " .
Sta said :
After saying this, t he cryi ng br ahmi n embraced Ar undhad.
Beati ng her belly she was about to fall.
28-32. The auspicious lady Adryant who was distressed
beat her bel l yt he abode of t he chi l d i n womb. She cried out
i n distress and fell down. Arundhat and Vasistha, bot h of t hem
were extremely frightened. They lifted up t he young woman
thei r daughter-in-l aw and said t hus :
Grant of boons by Pulasfya
251
"O silly woman, tell us how you have attempted to destroy
the family of Vasistha by striking at the region of womb. For
seeing your son, the child born to akti and for tasting the
nectar of the boyish face of the noble son, the leading sage has
decided to preserve his body. Hence protect your body".
Sta said:
33-34. After pulling up her daughter-in-law and the sage,
Arundhad the wife of Vasistha stood up and said though
highly distressed and agitated.
"O lady of good holy rites, since the life of this sage, and
that of mine depend on you, you should preserve your life. As
a nurse do what is beneficial to us."
Adryanti said:
35. "If the excellent sage has decided to preserve his life
I shall somehow preserve my body pure or impure.
36-37. It is because of my sin mat I have to bear the
sorrow of separation from my husband. O sage, I am burnt
with grief, even though I am your daughter-in-law, O sage.
Alas, a miracle has been seen by me. O lord, I am the victim
of grief. O brahmin, be my saviour. from misery, O son of
Brahma, O preceptor of the universe.
38. Still, a woman without a husband shall be miserable.
0 noble lord (sage), save me from that situation.
39. The father, mother, sons, grandsons, even the father-in-
law, all are helpless to such a woman. None of them can be
a real kinsman unto women. It is the husband alone who is
her real kinsman, her greatest salvation.
40. What has been mentioned by the learned men ! viz. the
wife is half of the husband, has turned out to be not true in
my case. akti has gone. But I still survive.
41. O leading sage, alas! the hardness of my mind ! even
after leaving off my husband who is like my own vital breath,
1 could live for even a moment.
42. O Vasistha, just as a creeper climbing on the holy fig
tree, survives even after being cut off from its roots, I toasurvive
252 Ligapurna
even after I have become miserable on bei ng abandoned by
my hus band" .
43. On heari ng these words of his daughter-in-law, the
intelligent Vasistha who observed t he dudes of his stage of
life deci ded to go to his hermi tage al ong wi th his wife.
44. The meritorious-souled holy lord Vasistha though
suffering badl y, entered his hermi tage quickly, accompani ed by
his wife and Adryant , and began to ponder.
45. O leading sages, t hat chaste wife of akti preserved
t he child in t he womb wi th great difficulty for t he conti nui ty of
t he family line.
46. In the t ent h mont h t he wife oi akti gave bi rt h to a
lustrous son in the same manner as Arundhat had previously
given bi rt h to akti .
47. akti' s wife gave bi rt h to Parara like Aditi who gave
bi r t h to Vi snu, like Svh who gave bi rt h to Guha and like
Arani who gave bi rt h to Agni.
48. W hen the son of Sakti i ncarnat ed on the earth, akti,
abandoned his sorrow and at t ai ned equality wi t h t he Pitrs.
49. O l eadi ng sages, t hat meritorious son of Vasistha,
stati oned in t he world of the Pitrs al ong wi th his brothers
shone like the sun al ong with t he Adityas.
50. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, when Par ar a i ncarnat ed, the
depart ed father sang, t he grand-fathers and great-grand-fathers
danced.
51. The Pitrs who previously expounded the Br ahman on
t he eart h and the deities i n heaven danced. Puskara and others
moved about i n t he fi rmament showering fl owers.
52. O brahmi ns, in the cides of the Rksasas there were
odd and painful shouts. The sages i n their hermi t age appl auded
continuously wi th delightful experiences.
53. J us t as t he four-faced lord i ncarnated from t he Cosmic
Egg, j ust as the sun emerges from the clusters of clouds, so also
Par ar a was born of Adryanti .
54. On seeing t he son and rememberi ng her husband, O
brahmi ns, even Adryant felt bot h j oy and grief. So was the
case wi th Arundhat and sage Vasistha.
Grant of boons by Pulastya 253
55. On seeing her son, t he hi ghl y refulgent Par ar a, t he
agi tated l ady l ament ed. W i t h her t hr oat choked she fell down.
56. Even as her sinless son adored by t he groups of Devas
and Onavas, was bor n t he mot her realized t hat he was highly
intel l igent. W i t h tears i n her eyes she l ament ed.
57. " H , son of Vasistha, you have gone somewhere after
abandoni ng me whose wretchedness i s visible i n t he face. You
have left me in the mi ddl e of t he forest as one desirous of see-
i ng her son. O l ord, you too, see your bosom-born, sinless son.
58. O akti, wi th his del ight evident in his face Mahe vara
saw his six-faced son al ong wi th his Ganas. Similarly, you t oo
see your son in the company of your br ot her s " .
59. On heari ng her l ament at i on, the excellent sage Vasi stha
became mi serabl e and said t o his daughter-in-law, " Do not
cr y. "
60. At t he behest of Vasistha, t hat nobl e l ady eschewed
her sorrow. That l ady wi th roving eyes like t he fawn nursed
and nur t ur ed her son.
61. On seeing his chaste mot her as a weak lady, devoid
of ornament s, sitting down dejectedly, wi t h tears agi tati ng t he
eyes, t he boy said to her.
akti's son said :
62. "O mot her, O sinless one, your slender body does
not appear to be splendid wi t hout ornament s. It i s like t he
ni ght bereft of the disc of t he moon.
63. O my mot her, O my mot her, O splendid lady, it
behoves you to recount to me why you are sitting here setting
aside your auspicious marks as a woman wi thout her hus band. "
64. On heari ng the words of her son, Adryant di d not
tell her son anythi ng, good or bad.
65. The son of akti said t o Adryant again, "O mot her
where is my holy father of great refulgence ? Tel l me, tell
me . "
66. On heari ng the words of her son, she became extremely
agi tated and wept. Saying " your father was devoured by a
Rks as a" she fell down unconscious.
67. On heari ng t he words of his grandson, the kind-hearted
254 Ligapurna
Vasistiia cried and fell down. So also Arundhat and t he lead-
i ng sages, t he residents of t he hermi tage.
68. On heari ng directly from his mot her " Your father
was devoured by a demon" , t he intelligent Parara spoke thus
-with his eyes di mmed and darkened by tears.
Parara said :
69. O mot her, I think I will be abl e to show my father in
a moment by worshi ppi ng the lord of the chiefs of Devas and of
t he t hree worlds incl uding t he mobi l e and i mmobi l e bei ngs.
87 5
70. On heari ng these splendid words she was surprised.
Smilingly she looked at hi m and s a i d : " O son, this i s t rue.
"Worship t he l ord, "
71. On understandi ng the proposal and decision of the
son of akd, Vasistha the holy lord, t he intelligent leading
sage, and the storehouse of mercy, spoke to his grandson as
follows' :
72-74. "O my grandson, O excellent sage of good holy
rites, your proposal is proper and suitable. Still, listen, it does
not behove you t o destroy t he worl d. You can worship t he
l ord for ext ermi nat i ng Rksasas. But, O son of akti, what is
t he har m done t o you by the worl d t hat you need destroy
i t ? "
Thereafter at t he behest of t he Vasi stha t he extremely in-
telligent son of akt i di rected his mi nd towards t he extermi na-
t i on of Rksasas.
75-78. Par ar a bowed down to Adryant, Vasi st ha and
Arundhat . In t he presence of t he sage he made a single Li ga,
in a trice, out of dust. Repeat i ng the following Mant r as from
the Vedas he worshi pped it. The mant ras were ivaskta,
Tryambakasukt a, Tvari t arudra, iva Sakal pa, N l arudra,
Rudr a, Vm ya, Pavamna, Paca Br ahman, Hot rskt a, Liga-
sukta and Atharvairas. After worshipping dul y he offered the
eightfold Arghya to Rudr a.
375. trailokyam sacarcaram: Change the accusative case into the
genitive case and supply 'iam' to obtain the required meaning. The ex-
pression 'trailokyasya sacarcarasya am' would mean 'lord of the three
worlds including the mobile and immobile beings'. ST. is not in favour of
this change. It supplies 'dagdhv' which it construes with 'trailokyam sacar-
caram; i.e. 'having burnt the three worlds including the mobile and immobile
beings*.
Grant of boons by Pulastya 255
Par ar a said :-
79. " O l ord Rudr a, O ankara, my father of great
refulgence was swallowed by t he demon Rudbi r a al ong wi t h
his brothers.
80-81. O l ord, I wish to see my father al ong wi t h his
br ot her s . "
Submi t t i ng thus he bowed down t o t he Li ga agai n and
agai n, cried " h a Rudr a, ha Ru d r a " and prostrated before hi m.
On seeing hi m, lord Rudr a said t o t he goddess.
82. "O highly blessed lady, see this boy whose eyes ar e
di mmed and darkened wi th tears. He i s engaged i n propi t i at i ng
me . "
83-84. The spodess great goddess saw Par ara, his eyes
di mmed and his body drenched by tears due t o misery. He was
i nterested only i n t he act of worshi ppi ng t he Li ga. He
repeat ed the names " Ha r a " , ' ' Rudr a " et c. Um t hen spoke t o
i va her husband and t he l ord of t he worl ds.
85-86. O supreme lord, be pleased, gr ant hi m al l his desires.
On heari ng her words, akar a Par ame var a, t heswal l ower of
hal hal a poison, spoke to his nobl e consort U m " I shall
save this br ahmi n boy whose eyes resemble full bl own bl ue
l otus.
87-88. I shall give hi m divine vision and enabl e hi m to
see my f or m. " After saying this, lord N l al ohi ta, Parame vara,
surrounded by t he divine Ganas Br ahma, I ndr a, Visnu, Rudr a,
and others grant ed vision to t hat intelligent son of the sage.
89. On seeing Mahdeva, his eyes became di mmed wi th
tears of delight. Del i ght ed in his heart he fell at his feet wi th
great respect.
90 Thereafter he grasped the feet of Um and t he nobl e
Nandi and then spoke to Brahma, and ot her s " My life i s
fruitful today.
91. Today the crescent moon-bedecked diety has come for
my protecti on. W ho else can compar e wi th me i n this world,
whet her a Deva or a Dnava ?"
92. Thereafter in a moment , Par ar a t he son of akti saw
his father standi ng in heaven al ong wi th his brothers.
93. On seeing hi m accompani ed by his brot hers i n an
256
Ligapurna
aerial chari ot t hat resembled t he solar sphere and was open on
all sides, he was del i ghted. He bowed down to his father.
94. Then the bul l -bannered l ord who was accompani ed by
his wife and t he l eadi ng Ganas spoke thus to akti, the son of
Vasi stha who was eager to see his son.
The glorious lord said:
95-96. O akti, see your son, t he boy whose eyes are
di mmed wi th tears of delight. O leading br ahmi n, see Adryant ,
Vasistha your father, Arundhat your mot her, t he highly blessed
auspicious l ady comparabl e to goddess. O highly intelligent one,
make obeisance to bot h your father and your mot her.
97-98. At t he behest of akara, Sakti immediatel y, at
f i rst , bowed down t o t he l ord of Devas and t o Um. He t hen
bowed to t he excel l ent Vasi stha arid to Arundhat his highly
blessed mot her, t he auspicious l ady who considered her husband
her god. At the behest of the lord of the Universe t he power-
ful akti said :
The son of Vasistha said :
99. O dear son, O l eadi ng brahmi n, Par ar a of great
refulgence, I have been saved by you who had been in t he
womb when I died and who are a nobl e soul.
100-101. O dear son, Par ar a t he attri butes and the
prosperities Ani m
3 7 8
etc. have been at t ai ned by me, on seeing
your face today. O dear one, of great intellect, at my behest
3 7 7
protect Adryant the highly blessed l ady and Arundhat ,
as also my father Vasi stha.
102. O dear son, our enti re family has been redeemed by
you. Thi s has al ways
3 7 8
been said by t he l earned t hat one
conquers the worl ds t hrough one' s son.
103. Choose t he desi red
3 7 9
boon from t he lord who is
source of origin of the worlds. After bowi ng down to the lord
I shall go al ong wi t h my brothers.
376. See P 134 note 241
377. Construe'mamjay' (v-100) with 'Adryantm raksa' (v-101),
i.e. 'at my behest you shall take care of Adryant.'
378. sadaivaalways, or read sadevaucitam eva ST: 'it is proper
or truthful that '
379. psitam varay enam: take recourse to Siva for obtaining your
desire, viz, the destruction of Rksasas.
Grant of boons by Pulastya
257
104-106. Thus taki ng leave of his son after bowi ng down
to Mahe vara and after seeing his wife in t he assembly, the
sage of perfect control over the senses went away to his father-
l and. On seeing his father gone after worshi ppi ng the l ord, the
son of akti eulogised hi m wi th pleasing words. Thereafter the
del ighted Mahdeva, the suppressor of t he Cupi d and of Andha-
ka, blessed the son of akti and vanished there itself.
107. After Mahe var a had gone away accompani ed by
Um, the son of akti, the knower of charms, bur ned the race
of Rksasas by means of Mant r as .
108. Then Vasistha the knower of Dhar ma, surrounded by
the sages, said to his grandson, "O dear son, stop this excess
of fury. Eschew your anger.
109. The Rksasas are not guil ty. It had been so ordai n-
ed
8 8 0
in your father' s case. Anger provokes only the fools and
not the intelligent people.
110-111. O dear son, who is killed by whom ? Ma n is but
the part aker of fruits of his own activities.
O dear son, fury is but the destroyer of fame and penance
whi ch men accumul at e after a great deal of stress and strain.
Enough of these Rj asaic activities of bur ni ng i nnocent people.
112-113. Let your sacrifice cease. Indeed, good men have
forbearance as their strong poi nt . " Thus at the instance of
Vasistha, the leading sage, the son of akti wound up his
sacrifice i mmedi atel y after giving due deference to his words.
Therefore holy lord Vasistha, the excellent sage was delight-
ed.
114-117. Pulastya the son of Brahma had at t ended t he
Satra. Vasistha duly offered hi m worship and t he sage Pulastya
was duly honoured. He then spoke to Par ar a who was
standi ng by after due obeisance.
" I n the course of this great enmi ty you have adopt ed
forbearance at the instance of your preceptor. Hence you will
underst and all the scriptural texts. My line of descendants has
not been broken by you even t hough you were infuriated.
Hence, O blessed one, I am giving you anot her great boon. O
380. vihifamdestined.
258 Ligapurna
dear one, you will be t he compiler of the Pur na Samhi t ( t he
compendi um of anci ent l ore).
118-119a. You will underst and precisely t he real nat ur e of
the deities.
881
Due to my blessing your intellect will be devoid
of impurities of activities, whether of active or absentious type
and free from doubt s. "
119b-120a. Thereafter the holy sage Vasistha the most
excellent of all el oquent ones sai d: " W hat ever has been said
by Pulastya will take pl ace whol l y. "
120b-121. Then by the grace of Pulastya and the intelli-
gent Vasistha, Par ar a composed th Vai snava Purna. By
means of six modes
8 8 8
(i.e.parts) it expounds all t he topics. It is
a mi ne of knowledge.
122-123. It extends to six thousand verses, and contains
Vedi c topics. It i s t he f ourt h
8 8 3
among the Pur na collections
and a splendid one. Thus O l eadi ng sages, t he origin of the
descendants of Vasi stha and t he prowess of t he son of akti
has been succinctly recount ed to you.
CHAPTER SI XTYF I VE
Thousand names of iva
The sages said:
1. O Romahar s ana, the best among t he knowers of races,
it behoves you to recount succinctly to us the solar race and
t he l unar race.
Sta said:
2. O brahmi ns, Adi ti bore to Ka yapa t he son Adi tya.
Adi t ya had a chief wife and three others.
3-5. They were Queen Samj , Rj , Pr abh and Chy.
I shall ment i on thei r sons to you. Queen Samj the daught er
381. devat-paramrthamvstava-svarpam ST. i.e. facts.
382. sad-prakramsad-amarpam 'consisting of six parts'.
383. caturtham. But according to the serial order (of. Liga 39.
6 16 3) iva, and not Visnu, is the fourth.
Thousand Names of tva 259
of Tvast r bore t o the Sun t he excellent Manu. Rj gave bi rt h
t o Yama, Yamuna and Revat a. Pr abh bore t o t he sun t he son
Pr abht a. Sarhj gave bi rt h to Chy. O brahmi ns, Chy
bore t o Svarni , ani , Tapat and Visti i n due order.
6-7. Mor e t han her own sons Chy loved Manu.
3 8
*
Yama coul d not brook this. He became exceedingly infuriated.
Lifting up his ri ght foot he kicked her furiously. Assaulted by
Yama, Chy became very miserable.
8. Due
-
to t he curse of Chy one heal t hy foot of Yama
became wat ery i.e. covered wi t h eczematic erupti ons and full of
foetid bl ood and swarms of germs.
9. He went to Gokarna travelling on a pl ank, and propi ti a-
t ed Mahdeva there for millions of years living only on air.
10-1 l a. By t he grace of Bhava he at t ai ned t he excellent
guardi anshi p of t he Sout hern quart er, t he overlordship of t he
Pi trs and freedom from the curse. He attai ned these by t he
power of t he t ri dent -armed lord of Devas.
1 lb-1.2. F ormerl y t he spotless daught er of Tvastr, unabl e to
bear the excess of refulgence of the sun, created out of her own
body anot her l ady called Chy.
The l ady of good hol y rites assumed the form of a mar e and
performed penance.
13. In course of ti me l ord sun the husband of Chy
realised after a great effort t hat she was only a shadow. Assum-
ing t he form of a horse he indulged in sexual intercourse
wi th Sarhj who had adopt ed the form of a mar e.
14. Thus Samj the daught er of Tvast r who was in the
guise of a mar e bore to hi m the twin lords Avins, the exce-
llent physicians of Devas.
15-16a. Later, the sun was ground down
3 8 5
by the noble-
spuled father of Samj . It was from the disc of the sun ( i . e .
the ground porti on) t hat t he terrible discus of Vi snu his chief
divine weapon was evolved by lord Tvastr.
16b-17a. Lord Kr s na obtai ned this famous Sudarana
discus t hat shone like the fire at the time of dissolution, thanks
to the grace of Rudr a.
384. Prvo Manu: i.e. Vaivasvata. Construe: prvo Manu cak-
sma, Manus tu na (Caksma).
335. For detail about the paring of glory of the sun, see Mrka. Ch.
j o8.
260
Ligapurna
17b-19a. The f i rst Manu (i . e. bor n of Samj ) had ni ne
sons all equal to hi m. They were: Iksvku, Nabhaga, Dhr s nu,
aryti, Nari syanta, Nbhga, Arista, Kar s a and Pr sadhr a.
These ni ne are known as Mnavas (sons o f Ma nu ) .
19b-21. Il his eldest daught er and the most excellent one
had formerly at t ai ned the state of a man. O l eadi ng sages, it
was due to the grace of Mi t r a and Var una t hat she at t ai ned t he
state of a man when she was known as Sudyumna. Again she
went to ar avana
3 8 9
and regai ned the state of a woman at t he
behest of Bhava. Sudyumna t he glorious son of Ma nu became
a woman for the increase of t he ^unar race.
22. It was at the time of the horse-sacrifice of Iksvku
t hat Il became a Ki mpurusa. Dur i ng t he state of Ki mpur us a,
also Il is called Sudyumna.
23-24. Then it chanced she was a woman for one mont h
and a man for anot her. Il resorted to the house of Budha, t he
son of Soma. F i ndi ng an opport uni t y she was made to indul ge ,
i n sexual i ntercourse by Budha. Purravas was bor n as t he
son of Il and Budha.
25. He was intelligent and t he fi rst-born i n t he line of Soma.
He was a devotee of iva and very valorous. O ascetics, I shall
di l ate later on the extent of expansion of Iksvku race.
26. O excellent brahmi ns, Sudyumna had three sons
viz. : Ut kal a, Gaya and Vi nat va.
27. The l and of Ut kal a was assigned to Ut kal a, t he
western l and was given to Vi nat va. Gay is said to be t he
excellent city of Gaya.
28. In Gay Devas and the Pitrs are stati oned always.
The eldest of brothers, viz. Iksvku obt ai ned t he Madhya
dea ( Mi ddl e l a nd)
29-32. In view of his feminine nat ur e Sudyumna di d not get
his share but at the instance of Vasistha, Sudyumna was installed
in Pratistiina, as its glorious and righteous king. After attai ni ng
ki ngdom, t he hi ghl y blessed son of Ma nu equi pped wi th the
characteristics of bot h man and woman, t he ki ng of great
renown gave t hat ki ngdom to Purravas.
386. aravana: a Himalayan forest where Krttikeya, the eldest
son of iva, was born. Lord iva had pronounced a curse that a man entering
this forest Would turn into a woman.
Thousand Names of Siva
261
The heroic son of Iksvku was Vikuksi who was the best
among the knowers of Dhar ma as also the eldest of Iksvku' s
hundr ed sons. He had f i f teen sons. The eldest was Kakut st ha.
F r om Kakut st ha was born Suyodhana.
33. O excellent sages, thereafter were bor n Prt hu, Vivaka
and Prthi va. Vivaka' s son was Ardraka ; Yuvanva was
his son.
34. Thereafter were born rvasti
3 8,
a of great spl endour and
t hen Vamaka. O excellent brahmi ns, it was by t he former t hat
rvast city was bui l t in the Gauda Dea.
35. Vama' s son was Brhadava. Kuval va was his son.
By killing Dhundhu of great strength he acqui red the name of
Dhundhumr a.
36. Dhundhumr a had three sons well known in the three
worlds. They were Drdhva, Candva and Kapi l va.
37. Pr amoda was the son of Drdhva. Haryava was his
son. Ni kumbha was the son of Haryava. Samhat va was his
son.
38. Kr va and Rai va were the two sons of Samhat va.
Yuvanva was the son of Ran va and his son was Mndht .
39. Mndht had three sons well known in the three
worlds. They were Purukutsa, Ambar sa and Mucukunda.
40-42. Yuvanva the second is said to be the heir to
Ambar sa. Har i t a was t he son of Yuvanva and from hi m
began the line of Hri t as. These were brahmi ns in the line
of Agiras, but Ksatriyas in t emperament .
Purukutsa' s successor was Trasadasyu of great renown.
Sambht i born of Nar mad was his son. Vi snuvrddh was his
son and after hi m his descendants are known as Vi snuvrddhas.
43. These also resorted to the line of Agiras and were
equi pped wi th the characteristics of Ksatri yas. Sambht i
procreated anot her son named Anaranya.
44. O brahmi ns, in the course of his conquest of the
three worlds, Anaranya was killed by Rvana. Brhadava
was the son of Anaranya and Haryava was his son.
45. Ki ng Vasumanas was born of Drsadvat and Haryava.
Hi s son was the king Tr i dhanvan a great devotee of Siva.
46-51 a. He became t he disciple of Tandi n, the son of
Brahma. By his grace he attai ned t he fruit of a thousand
386a. a city in ancient Oudh.
262 Ligapurna
horse-sacrifices. At his behest he became a valorous devotee of
iva and attai ned the lordship of Ganas.
At the outset he had no money wi th hi m. The righteous
soul pondered over this : How shall I perform the horse-sacri-
fice ?" O excellent brahmi ns, it was then t hat he met the son
of Brahm, the br ahmi n Tandi n and acqui red from hi m t he
thousand names of Rudr a, formerly menti oned by Brahm.
Tandi n eulogised the great lord iva by means of these thou-
sand names. The excellent br ahmi n born of Brahm thereby
acqui red the lordship of Ganas. Thereafter the king too obtai n-
ed the thousand names ment i oned by Tandi n formerly. By
repeati ng t hem he too acqui red t he lordsnip of Ganas.
The sages said :
51b-52a. O Sta, of good hol y rites, t he thousand names
8 8 7
of Rudr a had been repeat ed by Tandi n b o m of Brahm.
They cont ai n a good lot of t he meani ngs of all Vedi c texts. It
behoves you to ment i on those spl endid names to us.
Sta said:
52b-54a O sages of good hol y rites, listen to t he t housand
and eight names of iva who is t he soul of all living beings and
whose spl endour i s unmeasured. It was by repeat i ng these
t hat he at t ai ned t he l ordshi p of Ganas .
387. In fact, the text record* less than one thousand names, unless we
include 'matah' (repeated thrice, cf. verses 61, 75, 87) etc. as proper names.
It may also be observed that some names are identical in form: Nlah (105,
116) , Aninditah (121, 124), Guhavsi (131, 138), Visnu (126, 162), Jay
(55. 81) , Dhata (126, 141), Balah (99, 122), Munih (91, 91) , Lambitosthah
(109, 123; , Mahkanthah (108, 147), Vrksah (85, 132); others are repeti-
tive in sense: manavsi (57), mainavn (108); Narah (59), Nara,
Vigrahah (105); Mahrdm (no) , Mahkesah (no) ; Candrah (61)
Induh (150); Others are the names of gods and sages: Vsudevah (92),
Adhoksajah (101), Visnu (126, 162) (of Visnu); Dht (126) (of Brahma);
Devendra (155), akra (126), Amaresa (122), Vajri (154) (of Indra);
Vmadeva (92), Kapila (119) (of sages).
ST. explains these anomalies in the following way: (1) Identical
forms'are interpretable differently. (2) iva is omni-formed and hence
can be identical with Vijnu, Brahm, Indra, fire, air, etc. (3) Originally,
there were ten thousand names whose authorship was assigned to Brahm.
They were reduced to one thousand and eight numbers by Brahm himself
and handed down to Tandin for propagation among the worshippers.
n
X rei MOW (t\\*
1
t
388. Sthnuhtisthanty aimin ST. : the abode of the universe. Cf.
'sarhsramandapasyasya mlastambhya ambhave'cited in ST.
389. Bhnuthe sun or the illuminator of the universe. Cf. 'yasya
bhs sarvam idarh vibhti'cited in ST.
390. Varadahone who grants boons or one who destroys the covering
of illusion (my-vilsn dyati khandayati) ST.
391. Sarvakarahthe material cause of the universe. Cf. 'yato va
imni bhtni jyante'cited in ST.
392. ikhandi in the form of a hunter adorned with the peacock
feathers.
393. nttroidentical with the persons devoid of desires. Cf.
yaccsya santato bhvaa tasmdtmeti giyatecited in ST.
394. mana-vsone who abides in sufumn artery. For this
meaning susumn ST. quotes Hatha-yoga-pradlpik: "susumn inya-
padav brahmarandhram mahpathah. / imanam sambhav madhya-
mrgascetyekavcakh.
395. bhagavn?adgunaivarya-vii?thah ST. Cf. Visnu. 'ut-
pattim pralayarh caiva bhtnm gatirh gatlm vetti vidym avidym ca
sa vcyo bhagavn iti.
3g6. Ardanahone who causes distress to the sinner (ardayati=plda-
yati) or one who lives on alms (bhaiksya-caryay carati) ST.
54b-60.urfra'j thousand names'. (1) Sthi ra (steady) ( 2) St hnu*
8 8
(fixed^as~a tomg)) (3) Pr abhu (l ord) (4) Bhnu
8 8 8
(sun) (5)
Pr avar a (very good one) (6) Var ada
3 8 0
(one who grants boons)
(7) Var a (excellent) (8) Sarvt man (soul of al l ) (9) Sarvavi-
khyt a (well known to al l ) (10) Sarva (identical wi t h al l )
(11) Sarvakara
3
*
1
(doing everythi ng) (12) Bhava (source of
al l ) (13) J at i n (havi ng mat t ed hai r ) (14) Dandi n (having t he
staff) (15) i khandi n
3
" (having t he tuft) (16) Sarvaga (reach-
ing everythi ng) (17) Sarvabhvana (conceiver and creat or
of al l ) (18) Har i (identical wi t h Har i ) (19) Hari nksa (deer-
eyed) (20) Sar vabht ahar a (destroyer of all living bei ngs)
(21) Smrt a (remembered) (22) Pravrt t i (activity) (23)
Ni vrt t i (wi thdrawal of worl dl y acti vi ty) (24) nt t man
8 8
*
(of qui escent soul ) (25) vat a ( per manent ) (26) Dhr uva
(steady) (27) manavsi n
89
* (residing in t he cremati on
ground) (28) Bhagavn
8 8 8
(l ord) (29) Khecar a ( onewal ki ng
over the sky) (30) Gocara (one wal ki ng over t he ear t h) (31)
Ar dana
3 9 4
(one who harasses) (32) Abhi vdya (one who i s
worthy of bei ng sal ut ed) (33) Mahkar man (one of great
tasks) (34) Tapasvi n (ascetic) (35) Bhut adhr ana (one
Thousand Names of iva 263
264
Ligapurna
who sustains the living beings) (36) Unmat t avesa
8
*
7
(one who
appears i n t he guise of a mad ma n) (37) Pr acchanna (one who
is in disguise) (38) Sarvaloka (omni-seer), (39) Praj pati (lord
of subjects) (40) Mahr pa
8 9 8
( one havi ng great forms) (41)
Mahkya (one of great body) (42) i varpa
8 9 9
(one of
auspicious forms) (43) Mahya as (one whose fame is great)
(44) Maht man (Great soul) (45) Sarvabht a (one who has
become al l ) (46) Vi r pa
4 0 0
(deformed) (47) Vmana (dwarf)
(48) Na r a
4 0 1
(man) (49) Lokapl a (the protector of the
worl ds) (50) Ant ar hi t t man (one whose soul is hi dden)
(51) Prasda (pleasure) (52) Abhayada
4 0 2
(bestower of fear-
lessness) (53) Vi bhu
4 0 3
(all-pervading) (54)* ) Pavi tra (holy)
(55) Mahn (great) (56) Ni yat a (restrai ned) (57) Ni yat-
raya (invariable support ) (58) Svayambh (self-born) (59)
Sarvakarman (one performing all holy rites) (60) Adi
4 0 4
(the
fi rst one) (61) Adi kar a
4 0 5
(one who creates t he fi rst) (62)
Ni dhi (treasure for al l ) .
61-70 (63) Sahasrksa (thousand-eyed) (64) Vil ksa
(wide-eyed) (65) Soma (accompani ed by Um ) (66)
Naks at r a dhaka (the creator of stars) (67) Candr a
(identical wi t h the moon) (68) Srya (i denti cal wi t h t he
sun) (69) ani (identical wi th sat urn) (70) Ket u (identical
wi th Ket u) (71) Gr aha
8 0 6
(pl anet) (72) Gr ahapat i
4 0 7
(t he lord
397. Unmatta-Veahthis refers to his abnormal behaviour in
Daru forest (Ch. ).
398. Mahrpahof great dimension. Cf 'mahato mahiyn'cited
in ST.
399. N.S. Text reads sarvarpah for ivarpah or avarupah.
400. Virpaharabha-paksirpah ST . one who has the form of a
bird (=vi ) . See ch. 31.
401. Narahone who assumed a human shape.
402. Abhayadahabhayam svtmaikyarh dadti ST. one who identi-
fies himself with his devotees and thus makes them fearless. Cf. 'bhayam
dvitiybhiniveatah syt cited in ST.
403. Vibhuh omnipresent. Cf 'tenedam prnam purusena sarvam'
cited in ST.
404. Adihprimeval being. Cf. 'yo devnm prathamam purastt
cited in ST.
405. Adikarah the creator of the creator. Cf. 'yo brahmnam
vidadhti prvam'cited in ST.
406. Grahah Vrstyavagrahakrako bhaumah ST. Mars who with-
holds rains.-
407. Grahapatihlord of planets(grahas), i.e. Jupiter (Brhaspati).
Thousand Names of iva
265
of pl anet s) (73) Ma t a
4 0 8
(identical wi th Budha (74) Rj an
4 0 8
(ki ng) (75) Rj yodaya
4 1 0
(cause of the rise of ki ngdoms) (76)Kart
(the doer) (77) Mr gabnr pana
4 1 1
(one who discharges arrows
on t he deer ) (78) Ghana (solid, cl oud) (79) Maht apas (of
great penance) (80) D rghat apas (of l ong penance) (81)
Adrya (invisible) (82) Dhanas dhaka (realiser of riches)
(83) Samvat sara (vear) (84) Kr t i
4 1 8
(one who has fulfilled
dut i es) (85) Mant r a (identical wi t h mant r a) (86) Pr n-
yma, (87) Par ant apa (one who scorches enemies) (88)
Yogin (89) Yoga (90) Mahb j a (havi ng great seed) (91)
Mahr et as (one whose semen virile is great ) (92) Mahbal a
(one of great st rengt h) (93) Suvamar et as (havi ng gol den
semen) (94) Sarvaj a (omni sci ent ) (95) Sub j a
4 1 8
(havi ng
good seed) (96) Vr savhana (bull-vehicled) (97) Da abhu
(havi ng ten arms) (98) Ani mi sa (winkless) (99) N l akant ha
(bl ue-necked) (100) Umpat i
4 1 4
(lord of Um ) (101) Viva-
r pa (universal formed) (102) Svayamresfha (one who is
the most excellent oneself) (103) Balavra (strong and heroi c)
(104) Bal gran (leader of the ar my) (105) Ganakar t (creator
of ganas) (106) Ganapat i (lord of the ganas) (107) Digvsas
( naked) (108) Kmya (one wort hy of bei ng l oved) (109)
Mant r avi t (knower of the mant r as ) (110) Par ama (greatest)
(111) Ma nt r a (112) Sarvabhvakara (i nducer of all emoti ons)
(113) Ha r a (destroyer) (114) Kamandal udhar a (holding the
wat er-pot ) ( 115) Dhanvi n (hol di ng the bow) (116) Bnahasta
(havi ng arrows i n t he hand) (117) Kapl avn (havi ng the
skull) (118) ar (having the arrows) (119) ataghn (having
the hundred-ki l l er weapon) (120) Khadgi n (havi ng the sword)
(121) PaUi i n (havi ng the iron cl ub) (122) Ayudhi n (having
408. Matah'the planet mercury (budha).
409. Rjthe planet Venus.
410. RjyodayahRhu ST.
411. Mrgabnrpanah. ST. cites Mahimna stotta to explain the
legend of Brahma becoming a deer and of iva, an arrow.
412. KrtI=N.S. text reads krtah = krta-yugarpah ST.
413. Subjah whose semen virile is infallibly productive. It refers
to the birth of Krttikeya, the son of iva, out of the fire. The fire could not
destroy the semen of iva.
414. Um-patihlord of Energy in the form of Om, or the master
of Brahma-vidy. Cf. Kena'Brahma-vidyaiva omcited in ST.
266 Ligapurna
weapons) (123) Ma h n (great) (124) Aja ( Unbor n) (125)
Mr gar pa (havi ng the form of the deer ) (126) Tej as (splen-
dour ) (127) Tej askara (creator of spl endour) (128) Vi dhi
(precept) (129) Usn si n (having t ur ban) (130) Suvakt ra
(havi ng good face) (131) Udagr a (exal ted) (132) Vi nat a
(humbl e) (133) D rgha (l ong) (134) Hari kea*
1 6
(green-
hai red) (135) Sut i rt ha (havi ng good hol y cent res) (136)
Kr s na
4 1
* (black or i denti cal wi th Kr s na, the son of Vasudeva)
(137) Srgl arupa
4 1 7
(one havi ng the form of a j ackal ) (138)
Sarvrt ha (havi ng all riches) (139) Munda (one wi t h t on-
sured head) (140) Sarva ubhamkara (one wjio does good to
al l ) (141) Si xhhardl arpa (one havi ng t he forms of l ion
and ti ger) (142) Gandhakr i (one causi ng fragrance) (143)
Kapar di n (one havi ng mat t ed hai r ) (144) rdhvaret as (one
of subl i mated sexuality) (145) Urdhval i gi n (one havi ng the
peni s ^i f t ed up) (146) Ur dhva yi n
4 1 8
(one lying upwards)
(147) Nabhas ( one abi di ng i n t he sky) (148) Tal a (of t h e
form of pt l anet her wo r l d ) , (149) Tri j at i n
1 1
* (one havi ng
three locks of mat t ed hai r ) (150) C ravsas (one weari ng
bark garment s) (151) Rudr a (of tearful form) (152) Sena (in
the form of ar my of Devas) (153) Pat (sustainer of the peopl e)
(154) Vi bhu ( l or d) .
71-80. (155) Ahor t r am (of the form of day and ni ght )
(156) Nakt am (of t he form of ni ght ) (157) Ti gmamanyu
(of fierce anger ) (158) Suvarcas (havi ng good refulgence)
(159) Gaj ah (slayer of t he el ephant ) (160) Dai t yah (slayer
of the dai tyas) (161) Kl a (death, ti me) (162) Lokadht
4
* *
(creator of t he worl ds) (163) Gunkar a
4 2 1
(mi ne of good
qual ities) (164) Si mha r dl ar pnm rdra-carmmbara-
dhar a (one who wears the fresh hi de of the lion and tiger as his
cl oth) (165) Kl ayogi n (one who connects everything wi t h
415. Harikeahlord of Visnu (Hari) and Brahm (k).
416. Krsnain the form of Aghora.
417. rglarpahSee ch. 9a.
418. Urdhvayione who sleeps in the firmament ST.
419. Tri-jatihaving Prakrti of three gunas as his consort.
430. Loka-dhtsupport of the fourteen worlds.
421. Gunkarahmine or the receptacle of yogic gunas (ch.16) or
of the 34 gunas admitted by the Nyya philosophy.
Thousand Names of iva
267
ti me or deat h) (166) Mahnda (havi ng great sound) (167)
Sarvvsa (abode of al l ) (168) Cat uspat ha
4
* * (one who goes
in all four ways at the same t i me) (169) Ni cara (one wal ki ng
at ni ght ) (170) Pret acri n
4
*
3
(walking among t he ghosts)
(171) Sarvadari n (seeing al l ) (172) Mahe vara (great l ord)
(173) Bahu (omni-formed) (174) Bht a (of the form of the pas t )
(175) Bahudhana (one havi ng much weal t h) (176) Sarva-
sra (essence of al l ) (177) Mrt evara (lord of t he dead) (178)
Nrt yapri ya (one who is fond of dances (179) Ni t yanrt ya (one
who dances perpet ual l y) (180) Nar t ana
4 2 4
(one who makes
others dance) (181) Sarvasdhaka (achiever of al l ) (182)
Sakrmuka (one who has a bow) (183) Mahbhu (l arge-armed)
(184) Mahghor a (extremely terri bl e) (185) Maht apas
(of great penance) (186) Mahara
4
* * (of great arrows) (187)
Mahp a (havi ng a great noose) (188) Ni t ya (permanent )
(189) Gi ri cara (walking over the mount ai ns) (190) Amat ah
(not recogni zabl e)
4
* * (191) Sahasrahasta (t housand-armed)
(192) Vij aya (victorious) (193) Vyavasya (enterpri se)
(194) Ani ndi t a (uncensured) (195) Amar?ana (angry)
(196) Mar s ant m (one who endures and excuses) (197)
Yaj ah
4
*
7
Destroyer of t he sacrifice) (198) Kman ana
(destroyer of Ka ma ) (199) Daksah (slayer of Daksa)
(200) Pari cri n (one who walks all r ound) (201)
422. Catuspathahthe path of the four goals of life, viz. (i) dharma,
(ii) artha, (iii) kma, (iv) moksa. Or the originator of four stages of life,
viz. (i) brahma-carya (stage of celibacy) (iii) grhastha (stage of a house-
holder), (iii) Vnaprastha (stage of a forester), (iv) sannysa (stage of a
renouncer).
423. Preta-vhanahone who has a preta (a departed being) as
his vehicle. Cf. Cmunda sava-vhan cited in ST.
424. Nartanahtarva-prerakah. ST. one who instigates all to
activity.
425. Mahsarab one who has a powerful missile. ST. refers to
Siva's destruction of Tripuri.
426. ST. dissolves 'giricaro matah' as 'giricarah amatah'; amatab.
unknown or unrecognized. ST refers to the event of Dru forest when the
sages could not recognize him dressed in strange guise.
427. Yajahdestroyer of sacrifice. It refers to the legend of iva
who destroyed Daksa's sacrifice.
268
Ligapurna
(201) Pr ahas a
4 2 8
(one who laughs al oud) (202) Madhyama
4 2 9
(Mi ddl i ng) (203) Tej sas
4 3 0
(of the form of fire) (204)
apahr i n (destroyer of the universe) (205) Balavn (strong)
(206) Vi di t a
4 8 1
(known) (207) Abhyudi ta (one who has risen
up) (208) Bahu
4 3 2
(many) (209) Gambffiraghosa (one
whose voice is profound) (210) Yogat man of yogic soul (211)
Yaj ah (i.e. destroyer of the sacrifice) (212) Kman (of the
form of desire for release) (213) Aana (Destroyer) (214)
Gambh rarosa (one whose fury is profound) (215) Gambh r a
(majestic) (216) Gambh r a Bal avhana (on# whose strength
and vehicle are prof ound) (217) Nyagrodharupa (one who has
the form of the holy fig tree) (218) Nyagrodha (identical
wi th the holy fig tree) (219) Vi vakarman (one of universal
activities) (220) Vi vabhuk (swallower of the universe) (221)
T ksna (one havi ng fierce form) (222) Apya (one who does
not take the riches of his devotees) (223) Har ya va
4 3 3
(having
green horses) (224) Sahya (hel p) (225) Kar ma
4 3 4
(of the
form of sacrificial ri t ual ) (226) Kl avi d
4 3 5
(one who knows the
ti me) (227) Visnu (pevadi ng al l ) (228) Prasdi ta (one who
has been propi t i at ed) (229) Yaj a (230) Samudr a (ocean)
(231) Badavmukha (mouth of the submari ne fire) (232)
Hut anasahya (one who is helped (assisted) by fire) (233)
Pr a nt t man (quiescent soul) (234) Hut ana (fire) (235)
Ugratej as (one whose refulgence is fierce) (236) Mahtej as
(of great spl endour) (237) J aya (victory) (238) Vij ayaklavid
(one who knows the time of vi ctory).
428. Prahasahwho is prone to laughter. Cf. ' sphutttahso-
ccalitndakoah'iva Kavaca as cited in ST.
439. Madhyamah the middling. It refers to the Rudra form of iva.
Cf. "madhyato Rudram i anam"ci ted in ST.
430. Tejasin the form of fire. Cf. " Rudr o v esa yad agnih"cited
in ST.
431. Viditahbrahmavid-rpah. ST. one who has identified him-
self who those with have realized Brahman, "brahina-vid brahmaiva
bhavati"cited in ST.
432. BahuhST. dissolves as ' a-bahuh' one, not many, "ekam
sad vipr bahudh Vadant i " -cited in ST.
433. Haryavahone who has Vi?nu for his vehicle 57".
434. Karmaone who symbolises pious or charitable deeds.
435. Klavidone who knows auspicious or inauspicious times 57".
Thousand Names of iva
269
81-100. (239) J yot i smayanam (the cause of the transit
of the l umi nari es) (240) Si ddhi (Achi evement) (241) Sandhi
(al l iance) (242) Vi graha (clash) (243) Khadgi n (one who has
a sword) (244) Sankhi n (one who has a conch) (245) J at i n
4 s
*
(one who has mat t ed hai r) (246) J vl i n (one who has flames)
(247) Khecar a (one movi ng about i n the fi rmament) (248)
Dyucara (one movi ng about i n the heaven) (249) Balin
(strong) (250) Vai navi n (one havi ng the l ut e) (251) Panavi n
(one havi ng the Panava dr um) (252) Kl a (Death, Ti me)
(253) Kl akant ha (dark-necked) (254) Kaj ankaj a (one who
lovingly touches t he el ephanti ne face of his' son Gane a) (255)
Naksat ravi graha
4 3 7
(one havi ng the stellar body) (256) Bhva
(emoti on) (257) Vi bhva (friend) (258) Sar vat omukha
4 3 8
(havingfaces all r ound) (259) Vi mochana
4 3 9
(one who releases
(260) ar ana (refuge) (261) Hi ranyakavacodbhava (born of
golden armour)' (262) Mekhal (one in the form of yoni womb)
(263) Kr t i r pa (one in the form of effort) (264) J al cr a
4 4 0
(one havi ng actions similar to those of senseless persons) (265)
St ut a (one who is eulogised) (266) Vni (one havi ng the l ute
V n) (267) Panavi n (one havi ng the dr um Panava) (268)
Tl i n
4 4 1
(one havi ng the Tl a (beati ng of the ti me) (269)
Nl i n
4 4 2
(one havi ng t he t ube) (270) Kal i kat u (one who
is harsh to Kal i ) (271) Sarvat ryani ndi n (one who sounds
his i nstruments) (272) Sarvavypypari graha
4 4 3
(one who is
omni present and does not accept gifts) (273) Vyl arpi n
(one havi ng t he form of a ti ger) (274) Bilvsa (one residing
in a hol l ow) (275) Guhvs a
4 4 4
(one whose residence is
436. Jatione who is the base of the universe ST.
437. Naksatravigrahahone who is the abode (vigraha) of cons-
tellations .
438. Sarvatomukhahhaving face in all directions. "Vivata
caksur uta vivatomukhah"cited in ST.
439. Vimocanahone who releases jivas from the net of twentyfour
tattvas.
440. Jalcrah or Jaldhrahone who is the support or the cause
of movement for watery reservoirs, rivers, streams and oceans.
441. Talione who has a tlaa musical instrument.
442. Nlione who holds a lotus in his hand or is born of a lotus. 57".
443. Sarva-vypione who has an all-pervasive subtle body.
444. Guh-vsah one who abides in guh (intellect)
270 Ligapurna
cave) (276) Tarangavi d (one who knows t he i nnermost i dea)
(277) Vrksa (kal pavrksa) (278) ri ml akarmi n
4 4 8
(one who
has riksetra as t he sphere of his worshi p) (279) Sarvabandha-
vi mocana (one who releases (devotees from all bondages)
(280) Bandhana (one who bi nds the non-devotees) (281)
Surendxnm yudhi at ruvi nana (one who destroys t he
enemies of Devas in the bat de) (282) Sakh
4
*
8
(friend) (283)
Pravsa
4 4 7
(shelter for al l ) (284) Dur pa (unat t ai nabl e) (285)
Sarvasdhuni sevi ta (one who is resorted to by all good men)
(286) Praskanda (one who i s dryi ng up and nfoving ahead)
(287) Avi bhva (one who i s not comprehended) (288) Tul ya
( equal )
4 4 8
(289) Yaj avi bhgavi d (one who knows the divi-
sions of yaj as) (290) Sarvavsa
4 4
* (one who abides in al l )
(291) Sarvacri n (one who goes everywhere) (292) Durvsas
Ident i cal wi th the sage of t hat name) (293) Vsava ( I ndr a)
(294) Ma t a
4 8 0
(non-dual ) (295) Hai ma (pertai ni ng to gold or
snow) (296) Hemakar a (one who has gold i n his hands ) (297)
Yaj a (sacrifice) (298) Sarvadhri (holding al l ) (299) Dharot -
t ama (best among t he supporters) (300) Aka*
6 1
(fi rmament)
(301) Ni r vi r pa
4 6 8
(havi ng no form) (302) Vi vsas
4 5 8
(one
who has no clothes) (303) Ur aga (serpent) (304) Khaga
(going in t he sky) (305) Bhiksu (beggar, mendi cant ) (306)
Bhi ksurpi n (one who is in t he guise of a mendi cant ) (307)
Raudr ar pa (one who has a terrible form) (308) Surpavn
4 3 4
445. rftnfilakarmiaone who resorts to the abode of Laksml (rl-
mla) for yogic trance.
446. One who is the friend ofjlva (i.e. the individual soul) "suparnav
aitau sadrsau sakhyau". -cited in ST.
447. Pravsahone who is the eternal abode of all mobile and immo-
bile beings.
448. Tulyahunprejudiced.
449. Sarva-vsah one who is the sheath of all. "vsyam idam
sarvam" cited in 57*.
450. Matahadvaita-mata-rpah ST. of non-dual form
451. Akasahone who shines splendidly.
452. Nirvirpahnirgatam virpam sarabha-pakslrpam yasmt
ST. the source of origin of arabha. It refers to the narrative of arabha
occurring in this purna.
453. Vivsone who has no covering over his body. i.e. naked.
454. Surpavnof auspicious form: "tasyaite tanuvau ghor any
iivarpa"cited in 57".
Thousand Names of iva
271
(one who has good forms) (309) Vasuretas (one whose semen
virile causes riches) (310) Suvarcasvin (having good refulgence)
(311) Vasuvega (one who has the velocity of t he Vasus) (312)
Mahbal a (one who has great st rengt h) (313) Manas (mine
1
)
(314) Vega (one who has velocity) (315) Ni (ni ght ) (316)
Car a (a spy) (317) Sarval okaubhaprada (one who grants
auspi ci ous thi ngs to all t he worl ds) (318) Sarvvsin*
6 8
(one
whose resi dence is in everythi ng) (319) Trayvsin*
5 8
(one
who resides i n t he t hree Vedas) (320) Upade akar a (one who
gives i nstructi ons) (321) Adhar a (one havi ng no support )
(322) Mu ni * " (sage) (323) At man (soul) (324) Muni
(sagacious) (325) Loka (worl d) (326) Sabhgya (F ort unat e)
(327) Sahasrabhuk*
6 8
(one who enjoys t housand thi ngs)
(328) Paksi n*
8 8
(bi rd) (329) Paks ar pa*
8 0
(havi ng t he form
of t he wi ng) (330) At i d pt a (highly i l l umi nat ed) (331) Ni -
kar a ( moon) (332) Sam ra (wi nd) (333) Damankr a (one
who has t he form of a suppressor) (334) Ar t ha (wealth, meani ng
pur pose) (335) Ar t hakar a (serving t he purpose) (336) Avaa*
81
(uncontrol l ed by anot her ) (337) Vsudeva
4 8 8
(identical wi t h
t hat god) (338) Deva (l ord) (339) Vmadeva. ( l or d of ' oppo-
sites) (340) Vmana (Dwarf) (341) Si ddhi yogpahri n
(one who removes Si ddhi and Yoga) (342) Si ddha
4 8 8
(self pr o-
ved) (343) Sarvrt hasdhaka (one who realises all purposes)
(344) Aksunna (undef eated) (345) Ks unnar pa (one who has
t he form of t he defeated) (346) Vr s ana (one who extends
455. Sarvvsl all-pervasive.
456. Trayivslone who abides in the three Vedas.
457. Munihin the form of sacred tree agasti. ST. cites Viiva in
support of this meaning.
458. Sahasrabhukone who destroys(bhukte)or protects (bhunakti)
people. <"rfrs," *','
459. Paksione who has two wirfgs: Rk and Siman. "Rk
daksinab. paksah samottarah paksah". ST.
460. Paksarpahin the form of two fortnights: white and dark.
461. Vasahamenable to the wishes of his devotees. Or dissolve
'avaiah'free.
462. VsudevahST. oners a far-fetched explanation: one who sports
in disguise.
463. SiddhahKapila: "siddhnm Kapilo munih" Bhagavad-Glt
cited in ST.
272 Ligapurna
moral i ty) (347) Mr du
1 8 4
(soft) (348) Avyaya (unchangi ng)
(349) Mahs ena (one who has a bi g ar my) (350) Vi kha
4 8 5
(Krt t i keya) (351) ast i bhaga
4 8 6
(one-sixtieth par t ) (352)
Gavm pat i
4 8 7
(lord of the l i ne) (353) Cakrahast a (havi ng
discus in the hands ) (354) Vi st ambhi *
6 8
(i mpendi ng) (355)
Ml as t ambhana
4 6 9
(one who steadies the root ) (356) Rt u
(season) (357) Rt ukar a (one who causes the seasons) (358)
Tl a (pal myra tree) (359) Ma dhu (honey) (360) Madhukar a
(bee) (361) Var a (excellent one) (362) Vnaspat ya (belonging
to a l r e e ) (363) Vj asana
4 7 0
(one loving clarified Gut t er ) (364)
Ni tya (eternal ) (365) Aramapj i ta (worshipped by peopl e
in all stages of life) (366) Brahmacri n (religious st udent )
(367) Lokacri n (one who walks over the worl d) (368) Sarva-
cri n (movi ng about on everythi ng) (369) Sucravi t (one who
knows good conduct ) (370) I na
1 7 1
(371 ) var a
4 7 2
(lord) (372)
Kl a (ti me, deat h) (373) Ni cri n (one movi ng about at
ni ght ) (374) Anekadr k
4 7 3
(having many eyes) (375) Ni mi t-
tastha (one stati oned in the cause) (376) Ni mi t t am (cause)
(377) Nandi (del i ghted and del i ghter) (378) Nandi kar a (one
causing others to be del i ght ed) (379) Har a( des t r oyer ) (380)
Nandi ( Nandi n) (381) I var a
4 7 4
( 382) Sunandi n (383) Nandana
(delightful) (384) Vi s amar dana (one suppressing poison)
464. Mrduhof soft nature, "krnta-sapta-ptla-kuharopi mah
balah yrpte Kaliyuge ghore mrdutm upaysyati"cited in 57".
465. Vikhahof the form of Krttikeya.
466. Sastibhgah one who has sixty tattvas at his command. See
Mndkyopawsad.
467 Gavm patihl ord of the sacred hymns. 57". quotes iva G t :
"Chandasm yastu dbennm rsabhatvena Ki rt i t ah".
468. Vistambhone who makes others motionless.
469. Mlastambhanah Controller of Prakrti ( ml a) .
470. Vjasanahiof the form of Vjasaneyi kh of the ukla Yajur-
veda.
471. Inah -lord of all knowledge: "I nah sarva-vidynm".
472. Ivarahcontroller of all beings, "ivarah sarva-bhtnam"
cited in 57".
473. Aneka Ifk -multi-eyed. Cf. " namo astu nilagrvya saha-
sraksya mi dhuse"ci ted in 57".
474. Ivarahabounding in wealth or prosoerity. Cf "varo vibha-
vair dhyah"Vi va cited in ST.
Thousand Names of iva 273
(385) Bhagahri n (remover of Bhaga) (386) Ni yant r
4 7 8
(one
who restrains, a chari oteer) (387) Kl a (388) Lokapi t maha
(grandfather of the worl ds) (389) Cat ur mukha
4 7 6
(four-faced)
(390 \ Mahl i ga (havi ng great l i ga) (391) Crul i ga
(havi ng char mi ng l i ga) (392) Li gdhyaksa
4 7 7
(presiding
deity of t he ligas) (393) Surdhyaksa (presiding dei ty of
Devas) (394) Kl dhyaksa (presiding deity of ti me) (395)
Yugvaha (bringing about the yuga) (396) B j dhyaksa
4 7 8
(presiding deity of the seeds or corns) (397) Bj akart (the
maker of the seeds) (398) Adhyt ma (self-centred) (399)
Anugat a (one wi th the followers in spiritual line) (40^0) Bal a
4 7 9
(st rengt h) (401) It i hs a
4 8 0
(Mythol ogical text) (402) Kal pa
(ritualistic text) (403) Damana (suppressor) (404) J agad -
vara (l ord of the universe) (405) Dambha (arrogance) (406)
Dambhakar a (one causing arrogance) (407) Dt r (donor)
(408) Vam a (race) (409) Vam akar a (one who mai nt ai ns
the family) (410) Kal i (identical wi th the yuga Kal i ) .
101-110. (411) Lokakart (maker of the worl ds) (412)
Paupat i (lord of the Paus or i ndi vi dual souls) (413) Mah-
kart (the great maker ) (414) Adhoksaj a
4 8 1
(Visnu, identical
wi t hVi s nu) (415) Aksaram (imperishabl e) (416) Par amam
(great) (417) Br ahman ( br ahman) (418)Bal avn (strong) (419)
ukra (Venus) (420) Ni t ya (permanent ) (421) Ana (havi ng
no l ord above hi m) (422) uddht m
4 8 2
(Pure soul) (423)
uddha (pure) (424) M na (measure) (425) Gat i (goal)
(426) Havi s (rice and ghee offering) (427) Prsda (mansi on)
(428) Bal a
4 8 3
(strength) (429) Dar pa (arrogance) (430)
475. Niyantcharioteer, "jagad-yantra-svarfipasya rathasya r-
mahevarah/niyant tata eveah s-ta ityabhidhiyate"Ahobala cited in
ST.
476. Caturmukhahof the form of four-faced Brahma.
477. Ligdhyaksahlord of unmanifest Prakrti (l iga).
478. Bjdhyaksahdispenser of the fruits of dharma anl adharma.
479. Balah strong one. Cf. "bal ya namah" -cited in ST.
480. Iti hsah- of the form of tradition.
481. Adhoksajahnot realizable by the organs of sense.
482. uddhtmof pure mi nd. For ' t man' in the sense of ' mi nd' ,
see Viva: ' t m ieha-mano-buddhisu' cited in ST.
483. Balaone who has an abode in the form of Kailsa>. ST.
cites Viva: ' bal am sthane' .
274
Ligapurna
Dar pana (mi rror) (431) Havya (offering consigned to t he
fi re) (432) Indraj i t (conqueror of I ndr a) (433) Vedakra
(maker of t he Vedas) (434) St rakra (compiler of the Apho-
ri sms) (435) Vi dvn (scholar) (436) Par amar dana (suppres-
sor of enemies) (437) Mahmeghani vs i n
4 8 4
(resident of
the great cl oud) (438) Mahghor a (extremely terri bl e) (439)
Va i n
4 8 8
(one who keeps persons ur de r control ) (440) Kar a
(the destroyer of the universe) (441) Agnijvla (flame of the fire)
(442) Mahj vl a (havi ng great fl ame) (443) Pari dhmrvrt a'
(one surrounded by smoke) (444) Ravi ( s unf (445) Dhi -
sana (intelligent one) (446) akara (447) Ani tya (non-
eternal in t he form of t he universe) (448) Varcasvi n (refulgent)
(449) Dhmr al ocana (havi ng smoke-coloured eyes) (450)
N l a
4 8 8
(blue-coloured) (451) Agal upt a
4 8 7
(one deficient in a
l i mb) (452) obhana (splendid one) (453) Nar avi gr aha
4 8 8
(one havi ng human body) (454) Svasti (hai l ) (455) Svasti-
svabhva (nat ural l y faring wel l ) (456) Bhogin (enjoying
pl easures) (457) Bhogakara (causing pleasures) (458) Laghu
(l i ght ) (459) Ut saga (lap, devoid of at t achment ) (460)
Mahga (havi ng great limbs) (46T) Mahgar bha (having""
great womb) (462) Pr at pavn (valorous) (463) Kr s navar na
(black in col our) (464) Suvarna (having good col our) (465)
Indr i ya (sense-organ) (466) Sarvavarni ka [of all castes (colours)]
(467) Mahpda (havi ng bi g feet) (468) Mahhas t a (having
big hands ) (469) Mahkya (of great body) (470) Mahyaas
(having great fame) (471) Mahmr dh (havi ng great head)
(472) Mahmt r a
4 8 8
(havi ng great Mt r s (units of ti me) (473)
Mahmi t r a (Great friend (474) Nagl aya
4 8 0
(havi ng mount ai n
as residence) (475) Mahs kandha (having great shoul der) (476)
Mahkar na (havi ng great ears) (477) Mahos t ha (havi ng
484. Mahmegha-nivsinone who has Visnu (mahmegha) for his
abode;
485. Vailcontroller.
486. Nilahblue or dark. It refers to his aghora form.
487. Anga-luptahpart of whose body is possessed by Um.
488. Nara-vigrahahone who had a battle with Arjuna.
489. Mahmtrahcontroller of elephants in the form of death.
490. Naglayahone who lives on mountains.
490a. manavnsmanm arrnm inam tan-karanam punar-
janma-nivranam Kiipuram yasyaone who saves men who live in Ksi A
from the circle of birth and death. 1 , r^~%
u j ^
b
r
Thousand Names of iva 275
great lips) (478) Mahhanu (having great j aws) (479)
Mahns a (havi ng great nose) (480) Mahkantfi a (having
great neck) (481) Mahgr va (having great cervix')
(482) Sma navn
4
'
0
* (having the cremati on gr ound)
(483) Mahbal a (having great strength) (484) Maht ej as
(having great spl endour) (485) An tar (omni present)* *
1
(486)
t man (i mmanent soul) (487) Mrgl aya (abode of the deer)
(488) Lambi t ost ha* '
2
(having suspended lips) (489) Ni st ha
(steady) (490) Mahmya (having or wielding great My) _
(491) Payoni dhi (storehouse of water, mi l k) (492) Mahdant a
(havi ng great t eet h) (493) Mahdams t r a (having great cur-
ved fangs) (494) Mahj i hva (having great t ongue) (495)
Mahmukha (having great face) (496) Mahnakha (having
great nai l ) (497) Mahr oman (having great hai rs) (498)
Mahke a (having great tresses of hai r ) (499) Mahj at a
(havi ng great mat t ed hai r ) .
111-120. (500) As apat na
4 9 3
(having no rivals or enemi es)
(SOiyHPrasda
4
*
4
(grace) (502) Prat yaya (belief) (503)
G t a-sdhaka (one who practises musi c) (504) Prasvedana
(one who sweats) (505) Asvedana
4 9 5
(one who does not pers-
pi re) (506) Adi ka
4 9
* (one who is the first of all) (507) Mah-
muni
4 9 7
(great sage) (508) V
r
s aka
4 9 8
( dhar ma) (509) Vrsa-
ket u
1 9 9
(the bul l -bannered) (510) Anak. (fire) (511) Vyu-
vhana
6 0 0
(wind-vehicled) (512) Mandal i n (one havi ng hal o)
(513) Meruvsa (one havi ng the Mer u as residence) (514)
Devavhana (deva-vehicled) (515) Atharvai rsa (the name
of t he Vedi c Text ; havi ng t hat as the head) (516) Smsya
(havi ng Sman as t he face) (517) Rksahasrorj iteksana (having
4gi . Antarone who abides in all.
4ga. LambitosthahIt refers to Ganea.
493. Asapatnahwithout a foe or a co-wife.
494. Frasdahone who destroys (prakarsenasdayati) asurat.
495. Asvahenah (a-su-aha-inah)lord of Visnu. ST.
496. dikahthe primeval (patriarch), "prajpatinm prathamam"
Mbh. (Drona parva)cited in ST.
497. Mahmunihin the form of Nrada.
498. Vrsakahin the form of Dharma.
499. Vrsaketuhone who has Vrsa (Nandikevara) on his flagstaff.
500. Vyu-vahanahone who has wind as his Vehicle. Gf. "Marun-
maya-rathab sambhuh".Siva-rahasya cited in ST.
276 Ligapurna
t he thousand Rk verses as eyes of great power) (518) Yaj uh-
pdabhuj a (having the Yaj ur mant r as as feet and arms) (519)
Guhya (worthy to be secret) (520) Prakauj as (of manifest
power) (521) Amoghrt haprasda (one whose grace is never
futile) (522) Ant arbhvya (one who should be medi t at ed upon,
within the heart ) (523)Sudarana (good to look at ) (524)Upa-
hr a
5 0 1
(one to whom gifts are presented) (525) Pri ya (loving
(526) Sarva (All-in all) (527) Kanaka (gold) (528) Kc a na -
st hi t a (one st at i oned i n gol d) (529) NShi (the nave) (530)
Nandi kar a (one who causes del i ght) (531) Har mya
5 0
* (havi ng
a mansi on) (532) Pus kar a
5 0 3
( havi ng a lotus as [residence])
(533) St hapat i (monarch, archi tect) (534) Sthi ta (stati oned)
(535) Sarvastra (havi ng all sacred scri ptures) (536)
Sarva-dhana (havi ng all riches) (537) Sarvdya (first
among all) (538) Sarvayaj a (havi ng all Yaj as) (539)
Yajv (performer of sacrifices) (540) Samhi t a (one who has
concentrati on and ment al puri t y) (541) Naga (havi ng moun-
tai n as home) (542) N l a
5 0
* (bl ue) (543) Kavi (poet) (544)
Kl a (time, deat h) (545) Makar a (crocodile) (546) Kl a-
pj ita (one who is worshi pped by kl a) (547) Sagana (having
at t endant s) (548) Ganakr a (Maker of the ganas) (549)
Bht abhvanasrat hi (one who has Brahm as his chari oteer)
(550) Bhasmayi n (one who lies in Bhasma) (551) Bhasma-
gopt r
6 0 8
(protector of bhas man) (552) Bhas mabht at anu
5 0 6
(one whose body is fully covered wi th ash) (553) Gana (atten-
dant ) (554) Agama(sacred l i terature) (555) Vi l opa (one who
dissolves) (556) Maht man (noble soul) (557) Sarvapj i ta
(adored by al l ) , (558) ukla (white) (559) St r r pasampanna
501. Upahrahone to whom offerings are made. Cf. "sarve
asmai balim haranti"cited in ST.
502. Harmyahone who has got a palace for his abode.
503. Puskarahone who abides in Puskara. Puskara is a sacred
place where Brahm is stated to have set up Nlalohita (iva-liga) (Sk. I.
ii. 45. 105) . It lies near Ajmer.
504. Nilahone who has some peculiar marks on his body . Cf.
Viva as cited in ST.
505. Bhasma-goptone who protects through ashes. ST. quotes
Mbh. : "raksrtham magalrtham ca pavitrrtham ca bhmini lcha-
nrtham ca bhaktnm bhasma dattam may pur //
506. Bhasma-bhta-tanuhwho is the source of the origin of ashes.
ST. refers to a Mbh. legend in this context.
Thousand Names of Siva 111
(equi pped wi th the form of a l ady) (560) uci (pure) (561)
Bhtani sevi ta (resorted to by the goblins) (562) Aramastha
(one stati oned i n t he hermi t age) (563) Kapot as t ha
6 0 7
(one
stati oned i n the dove) (564) Vi vakarm (doing everythi ng)
(565) Pat i (l ord) (566) Vi rt (huge massive one) (567)
Vi l a-kha
5 0 8
(havi ng wi de branches) (568) Tmr os t ha
(havi ng copper-col oured lips) (569) Ambuj l a (havi ng
collection of waters) (570) Sunicita (well deci ded ) (571)
Kapi l a (tawny-col oured) (572) Kal a a (water pot ) (573)
St hl a (stout) (574) Ayudha (weapon) (575) Roma a
(hai ry) (576) Gandhar va (577) Aditi (578) Trksya (579)
Avijeya (i ncomprehensi bl e) (580) Surada (very young
and fresh) (581) Par a vadhyudha (axe-armed) (582) Deva
(illustrious dei ty) (583) Art hakri n (creator of weal t h) (584)
Subndhava (good ki nsman) .
121-140. (585) Tumbav na (having the lute made of
Tumba (a ki nd of gourd) (586) Mahkopa
6 0
* (having great
wr at h) (587) rdhvaret as (one who has subl i mated sexuality)
(588) J al eaya (one lying down i n t he waters) (589) Ugr a
(fierce) (590) Vam akar a (sustainer of t he families) (591)
Varha (race, bamboo) (592) Vam avdi n (one who ex-
pounds races) (593) Ani ndi t a
6 1 0
( uncensur ed) (594) Sarvga-
rpi n (one who assumes the form of t he par t of al l ) (595)
Myvi n (wielding My) (596) Suhrda (friend, havi ng good
hear t ) (597) Ani l a
6 1 1
(wi nd) (598) Bala (strength) (598)
Bandhana (bi ndi ng) (600) Bandhakart (cause of bondage)
(601) Subandhanavi mocana (one who liberates peopl e from
bondages easily) (602) Rksasaghna (slayer of Rksasas)
(603) Kmr i (enemy of kma) (604) Mahdams t r a
5 1 2
(one
507. Kapotasthahone who assumed the form of a pigeon. ST.
refers to t he legend of ibi in t he Mahbhrata.
508. Vila-khah Veda-drumarpah in the form of the tree
of knowledge.
509. Mahkopah mahn pjyah kopo yasyaone whose wrath
is worshipped. Cf. "namaste rudra manyave" cited in ST.
510. Aninditahah Visnu nindito yasmt, through whom Visnu
was humiliated. It refers to the legend of Dadhci.
511. Anilahone who is distinct from J i va ( =ni l a) , the latter being
attached to the objects of senses.
512. Mahdarhstrahone who has projected tusks. This refers to
his boar-form.
278 Ligapurna
who has large curved fangs) (605) Mahyudha (havi ng great
weapons) (606) Lambi t a (one who is suspended down) (607)
Lambi t ost ha (one whose hps hang down suspended) (608)
Lambahas t a (one whose hands hang down) (609) Var apr ada
(one who grants the boon) (610) Bbu ( ar m) (611) Anin-
di t a
8 1 3
(uncensured) (612) Sarva (all) (613) Sakara (614)
Akopana (having no work) (615) Amarea (lord of t he
i mmort al beings) (616) Mahghor a -.(extremely terrible)
(617) Vivedeva (lord of the universe) (618) Surri h
(destroyer of the enemies of Devas) (619) Ahi rbudhnyad
5 1
*
(620) Ni rrt i (621) Ceki tana (knowing and conversant) (622)
Hal i n (bal arma wi th the pl oughshare) (623) Aj ai kapd
5 1 8
(the single-footed unbor n) (624) Kpl i n
0 1 8
(having the skull
for rituals) (625) Sam (one who renders j oy) (626) Kumr a
(one who kills with spikes) (627) Mahgi r i
6 1 7
(great mount ai n)
(628) Dhan van t ar
5 1 8
(629) Dhu make tu (c ome t) (630)
Srya (sun) (631) Vai ravana
5 1
* (632) Dht r (633) Vi snu
(634) akra (635) Mi t r a (636) Tvast r (637) Dhar a (moun-
tai n) (638) Dhr uva (steady) (639) Prabhsa (640) Parvat a
(641) Vyu (642) Aryaman' (643) Savitr (644) Ravi (645)
Dhrt i (courage) (646) Vi dht r (Creat or) (647) Mndhtr
(648) Bht abhvana (purifier of the living beings) (649)
N ra (water) (650) T r t ha (holy cent re) (651) Bhi ma
(terrible) (652) Sarvakarman (performing all duties) (653)
Gunodvaha (one who lifts up the good at t ri but es) (654)
513. Aninditahnsti inditam paramaivaryam yasmt ST. the
most prosperous lord.
514. Ahirbudhnyahesa-rpah ST. the Dragon of the Deep, one
who has monopolized all powers and forms within himself and lies concealed
in the region of primeval darkness.
515. Aja-ekapdone-footed goat, one who is devoid of motion prior
to creation. According to ST. it refers to his half man and half woman
(ardhanrvara) form.
516. Kplione who has created this universe consisting of heaven
and earth ST.
517. Mahgirih, i.e. Himalaya. Cf. Bhagavad-Gt. 'sthvarnm
mahgirih"cited in ST.
518. Dhanvantari : the physician. Cf. "bhi;aktamam tv bhisajm
rnomi"cited in ST.
519. Vairavanason of Viravana, i.e. Kubera.
Thousand Names of iva 279
Padmagar bha (one who has lotus wi t hi n) (655) Mahgar bha
(havi ng a large womb) (656) Candravakt ra (moon-faced)
(657) Nabhas (sky) (658) Anagha (sinless) (659) Bal avn
(powerful) (660) Upa nt a (quiescent) (661) Pur na (anci ent
one (662) Punyakr t ) (meritorious) (663) Tamas (characteri -
zed by t amas qual i ty) (664) Kr r akar t r (Ruthless maker )
(665) Krravsi n (ruthless dwel l er) (666) Ta nu (slender)
(667) At man (668) Mahaus adha (great medi ci ne) (669)
Sarvaya
5 2 0
(Asylum of al l ) (670) Sarvacri n (moving in
everything) (671) Prnea (lord of the vital breaths)_(672)
Pr ni nm pat i (l ord of the living beings) (673) Devadeva
(l ord of Devas) (674) Sukhotsi kta
881
(proud due to happi ness)
(675) Sat (existent) (676) Asat (non-existent) (677) Sarva-
rat navi d (knower of all j ewels) (678) Kai l sastha (stationed in
Kai l sa) (679) Guhvsi n
6 2 2
(residing in a cave) (680) Hi ma-
vad (snowy) (681) Gi ri samraya (one who has resorted to
the mount ai n Hi mal aya) (682) Kul ahr i n (one who removes
the families) (683) Kul kar t (one who does not shape t he
race) (684) Bahuvi tta (one havi ng much weal t h) (685)
Bahupraj a (one who has many chi l dren) (686) Prne a
(lord of the vital breat hs) (687) Bandhak "
8
(of t he form of
my) (688) Vrksa
8 2 4
(t he destroyer of my (689) Nakul a
(mangoose) (690) Adri ka (mount ai neer) (691) Hrasvagr va
(one wi t h a short neck) (692) Mahs nu (one wi t h large knees)
(693) Alola (not fi ckl e) (694) Mahaus adhi (great medi ci ne)
(695) Si ddhnt akri n (one who gets accordi ng to principl es)
(696) Si ddhrt ha (one who has achieved t he purpose) (697)
Ghandas(of the form of chhandas, Gyatr etc.) (698)Vykara-
nodbhava( one ori gi nati ng from prosody and gr ammar ) (699)
Si mhanda (one whose sound is l i ke the roari ng sound of t he
lion) (700) Si mhadamst r a (one havi ng t he curved fangs of
a l i on) (701) Simhsya (leonine faced) (702) Si mhvhana
(lion vehi cl ed) (703) Pr abhvt man (one who has prowess
520. Sarvayahthe resting place for all. ST.
521. Sukhotsiktahthe source of pleasure. Cf. "tasyaiva nandatya
mtrm upajvanti"cited in ST.
522. Guhfivs-*-one who abides in Meru-guh (the cavity of the
heart).
523. BandhakI in the form of allusion (my).
524. Vrksahdestroyer of My.
280
Ligapurna
i n the At man) (704) J agat kl a (death unt o the Uni verse)
(705) Kl a (706) Kampi n (shaking) (707) Tar u
5 2 6
(tree)
(708) Tanu (slender) (709) Sraga (Deer) (710) Bhta-
cakrka
5
-
26
(one marked wi th the mul ti tudes of goblins) (711)
Ket uml i n (one havi ng garl ands of banners) (712) Suvedhaka
(one who pierces well) (713 Bhtl aya (one who is the abode
of living beings) (714) Bht apat i (lord of t he goblins) (715)
Ahort ra (day and ni ght ) (716) Mal a
5 2 7
(di rt) 717) Amal a
5 2 8
(devoid of di r t ) (718) Vasubhrt ( on* hol di ng riches) (719-)
Sar vabht t man (the At man, soul of all living beings) (720)
Nical a (non-movi ng) (721) Subudha (good scholar) (722)
Vi budha (deva) (723) Dur budha (very difficult to compre-
hend) (724) Sarva bht nm asuhrt (he who takes away the
life of all living beings) (725) Nical a (unmovi ng) (726)
Cal avi d (one who knows the mobi l e beings (727) Budha
(scholar) (728) Amoghasamyama (one whose restrai nt is '
never futile) (729) Hrsfa (del i ghted) 730) Bhoj ana (of the<-'
form of food) (731) Pr nadhr ana (one who sustains life)
(732) Dhr t i mn (courageous) (733) Mat i mn (intelligent)
(734) Tr yaks a
5 2 9
(three-eyed) (735) Sukrt a (well conduct ed)
(736) Yudhmpat i (lord of battl es) (737) Gopl a (pro-
tector of the kine) (738) Gopat i (lord of the ki ne) (739) Gr ma
(village) (740) Gocarmavasana (one weari ng the l eather of
the bul l ) (741) Ha r a
5 3 0
(742) Hi r anyabhu (one who has
-gkjden arms) (743) Guhvs a
8 3 1
(resident of the cave)
(744) Praveana (one who enters the cavi ty) (745) Mah-
525. Taruh.in the form of tree, i . e. creation.
526. Bhta-cakrkah -one is the source of the origin of beings. Cf.
"yat o v imni bhtni j yante"cited in ST.
527. Mal ahnot benevolent towards the heretics.
528. Amalahsinless.
529. Tryak?ahthree-eyed, so called because a third eye burst from
his forehead with a great flame when Um, playfully placed her hands over
his eyes after he had been engaged in austerities in the Himalayas. This
eye has been very destructive. It rendered Kama, the God of Love, to ashes;
Dowson, H. _Af. See under Trilocana.
" ""530. Har ah one who destroys all at the time of dissolution. Cf.
"brahmnam indram varunam yamam dhanadam eva ca / nigrhya harate
yasmt tasmd dhara iti smrt ah" Mbh. (Drona p. ) cited in ST.
531. Guhvsah one who has an abode in intellect.
Thousand Nanus of Siva
281
manas (lofty-minded) (746) Mahkma (one who has great
l ove) (747) Ci t t akma (one who has kept Kama wi t hi n the
mi nd) (748) J i t endr i ya (one who has conquered the sense-
organs ) (749) Gndhr a ( 750) Sur pa
8 8 8
(one who dri nks wi ne)
(751) Tpakar mar at a (one who i s engaged i n beating-activity)
(752) Hi t a (Beneficent) (753) Ma h bht a
6 8 3
(great gobl i n)
(754) Bht avrt a (surrounded by goblins) (755) Apsaras
5 8 3 a
(having a wat ery pond in t he form of t he moon) (756) Gxa-
sevita (one who i s resorted to by t he Ganas ) (757) MahketU
(bi g-bannered) (758) Dhar dht (creat or of t he ear t h) (759f)
Nai kat nar at a (one who does not concent rat e on a single not e)
(760) Svara (one in t he form of Tone) (761) Avedan ya (one
who cannot be under st ood) (762) Avedya (one who cannot
be i nf ormed) (763) Sarvaga
6 3 4
(omni present) (764) Sukhvaha
(one who causes happi ness).
141-150. (765) Tr ana( r edeemer ) (766) Car ana (walking)
(767) Dh t r (creat or) (768) Par i dh
8 3 8
(in the form of ear t h)
(769) Pari pj i t a (one who i s worshi pped all r ound) (770)
Samyogi n
8 8 8
(uni t ed) (771) Var dhana (one who increases)
(772) Vr ddha (ol d) (773) Gani ka (A member of t he Ganas )
(774) Ga n dhi pa (overlord of t he Ganas ) (775) Ni t ya (eternal )
(776) Dht r (creat or) (777) Sahya (assistant) (778) Devsura-
pat i (lord of Devas and asuras) (779) Pad (l ord) (780)
Yukt a
8 3 7
(uni t ed) (781) Yukt abhu (of uni t ed arms) (782)
Sudeva (good deva) (783) Supar vana (of good j oi nt s) (784)
Susdha (785) (one who hel ps to cal ml y bear pai n) (786)
Skandhada
8 8 9
(one who pacifies Kr t t i keya) (787) Har i t a
(green) (788) Ha r a (789) Vapus
8 4 0
(sower of seed) (790)
538. Surpahone who drinks Sura (a kind of wine). Cf. "Jivhv-
pravesa-satnbhta-vahninotpditah khalu / candrt sravati yah srah s
syd amara-vruni // HyPcited in ST.
533. Mahbhtah designated as a great being. Cf. "Jyes(ham
bhtam vadanty enam". Mbh. (Drona p.) cited in ST.
533a. Spsaraha reservoir of water.
534. Sarvagahsung by all.
535. Paridhin the form of earth 57".
536. Samyogiunited with Prakrti.
537. Yuktahunited with Um.
538. Susdhabone who makes pains bearable.
539. Skandhadahone who removes the anger of Krttikeya.
540. Vapuhthe sower of seeds.
282 Ligapurna
Avartamna (one who turns round and r ound) (791) Anya
5 4 1
(Another) (792) Vapuhrestfi a (one who has excellent body)
(793) Mahvapuh (one who has great body) (794) i r as
M2
( i n
the form of Yajus) (795) Vi marana (one who examines the
head) (796) Sarval aksyal aksanabhsi ta (one who is adorned
by all examples and characteristics (797) Aksaya (one who i s
i mperi shabl e) (798) Rat hag t a (one who has music i n t he
chariot) (799) Sarvabhogi n (one who enjoys all pleasures)
(800) Mahbal a (one who has great st rengt h) (801) Smnya
(one who has the Vedas) (802) Mahmnya (one whose Vedas
are great ) (803) T rt hadeva (lord of the holy centres) (804)
Mahyaas (having great fame) (805) Nirjiva (one from
whom emanates all life) (806) J vana (one who enlivens)
(807) Mant r a (808) Subhaga (fortunate) (809) Bahukarkaa
(excessively har d) (810) Rat ri abht a (one who has become
p Te Ci o u s ) (811) Rat nga (one who is par t of a j ewel ) (812)
Mahr navani pt avi d (one who knows the fall i nt o a great sea)
(813) Ml am( r oot ) (814)Vi l a(wi de) (815) Amr t am (nectar)
(816)Vyakt vyakt a(onewho is clear and not cl ear) (817)Taponi -
dhi (storehouse of austerities) (818) Arohana(one t hat ascends)
(819) Adhi roha (one who rides) (820) l adhri n (one who
hol ds good conduct ) (821) Maht apas (one of great penance)
(822) Mahkan^ha (one who has a great neck) (823) Mahayogin
(great Yogi n) (824) Yuga (825) Yugakara (creator of yugas)
(826) Har i (827) Yugar pa (having t he form of the yuga)
(828) Mahr pa (one who has great forms) (829) Vahana
(beat i ng) (830) Gahana (inaccessible) ( 831) Naga (mount ai n)
(832) Nyya (logic, j usti ce) (833) Ni r vpana
5 4 3
(alleviating,
pacifying) (834) Apda (footless) (835) Pandi t a (scholar)
(836;) Acal opama (comparabl e to a mount ai n) (837) Bahuml a
(having many garl ands) (838) Mahml a (havi ng great gar-
l and) (839) i pi vi sta
5 4 4
(one who has penet rat ed t he rays)
(840) Sul ocana (having good eyes) (841) Vi stra (extension)
541. Anyahdistinct from Prakrti.
542. Yajuh.in the form of Yajur-veda, Cf. "tasya yajur eva lrah"
cited in ST.
543. Nirvpanahthe eternal sower of seeds.
544. ipivi?tahin the form of Vi?nu. Cf. Visnuh ipivistah
dted in ST.
Thousand Names of iva
283
(842) Lavana (salty ocean) (843) Kpa (well) (844) Kusum-
ga (one whose limbs are flower-like) (845) Phal odaya (one
who acts well till t he fruit is reaped) (846) Rs abha( bul l ) (847)
Vr s abha (taurus) (848) Bhaga (breaki ng) (849) Mani -
bi mbaj at dhar a (one who holds j ewelled i mage and mat t ed
hair*) (850) I ndu (moon) (851) Visarga (discharge) (852)
Sumukha (havi ng good face) (853) ra (heroic) (854)
Sarvyudha (one who has all weapons) (855) Saha (one who
endures) .
151-168. (856) Ni vedana( one who informs) (857) Sudhj ta
(one bor n of nect ar ) (858)Svargadvara
5 4 5
(one who is the gate-
way to the heaven) (859) Mahdhanus (one who has great bow)
(860) Gi rvsa (one who resides in speech) (861) Visarga
(subsidiary creati on) (862) Sarvalaksanalaksyavid (knower
of all characteristics and examples) (863) Gandhaml i n (one
who has sweet smelling garl ands) (864) Bhagavn
6 4
* (l ord)
(865) Anant a (endless) (866) Sarval aksana (one who has all
characteristics) (867) Sant na (series) (868) Bahul a (a bes-
tower of riches) (869) Bhu (one havi ng long arms) (870)
Sakal a (havi ng the digits) (871) Sarvapvana (sanctifier
of al l ) (872) Karast hl
3 4 7
(having the pot i n t he hand) (873)
Kapl i n
5 4 8
(havi ng the skull) (874) Urdhvasarhhanana (having
t he body lifted up) (875) Yuvan (youthful) (876) Yant ra-
tantra-suvi khyta (one who is well known for his yantras
and t ant ras) (877) Loka (worl d) (878) Sarvraya (one who
is the support of all) (879) Mr du (soft) (380) Munda (one
wi th shaven head) (881) Vi rpa (deformed) (882) Vi krta
(spoiled) (883) Dandi n (one havi ng the staff) (884) Kundi n
3 4 9
(one havi ng the sacrificial pi t ) (885) Vi kurvana
5 5 0
(one who
alters and affects) (886) Vryaksa (one who has the eyes in
545. Svarga-dvrahthe door to happiness. For the definition of
Svarga compare: "yan na duhkhena sambhinnam na ca grastam anantaram
abhilsopanitam ca tat sukham vahpadspadam.
546. Bhagavnaivaryavn ST. glorious or prosperous.
547. Karasthli one who eats in the palm of his hands. Cf. "tatah
karatalikrtya vypi hlhalarh Visam", Bhg.cited in ST.
548. Kaptione who sustains or nourishes Brahma (ka).
549. Kundone who carries Ganges over his forehead.
550. Vikurvanahone who is not accessible through activities.
284
Ligapurna
wat er ?) (887) Kakubha* *
1
(promi nent ) (888) Vaj ri n (having
Ui ej t hunderbol t ) (889) Di ptatej as (one of i l l umi nated splen-
dour ) "(890) Sahasrapd (thousand-footed) (891) Sahasra-
mr dhan (t housand-headed) (892) Devendra (lord of
Devas) (893) Sarvadevamaya (identical wi t h all Devas)
(894) Gur u (preceptor) (895) Sahasrabhu (t housand-armed)
(896) Sarvga (havi ng all l i mbs) (897) aranya (worthy of
bei ng sought refuge i n) (898) Saryl okakrt (maker of all t he
worl ds) (899) Pavi t ra (holy) (900) J r i ma d h u (having three-
fodfhoney) (901) Ma nt r a (in t he form of t he sacred hymns
of t he Vedas (902) Kani s t ha
S M
(youngest) (903) Krsnapi gal a
(dark and tawny-col oured) (904) Brahmadanda-vi ni rmt r
(maker of the staff of Br ahm) (905) at aghna (one who
kills a hundr ed) (906) Sat apadhrk (one who wears a hun-
dr ed nooses) (907) (identical with t he uni ts of time* * * such as
Kal (908) Ksf ha (909) Lava (910) M&tr (911) Muhr t a
(912) Ahah (day) (913) Ks ap (ni ght) (914) Ks aa (915)
Vi vaksetraprada (one who grants the hol y centres of t he
universe) (916) Bja (seed) (917) Li gam (918 Adya
(pri meval ' bei ng) (919)Ni rmukha (one whose face has vani shed)
(920) Sadasad (existent-cum-non-existent) (921) Vyakt a
(visible) (922) Avyakta (invisible) (923) Pi t r (father) (924)
Mt r (mot her) (925) Pi t maha (grandfather) (926) Svarga-
dvr am (the gateway of t he heaven) (927) Moksadvram
(gateway of the sal vati on) (928) Praj dvra (one who is the
arch-door for his devotee) (929) Tri vi st apa (heaven) (930)
Ni r vnam (salvation) (931) Hr daya (heart ) (932) Brahma-
loka (the worl d of Br ahm) (933) Pargat i (the greatest goal )
(934) Devsuravi ni rmt r (one who creates Devas and t he
Asuras) (935) Devsuraparyana (one who is interested in
Devas and Asuras) (936) Devsuraguru (the preceptor
of Devas and Asuras) ( 937) Deva (the l ord) (938) Devsura-
namaskrt a (one who i s bowed to by Devas and t he Asuras)
(939) Devs ur amahmt r a (high official and minister unt o
Devas and Asuras) (940) Devsuraganraya (one who
551. Kakubhahone who carriei trila in hu lap ST.
553. Kanisthahever youthful or of unmanifest form. Cf. "nitya-
yne kaniithiya yadv 'vi je ya-mrtaye''Ahobala cited in ST
553. Ka U -who symbolises units of time, such as KalA, et c
Thousand Names of Siva 285
is the support of the groups of all Devas and Asuras (941)
Devsuragandhyaksa (the presiding officer of t he groups
of all Devas and Asuras) (942) Devsuragangran (the
l eader of t he groups of all Devas and Asuras) (943) Devdhi -
deva (the overl ord of all Devas) (944) Devarsi (the di vi ne
sage) (945) Devsuravaraprada (one who grants boons to all
Devas and Asuras) (946) Devsurevara (lord of all Devas
and t he Asuras) (947) Vi snu (948) Devsuramahevara
(great l ord of all Devas and Asuras) (949) Sarvadevamaya
(identical wi th all Devas) (950) Aci ntya (unt hi nkabl e)
(951) Devat t man (the Atman of the deities) (952) Svayara-
bhava (the self-born) (953) Udgat a (one who has come up)
(954) Tr i kr ama (one who has taken three steps) (955) Vai dya
(physician) (956) Var ada (granter of boons) (957) Varaj a
3 6 4
(born of Vi snu) (958) Ambar a (in the form of firmament)
(959) Ij ya (worthy of being worshi pped) (960) Hast i n (ele-
phant ) (961) Vyghra (tiger) (962) Devasi mha (lion among
Devas) (963) Mahar s abha (great bul l ) (964) Vi budhgrya
(leader among Devas) (965) Sura (god) (966) resfha
(excellent) (967) Svargadeva (lord of t he heaven) (968)
Ut t a ma
5 8 6
(the; most excellent one) (969) Samyukt a (united)
(970) obhana (splendid) (971) Vakt " * (el oquent speaker)
(972) Aprabhava (Source of all hopes) (973) Avyaya (the
unchangi ng one) (974) Gur u (preceptor) (975) K nt a (splen-
di d) (976) Nij a (one' s own) (977) Sarga (creat i on) (978)
Pavi t ra (hol y) (979) Sarvavhana (having all vehicles)
~~(980) sSrgin (havig~teorn) (981) rgapri ya (fond of horn
peaks) (982) Babhru (tawny col oured) (983) Rj arj a (king
of kings) (984) Ni rmaya] (free from ai l ments) (985) Abhi rma
(beautiful) (986) Suarana (a good refuge) (987) Ni r ma
(devoid of unri pe things) (988) Sarvasdhana (having all
means) (989) Lal j ksa (having an eye in the forehead) (990)
Vi vadeha (having t he universe as t he body) (991) Har i na
554. Varajahborn in the form of 'smba-iva' at the behest of
Visnu. Or dissolve 'avara-jah* born in the form of fire at the time of disso-
lution.
555* Uttamab.the supreme soul. Cf. "uttamah purusat tvanyah
paramtmetyudahrtah // Bhagavad-Gtd cited ia ST.
556. Vaktthe best speaker. Cf. "adhivakti"cited in ST.
286
Ligapurna
(deer) (992) Brahmavarcasa (having the refulgence of the
br ahman) (993) St hvara pati (lord of the i mmobi l e thi ngs)
(994) Ni yat endri yavart ana (one who remai ns wi th restraints
on the sense-organs) (995) Si ddhrt ha (one who has achieved
the purpose) (996) Sarvabht rt ha (one who has all realities)
(997) Aci ntya (unthi nkabl e) (998) Satya (true) (999) uci-
vrat a (one of pur e holy rites) (1000) Vr at dhi pa (the lord of
holy rites) (1001 ) Par am (the highest "being) (1002)Brahma(t he
br ahman) (1003) Mukt nm par am gati (the greatest goal
of the liberated souls) (1004) Vi mukt a (the liberated one)
(1005) Mukt ake a
8 6 7
(one whose tresses are loosened) (1006)
r mn (glorious) (1007) r vardhana (one who increases
prosperity and glory) (1008) J agat (universe).
169. In accordance wi th the i mportance of the name,
5 5 8
the lord of sacrifices was eulogized by me wi th devotion and
attenti on.
170-171. Then the king who was well known in the three
worlds obtai ned the hymn of iva from Tandi n. He eulogized
the lord, the goal of the devotees, after the approval of Tandi n.
By the grace of holy l or dTandi n, the king Tr i dhanv of great
fame at t ai ned t he meri t of a thousand horse-sacrifices and also
the overlordship of Ganas.
172-175. O Brahmi ns, he who r e a d 3 this or listens to it or
narrates this to t he Brahmi ns, attai ns the meri t of a thousand
horse-sacrifices. In order to obtai n release, t he following sinners
should repeat for a year these names, duri ng the three Sandhys
(morni ng, mi dday and dusk) in the templ e of iva or in the
region sacred to Siva and they should also worship the l ord.
They are : t he slayer of a Brahmi n, t he wine addi ct, the thief,
t he defiler of the preceptor' s bed, the mur der er of a refugee,
and t he one who commits breach of faith wi th his friends. So
also the slayer of mot her, father, warrior and t he chil d in the
womb.
557. Muktakeab.lord of the released souls.
558. Yath-pradhnamthe principal name iva (not mentioned
in the above list), with the ending in the dative case, is to be added to each
of the names which are also to be put in the dative case. e.g. Ommukta-
keya ivya namah.
287
CHAPTER SDCTYSIX
The narrative of Yqyti'
S&ta said:
1-2. By the grace of t he lord of Devas as well as of
Tandi n, Tr i dhanvan attai ned assiduously t he benefit of
a thousand horse-sacrifices. Thereafter he gai ned the lordship
of Siva' s at t endant s. He was bowed to by all Devas. The
scholarly king Tr ayyr una was t he successor to Tr i dhanvan.
3-4. He had an extremely powerful son named Satyavrata.
He killed the ki ng of Vi dar bha
8 8
^ of unmeasured prowess
8 6
' and
abduct ed his wife before t he mant r as of t he weddi ng cele-
brati ons were brought to a close. The king Tr ayyr una
abandoned hi m because he was defiled by t hat evil.
5. W hen abandoned, he said to his father " W her e shall I
go ?" O brahmi ns, the father replied to hi m " Go and live
among the Cndl as.
6-11. On bei ng ordered thus, he went out of t he city. At
the i nstance of his father, t he intelligent Satyavrata went to the
Cndl a colony. Qn bei ng abandoned by his father t hus he
stayed near t he slum while his father went to t he forest.
The val i ant (son) and meri tori ous king Satyavrata became
famous i n all t he worlds under the name Tri aku. Once
Vasi st ha pr onounced on hi m a curse. Vi vmi t ra of great
spl endour grant ed hi m boons and crowned hi m king
in the heredi tary ki ngdom. The sage performed a sacrifice on
his behalf. Even as Devas and Vasistha were watchi ng, t he
holy lord Vi i vmi t r raised hi m up to heaven i n his human
f orm.
5 8 0
Hi s wife, Satyavrata born of t heKekaya family
6 81
gave bi rth to a spotless son Hari candra. Har i candr a' s son
Rohi t a was very powerful.
12. Har i t a was t he son of Rohi t a. Dhundhu was t he son
of Har i t a. Vij aya and Sutejas were t he sons of Dhundhu.
558a. Vidarbhai.e. the king of Vidarbha, mod. Berar, now placed
under the administration of Mahrsfra province.
559. Amitaujasaccording to ST. it is the name of a king.
560. For detail, Dawson : Hindu Mythology, pp. 288-289.
561. KekayaKekayas lived between the Jhelum and the Beas and had
their capital at Girivraja (Girijak modern Jallpur) on the Jhelum river.
288
Ligapurna
13. Vijaya was so called because he conquered the kings of
t he Ksatri yavarna. Hi s son Rucaka was a righteous king.
14. Vrka was t he son of Rucaka. F r om hi m was bor n
Bhu. Sagara, an extremel y vi rtuous king was his son.
15. Sagara had two wives, Pr abh and Bhnumat i . The
fiery sage Aurva
5
*
2
was propi t i at ed by both of them, wi th a
desire for sons.
16-17. The del ighted Aurva askeA t hem to choose a boon of
thei r liking out of the two, viz. one woul d have sixty thousand
sons and t he other a single son, who would conti nue t he family
line. Pr abh chose to have many sorts and Bhnumat i one son
who was Asamaj asa.
18. Thereaft er Pr abh gave bi rt h to sixty thousand sons.
Whi l e digging t he earth, they were burned by the angry out-
bursts of Visnu
5
*
3
in the guise of Kapi l a as if t hrough arrows.
19-20. Asamaj asa' s son is well known as Am umn. Hi s
son was Dilpa. F r om Di l pa was bor n Bhag ratha who per-
formed penance and br ought t he Ganges to t he earth. So i t i s
called Bhgi rathi . Bhag ratha' s son was Sruta.
21. Nbhga was his successor. He was a valorous devotee
of Siva. Hi s son was Ambar sa, from whom was born Sindhu-
dv pa.
22. The earth, rul ed over by Nbhga Ambar sa wi th the
power of his arms became entirely devoid of the three-fold
distress.
23. The valorous son of Si ndhudv pa was Ayutyus.
Rt upar na of great fame was the son of Ayutyus.
24-25. Thi s powerful king was a friend of Nal a. He was
conversant wi th the secret of dice. In the Purnas, two Nal as
of stable holy rites are well known. One was t he son of Vra-
sena and the other bor n in the family of Iksvku. Sr vabhauma
the lord of t he subjects was the son of Rt upar na.
26. Ki ng Suds was his son. He was equal to Indr a. Ki ng
Saudsa was t he son of Suds.
562. Aurvo agnihagnisadrah Aurvo rsih ST. the fiery sage Aurva,
the son of Urva and the grandson of the famous sage Bhrgu.
563. Vijnui.e. the sage Kapila who destroyed the sons of king
Sagara by uttering "hum". For detail, see p. (Umsairhhit, p. 1610). Also
H.M. pp. 871-272.
Narrative of Tqyii 289
27-28. Hi s actual name was Mi t rasaha but he was mor e
famous as Kal ms apda.
5 6
* Vasistha of great spl endour begot
of t he wife of Kal ms apda t he son Amaka who conti nued t he
l ine of Iksvku. Ml aka was t he son of Amaka and Ut t ar
(his wi fe).
29-30. Tha t king was always surrounded by women due t o
his fear of Par a ur ma. Desirous of protecti on he had recourse
to the excellent shield in the form of women. The virtuous ki ng
at arat ha was t he son of Ml aka. The powerful ki ng Il abi l a
was bor n of at ar at ha.
31. The val orous Vr ddha ar m was t he son of Il abi l a.
The daught er of t he Pitrs bore hi m t he son Vivasaha.
32-33. Di l pa was his son. He was famous by t he name
Khaf vga. He obtai ned a life for t he durat i on of a Muhr t a.
F r om heaven he came to this world for this period and conque-
red t he t hree fi res and t he three worlds by means of his
intellect and truthfulness. Hi s son was D r ghabhu and Raghu
was born of hi m.
34. The powerful and val i ant Aja was born of Raghu.
F r om hi m was born the glorious Da ar at ha, t he sustainer of t he
family of Iksvku.
35. The heroic R ma who was conversant wi th Dhar ma
and who was well known i n all t he worlds was bor n of Da a-
r at ha. So also were Bharat a, Laks mana and at r ughna.
36-38. Rma, t he best among them, had great spl endour
and excellent val our. After killing Rvana i n bat t l e and
performi ng sacrifices R ma who was conversant wi th Dhar ma
rul ed over t he ki ngdom for ten t housand years. A son well
known as Ku a was born t o Rma. Hi s other son Lava was
highly blessed, truthful and intelligent. Atithi was born to
Ku a and his son was Ni sadha.
39. Nal a was bor n of Ni sadha and Nabhas was his son.
A son called Pundari ka was born to Nabhas, and Ks ema
Dhanvan was his son.
40-41. Hi s son was t he heroi c and valorous Devn ka.
Ah nara was his son and thereafter was Sahasrsva. F r om hi m
were bor n Candrval oka and Tr p da. Hi s son was Chandr a-
giri. Bhnucandr a was his son.
564. Kalmsapdahthe tame at Mitrasaha, a king of Iksvku
dynasty. For detail, Dawson H.M. pp. 144-145.
290
Ligapurna
42. Hi s son was rut yu who was also known as Brhadbal a.
Thi s powerful king was killed by Saubhadr a (son of Subhadr
i. e. Abhi manyu) in t he Bharat a war.
43. These ar e the successor kings of Iksvku. In general
only the more i mport ant ones i n the dynasty are ment i oned
here in order of their i mport ance.
44-45. All of t hem had realized iva. In accordance
wi th thei r knowl edge
89 5
they had worshipped t he l ord and per-
formed sacrifices accordi ng to t he rules. The nobl e souls had
all at t ai ned heaven. Some of t hem were l i berated souls and
yogins. As the result of t he curse of a tSrahmin, Nr ga attai n-
ed t he state of a chamel eon.
46. Dhrst a had three virtuous sons, viz., Dhrst aket u, Yama-
bl a and Ranadhr s t a.
47. aryti had a son nart a and a daught er Sukany.
Anart a' s son was Rocamna.
48-49a. Rocamna had a son Reva. F r om Reva were
bor n Rai vat a and Kakudmi n. Reva was t he eldest of a
hundr ed sons. Hi s daught er Revat was t he wife of Bal arma.
49b Nari syant a' s son was J i t t man.
50-5l a F r om Nbhga was born Ambar sa, the devotee of
Vi snu. Rt a was his glorious son. He was the best among those
conversant with Dhar ma. Kr t a was his virtuous son also known
as Prsita.
51a. The sons of Kar s a were known as Krsas.
52. Prsi ta i ncurred great sin by killing the cow of his
precept or.
5 6 8
It is well known t hat he was degraded as a dra
due to the curse of Cyavana, his preceptor.
53. Di sta' s son was Nbhga and from hi m was born
Bhal andana. Hi s son Aj avhana was a king of great exploits.
54. Thus (the successors of) the mi ghty sons of Ma nu are told
briefly and the dynasty of Iksvku (in some det ai l ). Now I
shall recount to you the dynasty of Aila.
565. pupatam jnamyogic practices as enjoined in aiva cult.
Gf. p. 135 note 242.
566. Pf-sata killed, in ignorance, the cow of his preceptor: Cyavana,
mistaking it for a tiger in the darkness of night.
Narrative ofTayti
291
Suta said:
55-56. O brahmi ns, Purravas a valorous son of Il and a
devotee of Rudr a, held an unhi ndered sway in the holy l and
Prayga
8 8 7
whi ch is. situated on the nort hern bank of the
Yamuna
5
*
8
frequented by sages. He was the glorious lord of
Prat i st hna
6 8
* (Prayga), and well established there.
57-58. He had six powerful glorious sons, well known in
the region of the Gandharvas and devoted to iva. All of
t hem were divine, bei ng the sons of Urva .
5 7 0
They wer e:
Ayu, Myu, Amyu, Vivyu, rutyu and atyu.
59. Ayu had five sons of great power. They were kings
born of Pr abh the daught er of Svarbhnu.
60. Nahus a the fi rst among t hem was known i n all the
worlds and conversant wi th Dhar ma. Nahusa' s successors were
six and they were comparabl e to I ndr a i n spl endour.
61-62. Those (kings) of great power were born of Viraj
the daught er of the Pitrs. They were Yati , Yayti , Samyti ,
Ayti , Andhaka and Vijti. All these six were well renowned.
Yat i was t he eldest of them and Yayti was j uni or to hi m.
63. The eldest royal son Yati seeking sal vati on, was
uni ted wi t h Br ahman. Among the other f i ve Yayti was the
strongest and most valorous.
64. He marri ed Devaynl the daught er of ukra. She be-
came t he demoness armis{h t he daught er of Vrsaparvan.
65. Devayn gave bi rth to two sons Yadu and Turvasu.
Both of t hem performed sacrificial rites. They were highly
spoken and were experts in all lores.
567. Praygathis is a celebrated place of pilgrimage at the con-
fluence of the Ganges and Jumn in the Naimisa forest {Sp. Vs.1.4). It is
situated on the northern bank of the Ganges (5*11. 11.12.36). The name
Prayga is recorded by Huen Tsang in the seventh century and is as old as
the reign of Aoka who set up the stone pillar about 235 B.C. The Gupta
emperors regarded the place as the capital of Madhyadea.
568. Yamunathis river rises in the Himalaya mountains among the
Jumnotri peaks, flows for 860 miles on the plains before it joins the Ganges
at Prayga.
569. PratisthnaThe Purnas are not agreed upon its locus. Some
place it on the north and some on the east side of the Ganges. Others place
it on the north bank of the Yamuna.
570. Urva a celebrated celstial nymph.
292 Ligapurna
66-67. armi sth t he daught er of Vrsaparvan gave bi rt h to
Druhyu, Anu and Pr u. Propi t i at ed by Yayti , ukra , the
l eadi ng br ahmi n gave hi m a shining well-built gol den car and
two everlasting great quivers.
68. The chari ot was yoked to horses as qui ck as t he mi nd.
It was i n this chari ot t hat he br ought home his bri de. W i t h
t hat excellent chari ot he conquered the ear t h wi t hi n six
mont hs.
69-71. Yayti was invincibl e to Devas, Dnavas and mort al s.
He was a devotee of iva, a meri tori ous soul abi di ng by Dhar -
ma. He performed sacrifices. He conquered anger. He was
sympatheti c to all living bei ngs. Tha t excellent chari ot was
i nheri t ed by all t he descendants of Kur u unti l J anamej aya t he
son of Parksit t he king in the l ine of Pr u. As a resul t of t he
curse of t he sage Gar ga
5 7 1
t hat chari ot was destroyed.
72-76. The ki ng J anamej aya harassed t he son of Gar ga,
t he boy Akrra, and hence at t ai ned the sin of br ahmi n slaugh-
ter. The king began t o emi t the odour of rusting i ron. He r an
about helterskelter. Since he was boycotted by t he citizens
and t he peopl e of t he l and he di d not obt ai n happiness.
Dej ected, he di d not even have perfect knowledge anywhere.
In his angui sh he went to sage aunaka and sought refuge
i n hi m. The l iberal -minded sage who was known as Indr et i
performed sacrifice on his behalf. O excellent brahmi ns, for
the sake of purification he made the king J anamej aya perform
a horse sacrifice.
77-79. Tha t king of great renown was relieved of t he
bad odour of i ron as well as of his sin. In t he mi ddl e of the
Avabhrt ha abl uti on t he divine and splendid chari ot vanished.
Lost from t hat family it was given to Vasu ki ng of Cedi
5 7 2
by
the delighted I ndr a. F r om hi m Br hadr at ha acquired the chari ot.
Thereafter, killing J ar s andha (a successor of Brhadrat ha) Bh ma,
the scion of the family of Kurus, gave that excellent chari ot
to rkrsna out of love.
571. ipd gargasyaby the cune of the sage Garga. The legend is
not traceable.
57s. Cedi-patehof the king of Cedi tribe or clan. Haimakosa
identifies Cedi-nagar with Tripuri (modern Tewar), situated on the
Narmad river near Jabalpur.
Narrative of Yayti
293
Sta said:
80-83. Ki ng Yayti son of Nahus a crowned his son Pr u
(as ki ng) . O excellent brahmi ns, i t was by t hat Pr u al one t hat
he had been hel ped before. People of all castes i ncl udi ng t he
l eadi ng brahmi ns spoke to t he king who was desirous of crown-
i ng his youngest s on: O lord, how does t he youngest son
deserve t he ki ngdom after overlooking t he claims of the eldest
son Yadu, t he son of Devayni and the grandson of ukra ?
W e ar e addressing you t o keep up the tradi ti onal Dha r ma . "
CHAPTER SIXTYSEVEN
The Narrative of Yayti
Yayti said:
1. Let t he members of all castes begi nni ng wi t h the brah-
mi ns listen to my words in regard to this why I have decided
t hat t he ki ngdom should i n no way be given to t he eldest son
Yadu.
2. My behest was not carri ed out by Yadu my eldest son.
The son who is mental l y opposed to his father is not approved
of by good men.
3. The son who acts accordi ng to the instructions of his
parent s i s prai sed by good men. He i s t he real son who behaves
towards his parent s in a manner befitting a son.
4. I have been treated wi t h disrespect by Yadu, Trvasu,
Dr uhyu and Anu.
5. My instructions were parti cul arl y honoured and carri ed
out by Pr u. He i s my youngest son by whom my old age had
been taken over.
6. Because of Devayni , ukra had ordai ned t hat I would
be attacked by old age. W hen he was requested, my old age was
made transferable by hi m.
7-10. Thi s boon was given by ukra hi msel f "The son
who favours you shall be your hei r t o t he ki ngdom. " Ma y ye
al l , O sires, approve of it. Pru shall then be crowned
ki ng. "
294
Ligapurna
The Sages said:
' ' The son who is endowed wi th good qualities and who is
always beneficent to his parentsdeserves all welfare, al though
he may be the younger son. Lord Pr u deserves this ki ngdom
since he is t he son who has carried out your instructions. Because
of the boon granted by ukra this cannot be made other-
wise."
Sta said:
The son of Nahus a was told thus by the delighted peopl e of
the l and. *
11. After crowni ng his son Pru in his own kingdom he
directed Turvasu his son to be t he southern border chief.
12. Similarly the king empl oyed t he eldest son Yadu in the
southern frontier and Dr uhyu and Anu i n the west and i n the
nort h respectively.
13. After conqueri ng the eart h i ncl udi ng the seven islands
and seven oceans, t he son of Nahusa divided the ki ngdom i nto
three part s among his sons.
14. W i t h t he royal glory transferred to his sons and with
the burden pl aced on his kins, the king became pleased. Hi s
mi nd was fi l l ed wi t h del i ght.
15-24. In this context the following song was formerly sung
by the great ki ng Yayti :
A man shall be glorious if only he wi thdraws all his desires
like t he tortoise wi t hdrawi ng all its limbs; otherwise not , even
if he performs a crore of holy rites.
Lust is never quelled by the enj oyment of desires. J ust as
the fire becomes all t he mor e bl azing wi th oil poured into it so
also it is hei ghtened by t he same.
5
'
3
W hatever grai n or barl ey the eart h contai ns, t he entire
gold i t has, and all the animal s and women of the eart h are not
enough for the insatiable desire of even a single i ndi vi dual .
Considering this fact, man should remai n tranqui l (i.e. free
from desires).
W hen man has no sinful motives towards any living being
mental l y, verbally or physically he attai ns Brahman.
573. This verse is repeated (1. 8. 25). It is the same as Paca-
dai (7.47).
Narrative of Yayti 295
W hen man is not afraid of others, when others are not afraid
of hi m, when he nei ther despises nor hates, he attai ns Brahman.
Happi ness is at t ai ned by one who eschews covetousness
which is difficult to avoid by wicked men, whi ch does not
age even if he ages and whi ch is an ail ment t hat ends only wi th
his life.
W hen one ages, his hairs, his teeth, his eyes, his ears all do
age. But greed al one remai ns free from old age
5 7 4
Everythi ng in respect of a person does age of its own accord,
not otherwise. But t he yearni ng for life and t he craving for
riches do not age even if the person ages.
The happiness arising from the fulfilment of desires in t he
world, and t he great di vi ne happiness of heaven do not meri t
even a sixteenth par t of t hat happi ness which one has when
thirst for objects is dispelled.
5 7 5
After saying this that saintly king entered the forest acc-
ompani ed by his wives.
25-28. He performed penance on the peak Bhrgut uga.
3 7 9
Ther e the renowned king practised fast and at t ai ned heaven al ong
wi th his wives. His line of successors consisted of five holy kings
who were honoured even by divine sages. The enti re eart h i s
pervaded by these descendants like t he rays of the sun. By
readi ng or listening to the holy narrati ve of Yayti a man
becomes intelligent, rich, long lived, famous and blessed with
issues. Li berat ed from all sins he shall be honoured in the worl d
of iva.
574. This is an oft-quoted verse.
375. This is an oft-quoted verse.
576. Bhrgu-tungathis is a peak of the Himalayas. VarSha (ch.146.
45-46) places it in Nepal on the eastern bank of the Gao^aka where the sage
Bhrgu had a hermitage. Vmana. (31-33)locates it near Vitast andHimavat.
GEAMI. part I. p. 70.
296 Ligapurna
CHAPTER SIXTYEIGHT
The race of Jymagha
Sta Said :
1. I shall enumerat e the members of t he family of the
glorious Yadu, the eldest son of Yayti. Even as I narrat e
t hem succinctl y and i n the proper order listen to i t and under-
st and.
2. Yadu had five sons comparabl e to t he sons of Devas.
Sahasraj it was the eldest. The others were Krost u, N l a, Ajaka
and Laghu.
3. The king atajit was t he son of Sahasraj it. atajit had
t hree renowned sons.
4. They were Hai haya, Haya and t he king Venuhaya.
The successor of Hai haya was the well known Dhar ma.
5. O brahmi ns, his son was Dhar manet r a. K rt i was t he
son of Dhar manet r a and his son was Saj aya.
6. Th e vi rt uous Mahi s mn was t he hei r and successor of
Saj aya. The val orous Bhadrarenya was t he son of Mahi s mn.
7. Bhadrarenya' s legal hei r was the ki ng named Dur dama
-who had an intelligent son known as Dhanaka.
8-9. The sons of Dhanaka were four and they were very
popul ar. They wereKrt av rya, Kr t gni , Kr t avar m and
Krt auj as. Arj una was t he son of Krt av rya. He was bor n wi t h
thousand arms and became t he best of the lords of the seven
islands.
10-12. R ma who was identical wi th Nr yana was the
cause of his deat h. He had a hundr ed sons. F i ve of t hem were
great heroes. They were strong, heroic, vi rtuous and l earned.
They had good pract i ce i n t he use of all missiles. They were
ra, rsena, Dhrst a, Kr s na and J ayadhvaj a t he king of
Avanti. J ayadhvaj a' s son Tl aj agha was very powerful.
13. He had a hundr ed sons. They were known as Tl a-
j aghas. The eldest of t hem the powerful V ti hotra was t he rul er.
14. Vrsa and others too were his sons of meritorious deeds.
Vrsa was t he founder of a dynasty. Hi s son was Madhu.
15-18. Ma dhu had hundr ed sons and Vrsni the eldest
was the founder of a dynasty. Vrsni' s descendants were also
called Vrsni s and those of Madhu are known as Mdhavas .
Race of Jymagha
297
Since t he Hai hayas bel onged to the family of Yadu they are also
designated as Ydavas. Ther e were five groups or families of t he
Hai hayas of nobl e souls. They wereV ti hotras, Haryt as,
Bhojas, vanti s and rasenas. The last were known as
Tl aj aghas also. The most famous kings among the Hai hayas
were ra, urasena, Vysa, Kr s na, and J ayadhvaj a.
19. r a and rav ra were t he pious descendants of ra-
sena. The l and of these nobl e souls is known as rasenas.
20. The son of V t i hot r awas t he well known Nar t a. Dur-
j aya the son of Kr s na was a destroyer of his enemies.
21. Li sten to the race of t he sai ndy king Kr os t u. It con-
sisted of excellent men. Vi snu t he scion of the family of Vrsni
was bor n of this race.
22. Kr ost u had a son of great renown named Vrj invn.
Hi s son was Svti and Ku aku was his son.
23. Desirous of progeny, t he extremel y powerful king
Kus aku performed gr eat sacrifices of vari ous ki nds wi t h t he
requi si t e gifts.
24-25. Ci t r ar at ha his son di d glorious deeds. The heroi c son
of Ci t r ar at ha was ki ng aabi ndu who performed sacrifices
giving l arge sums as gifts. He observed excellent holy rites, and
was an Emper or of great strength and val our over a large num-
ber of subjects.
26. aabi ndu had twenty thousand sons. They specifically
praise Anant aka as t he most excellent of all of t hem.
27-28. The son Yaj a was bor n t o Anant aka. Yaj a' s son
was Dhr t i . Hi s son was U anas . Tha t most virtuous king after
obt ai ni ng t he ki ngdom, performed a hundr ed horse sacrifices.
The ki ng named Sitesu i s known as t he son of U anas.
29. Mar ut t a, t he sai ndy ki ng who made his family f l ouri sh,
was his son. The heroi c Kambal abar hi s was the son of Mar ut t a.
30-31. Rukmakavaca, a l earned king was t he son of
Kambal abar hi s. Thi s Rukmakavaca had killed i n bat de many
heroi c archers weari ng coats of mai l wi th sharp arrows and
at t ai ned great glory. The pious soul gave l and to t he Rtviks
(Brahmi ns officiating) i n t he Horse-sacrifice.
32. Parvrt , t he slayer of heroi c enemies, was bor n of
Rukmakavaca. F ive sons of great strength were born to Parvrt .
298
Ligapurna
33. They were Rukmesu, Prt hurukma, J ymagha, Pari gha
and Har i . The father f i xed Pari gha and Har i i n Vi deha.
34. Rukmesu became the king and Pr t hur ukma was depen-
dent on hi m. Compel l ed by them, king J ymagha abdi cated the
t hrone and stayed i n the hermi tage.
35-36. He remai ned quiescent while he stayed in the forest.
He received enl i ghtenment from t he brahmi ns. Then he took
up his bow and went to anot her l and i n his chari ot decorated
wi th f l ags. He went t o the Na r ma d
6
" river accompani ed by
his wife. He went t o t he mount ai n Rks avn
5 7 8
and passed his
days. *
37-39. Saiby the chaste woman of good conduct was the
wife of J ymagha. After observing severe penance t hat fortu-
nat e lady, in her advanced age, gave bi rth to Sruta and Vidar-
bha. Ki ng ruta had no son. Two scholarly sons Kr at ha and
Kai i ka were bor n t o Vi darbha. They were heroic and very
efficient in battl e. A thi rd son was Romapda and Babhru was
his son.
40. Sudhrt i a l earned and very pious king was his son. Hi s
son was Kui ka who was t he originator of the family of Caidya.
41-42. Kr at ha was t he son of Vi darbha. Hi s son was
Kunt i . Kunt i ' s son was Vr t a and from hi m was bor n the valo-
rous Ranadhr s t a. Hi s son Ni dhrt i was a slayer of enemies. The
son of Ni dhrt i was D r ha, the destroyer of his foes.
43. Vypt a was t he son of D rha, and J mt a his son.
Vikrti was the son of J mt a. Hi s son was Bh marat ha.
44. Navar at ha was the son of Bh marat ha. He was per-
petually engaged in chari tabl e gifts and holy rites. He was
devoted to truthfulness and good conduct.
45. Hi s son was Dr dhar at ha. akuni was his son. Kar am-
bha was bor n of hi m. Devar t a was his son.
46. F rom Devar t a was bor n king Devart i of great re-
nown. He was equal to the son of Devas. F r om hi m was born
Devaksatra.
577. Narmadthis river rises in the Vindhya mountain and falls
into the gulf of Cambay. It flows in a wide flood-plain and is fairly deep. It
forms a suitable boundary between the political units north and south of it.
578. RksavnRmyana places it on the Narmad river, "rksa-
vantam giriiresjham adhyste Narmadm pibanRdma.
rikrsna, his birth and life
299
47. Devaksat ra' s son was Madhu of great renown. He was
the founder of the line of Madhus . F r om Madhu was bor n
Kuruvarhaka.
48. After Kur uvam a was Anu and from hi m was born
Purut vn, t he best among men. F rom hi m Amu was bor n to
queen Bhadravat of Vi dar bha.
49-51. Amu marri ed Aiksvk and Sattva was bor n of
hi m. F r om Sattva was born Sttvata, endowed wi th good
qualities who enabl ed the family to fl ourish. The dynasty of
J ymagha has thus, been narrat ed t o you i n detai l . He who
reads or listens to this lineage of J ymagha lives for a long
ti me and attai ns heavenly ki ngdom and happiness.
CHAPTER SIXTYNINE
Srkrsrta, his birth and life.
Sta said :
1-2. St t vat a endowed wi th t he sattva guna begot four sons:
Bhaj ana the brilliant, the divine king Devvrdha, Andhaka t he
highly blessed one and Vrsni the delighter of all t he descen-
dant s of Yadu. Hear in detai l the families of these four.
3. Ayutyus, atyus and the powerful Harsakrt were
born to Srjay and Bhaj ana the bril l iant.
4. Among t he four sons of Sttvata, ki ng Devvrdha per-
formed a great penance desiring, "I shall have a son endowed
with good qual i t i es. "
5. It i s hear d t hat those who are conversant wi t h t he
mythol ogy of the race of Anu sing t hat his son was known as
Babhru. He was an excellent king of meritorious renown.
6. Nobl e men glorify the qualities of Devvrdha the great
soul. J us t as we hear about t hem from far we see t hem from
near.
7-9. Babhru is the best among men and Devvr dha was
equal to Devas. F ourteen thousand and sixty fi ve persons had
at t ai ned i mmortal i ty, thanks t o Babhru and Devvrdha. He
performed sacrifices. He was charitabl y inclined. He was a
300
Ligapurna
hero favourably disposed towards brahmi ns. He was steady i n
hol y rites. He was famous. He had great spl endour. Among t he
Sttvatas he was a great hero. It was i n his family t hat t he
Bhojas equal to Devas were born.
10. Gndhr and Mdr i were the wives of Vrsni . Gnd-
hri gave bi rt h t o Sumi t ra and Mi t r anandana.
11. Mdr obtai ned from hi m the son Devam dhusa at
fi rst and t hen two excellent heroes Anami t ra and ini.
12. Anami t ra' s son was Ni ghna. Ni ghna had two sons the
highly blessed Prasena and Satrj it.
13. The sun was an i nti mate friend of Satrj it. He gave hi m
t he j ewel Syamant ka.
8 7 9
*
14-16. Thi s j ewel was the best among all the jewels in the
worl d. Once he went for hunt i ng along wi th Prasena. He was
killed there by a terrible lion as he was helpless. F r om ini the
youngest son of Vrsni a son Satyaka was bor n. He was faithful
in words and was richly endowed wi th truthfulness. His son was
t he valorous Yuyudhna, the grandson of ini.
17. Asaga was t he son of Yuyudhna. Kurd was his son.
The son of Kuni was Yugandhara. Thus the descendants of
ini (aineyas) have been described.
18. A son was bor n to Yudhj it t he son of Vrsni and
Mdr i . He was known as vaphalka. He was t he benefactor of
t he three worlds.
19. Wherever the pious king vaphal ka was present, there
was no fear of ei ther ai l ment or of drought .
20. vaphal ka took as his wife, Gndi n the daught er of
the king of K , who gave hi m his daughter.
21-24. F or many years she remai ned in the womb of her
mot her wi t hout being born. The father spoke to her even as
she was within the womb. " Be born quickly. Welfare unto
t hee. W hy dost thou t ar r y. " Then the girl Gndi n stationed
wi thi n the womb replied to h i m" O father, everyday you
must give a cow to a br ahmi n. If you give thus for three years
I will come out of the womb of my mot her . "
The father said, " So be i t " and he fulfilled her desire. Her
son from vaphalka is said to be Akrra. He was chari tabl e,
579. Syamantaka. See H.M. p. 167.
Srikrsna, his birth and life
301
heroic, a performer of sacrifices, l earned, and fond of guests.
Duri ng sacrifices he distributed weal th as gift.
25-29. Akrura marri ed Rat n t he daught er of aiva. He
begot of her Upamanyu, Mgu, Vr t a, Janamej aya, Gi r i r aksa,
Upeksa, at rughna, Ari mardana, Dhar mabhr t , Vr s t adhar m,
Godhana, Vara, Avha and Prati vha. He had also an excel-
lent daught er Sudhr . Two sons who del i ghted the family
were bor n of Ugrasen ( daught er of Ugrasena) to Akrra.
They were Devavn and Upadeva equal t o Devas.
The renowned Gi traka was bor n as t he son of Sumi t ra.
30-31. The following were the sons of Ci t r akaVi pr t hu,
Pr t hu, Avagrva. Subhu, Sudhska, Gaveksana, Ari stanemi ,
Ava, Dhar ma, Adhar mabhr t , Subhmi and Bahubhmi . He
had two daughters ravisfh and ravan.
32. To Andhaka the daught er of t he king of Ki bore
four sons vi z: Kukur a, Bhaj amna, uci and Kambal a-
barhi s.
33. Vrsni was the son of Kukur a. r a was t he son of
Vrsni . The highly powerful Kapot ar om was his son and his
son was Vi l omaka.
34. He had a scholarly son Nal a who was a comrade of
Tumbur u. He i s known by the name Gandannaka Dundubbi .
35. F r om hi m was bor n t he son Abhijit. Hi s son was
Punarvasu. Tha t ki ng performed a horse sacrifice for obtai ni ng
a son.
36. In t he course of t hat sacrifice when At i rt ra mant r as
were bei ng chant ed in the mi ddl e of the assembly of priests the
child Punarvasu was born. Lat er on he became a scholar, omnis-
cient, chari tabl e and a performer of sacrifices.
37. Twi ns were bor n to Abhijit also. They were well
known as Ahuka and Ahuk. They were t he best among renow-
ned people.
38. Two sons were bor n to t he daught er of t he king of
K and Ahuka: vi z. Devaka and Ugrasena. Both of t hem
were equal to t he sons of Devas.
39. Chi l dern equal to Devas were bor n to Devaka. They
were Devavn, Upadeva, Sudeva and Devaraksi ta.
40-41. They had seven sisters. The ki ng gave t hem t o
Vasudeva. They were Vrsadev, Upadeva, Devaraksi ta, Sri dev
302 Ligapurna
&ntidev, Sahadev and Devak of slender waist and the
best among t hem.
42. Ugrasena had ni ne sons. Kam a was the eldest among
t hem. Thei r sons and grandsons were hundreds and thousands.
43. The daught er of Devaka and the wife of Vasudeva
was wort hy of hei ng honoured and worshi pped even by
Devas.
44. The other two wives of Anakadundubhi , (Vasudeva)
viz. t he blessed Rohi n and Paurav the daught er of Bhlika
were also worthy of bei ng worshipped by Devas.
45. Rohi n gave bi rt h t o R ma who wielded the plough-
share as hi s weapon and had great Strength. Due to t he fear of
Kams a he had resorted to his own t ranqui l self.
46. After t he six i nnocent chi l dern had been killed, and
after Bal arma had been born, the intelligent Vasudeva,
begot Kr s na of Devak.
47. He al one i s t he supreme soul. He i s Vi snu the l ord
of Devas. Bal arma was t he lord esa wi th silver lustre.
48. Under t he pretext of t he curse of Bhrgu, Vi snu agreed
to take a human body and was born of Devak as t he son of
Vasudeva.
49. At t he same t i me t he Yogicslumber Kaui k
ori gi nati ng from t he body of Um became t he daught er of
Yaod at the behest of the lord of Devas.
50. SHe^ al one i s t he Prakrti bowed to by all Devas. Lord
Kr s na is Purusa t he bestower of t he fruit of vi rt ue and salva-
tion.
51-52. Saving his own son from Kams a, Vasudeva took
t he daught er of YaodS and mst ead~gavcr her his own four-
ar med, wide-eyed son who was mar ked by t he scar rvatsa
and who hel d t he conch, discus, i ron cl ub and lotus.
53. After giving to Nanda ( t he husband of Yaod) his
son Vi snu t he protector of the worlds who had taken up a
physical form out of his own will, he said to Na n d a " Ma y he
be pr ot ect ed. "
54-55. It was due to the grace of iva ^t he lord of Devas^
of i mmense spl endour
y
t hat Vi snu assumed t he physical body.
Along wi th R ma he handed over the l ord^ t he bestower of
boons, the great vara, t he preceptor of t he universe, who had
Srikrsna, his birth and life
303
i ncarnat ed for dispelling the bur den of t he eart h, saying " Her e-
by the Ydavas will at t ai n all auspicious results. Thi s child
of Devak will remove all our distresses."
56-59. nakadundubhi t hen i nt i mat ed to Kams a the son
of Ugrasena t hat a daught er endowed wi t h good signs had been
born. Ther e had been an aeri al a nnounc e me nt " O Kamsa of
good hol y rites t he ei ghth chi l d of Devak will no doubt be the
cause of your deat h. " Hence, Kams a at t empt ed to kill t he
child. But t hat child (of Nanda) the goddess of eight arms
slipped from his hands and crossed to t he sky. She said in a
voice as majestic as t he rumbl i ng sound of t he cloud. " Save
your own skin. Your deat h has come.
60. O foolish Kams a, even as you were guardi ng your
own body you have commi t t ed sins. Indeed your destroyer i s
al ready bor n. "
61. It is said t hat due to his fear of Devak, Kams a killed
the eighth child. But t he ei ghth son of Devak was really t he
cause of his deat h.
62. O l eadi ng sages, all at t empt s of Bhoja to take revenge
on hi m became futile due to Krsna' s power. Moreover he was
rendered insentient by the My Kauik .
63. Thus Kamsa was killed by Kr s na of uni mpeded acti-
vity. Many ot her destroyers of Devas and brahmi ns too were
killed.
64. Kr s na' s sons Pr adyumna and others have already been
enumerat ed. They were many and all of them were experts i n
battl e.
65-69. Krsna' s sons were equal to Kr s na. Among all these
sons Crudesna and his brothers are of special i mportance.
They were the sons of Rukmi n . They were the destroyers of
their enemies. Kr s na had sixteen thousand and one hundred
wives. The most beloved and the eldest of t hem all was
Rukmi n .
Lord iva was worshi pped fpr twelve years by her and
Krsna of uni mpai red activity, for the sake of sons, living
only on air (all those years).
By the grace of the trident-bearing lord the following sons
were born to Kr s na vi z: Cr udesna, Sucru, Cruvesa,
Yaodhara, Cr u' r avas , Cruya^.as, Pr adyumna and Smba.
304 Ligapurna
70. On seeing those heroic sons of Rukmi n as well as
Rukmi n , J mbavat I t he wife of Kr s na once spoke to hi m
thus.
71. O lotus-eyed one, it behoves you, if you are delighted,
to give me a son equal to Devas, a son endowed wi th superior
qualities.
72. On heari ng t he words of J mbavat , Kr s na t he lord of
the universe and a real storehouse of penance began to perform
penance.
73-75. Kr s na Nr yana, the wielder of the conch, discus
and i ron cl ub, went to t he excellent hermi t age of t he sage
Vyghrapda. After bowi ng to t he sage, Kr s na obt ai ned t he
divine P upat a Yoga. At his behest he shaved off the beard,
moustache and the hai r on the head, appl i ed ghee all over t he
body and wore t he gi rdl e of t he Muj a grass. Thus i ni t i at ed,
lord Kr s na t he scorcher of foes performed a great penance.
76. He performed t he penance i n vari ous poses. He stood
wi t h armrTa sed up a ndwhhout support, he stood on t he t i ps
of his toes. He spent t hree seasons sustaining himself on fruits,
water and air.
77. Satisfied wi th his penance, lord Siva grant ed hi m
boons. He gave Smba t he son of J mbavat t o Kr s na the
noble soul.
78. On getting the son Smba from Kr s na, his wife J mba-
vat became highly del ighted in t he same way as Adi ti when
she obtai ned Aditya.
79. O l eadi ng sages, by t he curse
5 8 0
of Lor d Siva t he
thousand hands of Bna were cut off by Krsna.
80. Then wi t h Bal arma to assist hi m he carri ed out t he
destruction of Dai tyas. He sportively killed several wicked
kings in t he battlefield.
81. He killed t he l eadi ng Dai t ya Nar aka born of Devas.
580. Rudrasya iptSmba, son of rkrsna, cut off a thousand arms
of Bna. For a slightly different version, see H.M. p.42.
Srikrsna, his birth and lift 305
thanks to a boon grant ed by t he nobl e br ahmi n rdhvaca-
kra' .
5 81
82. The excessively strong one, of unequal l ed exploit,
Kr s na took up sixteen t housand one hundr ed girls for his own
pl easure.
Under t he pret ext of a curse from the brahmi ns he destroyed
the family of Vrsnis. After t hat he, the lord, remai ned in
Pr abhsa.
5 8 8
84-85. Mor e t han hundr ed years elapsed thus even as
Kr s na rul ed over Dvrak * removi ng the distress due to old age.
He acceded t o the curses of Vi vmi t ra,
5 8 3
Kanva
8 8 4
and
Nr ada,
5 8 5
as also the words of Durvsas (and stayed) in
Pi ndr aka.
5 8 8
86. Kr s na abandoned the human form under the pretext of
the arrow of the hunt er J ar aka, and after blessing t hat hunt er
he ret urned to heaven.
87. Due to t he curse of Ast vakra
5 8 7
as also due to his
own My (power) t he wives of lord Kr s na were abducted by
thieves.
88-91. Bal arma abandoned his human form and assuming
t hat of esa went to his heavenly abode. The auspicious
queens of Kr s naRukmi n and ot hersent ered f i re al ong wi th
the body of thei r l ord. O brahmi ns, the gentle l ady Revatf too
ent ered t he pyre al ong wi t h her husband Bal arma and
followed his pat h. The extremel y powerful Arj una performed
the obsequies of Kr s na, R ma and also of other Vrsnis. O men
581. It refers to the legend narrated in Harivamia :
JR-pffc^TT *IFA-rrTPI 11
582. Prabhsait is a celebrated place of pilgrimage in Saursjra
the southern part of Kathiawar. *a city near Okha in Kathiawar.
583-585. For detail, Bhga. Janayisyati vo mand musalam kulan-
anam cited in 57".
586. Pindrakaa sacred bathing pond, somewhere in the country of
the Ydavas, not identifiable.
587. The curse of Astvakra. Cf f?""Tfa>Hu' HRT^'fl fl'TMHM'fl I
-J^SFRTTJNI I t r V f p : Vfozm (I Vim cited in ST.
306 Ligapurna
of good holy rites, wi th bul bous roots, fruits and roots he
performed t he rites of oblation, for want of weal th.
92-94. Then Arj una too went to heaven together with
his brothers. Thus, the exploits and end of t he nobl e Kr s na of
uni mpai red activity, who adopt ed human form out of his
own free will, has been succinctly menti oned to you. O
brahmi ns, he who reads this narrat i ve of the kings of l unar race
or listens to it or narrates it to others undoubt edl y goes to the
world of Vi snu.
*
CHAPTER SEVENTY
Various Creations
The sages said:
1. O St a, t he pr i mor di al creati on had been i ndi cat ed by
you but not clarified. O person of good holy rites, it behoves
you to recount i t i n detai l now.
Sta said:
2. O l eadi ng sages, t he great l ord Siva is stati oned beyond
Prakrt i and Pur us a.
8 8 8
He i s t he greatest soul.
3. The unmani f est " ori gi nated from t hat l ord as the
greatest cause. Thi nkers on met aphysi cal real i ty call i t Pra-
dhna or Prakrt i .
4. It is devoi d of smell, col our and taste. It has nei ther
sound nor t ouch. It i s unagei ng, stable, i mperi shabl e and per-
petual l y stati oned i n t he soul.
5. It is the source of origin of the universe. It is the eter-
nal great Br ahman, t he massive bei ng. It i s t he physical
body of all living beings. It is i nduced by t he command of
t he lord.
6. At t he outset t he Pr adhna existed in t he form of
Br ahman.
8 8 9
It had nei ther begi nni ng nor end. It was unbor n
and subtle consisting of t he t hree Gunas. It was the source of
588. The transcendent God Mahevara is higher than Prakrti and
Purusa. (See p. 41 note 56). Cf. P. Prakrte ca param Brahma yat tac
chivam udhrtamcited in ST.
589. Brahma. Cf. "sad eva saumy edam agra slt"cited in ST.
Various Creations
307
ori gi n of t he uni verse as well as et ernal . It was nei t her mani -,
fest nor comprehensi bl e.
7. W hen t he Gunas were i n equi l i bri um, when i t had not
been differentiated, when i t was i denti cal wi t h dar kness, "
0
all this visible universe had been pervaded by its existence
due t o Siva' s will.
8. At t he time of creati on, as the Pr adhna was presi ded
over by the i ndi vi dual soul Purusa, t he pri nci pl e Ma ha t
~m>nifestedj revealing itself as subsidiary to Prakrt i .
9. It was envel oped by t he subtle and great Avyakta
( unmani f es t ) . At the outset, when t he pri nci pl e of Ma ha t had
t he pr edomi nance of Sattva, then only i t reveal ed existence.
10. The Ma ha t shoul d be known as t he Cosmic Mi nd. It i s
sai d to be t he sole cause of creati on. It ori gi nat ed as presi ded
over by t he i ndi vi dual soul and onl y as a beneficent symbol .
11. It s forms Dha r ma etc. , are the causes of t he pri nci pl es
and objects of t he worl d. I nduced by t he desire t o creat e t he
Ma ha t carries on t he activity of creati on.
12. It i s named variously as Manas ( mi nd) , Ma ha t
( gr eat ) , Mat i ( i nt el l ect ) , Br ahman, Ph (ci t y), Buddhi
(i nt el l ect ), Khyt i (facul ty of di scri mi nat ory knowl edge),
I var a ( l or d) , Pr aj (perfect knowl edge), Ci ti (consciousness),
Smrt i ( memor y) , Samvi d (cogni t i on), and Vi vea ( l or d of
t he uni verse). <jf' f* " s
13. It i s cal l ed Manas because i t ponders over t he fruit of
t he activity of all living bei ngs [from t he root "man' ^to thi nk]
Subtl e as it is, t he fruits of its activities appear to be di vi ded
i . e. many and different.
14. It i s called Mahat because i t ori gi nat ed at t he outset
pri or to all other pri nci pl es as well as due to its magni t ude. It
i s greater t han Viesas
5 9 1
and Gunas .
5 9 2
15. It possesses magni t ude [ Mnam Bi bhart i ], It ponders
and causes differentiation. It is also greatl y rel ated to the enjoy-
ment (i . e. experience) of Purusa. Hence, it is known as Mat i .
16. It is defined as Br ahman because of its br hat va
(massiveness) and br mhanat va (state of becomi ng swollen)
590. tamomye. Gf. " t ama st tanv>.* gdham agre"cited in ST.
391. viesebhyahsattvdibayah ST. from the attribute* , sattva, etc.'
592. gunebhyah.abddibhyah ST. from the subtle elements, (tan-
mtrassounds, etc
308
Ligapurna
and also because it contai ns (wi thi n itself) all experiences
whi ch are dependent on all external objects.
17. It is called Puh because it fills Devas wi t h blessings
and l eads men to t he state of awareness [from the root pr ] .
18. Since the Pur us a is known t hrough it and since it
makes known all objects, what is whol esome, from what is not
it is called Buddhi .
19. Since enj oyment of pleasures is based on t he
knowl edge thereof, and also since each i t em of enj oyment
is dependent on knowl edge, it is known by the word khyti .
20. The pri nci pl e of Ma ha t i s cal l ed by t he t erm " Khy t i "
also because objects i n many instances are named (khyyante)
t hrough its qualities such as knowl edge, e t c *
2 i T~I t is a great soul and it di rectl y perceives everythi ng.
Hence, it is cal l ed var a. Since it follows up knowledge it is
called Pr aj .
22. Since i t collects such forms-as J na (knowl edge) etc. ,
and the fruits of many hol y rites, for t he sake of enj oyment,
it is called citi (from t he root ci ) .
23. Since it remembers all affairs of the present, past and
future i t i s cal l ed Smrt i (from t he root s mr ) .
24. It is called Samvi d because it obt ai ns t he enti re
knowl edge and knows t he greatness of everythi ng [from the
roots vid to know and vi nd to obt ai n] .
25. O excellent sages, (for anot her reason also) it is called
Samvi d by great men. It exists [from root vid to exist] every-
where and wi thi n i t one obtai ns everythi ng [vi ndat i ].
26. F r om t he root J (t o know) they call i t J na m. F or
the l ord is t he f ount ai nhead of all knowl edge. Since it repu-
di ates bondage etc. , [t he Mahat ] i s called vara by l earned men.
27. Thi s f i rst excellent t at t vaMahat has been thus
expl ai ned by many synonymous words by those who are
conversant wi t h t he nat ur e of tattvas and who always thi nk
about t he existence of t he l ord.
28. The Ma ha t carries out t he work of creation when i t
i s i nduced by t he desire to create. Sarhkalpa (vol i ti on) and
Adhyavasya (effort) are its two traits.
_
29. ( F r om this Mahat ) havi ng t hree Gunas but wi th
Raj as prevail ing, t he Ahamkr a (ego) ori gi nated. All t he
Various Creations
309
creati on was thus enveloped by Mahat . I t is exterior t o
Bht di (ego, the cause of the el ements).
30. F r om the same aharhkra wi th t amas predomi nat i ng
over the other two came about the creation of Bht at an-
mt r as ( t he essence of sound, et c) . It is called Bhtdi (cause
of t he el ements) and it is tmasa in nat ur e.
31. The Bht di on disintegration created abdat anm-
t r a j t h e essence of sound) . F rom this was born Aka (ether)
(also called) Susira ( hol e) , t hat i s marked by sound.
32-34. Aka characterised by sound enveloped Spars a-
t anmt r a whi ch on disintegration creat ed Vyu characteri sed
by touch. Vyu on disintegration created Rpat anmt r a.
Therefore, it is said t hat J yoti s ori gi nat ed out of vyu, wi th
col our as its qual i ty. J yot i s on di si ntegrati on created Rasa-
t anmt r a. Apah (waters) ori gi nated from it wi t h taste as
thei r mai n qual i ty.
35. Agni (i. e. t he fiery element) wi th the Rpa-t anmt r a
envel oped Ras at anmt r as . W at ers on di si ntegrati on created
Gandhat anmt r a.
36. F rom it the saghta (solid earth) ori gi nated. Its
special at t ri but e is smell when each of the elements remai ns
wi thi n its specific qual i ty (sound, et c) it is called t anmt r a and
TmVexclusive nat ur e is called t anmt r at .
37. The Tanmt r as are also called Aviesas, because i n
t hat stage they do not define anyt hi ng i n part i cul ar (as distinct
from others. They are Aviesas for anot her reason al sothey
are Prant as (quiescent) or Ghoras (terri bl e) or Mdhas
(confused). -
38. Thi s creation by the t anmt ras of the Bhtas should
be known as one t hat is mut ual . The other creations are from
t he Vai kri ka (that whi ch has undergone al terati on) i.e. the
Ahamkra (ego) or from the Sttvika wherei n sattva guna
predomi nat es.
39-40. The Vai kri ka creati on functions simul taneousl y.
Ther e are five senses of knowledge and five senses of activity.
These ten senses are the means of achi evement. The eleventh
is mi nd. By its very nat ur e t he mi nd has bot h qualities i. e. of
t he organ of sense and of the organ of function.
41. The five organs of sense are, ear, skin, eye, tongue,
310 Ligapurna
pal at e and nose. They are endowed wi th the power of perceiving
their respective qualities (i.e. ear receiving sound, skin receiving
touch, et c) .
42. The legs, rect um, pri vat e part s, hands and t he organ
of speech (the t ent h Indri ya) are t he organs of function or
activity. Thei r activities are respectively gai t (movement ),
evacuati on, pl easure, arts, crafts and speech.
43. Both et her and the el ement of sound penet rat ed
the el ement of touch. Hence wi nd has bot h t he at t ri but es
s ound and t ouch.
44. Simil arl y bot h sound and touch ent ered col our. Hence,
t he fire has t hree attri butes, viz, sound, t ouch and col our.
45. The at t ri but es of sound, touch, and colour penet rat ed
the el ement of taste. Hence, waters have four at t ri but es includ-
ing taste as thei r special at t r i but e.
46. Sound, t ouch, col our and taste penet r at ed smell.
Combi ned wi t h the el ement of smell they pervaded t he eart h.
47. Hence, the ear t h cont ai ns all t he five at t r i but es and
is considered t he grossest of all el ements. They are qui escent,
terri bl e or confused. Hence, they are called Viesas.
48. Since they have penet rat ed mut ual l y they sustain one
anot her.
8
*
8
Everythi ng wi t hi n t he ear t h i s enveloped by the mount ai n
Lokloka.
49. They are called Viesas because they can be perceived
by means of t he sense-organs i nvari abl y. The l atter ones have
all t he qual i ti es of t he previ ous cr eat i on.
5 9 4
50-52. Each of these qual i ti es is a distinct characteri sti c
of each el ement. (Any ot her qual i t y found i n an el ement
should be known to be due to the cont act of t he ot her el ement ;
(for exampl e) experi enci ng smell i n water some may say
t hat it is t he qual i t y of water, yet, it should be known t hat it
593. Parasparnupravea : Each preceding element enters into each
succeeding element. Each new life-centre is a link in the chain. The seed
is permeated by its creative potency. The seed in the form of the father is
reborn as the son in endless generations. Thi s principle of anupraveia, i.e.
the ancestor transmitting its whole potency to the successor is a biologic* 1
law.
594. See verses 43-47 of this chapter.
Various Creations 311
is t he qual i ty of eart h al one. It is because the particles of eart h
have got mi xed wi th wat er and wi nd t hat the smell appears to
be present i n t hem.
Thes e seven massive beings begi nni ng wi t h intellect
( Mahat ) and endi ng wi th Viesas (gross el ements) create the
cosmic egg*
95
because they depend upon one another, because
they are presi ded over by Pur us a and because they are blessed
by t he unmanifest.
53. Like t he bubbl es i n t he wat er t he bi g cosmic egg i s
born at once from t he Viesas. The whole egg i s embedded
in water.
54. The cosmic egg is encircled by waters ten dmes in
extent. The waters are external l y encircled by the fi re ten
times in extent.
55. The fi re i s externally encircled by t he wi nd ten ti mes
in extent and the wi nd is externally encircled by the ether
ten times in extent.
56. The wi nd is encircled by the ether. The ether is encir-
cled by the ego. The ego is encircled by intellect and intellect
is encircled by the unmanifest.
57-59. Sarva is stationed in the covering lid of the cos-
mic egg. O persons of good holy rites, Bhava is stationed in
wat ers; Rudr a i s stationed i n the mi ddl e of fi re. Ugr a i s
stationed in the wi nd. Bhi ma is stationed in t he mi ddl e of
the ear t h. Mahe var a is stati oned in ego. Lord Is a is stationed
in intellect. Parame vara is stationed everywhere. The egg is
encircled by t he seven coverings ori gi nati ng from Prakrtis. These
eight Prakrti s are thus stationed encircling one anot her .
5 9 8
60. Stati oni ng themselves thus at the ti me of creation
they at t ract one anot her. Thus mut ual l y i nt erdependent they
uphol d one anot her.
595. Read mahaddi for mahdayo ( l i g a . i . 3. 18) . The principle
of intellect and mind and the five gross elements constitute each Egg. These
seven constituents of the Egg are also known as the seven sages, seven
Agirases (Cf. Liga. 1. 70. 51) .
596. The Egg constitutes the unmanifest Prakrti (avyakta) and its
manifestationsintellect (mahat,) ego (ahamkra) and the five gross elements
(bhtas). (Gf. Vyu.1.4.76). These seven comprise the shells of the
life-principle in the egg. Gf. Bhg. 6.16.37
:
"ksitydibhir esa kilvrtah
saptabhir dosa-gunottarair andakoiafr".
312 Ligapur&na
61-63. The vikras (effects) exist in t he vikrins (cause)
by means of t he rel ati onshi p of t he support and t he supported.
Mahe var a is beyond Avyakta. The egg is bor n of Avyakta.
The same l ord i s bor n of t he egg as Pur us a wi t h solar lustre.
In it the generati ng of t he effect is achi eved by his own free
will. He al one i s t he pri mordi al embodi ed bei ng, called
Purusa. Vi snu who is bowed to by all Devas is bor n of his left
l i mb.
Thanks to the wish of paramestfiin, the l ord Visnu originat-
ed together wi th goddess Laksm. Brahma t he preceptor of the
universe is born of t he right limb of the l ord al ong wi th
Sarasvat.
65-67. These worlds are in that Cosmic egg. Thi s universe
i s within the Cosmos. The moon and the sun al ong wi th the
stars, planets, wi nd and the Lokloka mount ai ns are stationed
wi thi n Cosmic Egg. O Brahmi ns, whatever ti me i nterval is
necessary for the creati on I have enumerat ed above, t hat period
is the day time of Paramevara. His ni ght also extends over the
same durat i on.
68-70. The peri od of his creation is his day and the period
of dissolution his ni ght.
Real l y, i t should be known t hat he has nei ther day nor
ni ght [as we conceive of i t ] . It is used metaphori cal l y for the
facility of the peopl e.
The objects stay duri ng the day of the lord, vi z. t he sense-
organs, the objects of the senses, t he five great elements, all
living beings, intellect and the deities.
71-73. At the end of the day they get dissolved. At the
end of the ni ght they ori gi nate agai n.
W hen t he unmanifest is stationed in His soul, when the effects
are dissolved, bot h Pr adhna and Pur us a remai n quiescent
i.e. wi th their common characteristics, t amas, sattva and rajas
i n equi l i bri um. They remai n interlinked like threads woven
together i n the same warp and woof.
It should be known t hat there i s dissolution when the gunas
are in equi l i bri um and when they are upset there is creati on.
74. J us t as there is oil l atent in the gingelly seed, j ust as
the ghee is present in the milk, so also the universe is present in
tamas, sattva and rajas.
Various Creations
313
75. After enjoying the goddess t hroughout t he ni ght t he
creator begins to f uncdon i n the beginning- of t he day when
Prakrt i originates from Hi m.
76. The great lord penetrates Pr adhna and Purusa agitat-
i ng
5
" t hem by means of yoga.
77. The three deities ori gi nate from the great lord, t he l ord
of the Uni verse. They are per manent , extremely worthy of con-
ceal ment and protecti on, embodi ed ones, and the souls of all.
78. These al one are the three devas, t he three Gunas, the
three worl ds, and the t hree f i res.
6 9 8
79. They are mutual l y supported and they devotedly follow
one anot her. They exist on mut ual hel p and they hold one
anot her.
80. They are pai red together and mut ual l y i nterdependent.
Ther e i s not even a moment ' s separation among t hem. They do
not eschew one another.
5
* *
81. iva is the greatest lord. Vi snu is beyond or above in-
tellect. Br ahm i s endowed wi th rajas. He functions at t he
begi nni ng of Creati on.
82-87. That Pur us a i s known as Park and Prakrti as
Par.
The Prakrt i whi ch is presided over by t he great l ord begins
to function when it is i nduced from all sides. The principl e of
intellect functions following this. Since it is permanent -and
stable, it resorts to t he object of the sense, by itself. W hen t here"
, is di sturbance in the Gunas (qualities) of Pr adhna the peri od of
creati on functions from t hat whi ch is of Existent-cum-nonexis-
t ent nat ur e and presided over by var a.
Rudr a became fully equi pped for evolving t he effects at the
very outset. He i s unequal l ed i n bri l l ance, intelligent and
i l l umi nati ng. He i ndeed is t he first embodi ed soul and is called
597. When the life-principle enters into Prakrti, there occurs an agita-
tion (ksobha) in the form of contraction and expansion. Out of this agitation
which is a process of Coming and Going, the universal seed is created, which
has both the characteristics of the male and female. For detail, see MP.
A study, pp. 36-37.
598. Out of this egg agitated thus, there come into existence the
triadic principles known as Brahm, Visnu and Siva identical with three
gunasrajas, sattva and tamas.
599. The Purnas refer to the joint birth and joint activity of the triad.
314 Ligapurana
Purusa. Lor d Brahma, t he four-faced*
00
Praj pati was born of
Hi m. He also became fully equi pped for evolving the effects
(i.e. cr eadon) . So, the same l ord is stati oned in three forms.
88. He is endowed wi th positive knowledge and l ordship.
They, (i.e. the three devas) are also endowed wi th positive virtue
and det achment .
89. W hat ever has been mental l y conceived or ut t ered by
t hem i s bor n out of t he unmanifest, since i t has been made to
be subservient, and since t he activities are dependent on the
three Gunas by nat ure.
90. The self-born dei ty has three condi ti ons: i n t he capa-
city of Brahma he i s t he four-faced one ; i n the capacity of
Kl a (i.e. Rudr a) he is the destroyer; he is t he thousand-headed
Purusa (i.e. Vi snu) also.
91. In t he capaci ty of Brahma, he creates t he worl ds; i n
the capacity of Kl a, he destroys t he worl d; i n t he capaci ty of
Purusa, he is indifferent. Praj pati has three stages.
92. Br ahma has t he lustre of t he interior of a l otus; Rudr a
is like the fire at the ti me of dissolution; Purusa is lotus-eyed.
Thi s is the form of the great soul.
93. The lord takes up a single body, two bodies, three
bodies, and then many bodies. He creates and destroys these
bodies, and dispels t hem too.
94. The great l ord creates and destroys bodies of different
shapes, activities, forms and names.
95. Since he assumes three different forms, he is called
Tr i guna. W hen divided i nto four, he is cal l ed Gaturvyha.
(havi ng i our " ar r ays) .
96. He is defined as t man (soul) because he attai ns the sense
objects (Vp to at t ai n) , because he takes up ( + Vd to take
up) the sense objects and because he swallows up (Vadto
eat) the sense objects. Moreover, he has perpet ual existence.
97. He is called Rsi because he goes everywhere. He is
ar ri n because he is its (body' s) l ord. He is (cal l ed)
Svmi n because he possesses everything. He is called Vi snu be-
cause he enters everything.
98. He i s called Bhagavn because he possesses Bhaga
6oo. See p. 6o note. 78
Various Creations 315
(loveliness, excellence, fortune, gl ory). He is called iva be-
cause he i s devoi d of i mpuri ti es. He i s called Par ama be-
cause he i s distinguished and emi nent . Since he protects
ht is cal l ed Om.
99. He i s cal l ed Sarvaj a because he knows everyt hi ng
perfect l y. He i s Sar va because he i s i dent i cal wi t h all. He
di vi des himself i nt o t hree and functions i n t he t hree worl ds.
100. By means of t hr ee forms he creat es, swallows and
prot ect s. Si nce he i s pr i mor di al he i s cal l ed " Adi deva" . He i s
cal l ed Aja because he i s not bor n.
101. Since he prot ect s peopl e he i s known as Praj pat i .
Since he i s t he greatest among Devas he i s cal l ed Mahdeva.
102. He i s Omni present and not subservient to Devas.
Hence, he i s I vara. He i s Br ahm because he i s massive. He i s
called Bht a because of his existence.
103. He is. called t he knower of the fi el d (i.e. body) ; he
comprehends the i nner organs, mi nd, etc. Since he i s single
he is cal l ed Keval a. Since he lies down in the soul he is called
Purusa.
104. He is known as self-born because he has no begin-
ni ng and he k pri or to all. Since he is wort hy of worship he
is cal l ed Yaj a. He i s Kavi because he can see what i s beyond
t he sense or gans. .
105. He i s Kr a ma n a because he has access t o all (or i s
accessible t o al l ) . He i s Pl aka because he protects all. He
is Adi t ya because he is tan-col oured. Being bor n at t he outset
he is Agni (fire).
106. Because he is the cause of origin of all gol den things
and also because he is bor n of the golden Egg, he is called
Hi r anyagar bha.
107. The ti me t hat has gone by after t he self-born has
been in existence cannot be reckoned even in hundr eds of
years.
108. The fi rst half Par r dha i n the age of the present Br ahm
has al ready elapsed and anot her peri od of equal dur at i on i.e.
second half still remai ns. At its end begins t he dissolution
of the worl ds.
109. Crores and thousands of crores of these days of kalpas
316
Ligapurna
have come and gone. As many yet remai n. The kal pa t hat i s
current now is known as Vr ha kal pa.
110-112. O brahmi ns, this is the first kal pa (Brahma' s day)
wi thi n t hat Vr ha kal pa (age). In this there are fourteen Manus
begi nni ng wi th Svyambhuva. Thi s enti re eart h consisting of the
seven conti nents and mount ai ns are to be protected by those
great lords (i.e. the fourteen Manus) past, present and future
by means of thei r penance and t hrough the subjests. Listen to
thei r detai l ed account .
113. If one t nanvant ar a i s recounted, the other man-
van t ar as are also recount ed. If one kal pa is expl ai ned, all the
other kal pas too are explained.
114. The past kal pas are such t hat they leave their con-
sequences on the future ones al ong wi th ( or i ncl udi ng) the
dynasties of Ki ngs etc. and t he same reasoni ng should be
appl i ed to future kal pas by t he knowing ma n (i.e., t he past
has left its marks on t he present and in t he same way the future
will carry the marks of t he present.
115-117. The waters were i n existence at the outset when
the whole surface of t he eart h had been destroyed. In the vast
qui et and sparkl i ng waters not hi ng else was known. W hen the
mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings are destroyed i n t hat vast,
sealike expanse of water, Br ahma assumes a form wi th t housand
eyes, t housand feet, t housand heads .
8 0 1
He i s then called
Nr yana. He i s the golden-coloured Pur us a beyond the sense
organs. He ha d his sl umber i n t hat expanse of wat er.
118. W hen sattva guna was preval ent he woke up and
found t he worl d a void. They cite this verse about Nr yana.
119-125. W e hear t hat the word Nr a means waters or sons
of waters. He f i l l ed t he void wi th waters and made i t his resort.
Since he lies down in t he waters he is known as Nr yana.
8 0 2
After spendi ng t he ni ght consisting of a t housand cycles of four
yugas i n the water, at t he end of t he ni ght he assumed the
form of Br ahma for the purpose of creati on. Br ahma adopt ed
a gaseous form and moved about over those waters like the
gl owworm at ni ght duri ng the rai ny season. He knew t hat the
6oi. Cf. RV. lo.go.i. VS. 31. 1.
6oz. See p. 66. note. 86.
Various Creations
317
eart h had gone^under t he water by means of inference. But he
di d not get disillusioned over t he lifting up of the,^ eart h (from
the wat ers). In previous eras i n the begi nni ng of t he kal pas he
had assumed anot her body. Then the lord of great soul ponder-
ed over t hat di vi ne form. Seeing the eart h submerged i n water
all r ound he t hought " W ha t form shall I adopt to lift up this
Ear t h ?" He adopt ed the form of a boar as befitting t he sport i n
water. The form was unassail abl e to all living beings. It had
speech and was actual l y " Br a hma n" itself. He entered t he
net her worlds in t hat form for lifting up t he eart h.
127. In t hat boar form he appr oached t he ear t h envelop-
ed by wat er and quickly lifted i t up.
128-132. The waters i mmedi atel y f i l l ed up t he oceans,
and the rivers. F or t he welfare of the worlds, t he l ord lifted up
the ear t h by means of his curved fangs, t he eart h, t hat had
submerged and got embedded i n t he net her worl ds. The hol-
der of the eart h, Lord Vi snu, t he lifter of t he ear t h hel d i t,
brought it to its original pl ace and left it t here as it was before.
The ear t h stood like a great ship above t hat vast collection of
wat er and on a par wi th it. Because of its massive body the
eart h di d not sink and get submerged. After lifting i t up the
lotus-eyed l ord with t he desire to fi t t he worl d fi rml y t urned
his at t ent i on towards the demarcat i on of the eart h. He made
the ear t h level and t hen collected t he mount ai ns.
133-134. W hen everythi ng of t he previous creati on was
bur nt by t he f i re at the ti me of dissolution t he mount ai ns got
scattered over an extensive area. Due to chilliness i n t hat vast
sea-like expanse of water t he scattered pieces of mount ai ns were
heaped up by the wi nd. Wherever they were deposited they
became t he stabl e mount ai ns.
135. Mount ai ns are called acalas because they never
move, they are called parvat as because they have knots (par-
vans) . They are giris because they are absorbed and hi dden.
They are called iloccayas because they keep lying down.
13B. Thereafter when crores of mount ai ns were scattered
about , Vi vakarman t he archi tect of the gods, di vi ded and
classified t hem agai n and agai n at the begi nni ng of every kal pa.
137. He t hen divided the ear t h i nto seven conti nents,
318 Ligapurna
oceans and mount ai ns. Thereafter he evolved t he four worlds
begi nni ng wi t h Bhh.
138. After evolving the worlds, the self-born Brahma, the
l ord who was desirous of creati ng different subjects, began
creati ng t hem.
139-141a. He creat ed everything at the begi nni ng of the
kal pa in t he same manner as it was before. W hi l e he medi t at ed
on creati on begi nni ng wi th intellect and simultaneous with it,
Illusion, i gnorance identical wi th darkness, originated from the
great soul i n fi ve stages
80 3
vi z. t amas (darkness) moha (del u-
si on), mahmoha (great del usi on), tmisra (murki ness) and
andhat mi sra (bl i ndi ng gloominess).
141b-143. Thi s first creation of the medi tati ng and self-
confident l ord came to stay as a fivefold one; viz. (1) those
enveloped by darkness; (2) half open and half covered like the
sprout from a seed; (3) those t hat have no light inside or outsi de;
(4) those t hat are stiff and rigid and ( 5) senseless. Because
thei r intellect, miseries and senses were all enshrouded, they
are called i mport ant immobiles wi th covered souls.
144. On seeing this first creation in t hat si tuati on as well
as useless for any acti on (being immobile) he became dissatis-
f i ed i n mi nd, and t hought about anot her.
145. Even as he medi t at ed over it the Tiryaksrotas creation
(moving sideways) was developed. Since it functioned sideways
it is called Tiryaksrotas.
146. The animal s etc. (i.e. birds and reptiles) constitute
this well-known creati on. O brahmi ns, they are those who
adopt wrong pat hs. So he medi t at ed on anot her creation and
t he Sttvi ka creati on was evolved.
147-148. Thi s t hi rd creation is rdhvasrotas which is
directed upwards. Since it functions upwards it is called rdhva-
srotas. The beings created under this category are mosdy
happy and delighted. They are enshrouded wi thi n and wi thout
as well as il l uminated on bot h sides.
603. Avidythe scheme of ninefold creation is mentioned in all the
Purnas. it is said that the creation arose out of ignorance (avidy) classi-
fied into five heads, vit., tamas (darkness), moha (confusion), mahmoha
(obsession), tmisra (gloominess), and andhatmisra (blind gloominess).
Mga (a. 9. 30, 35) divides these into siztyfour categories.
Various Creations 319
149. Because they have been created with the uni on of
Sat t vaguna, they are known as ori gi nati ng from Sattva. Thi s
thi rd creati on of rdhvasrot as is t hat of Devas.
150. The creati ons ori gi nati ng i n t he category of rdhva-
srotas are brilliant wi thi n and wi thout. The rdhvasrotas crea-
tions are stated by t he l earned to be satisfied souls.
151. W hen Devas, the creations in the category of rdhva-
srotas were created Brahma, t he lord who grants boons, became
del ighted, but he still medi t at ed on anot her creati on.
152-153. He pondered over t he creati on t hat will be
Sdhaka*
0 4
(active and fi t for act i on) . Even as he was medi t at i ng
truthfully, the active Arvksrotas creation manifested itself
from the unmanifest Prakrt i . Since it functions downwards it is
called Arvksrotas.
154. The beings created thus are mostly bri l l i ant ; rajas
predomi nates in t hem and there is a mi xture of t amas also.
Hence, there is a predomi nance of misery and they do thei r
tasks agai n and agai n.
155. They are human beings enshrouded wi thi n and with-
out, and active. They are classified i nto ei ght categories
t hrough their redeemi ng feature.
156. They are men who have realized souls wi th attri butes
similar to those of Gandharvas. Thus, the creati on of Arvksro-
tas is called Taij asa (l umi nous, fiery).
157-158. The fifth creation is Anugr aha (the creati on of
blessings). It is fourfold accordi ng to the distinctive feature of
contrari ety, power, achi evement and satisfaction. The contra-
riety inheres t he beings t hat are i mmobi l e; the power is the
el ement t hat characterizes the Ti ryak yonis ( ani mal s ) ; men are
characteri zed by thei r realized souls. Of Devas and sages satis-
faction is t he distinctive feature.
159. Thi s group i s called Prkrt a (pert ai ni ng to Pr akr t i ) .
Thi s fifth (fourfold) Vai kri ka creati on is the best ( anavamah)
among all. The creation of the origins of gross elements and the
gross elements, siddhas, sages, etc. , is the sixth. The creation of
604. sdhakabsakala-kranah ST., the cause of all creation. Cf.
nrdeham dyamBhg. cited in ST.
Ligapurna
(ordi nary) human beings ( as distinct from t he sages, et c. ) out
of t he subtle and gross elements is the seventh.
160-161. They (of t he sixth group represented by the sages)
know what has taken pl ace in the past, what is taki ng pl ace at
present, and what will take pl ace in future.*
0 5
These (sages, etc.)
remai n detached t hough they enjoy and share the fruits of
thei r activities.
162-164. Thi s creati on is characteri zed by contrari ety and
imperfection. The fi rst (1) creation of Brahm i s t hat of Ma ha t ;
the next ( 2) t hat of t anmt r as ; the t hi rd 3) is Vai kri ka(i . e. of
the nat ur e of transformati on and rami f i cat i on); this three-fold
creation was evolved pri or to intelligence. (4) The pri mary
(mukhya) creati on (of insentient beings) is t he fourth. The
i mmobi l e beings are t he mukhyas.
165. Then t here are (5) t i ryak ( hor i zont al ) ; ( 6) rdhva
(upward) and (7) arvksrotas (downward) creati ons. ( 8) Then
comes t he anugr aha creation, t he ei ghth i n t he serial order. It i s
bot h Sttvi ka and Tmas a.
166. Thus wi t h t he fi ve vai krta types and three prkrt as
there are eight types of creati on. ( 9) The ni nt h creati on, i.e., of
Kumr as i s bot h pr kr t a and vai krta.
167. The three pr kr t a creati ons are pri or to t he creation
of intellect. But t he other six creations (Nos. 4-9) are posterior
to intellect.
168. I shall now give the detai l of Anugr aha sarga whi ch
you will underst and properl y. It stands i n four ways'
0 8
among
all living beings.
605. The text is corrupted. The commentator's interpretation is
far-fetched. He explains prkrtah (V-159) as prakrta-nirpana-visayahthe
subject of present discourse. He dissolves vaikrto navamah as vaikrtah
anavamah and explains anavamah as resthah, superior.
606. The anugraha creation is characterized by contrariety (viparyaya),
power (akti), satisfaction (tusji) and perfection (siddhi).
The scheme of ninefold creation as outlined in the Purnas can be
summarised as follows :
(i) Mahat : (creation of the great principle : intellect). (ii)Tanmtra:
(creation of subtle elements), (iii) Bhta : (creation of gross elements).
(This set of three-fold creation is primary and originates from avidy
ignorance). (iv) Mukhya (the principal creation comprising the immobile
world of insentient beings such as mountains), (v Tiryak (the animal)
Various Creations 321
169. The Pr kr t a and Vai krt a creations together are ni ne.
The l earned consider t hem i nterconnected through causes.
170. At the outset, Brahma created the ment al sons equal
to himself. Among t hem Rbhu and Sanat were sages of subli-
mat ed sexuality.
171-173a. They were bor n at the outset. They were senior
to all others. After the ei ghth kal pa was over, these twoafclefrt
ones, t he witnesses of t he worlds constricted t hei r spl endour and
settled themselves in t he terrestrial world in the Vrhakal pa.
They performed such actions leading to salvation after steadying
their mi nd in thei r soul. Eschewing progeny, ritualistic activities
and affection they adopted det achment . Sanat conti nued to
have the same child-like form as at the ti me of his bi rt h. Hence,
his name is cel ebrated as Sanat kumra.
173b-l77. Brahma created Sananda, Sanaka and Sant ana.
By means of their perfect knowl edge those sages of great
power abstai ned from worldly acts. These yogins were enlight-
ened in the diversity of the worl d and so refrained from worldly
activities. W i t hout creati ng progenies they passed away at the
time of dissolution. After they had gone away, Brahma created
other ment al sons who were fi t for acti on and who took pri de
in their positions. These sages by whom thi s eart h was sustain-
ed remai ned unt i l the final dissolution of all living beings.
178-182. Br ahma creat ed the waters, fi re, eart h, fi rma-
ment , heaven, oceans, rivers, mount ai ns, herbs, creepers, trees
and pl ant s, t he uni t s of time such as lavas, ksfhs, kals,
muhr t as , j unct i ons, nights, days, fortnights, mont hs, ayanas
(half-yearly transi t of the s un) , years and yugas. All these
who identified themselves wi t h these abodes are known by t he
names of their abodes. He created Devas and sages too. They
creation wherein the stream of life is horizontal) (tiryaksrotas). (vi) Deva
(creation of Devas in which the stream of life moves upwards) (rdhva-
srotas). (vii) Mnusa
0
(creation of mankind in which the stream of life
moves downwards (arvk-srotas). (viii) creation of Feeling such as
contrariety, power, satisfaction and perfection found respectively in the
immobile, mobile, human and divine beings. This set of creation (Nos iv-
viii), born of intelligence is said to be secondary; but Vjm includes
anugraha in the primary creation, (ix) Kumra" creation of the mental
sons of BrahmaSanat etc. This ninth creation is said to be both primary
and secondary.
322
Ligapurna
were Mari ci , Bhrgu, Agiras, Pulastya, Pul aha, Kr at u, Daksa,
Atri and Vasi stha. Brahm creat ed these ni ne sons mental l y.
They are stipul ated i n the Purnas as the Ni ne Brahms.
183. As before, the lotus-born dei ty assigned abodes to all
t he expounders of Br ahman, who were equal to Br ahm hi m-
self.
184-185. Then the l ord created Samkal pa and Dhar ma:
Dhar ma t hrough enterprise and Samkal pa out of det ermi na-
tion. Then anot her ment al son Ruci was born of l ord Brahm.
186. Br ahm creat ed Daksa from tis vital breat h and
Mar ci from his eyes. Bhrgu was bor n of the heart of Brahm.
187. He created Agiras from his head and Atri from his
ears. He created Pul astya from the organi c wi nd Ud na and
Pul aha from the wi nd Vyna.
188. Vasi stha was b o m of Samna. He created Kr at u
from Apna. Thus these divine sons of Br ahm are eleven
altogether.
189-191a. Dhar ma etc. are t he fi rst born sons of Brahm.
The ni ne sons, Bhrgu and others, were created as expounders
of Brahman. They were anci ent householders who propagat ed
Dhar ma. Among t hem, twelve were t he lords of Devas. Thei r
dynasties were divine, endowed wi t h sttvic qualities. They
were active, had good progenies and were adorned among t he
sages.
191b-195a. Rbhu and Sanat kumr a were sages of subli-
mat ed sexuality. They were fi rst born and therefore senior to all
others. W hen the ei ghth kal pa had elapsed these anci ent sages,
the cosmic witnesses, shone in the worl d after constricting their
spl endour. Both of t hem di d abi de, by performing yogic rites
after super-imposing the individual soul over the supreme soul.
Eschewing progeny, worldly rites and affection t hey adopt ed
det achment . Sanat conti nued to have the child-like form.
Hence his name has been stabilised as Sanat .
195b. Thereafter, as he (Brahm) conti nued his medi t a-
tion, ment al sons were bor n to hi m.
196. Indi vi dual souls were born out of t he body of t hat
intelligent lord t hrough t he cause and effect process.
197-199. Thereafter he was desirous of creati ng the four
groups, viz. Devas, Asuras, Pi trs and human beings. He infused
Various Creations
323
himself in t he wat ers. Even as he di d so, even as he assiduously
medi t at ed on creat i on, t he particles of darkness grew up i n
excess. The n out of his buttocks were pr oduced t he Asuras. O
br ahmi ns, t he word ' asu' means vital br eat h. Those bor n of t he
vital br eat h are called Asuras.
200. And he t hen eschewed t hat body whereby t he Asuras
were creat ed and cast it off. It t hen became Ni ght .
201. Since Ni ght is most l y constituted of darkness it is
somet hi ng t hat restricts movement . The subjects enveloped i n
darkness, sleep at ni ght .
202-203. After creating t he Asuras he took up anot her body.
It was unmanifest and it mostly consisted of t he qual i t y of good-
ness. So he ador ed it. Even as he uni t ed t hat body in yogic
activities he was pleased. The n from his shining mout h were bor n
Devas.
204-205. Since they were bor n of hi m even as he was shin-
ing they ar e called Devas (shining ones). The root ' Di v' means
' t o pl ay' . Therefore, Devas were bor n sportingly. After creat i ng
t hem t he lord of Devas took anot her body.
206. Tha t body was cast off by hi m and when cast off it
became day. Hence, Devas adore t he day t hat consists of Dhar ma.
207-209. The n he took up anot her body charact eri zed by
the qual i t y of goodness. The l or d considered himself like a
father medi t at i ng on sons. Hence, t he Pitrs were bor n i n bet ween
t he ni ght and day from his t wo sides. Hence, Devas are t he
Pitrs and t hei r state of bei ng Pitrs is due to t hat . He cast off
t hat body t oo. Tha t body cast off by hi m, i mmedi at el y became
the Twi l i ght .
210-211. The day pert ai ns t o Devas and t he ni ght t o Asu-
ras. In bet ween t he two is stationed t he body t hat belongs to
the Pitrs. Hence, all Devas, Asuras, sages and men adore t he
body t hat lies i n bet ween ni ght and day.
212-213. Then Br ahma adopt ed anot her body charact eri z-
ed by t he part i cl e of passion. The lord creat ed wi t h his mi nd
the ment al sons of passionate activities. Ther eby, t he passionate
sons were bor n of hi m.
214-215a. After creat i ng theni he cast off t hat body. Tha t
body cast off by hi m, i mmedi at el y became moonl i ght . Tha t is
why t he peopl e become del i ght ed when moonl i ght spreads.
324 Ligapurna
215b-2l 6. Thus the bodies cast off by t hat nobl e soul be-
came i mmedi atel y night, day, the morni ng twilight and even-
ing twilight and moonl ight. The moonl ight, the twilight and
the day, these t hree consist of the qual i ty of goodness.
217-218a. The ni ght is characteri zed by the quality of
darkness. Hence it is called Ni . Because Devas were created
by day, t hrough pleasure and out of Brahma' s mout h, they are
said to be dayborn and powerful by day.
218b-220. The lord created Asuras by ni ght from his loins.
That body of the lord became nightTSince they were born at
ni ght the Asuras are powerful by ni ght. These times become t he
causes for all (past and) future Devas, Asuras, Pitrs and human
beings in all past and future manvant aras.
221-224. The morni ng twilight, night, day and evening
twilight, these four are the bodies of Brahm. They are called
' Ambhmsi ' . The root bh means t o ' shi ne' . The word Ambh-
msi is traced by the l earned to this root. After creating these,
Praj pati created Devas, human beings, Dnavas and Pitrs from
his body. Thereafter he foresook t hat body whi ch t urned i nt o
moonl ight and assumed anot her form characteri zed by passion
and darkness. The lord created other beings duri ng t he ni ght ;
these beings were overwhelmed wi th hunger.
225-228. These hungry beings created by hi m at t empt ed
to seize the bodies of the lord. Some of t hem who said, " W e will
protect these bodi es" were known as Rksasas. They were
night-walkers who were overcome by hunger. Those who said,
' W e will eat t hem up, ' were called yaksas as also guhyakas
because of their secret activity. The root ' raks' means ' to pro-
tect and the root ' yaks' means ' t o eat . ' On observing this crea-
tion, the hai r of the intelligent lord Brahm became wi thered
due to displeasure.
229-233a. Those of the wi thered hair t hat slipped off his
head and glided downward became snakes. Since they
were defective they are known as Ahis. Since they fell from
his head they are known as Pannagas and they are Sarpas
because they creep. The fire of his terrible anger turned i nt o
poison and entered t he serpents; t hat i s why t hey are born along-
wi th poison. After creati ng t he serpents the angry lord created
other i rate souls, who looked savage i n thei r tawny col our.
Various Creations 325
They were fi erce and fl esh-eati ng goblins. Since they came
i nto bei ng they are known as Bhtas, and as Picas because
they at e fl esh.
233b-234. F rom hi m then were born the Gandharvas sing-
ing j oyously. The root Dhai means to i mbi be. They were born
even as t hey were i mbi bi ng speech. Hence they are known as
Gandharvas.
235. After these eight divine beings had been created t hat
lord created birds from his own youthful stage out of his own
inclination.
236. Since^ they are abl e to move as they please they are
known as such. They are named Vayas (bi rds) because they
were created from his youth. After creati ng the animals the
lord of Devas created the flocks of winged animals.
237-239. He created goats from his mout h; he created
sheep from his chest; he created cows and bulls from his belly
and sides. F rom his feet he creat ed horses, el ephants, donkeys,
deer, camels, mules and other kinds and classes of beasts. Pl ants
and fruit trees were produced from the hai r of his body.
After creati ng the cattle and plants, he engaged himself in
a sacrifice.
-
240. They call these t he domesti cated animal s, vi z. the
cow, the bul l , the man, the r am, the horse, the mul e, the don-
key. Under s t and the wild animal s.
241-242. They call these the wild animals, vi z. t he beasts
of prey, the cloven hoofed elephants, monkeys, fifthly, birds, six-
thly, aquati c beasts and seventhly, the reptiles. The following
seven are forest animal s, viz.buffaloes, gavayas (a species of
ox), bears, monkeys, arabhas (the fabulous ani mal of eight
feet), wolves, and lions.
243. F r om his front face he created Gyat ri and t rc Man-
tras, Tri vrt Sman, Rat hant ar a and Agni stoma verses.
244. F r om his southern face he created Yaj ur hymns,
Tri st ubh met re, Pacada ama Stoman, br hat Sman and
Ukt hya verses.
245. F r om his western face he created Sman, the metre
J agat , Sapt adaama Stoman, Vai r pa Sman and At i rt ra
verses.
246. F r om his northern face he created the set of twenty
326
Ligapurna
one At harvan hymns, Aptoryma, Anust ubh met re and t he
Vairj a met re.
247. At the beginning of the kalpa the lord created the
lightning, the thunderbol ts, the clouds, the reddy rainbows
and t he luminaries.
248. The high and the low living beings were bor n from his
limbs.
249-250. After creati ng the four groups, viz. Devas, Asuras,
human beings and Pitrs he created Ijeings, mobile and i mmo-
bile, Yaksas, Picas, Gandharvas, Apsarases, Naras, Ki nnaras,
Rksasas, birds, cattl e, wild animals and snakes.
251-261. Ther e are mobi l e and i mmobi l e as well as chang-
ing and unchangi ng created beings. W hat ever activities they
had in a previous creati on they resume t he same activities in
succeeding creations. They have the same nat ure, etc. whether
savage or timid, ki nd or cruel, righteous or evil, true or false.
Urged by thei r attri butes they adopt and take pleasure i n their
respective qualities.
Wh"eh t he great el ement st he objects of the senses and
their formswere created, the creator himself settled the appli-
cati on of the elements as objects of the sense organs.
6 0 7
Some
men say t hat human effort is the cause of various activities;
others say t hat it is divine fate. The materialists say t hat
it is Nat ur e. But really manl y effort, working of fate and
nat ur e all depend on the nat ur e of the fruit or result. They
know t hat none of these by itself is superior to the other
nor can one be separated from the other. Thi s is their nat ur e.
They cannot be all one nor are they two together, because they
have separate entities.
Those who abide by activities may call t hat result contrary,
those who abide by the qual ity of goodness observe i mparti al
outlook.
The names and forms of the elements and the further deve-
l opment of the created ones were evolved by the great lord at
the beginning itself t hrough the words of the Vedas. The unborn
607. The Purnas assign the division of society and the distribution
of functions to the primeval beingMahevara, Cf. yajo janturanioyam
tmanah tukhaduhkhayoh. / ivara-prerito gacchet svargam narakam eva
v //cited in 57*.
Various Creations 327
lord assigns names and aciivities^in regard to t he Vedas, to
the sages born at the. end of the night of dissolution in the
same manner as before. Such are the creations of Brahma of
unmanifest origin. The mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings created
t hrough his' ment al perfection are seen at the end of his ni ght.
They resort to the ment al perfection. W hen these excellent
subjects created by hi m di d not prosper, Brahma who had been
enveloped by the qual i ty of darkness became miserable wi th
grief.
262-263a. Thereupon, he applied his intellect to come to a
fixed decision. Then he saw wi thi n his mi nd t hat the particles
of darkness were the sole controlling factors eschewing bot h the
particles of goodness and passion.
263b-264. Therefore, t he lord of the universe was miserable
due to t hat sorrow. Then j^g-prodded the tamas, and rajas and
covered^tJ 5tn wi t h sattva. The t amas thus prodded became a
twin.
265-267. Adhar ma (sin) was bor n of tamas and Hi ms
(violence) was born of grief. W hen this pai r of terribl e nat ur e
originated, the life (vital breaths) left the lord and pleasure
resorted to hi m. Then Brahma eschewed his shining body and
bifurcated it. W i t h one half of his body he became a man.
W i t h the other half he created a woman at ar p.
268. W i t h love t he lord created Prakrti , the mot her of the
elements. W i t h her greatness she stood pervading heaven and
earth. __
269-270. The first hat f oTbody of Brahma envelopes heaven
and stays there. The woman at ar p.
6 0 8
born out of the ot her
half performed difficult penance for hundr ed thousand years
and obtai ned a man of bril l iant renown as her husbarraV
271. That man i s at t he outset called Manu t he self-born.
Seventy sets of four yugas constitute his manvant ai a.
272. That man obtai ned as his wife at ar p who was not
born of a womb. He sported with her. Hence, she is called Rat i
(pl easure).
60S. The Purna speaks of Brahma splitting his body into two
parts : the male and female, viz. Manu and atarp. Cf. Matsya 3. 31.
Thus Manu and atarp are said to be ayonijanot born of a womb.
Ory.
328 Ligapurna
273. The first mut ual relation of two souls took place at
the beginning of the kal pa when Brahm created Vi rt. He be-
came the Vi rt (massive) Purusa.
274. at arp was the empress. The son of Virt, i.e.
Svyambhuva was known as Manu. Ma nu Vairj a created the
subjects.
275. F r om the heroic son of Vi rt (i . e. Vairj a) at arp
gave bi rth to two sons : Pri yavrata and Ut t napda who were
honoured by the worlds.
276. She gave bi rt h to two blessed daught ers also from
whom the subjects of the world were born. They were the
gentle ladies kti and Prasti .
277. The lord Svyambhuva Ma nu gave Prasti t o
Daksa. Daksa should be known as Pr na (vital br e a t h) ; Manu
is Sakal pa ( I dea) .
278-279. He gave Akti to Ruci the Praj pat i . Ruci the
ment al son of Br ahm begot auspicious twins of Akti. Yajfta
and Daksi n were born as twins: Yaj a begot of Daksi n twelve
sons.
280. The devas called ymas were born as his sons in the
Svyambhuva manvant ar a. Hence, they too are known as
Ymas.
281. Two groups, theAj i tas and the ukras were created
by Brahm. The Ymas who were born at t he outset became
heaven-dwellers.
282. Lord Daks a begot of Prasti , the daught er of Svyam-
bhuva, twentyfour daught ers who became the mot hers of the
worlds.
283. All of t hem were highly blessed, lotus-eyed, pleasure-
seeking and yogic mot hers.
284-285. All of t hem were expounders of t he Br ahman as
well as mothers of the uni verse: Lord Dha r ma took as his wives
thi rteen of the daughters of Daksa, vi z: r addh (f ai th);
Laksm ( f or t une) , Dhr t i (forti tude), Tust i (satisfaction), Pus d
( nour i s hment ) , Medh (i ntel l ect), Kr i y (ri tual s), Buddhi
(wisdom), Laj j (bashfulness), Vapuh ( beaut y) , nti
(peace), Si ddhi (achi evement ) and K rt i ( r enown) the
t hi rt eent h.
286-292. The lord Dha r ma took these daught ers of Daksa
Various Creations
329
as his wives. Thei r younger sisters were t he eleven splendid-
eyed ladies, vi z. Sat , Khyt i , Sambht i , Smrt i , Pr ti , Ks am,
Sannat i , Anasy, rj , Svh and Svadh. Ot her great sages
took t hem as thei r wi vesthey were Rudr a, Bhrgu, Mari ci ,
Agiras, Pul aha, Kr at u, Pul astya, Atri , Vasi stha, Vahni and
t he Pitrs. He gave Sat t o Bhava; Khyt i t o Bhrgu; Sambht i
to Mar ci ; Smrt i to Agiras, Prti to Pul ast ya; Ks am to
Pul aha, Sannat i to Kr at u, Anasy to Atri, rj to Vasi stha,
Svh to Agni and Svadh to t he Pitrs. All these ladies were
hi ghl y blessed; they closely followed thei r progeny in all the
manvant ar as unt i l t he dissolution of all living beings. Now listen
to thei r progeny.
293-298. r addh gave bi rt h t o Kama. Dar pa was the
son of Laksm ; Ni yama of Dhr t i ; Santosa of Tus t i ; Lobha of
Pust i ; rut a of Me dh ; Danda and Samaya were bor n as the
sons of Kr i y; Bodha and Pr amda of Buddhi ; Vi naya (Humi -
lity) was bor n of Laj j ; Vyavasya (Enterprise) of Vapus ;
Ks ema of Snt i ; Sukha of Si ddhi ; and Ya ah of K rt i t hese
were t he offspring of Dhar ma. Har s a was Kama' s son bor n
of the gentl e l ady Pr ti . Thus, t he creation of Dhar ma has been
recounted. Hi ms bore t o Adhar ma, Ntkrti and Anr t a.
299-302. Pai rs of twins were born of Ni krti : Bhaya and
Nar aka; My and Vedan. My gave bi rt h t o Mrt yu,
the dispeller of living beings. Raur ava got a son of Vedan
cal l ed Duhkha. F r om Mr t yu were born Vydhi , J ar , oka,
Kr odha and Asy. All these endi ng wi th Duhkha had the cha-
racteristics of Adhar ma. These had no wives nor sons. They live
i n perpet ual chastity. Thus , t he Tmas a creation was evolved
wi th Adhar ma as the control l i ng factor.
303-304. N l al ohi t a was given the di recti on by Br ahma
to creat e t he subjects. Medi t at i ng on his wife Sat he created
thousands of hide-clad beings as his ment al sons who were
nei ther superi or nor inferior but equal to hi m.
305-313. They were all equal to hi m in form, splendour,
strength and l earni ng. They were tawny-col oured. They were
equi pped wi th quivers. They had their mat t ed hai rs of red-
di sh hue. They were havi ng special features. Thei r hai rs
were greenish. They hel d skulls. They coul d kill wi th their
eyes. They had massive f i gures. They were deformed. They
330
Ligapurna
had universal forms. They had his own forms. They had
chariots, shields, coats of mai l , and protecti ve front-fenders in
their chariots. They had hundreds and thousands of arms. They
could go to heaven, fi rmament as well as wal k over the eart h.
They had stout heads, eight curved fangs, two tongues and
t hree eyes. They were eaters of cooked food. Some were eaters
of flesh, some i mbi bers of ghee and some drinkers of Soma
j ui ce. Some were bounti ful ; some had great skulls; some
were blue-necked. They had sublimated thei r sexuality. They
were partakers of offerings; they were conversant with Dhar ma.
They were vi rtuous and adorned wi th peacock feathers f i xed to
their clubs. They were seated, they were runni ng in groups of five
and there were thousands (of such gr oups ) ; some were teachers
and some st udent s; others performed j apas and yogic practices
some emi tted smoke and bl azed; some lived on rivers; some were
very br i ght ; others were aged and intelligent; they were engrossed
in medi t at i on on Br ahman; they were of auspicious visions; they
were bl ue-necked; t hey had thousand eyes; they were mines of
mercifulness and pat i ence; they were invisible to living beings;
they had great yogic pract i ces; they had great powers and
spl endour. Thousands of t hem roamed about , rushed on and
j umped up here and there. He created these excellent beings, the
Rudr as , even before a Yma (a peri od of 3 hours) had elapsed.
314-317. On seeing hi m (i.e. Rudr a) Br ahm spoke to
h i m" Do not create subjects like these. O lord, do not create
subjects equal to yourself. Obei sance be to you! Welfare unt o
you. Create subjects endowed wi th deat h. Subjects devoid of
deat h will not start hol y ri tes. "
On bei ng urged thus, he told h i m" I will not create the
subjects equi pped wi th deat h and ol d ege. Welfare unt o you.
I am standi ng by; you create the subjects yourself. These
beings of great strength will be known by the name ' Rudr as ' .
They will resort to the eart h, f i rmament and al l quart ers.
318. A hundr ed Rudr as will be devoted to sacrifice. They
will par t ake offerings in sacrifices along wi th the groups of
Devas.
319. They will stay till t he end of a yuga. They will be
worshipped al ong wi th Devas in different manvant ar as . "
Various Creations 331
320. Thus addressed by the intelligent lord, Brahm the
del i ghted pat ri arch bowed down to hi m and replied.
321. " Ol or d, welfare unt o you. Let i t be even as i t had
been ment i oned by you. " W hen i t was approved by Brahm,
everythi ng happened i n t hat manner .
322-324. Ever since t hat day, t he lord of Devas (i. e.,
Rudr a) di d not procreat e progeny. He remai ned as St hnu
with subl i mated sexuality till t he time of Dissolution. Since
lord Mahdeva, the Pur us a shining like the sun said " I am
st ayi ng" ; he is known as St hnu (motionless).
325. He has the female form i n one half of his body. In
spl endour he is comparabl e to the fire. By his own will he
divided himself i nto two, a separate woman, and a separate
man.
326-327. The same lord stationed himself in eleven
hal ves.
80 9
The great goddess ment i oned before as the highly
blessed lady sharing half the body of the l ord became Sat for
the welfare of t he worlds. The goddess had been formerly
propi ti ated by Daksa.
328-329. " F or the sake of creation, divide yourself into
two, ri ght half being whi te and the left bl ack. " On being
asked thus by lord iva, O brahmi ns, she bifurcated herself
i nto white and black. I shall ment i on her names ; listen atten-
tively.
330-335. They are: Svh, Svadh, Mahvi dy, Medh,
Laksm, Sarasvati, Sat, Dksyan , Vidy, Icch Sakti, Kri yt -
mik, Aparn, Ekaparn, Ekapt al , Um, Hai mavat , Kal yn ,
Ekamt rk, Khyt i , Praj Mahbhg, Gaur , Ganmbi k,
Mahdev , Nandi n , and J tavedas . These are some of the
names when she was one (i.e. before division). After she had divi-
ded into two, her names are:vitr, Var ad, Puny, Pvan,
Lokavi rut, Aj, Avean, Kr s n, Tmas , Sttvik, iv,
Prakrti , Vi krt, Raudr , Durg, Bhadr, Pramt hi n , Kl artr ,
Mahmy, Revat , Bhtanyi k. At the end of Dvpar a yuga,
O sages of good holy rites, her names ar eas follows:
609. Lord iva has a body half man and half woman. Thus when we
speak of eleven Rudras we mean eleven half males and eleven half females.
Both the male and female forms, divided into hundreds and thousands, have
their distinct names and activities.
332 Ligapurna
336-339. Gaut am , Kauik, Ary, Cand , Ktyyi n , Sat,
Kumr i , Ydav, Varad, Krsnapi gal , Bahirdhvaj or
Barhirdhvaj , l adhar, Param, Brahmacri n , Mahendro-
pendrabhgi n , Drsadvat , Ekal adhrk, Aparj it, Bahubhuj ,
Pragal bh, Sirhhavhin, the slayer of t he Daityas such as
umbha and others, the suppressor of the great demon Mahi sa,
Amogh, Vi ndhyani l ay, Vi krnt and Gananyi k. These are
the various names of the goddess in order.
340. The names of Bhadrakl menti oned by me yield
the best results. Those men who read these become devoid of
sons. *
341-342. In the forest, on the mount ai n, in the city or in
the house, in the water or on dry l and these names are used
as saving remedy. One shail repeat t hem when there is danger
from tigers, elephants, kings or thievesnay in all adversities.
343. One shall repeat these names as protective measure
in the case of children afflicted by evil eye, evil planets, goblins
as well as mothers.
344. The following two are the parts of the great goddess.
They are Praj and Sri. F r om these two were born thousands
of goddesses by whom the entire universe is pervaded.
345-347. Rudr a, Mahevara the lord of Devas stationed him-
self along wi th his consort Sat, for the benefit of the worlds. He
is Paramevara, Rudr a and Paupati . F ormerl y the three cities
were burned by hi m. By his brilliance, Devas became Paus
(Indi vi dual Souls). He who reads or listens to the splendid order
of the pri mordi al creation attai ns the worl d of Brahma. He
who narrates the same to the excellent brahmi ns also attains
Brahma' s world.
Statement of Nandikevara
333
CHAP TER SEVENTYONE
The statement of Nandikevara
The sages said:
1. The spl endi d process of creati on has been ment i oned
succinctly and i n det ai l by you. How di d Paupat i , Mahe var a
happen to bur n the t hree cities of Asuras ?
2-4. O hol y l ord, how di d Devas i ncl udi ng Br ahm become
Paus ? The set of cities was formerly bui l t by Maya by per-
forming_penance. It was an excellent set of t hree cities of
divine nat ur e, made of gold, silver and i ron. W e have hear d
t hat these al ong wi t h thei r forts were bur ned by the l ord of
Devas. How di d t he l ord who struck down the eyes of Bhaga
bur n these cities by di schargi ng a single arrow even t hough it
was di vi ne.
5. Tha t set of t hree cities was not bur ned by t he gobl ins
created by Vi snu. The ent i re detail s of t he ori gi n of t he
cities and t he acquisition of boons have been hear d formerly.
6-9. O sage of good holy rites, it behoves you to nar r at e
the bur ni ng of t he cities whol l y.
On heari ng thei r words, St a, t he most excellent among
the knowers of t he Purnas, said what he ha d hear d from
Vysa i n the manner as he had i ndi cat ed all t he necessary
topics.
Sta said:
Due to the curse of t he t hree worlds ori gi nati ng from mi nd,
speech and body, the asura Tr aka, the son of Tr a, was killed
al ong wi th his kinsmen by Skanda assiduously. Hi s sons, all
of nobl e soul, great strength and exploits, vi z: Vi dyunml i n,
Tr akks a and Kamal ks a, performed penance.
10-12. Those excellent Dnavas, whil e performi ng fierce
penance, observed great restraints. By means of penance they
emaci at ed thei r bodies. The del ighted Brahm, t he bestower
of boons grant ed t hem the boon of thei r choice.
The Daityas said:
" W e want not t o be killed by any living bei ng at any
t i me . "
334 Ligapurria
Thus they j oi ntl y requested t he grandf ather of all worl ds.
Then the eternal lord of the worlds spoke to t hem t hus :
13. "O Asuras, t here i s no universal i mmort al i t y. Desist
from this desire. Choose anot her boon t hat may appeal to you. "
14. Then the Dai tyas after consulting one anot her bowed
to Brahma, the precept or of t he universe and said to hi m:
15. "By your grace, O lord of worlds, O precept or of the
universe, we shall roam over this eart h and live in t hree cities.
16. Once in a thousand years we shall meet together. O
sinless one, these cities shall then fuse i nto one ci ty.
17. The lord who strikes at these when they have fused
i nto one wi t h a single arrow shall be deat h unt o us.
18. Repl yi ng" Let i t be so", the lord ent ered t he heaven.
Thereafter the heroi c Maya bui l t t he cities by means of
his penance.
19. The cities of those noble asuras were stati oned as
follows:the golden one was in the heaven; the silver city was
i n the fi rmament and t he i ron city was on t he ear t h.
20-22. Each of these cities was a hundr ed yoj anas in
l ength and in breadt h. The city of Tr akksa was made of gol d;
the city of Kamal ks a was made of silver; t hat of Vi dyunml i
was made of i r on; they had three types of excellent forts. Maya
was worshipped by the Dai tyas and Dnavas there. Thi s
powerful archi tect bui l t his own abode in everyone of them
and lived t here.
23. Thus, O men of good holy rites, came i nto existence
the well-fortified three cities. O leading brahmi ns, they were
like the t hree worl ds.
24. W hen the trio of cities grew up, the Dai tyas in the
three worlds entered the three cities and became superior in
strength.
25. The cities were full of kal pa trees.
6 1 0
They abounded
i n el ephants and horses. Ther e were i nnumerabl e mansions
richly decorated wi t h clusters of jewels.
26-27. Ther e were aerial chariots t hat resembled the solar
6i o. kalpa-drumaone of the five trees of Indra's paradise fabled
to fulfil all desires, the other being Mandra, Prijtaka, Santna and
Haricandana.
Statement of Nandikevara
335
disc and t hat had faces on every side. The pal aces were splen-
di d wi t h rubies st udded. They were as refulgent as the moon.
Thei r ornament al gateways were divine and resembled the
peaks of Kai l sa. Thei r t hree cities shone wi t h the excellent
mansi ons bui l t separatel y.
28. O excellent brahmi ns, it was filled wi th divine ladies
(i . e. ladies of di vi ne beaut y and excel l ence), Gandharvas,
Si ddhas and Cr anas. Ther e were shrines of Rudr a i n every
house and Agni hot ra was performed every day.
29-37. They were fi l l ed wi t h wells, tanks, large obl ong lakes
all r ound. Her ds of el ephant s i n t hei r rut , spl endid horses,
chari ots of every shape, wonderfully made wi t h faces on all
sidesall these abounded t here. Ther e were dri nki ng sheds,
assemblies, pl aygrounds, etc. Different kinds of halls and cham-
bers for t he study of the Vedas were found all round. The cities
were well fortified and made unassailable even ment al l y by
others, due to the illusionary power of Maya. O l eadi ng sages,
the cities were frequented by chaste ladies everywhere. Ther e
were many Dai t yas. Al though t hey commi t t ed great sins they
got ri d of t hem t hr ough thei r worship of akara. O brahmi ns,
the l eadi ng Dai t yas were highly blessed. They were accom-
pani ed by thei r wives and sons. They were conversant wi th
the holy rites laid down in t he rutis and Smrtis. They were
engaged i n those virtuous rites always. They abandoned all
lords other t han Mahdeva and were engaged i n the worshi p
of t hat lord al one. They had broad chests and shoulders like
those of bulls. They used to hol d all weapons. They were
always hungry. Thei r eyes shone like t he forest fire. Some of
them were qui escent; some were infuriated. Some were dwar-
fish and some were hump-backed; they had the lustre of blue
lotuses; their hairs were darkcol oured and curly. They re-
sembled the bl ue mount ai n and the Me r u; their voice was
comparabl e to t he sound of the rumbl i ng cloud. All of t hem
were protected by Maya. They were well-trained and were
desirous of fighting. That trio of cities was well frequented
by the firm and steadfast suppressors of Devas (i . e. Dai t yas)
who were interested i n fi ghti ng always and all r ound, who had
perfectly achieved prowess and virility by t he worshi p of iva
and who resembled t he sun, wi nd and king of i mmort al beings.
336 Ligapurna
38. O excellent brahmi ns, t hanks to the prowess of t he
Dai tyas, Devas i ncl udi ng I ndr a were bur ned by the f i re of the
set of three cities like t he trees consumed by t he forest fire.
39. Devas who were thus scorched sal uted lord Vi snu of
unrivalled spl endour and said to hi m.
40-41. The glorious l ord, Nr yana t hought within his
mi nd as to what should be done in the affairs of Devas.
J anr dana, whose form is sacrifice, who was himself the per-
former of sacrifices, who was the part aker of t he fruit of sacrifices
and who is the lord and bestower of benefits unt o those who
perform sacrifices, remembered the sacrifice.
42. The sacrifice remembered by hi m for t he achi evement
of the objects of Devas bowed down to t hat lord and eulogised
hi m.
43. Seeing t he smiling sacrifice, t he eternal lord Vi snu
observed Devas i ncl udi ng I ndr a and s ai d:
r Visnu said:
44. F or the destruction of the three cities and for the
prosperity of the t hree worlds, O Devas, worship the l ord wi th
ths Upas ad sacrifice.
Sta said:
45. On heari ng t he words of the intelligent lord of Devas,
Devas made great leonine roari ng sound and eulogised the lord
of sacrifices.
46. Thereafter, lord Vi snu himself t hought once agai n. The
lord of Devas agai n spoke to all Devas.
47. Even after killing and bur ni ng all living beings and
even after enjoying pleasures wi t hout the basic j ustice, if one
worships Mahdeva, one is undoubt edl y sinless.
48-49. Ther e is no doubt t hat sinless persons should not be
killed and only sinners should be killed assiduously. O excellent
Devas, how could t he wicked Asuras be killed by Devas al-
t hough they are sinners and Devas are very strong ? Hence
they should not be killed due to the power of Rudr a
Paramesdi i n.
50. W i t hout the grace of the lord who am I ? O Devas,
Statement of NandikeSvara 337
who is Brahma ? W ho are the Daityas ? W ho are the slayers of
the enemies of Devas ? W ho are the noble-souled sages ?
51. He i s the lord, greater t han t he greatest. He i s per-
petual ; he is the twentyseventh principl e ;
6 ] 1
who is worthy of
being saluted, who is the lord of all t he i mmort al beings in t he
universe and who is Mahe var a the support of the universe.
52. He al one is t he lord of all Devas. He is t he benefactor
of all. He has made a distinction between Devas and Dai t yas
sportingly.
53. It is by worshipping a par t of hi s
6 1 2
t hat Devas at t ai ned
i mmort al i t y; Br ahma at t ai ned his status as Br ahma and I
at t ai ned my status as Vi snu.
54. W i t hout worshipping hi m, whi ch man attai ns per-
fection in this worl d ? Thanks to the worship of Liga, they
could be killed by hi m al one.
55-56. Moreover, all of t hem abi de by thei r Dhar mas .
They adhere to t he inj unctions of ruti and Smrti . Still we
shall worship Rudr a by performi ng t he ri te of Upas ad pertai n-
ing to t hat lord and become victorious over the excellent
Dai tyas. Excepti ng the sole l ord, the three-eyed deity, who else
is compet ent to dtsj roy the Tri puras ? They are well protected
by Maya along wi th Tr akks a. They have t he sole lustre of
crystals and they are well stationed in themselves.
Sta said:
57. After saying this Vi snu performed t he worshi p of t he
lord by means of Upas ad sacrifice. Sitting there he saw thou-
sands of goblins.
58-59. They were armed with spears, j avelins and i ron
clubs. They had various weapons; they were in various guises.
They resembled Rudr a fierce as the fire at t he ti me of dissolu-
t i on; they were comparabl e t o Rudr a the destroyer. They
bowed to hi m and hal t ed. Lor d Vi snu then spoke to t hem.
611. See p. 8 note 15 Gf. 1.75.34= 'tasmd abheda-buddhyaiva sapta-
vimatprabbedatah.
612. Siva in his sakala form of linga.
338 Ligapurna
Visnu said:
60. "O heroi c ones, go t o t he t hree cities of Dai tyas, bur n
them, split t hem and swallow t hem. Then ret urn to the surface
of the eart h i n the manner you had gone. "
61. Thereafter, the groups of goblins bowed down to the
lord of Devas and entered t he three cities. Li ke the moths
i n fi re, they became destroyed.
62-63a. At the behest of the lord of Daityas, all the goblins
were destroyed. Thousands of Dai tyas rejoiced, danced and
sang. They eulogised Rudr a the l ord of Devas, the great soul.
63b-64. Devas incl uding Indr a, who ha a been defeated i n
a trice and whose prowess had been destroyed, came unt o
Visnu, the lord of Devas and resorted to his support out of
fear. On seeing t hem the lord Vi snu t hought thus.
65-66. " W ha t is to be done ?" After thinking, thus he
became distressed as he looked at the distresed Devas inclu-
di ng I ndr a. After a while he t hought agai n " How shall I des-
troy the ar my of Dai tyas assiduously and carry out the tasks of
Devas wi thout the grace of the supreme l ord. If one ponders
over it, there is no doubt about this t hat those who are virtuous
have no sin at all.
67-71. Hence, know t hat t he Dai t yas cannot be killed by
those Bhtas ori gi nati ng from the Upas ad sacrifice. They dis-
pel sin by means of Dhar ma. Everythi ng is founded on Dhar ma.
The eternal ruti says t hat prosperity originates from Dhar ma.
All these Dai tyas, the residents of the three cities, are virtuous.
Hence, O l eadi ng brahmi ns, they have at t ai ned i mmortal i ty and
not otherwise. Even after commi tti ng a very great sin, people
are l i berated from all the sins if they worship Rudr a. They are
not affected by sins like the lotus leaves whi ch are not affected
by water. O brahmi ns, the achi evement of worldly pleasures
definitely takes pl ace t hrough his worship. Hence, those Daityas
who are devoted to the worship of the Li ga do enjoy worldly
pleasures. Hence, O Devas, for your purpose I shall create
obstacles in t he holy rites of Dai tyas by means of my My and
so shall conquer the three cities i nstantaneousl y"
Sta said:
72. After thi nki ng thus, the lord Vi snu decided to bri ng
about i mpedi ments in the holy rituals of asuras.
Statement of NandikeSvara 339
73. Vi snu of great spl endour, wielding My generated an
illusory Pur us a'
1 3
born of himself to create obstacles to the
holy rites of Dai tyas.
74. Vi snu the ruler of all, the person who could assume
any form he liked, the wielder of My, evolved a holy treatise
that could fascinate everyone and t hat had within its basic
principles the belief in what is seen.
75. Thi s sacred treatise contai ned one million six hundr ed
thousand verses.
81 4
Lord Vi snu taught this scripture to the
Purusa born of his own limbs.
76-77. It was against those treatises t hat followed the
Srutis and t he Smrtis. It was devoid of the discipline pertai n-
ing to t he four castes and four stages of life. It was t aught
in it t hat heaven and hell are here itself.
615
Ther e was no belief
otherwise. Vi snu himself t aught this scripture to t hat Purusa.
F or the destruction of the three cities he said to t hat Pur us a:
78. " O , undoubt edl y i t behoves you to go there for t he
quick destructi on of the residents of the three cities. May their
Dhar mas i n pursui t of t he rutis and Smrtis be destroyed. "
79. The wielder of My
8 1 8
, the expert in the deceptive
scripture, bowed to hi m. After entering those cities t he sage
i mmedi at el y created his My.
80. On account of his My, those Dai tyas who were the
residents of the three cities, eschewed thei r holy rites based on
the rutis and Smrtis and became his disciples.
81-82. They left off akara, Mahdeva, the great Is vara.
613. According to the present context Visnu created a delusive
teacher called Mymoha who created a Mystra of sixteen lakhs of
verses preaching a-dharma for misguiding the Asuras. Mymoha created
disciples for the propagation of a-dharma. He preached non-violence, forbade
rauta and Smrta rituals, discarded Varnrama system, created an order
for women that resulted in leaving their home and leading the life of nuns.
In some versions, the role is assigned to Brhaspati, the preceptor of Gods
who in the guise of the preceptor ukra deludes the Asuras. F or detail,
see Mymoha prakarana in Padma, Vifnu, Matsya and iva purnas.
614. This is not clear which text is meant.
615. On the heretic doctrines compare :
f t * * 3pn3f t STTfrrct fTpqcf: ^ f a c T I % STTSTRft f
< ^ f| I %% Tr;zmft% q ^ ^ $ f f a * F 5 p P T I 3 pr f a q r t *tef: *T *ft$ft-
^ fa c J ^ T: II cited in ST.
6 16 . Muni hBauddha- bhi ksuh ST.
340 Ligapurna
At the behest of the lord, the wielder of My, Nr ada, t he
practi ti oner of deception, also entered the trio of cities and
associated himself wi t h the wielder of My. Tha t sage
was himself surrounded on all sides by his disciples and their
disciples.
83-88. He ordai ned rules of conduct for women t hat woul d
give t hem the benefit of licentious activities. They followed
those rules and achieved the result immediatel y. These women
began to censure t he ladies faithful to their husbands and
themselves became enamoured of other peopl e. Even today in
the Kal i age, base women give due honour to the sage
Nr ada*
1 7
, abandon their husbands and move about unfettered.
Real l y it is the husband who is mot her, father, ki nsman,
comrade, friend and relative unto the women. Ther e i s no
doubt about this. Still he said thus t hrough his My. Real l y
t he woman who has love towards her husband shall at t ai n t he
greatest heaven even after commi t t i ng a great sin. She who
does contrary to this attai ns hell. O l eadi ng sages, formerly,
chaste ladies forsook all Dhar mas , all Devas and other pre-
ceptors of the universe and worshi pped thei r husbands always.
After attai ni ng the heavenly worl d they became free from
ailments and rejoiced. But those who were t he followers of
My attai ned hell. Hence, it is the husband who is the greatest
goal.
89-91. Yet on account of the My of the lord of Devas
and at the behest of lord Vi snu, the women abandoned thei r
husbands and became self-willed and unrestrai ned i n thei r
conducts. Misfortune went to the three cities at the behest of
t hat lord himself. The glory and prosperi ty t hat they had
obtai ned from Brahm, t he unbor n lord, t he lord of Devas,
abandoned t hem and went out of the cities.
92-97. The lord thus preached delusion of the intellect as
evolved by the My of Vi snu. The Pur us a del uded the
Dai tyas and Nr ada t he wielder of My del uded the ladies.
In order to create obstacles i n Dhar mas these two were com-
fortably seated there. They were unexcited and unchangi ng,
617. The preaching in regard to sexual freedom is attributed to
Nrada, the disciple of Mymoha.
Statement of Nandikevara
341
when the splendid Dhar ma pertaining to the rutis and the
Smrtis, peri shed; when heresy was procl aimed by Vi snu, the
source of origin of t he universe; when Mahe vara and t he
worshi p of his Li ga were abandoned by Dai t yas; when t he
virtuous activities of the women were entirely destroyed and
wicked conduct was stabilised; the lord of Devas Vi snu
appeared contented. After practising penance he approached
the consort of Um along wi th Devas and eulogised hi m. Lord
Vi snu said :
Obei sance to you, to Lord Mahe vara, to the great At man,
obeisance to Nr yana, to arva, to Brahma, to one havi ng the
form of Br ahman; obeisance to the per manent one, to the
infinite one, to t he unmanifest one.
Sta said:
98-99. After eulogising the great lord and after bowing
down like a long staff, the lord Visnu stationed himself in water
and performed the j apa of the Rudr a Mant r a ten million times.
All Devas including Indra, Sdhyas, Yama, Rudr as and Mar ut s
eulogised lord iva.
Devas said :
100. Obei sance to you t he At man of al l ; obeisance to
akara the dispeller of affliction, to Rudr a, to N l a Rudr a, to
Kadr udr a and t o Pracetas.
101. You are our perpet ual goal ; the suppressor of t he
enemies of Devas should be always worshi pped and honoured
by us. You are the pri mordi al one; you are the endless one;
you are the infinite imperishabl e lord.
102. O preceptor of t he universe, you are Prakrt i and
Purusa himself; you ar e t he creator, the destroyer; the pro-
tector; the l eader of the brahmi ns in this universe, O deity,
favourably disposed towards t he brahmi ns.
103-104. You are t he grant er of boons; you are identical
with speech. You are worthy of being directly expressed; you
are devoid of t he expressed and expression. F or the sake of
salvation, you are worshipped by the yogins and by those
who whirl i n the yogic practice. You ar e stationed i n the
342 Ligapurna
cavity of the lotus-like heart . The wise call you Sat (the
existent), the greatest one in the form of Brahman.
105. O lord, the noble sages say t hat you are reality, t he
mass of splendour, greater t han the greatest and the greatest
Atman in this world.
106. O preceptor of the universe, you are everything t hat
is seen, heard, stationed or born. They call you mi nut er t han
the mi nut es t and greater t han the greatest.
- " " 107. They call you one with hands and feet everywhere,
one wi th eyes, heads and mout hs everywhere. You have ears
all r ound and you stand enveloping everything in the world.
108-110. They call you Mahdeva, the omniscient, one
wi thout ail ment, one who cannot be specifically poi nt ed out,
one havi ng a universal form, one with deformed eyes, Sadiva
wi thout ai l ment, one who makes others i n t he worl d function,
one who makes Prakrti work, t he great-grandfather, t he lord who
bestows boons, the self-born deity, the abode of all and t he
lord of twentysix principles. You resemble ten million suns in
refulgence; you are similar to ten million moons in brightness,
you are on a par wi th ten million fires t hat blaze at t he time
of dissolution and you have no other lord to control you.
111-114. The Srutis and the people who are conversant
with the essence of Srutis call you t he essence of t he Srutis.
O deity wi th many forms, that which is evolved in the world
wi thout you has not been seen by us. You al one protect the
Dai tyas, Devas, Bhtas, the mobile and i mmobi l e beings, O
ambhu, we have no other goal. Protect us by killng all the
Asuras.
O Paramevara, all are del uded by your My. J us t as the
waves and billows in t he ocean come i nto clash wi th one
anot her and ul timatel y become water, so also Devas and
Asuras and all creations of Brahm (fighting one another) are
rendered insentient by the lord [a pun on the word j al a
(wat er) whi ch is also pronounced as jada^when it means
insentient, i nacti ve].
Sta said:
115. The man who gets up early i n the morni ng, purifies
Statement of Nandikevara 343
himself and repeats this hol y hymn or listens to this shall
at t ai n all desires.
116-119a. Mahevara, who was thus eulogised by Devas,
was pleased by it as well as by the J a pa performed by Vi snu.
Accompani ed by Um , he embraced Um and smilingly kept
his hand on Nandi n. Gl anci ng at Devas, he said in a majestic
tone : " O leading Devas, this task has been understood by me
now. I know t he power of the My of Vi snu and the intelli-
gent Nr ada; O excellent Devas, I shall cause the destruction
of all those Dai tyas engaged in evil activities. I shall destroy
the three cities as wel l . "
Sta said :
119b-121a. Then Devas came there along wi th Brahma,
I ndr a and Vi snu On heari ng the words of the lord they bowed
to hi m and eulogised hi m. In the meanwhi l e t he goddess
glanced at the lord wi th surprise. She hit the bul l -bannered
deity wi th her toy lotus and said.
The Goddess said :
121b-125. O lord, see our son, the six-faced Krtti keya,
resembling the sun in refulgence. He is pl ayi ng. O excellent
one among those blessed wi th sons, he is adorned wi th excellent
ornament s such as coronets, bangles, ear-rings, bracelets, anklets,
belly-bands, tinkling bells, golden fig leaves, etc. Hi s forelocks are
bedecked wi th the flowers of the kal pa tree. Hi s necklace is
studded with rubies and other precious gems. He i s adorned
with shoulderlets and pearl necklaces havi ng t he lustre of the
full moon. He has the caste-marks on his foreheads. O Mah-
deva, see our spl endid son.
126-129. He is mar ked wi th saffron. A r ound mar k has
been made wi th Bhasma. O lord, see t he row of faces like t he
cluster of lotuses. O lord, see his splendid eyes. See t he
splendid marks of collyrium appl ied by his mothers Gag,
Krt t i k and Svh
4 1 8
as an auspicious benedi ct i on. "
iva who was thus addressed by Um, the mot her of t he
worlds, began i mbi bi ng t he nectar from the faces of Skanda.
6i8. Mothers of K&rttikeya. See P. Rudra Samhit, ch.a.
344 Ligapurna
He was not satiated thereby. He even forgot Devas who
harassed by the Dai tyas had assembled t here.
130. He embraced Skanda, kissed hi m, smelling the
head and s ai d" Dance, dear son" . The great boy, dispelling
t he anguish of all danced gentl y and sportingly.
131. The other leading Ganas danced al ong with hi m.
At the bi ddi ng of the lord, t he entire universe, danced for a
moment .
132. All the Ngas (serpents) and Devas with I ndr a at
their forefront danced. The chiefs of t he* Ganas eulogised
Skanda. Um and the mothers rejoiced.
133. The Gandharvas and Ki nnaras showered f l owers and
sang. On dri nki ng the nectar of the fi ne dance Prvat and
Paramevara attai ned satisfaction along wi th Nandi n and the
leading Ganas.
134. Then along with Nandi n, Krtti keya, and the
daughter of the king of mount ai ns, iva entered the divine
abode, like the cloud enteri ng other clouds. He too had the
lustre of the cl ouds.
6 1 9
135. Devas stood by the door of t he abode. Slightiy
distressed in thei r mi nds they eulogised the lord.
136. They told one anot her : " W ha t is this ? W hat is this ?"
and they looked at one anot her in thei r excited dejection.
Some said, " we are si nners", still others said, " we are unfor-
t unat e" .
137. The leading Devas said : Dai t yas are lucky. Ot hers
said, " Thi s is the fruit of their worshi p. " Still others s a i d" No. "
138. In the meant i me, on heari ng their gri m voices
Kumbhodar a
6 2 0
of great splendour struck t hem with his staff.
139. Devas were frightened. Crying " H , H " they
fled. The sages and Devas fell on the ground.
140-141. The sages Ka yapa and others s a i d" O our
adverse f at e! " The brahmi ns said " Even after seeing t he lord,
the task of Devas has not been accomplished due to the ill luck
of Devas. Still others said, "Obei sance to i va" after wor-
shi ppi ng hi m slightly in their heart s.
619. ambudbhah ST. interprets differently : ambudavat suryavad
bh kntir yasyawho resembles the sun in brilliance.
620. Kumbhodaraha gana of lord iva.
Statement of Nandikevara
345
142-146. At the behest of Mahdeva Nand a, t he favourite
sage of t he lord came there ri di ng on a whi te bul l . He had
mat t ed hai r and hel d the t ri dent and the i ron cl ub. He wore
garl ands, necklaces, ear-rings and bangles. On seeing Nandi n, the
Kumbhodar a bowed t o Nandi n wi th his lowered head and
hastened al ong wi t h hi m. Nandi n of great spl endour was
seated on t he back of a bul l . He had the bull banner . He was
the commander-i n-chi ef of the Ganas and was accompani ed
by t he Ganas like the great lord himself, ri di ng on t he back of
the cl oud.
6 2 1
The white umbrel l a of Nandi n stretched to ten
Yoj anas. It was bedecked i n clusters of pearls. It shone like the
firmament. The splendid pearl necklace suspended from it from
within appeared like t he Gag falling from t he sky over the
head of the l ord.
147-153. O leading sages, at t he behest of I ndr a, the wielder
of the t hunderbol t , the spl endi d divine dr ums were sounded i n
honour of t he presiding officer of t he Ganas. They eulogised
hi m wi t h pleasing words, j ust as they eulogised iva wi th
thrilling j oy and loving devotion. At t he bi ddi ng of t he thunder-
bolt-wielding lord, t he sky-walkers showered fragrant flowers
from the firmament over t he head of Nandi n. Satisfied wi th
t hat shower he shone wi th real and sincere satisfaction. Nandi n
was drenched i n fragrant water droppi ng from t he moon on
the forehead of t he l ord. The back of t he bul l shone with
different kinds of flowers. O sages of good hol y rites, j ust as
t he firmament is scattered wi th stars so also t he back of t he
bul l was covered wi th f l owers. Covered by t hem Nandi n
shone on the back of the bul l , like t he moon on t he back of t he
firmament. O sages of holy rites, on seeing Nandi n t hat way
Devas i ncl udi ng I ndr a and Visnu eulogised t he chieftain of
the Ganas as if he was anot her lord of Devas.
Devas said :
154-160. Obei sance to you the devotee of Rudr a, to one
engaged i n t he j apa of Rudr a mant r as ; obeisance to one who
6a i. meghaprsthe megha-rpa-Visnu-prsthe ST. This refers to
Visnu in the form of cloud which lord iva made his vehicle. Hence, iva is
called 'megha-vhana.'
346 Ligapurna
destroys the agony of the devotees of Rudra; obeisance to
you engaged in rites pleasing to Rudra; obeisance to the leader
of Ksmnda; obeisance to the lord of yogins; to the bestower
of everything; to one worthy of being sought refuge in; to the
omniscient one; to the dispeller of agony; to the lord of the
Vedas; obeisance to one comprehensible only through the
Vedas; obeisance to one wielding thunderbolt; to one whose
curved fangs are adamantine; to one who renders the thunder-
bolt of Indra ineffective; to one whose body is bedecked in
diamonds; to one propitiated by Indra, the wielder of thunder-
bolt; obeisance to the Rakta(red coloured) ;to one with red eyes;
to the wearer of red garments; obeisance to one who bestows
the world of Rudra to those who are devoted to his lotus-like
feet. Obeisance to the commander of the armies; to the lord of
Rudras; to the lord of goblins and to the lord of the worlds;
obeisance to the dispeller of sins; obeisance to Rudra, to Rudra-
pati (Lord of the Rudras) ; obeisance to iva; obeisance to the
gentle one; obeisance to you who are the devotee of Rudra.
Sta said:
161-163. Thus eulogised, the delighted presiding officer of
the Ganas, the son of ilda said to Devas:
"It behoves you all to prepare a chariot, a charioteer, a
bow and an arrow for ambhu with assiduity thinking that
the trio of the cities was as good as destroyed." Then the Devas
strenuously made the chariot through their artificer Vivakar-
man assisted by Brahma, for the use of iva the intelligent
lord of Devas.
347
CHAPTER SEVENTYTWO
Construction of Rudra's chariot
1. With great assiduity and eagerness the divine and cos-
mic chariot
6
" of lord Rudra was made by Vivakarman.
2. It was identical with all living beings;*** it was bowed
to by all Devas; it was identical with all Devas;*** it was
golden and it was honoured by all.
3. The sun was the right wheel and the moon was the left
wheel. The right wheel had twelve spokes and the left wheel
had sixteen spokes.
4. O leading brahmins, the twelve Adityas were in those
twelve spokes on the right. O sages of good holy rites, in the
sixteen spokes of the left wheel were the sixteen digits of the
moon. _
5. The constellations were the ornaments of the left wheel*
1
*
alone. The six seasons were the rims of those two wheels, O
leading brahmins.
6. The firmament was the roof*** of the chariot and the
i nt eri or
6 2 7
of the chariot was the Mandara. The mountain of
rising sun and the mountain of the setting sun were the poles
to which the yoke was fixed. / A 5&
7. Mahmeru was the pedestal and the mountain Kesara
was the supporting seat. The year was its velocity and the
two transits of the sun were the joints of the wheels.
8. The Muhrtas were holes to fix the nails or pins and
62a. In the Puragas Vivakarman is invested with the powers and
offices of the Vedi c Tvastr. He is the great architect, executor of handi-
crafts and the builder of great cities. He is the ton of Prabh&sa, the eighth
Vasu, by his wife Yogasiddh.
623-624. The cosmic chariot-represents the cosmic powers with seven
worlds as wheels, with five gran elements and all-gods as its constituents.
625. Varna i.e the moon, the left side of the cosmic car.
626. puskaravacuum, it stands in apposition to antariksathe
atmospheric region, the sky.
627. ratha-nldahsrathi-sthanam ST. , the sitting place for the
charioteer.
348 Ligapurna
Kal s were the pins of t he yoke. The Kstfis were its nostrils
and the Ksanas were its axles.
9. The Ni mesas were its Axle-tree and the Lavas consti-
tuted its shafts. The sky was the fender of t hat chariot. The
heaven and salvation were its flags.
10. Vi rt ue and det achment were its staffs and sacrifices
were t he supports of the staffs. The monetary gifts were the
j oints and the fi fty fi res were t he iron pieces or bolts.
11. Dhar ma and ICma (love) were t he tips of the two
yokes; the unmanifest pri nci pl e was the poleshaft; the cosmic
intellect was its connecting shaft.
12. The ego was its angul ar poi nts; the elements were its
strength; t he sense organs its ornament al fittings all round.
13. r addh (faith) was its movement ; the Vedas were its
horses; the Padas (words) of t he Vedas its ornaments and the
six ancillaries were its trinkets.
14. O sages of good holy rites, the Purnas, Nyya( science
of logic), M mms (treatise on holy ri t es), the Dharmastras
(ethical literature) were its perfect screen cloths and supports of
the tails. It was equi pped with all characteristics.
15. The mant ras, syllables, feet and the four stages in
life were its bells. Anant a t he serpent adorned by his thousand
hoods formed its boundi ng limit.
16. The quarters and the interstices were the pillars of
this chari ot. The Puskara a nd other clouds were its golden
banners studded wi th jewels.
17-18. The four oceans formed the blankets spread on
its surface. The Gag and other rivers appeared splendid i n
female forms, bedecked in all ornament s and hol di ng the chow-
ries in t hei r hands. They occupied different parts in the
chari ot and rendered i t beautiful.
19. The seven layers of winds, Avaha etc. were the
seven excellent golden steps. The charioteer was lord Brahma
and he held the reins.
20-21. Pranava wi th Br ahman for its deity was the whip.
The mount ai n Lokl oka was its l andi ng ground with stairs all
round. The splendid Mnas a mount ai n was its external pre<5P
pice. The other mount ai ns constituted its noses all round [the
upper ti mbers].
r
( ^ c ^
f
V<ftlL*l -f
Construction of Rudra's Chariot 349
22. The Tal a and t he residents thereof constituted its
pigeon holes, and t he pigeons. The mount ai n Mer u was t he
great umbrel l a and the Ma nda r a constituted the side dr um.
23. The ki ng of mount ai ns ( Hi mavn) was his bow and
the bowstring was the lord of serpents (Vsuki ) himself, al ong
with Kl ar t r i ( t he ni ght of ni ghtmares) and I ndr adhanus (rain-
bow) .
24. The bel l of the bow was goddess Sarasvat of t he form
of the Srutis ( Vedas ) . Vi snu of great spl endour was the arrow
and Soma (moon) was the spike-head of the arrow.
25. The Kl gni f i re at the end of kal pa was t he sharp
and terrible poi nt of t hat arrow. The ar my ori gi nated from
the waters. The wi nds were feathers fi xed to the arrow.
26-27. After maki ng t he divine chariot, bow and arrows
with Br ahm the lord of t he worlds as his chari oteer, iva
mount ed the divine chari ot weari ng mar t i al decorations. He
was accompani ed by the groups of Devas and he shook heaven
and eart h by his movements.
28-31. Eulogised by t he sages and sal uted by the bards
the shining splendid lord, t he bestower of boons occupied the
chari ot glancing at t he charioteer. The groups of Apsarases,
skilled i n danci ng, danced i n his presence (t o honour hi m) .
W hen he got i nto the chari ot , evolved out of t he different
mat eri al , t he horse originating from the Vedas fell headl ong
over the earth. The l ord Dhar an dhar a (uplifter of the earth
i.e., Vi s nu) , assuming the form of a leading bull lifted up the
chari ot for a while and tried to stabilise it. But at t he next
moment even t hat leading bul l slipped down to t he earth on
his knees.
32. At the instance of t he l ord iva, lord Br ahm who
hel d t he reins i n his hands lifted up the horses and steadied the
spl endid chari ot .
33. Then he drove t he horses t hat had the speed of the
wind, towards the cities of the swift and courageous Dnavas.
The cities till t hen had peace and comfort.
34. Thereafter looking at Devas, l ord Rudr a s ai d:
350 Ligapurna
"Give unto me the lordship of Paus."
8
Then I shall kill
the Asuras.
35. O excellent Devas, only after assigning you a status
of animal souls distinct from that of Devas and others, can
they be killed, not otherwise, O excellent ones."
36. After hearing these words of the intelligent lord, all of
them became suspicious and uneasy over this change and felt
great distress.
37. On realising their mental reaction, the lord spoke to
them thus:"O excellent Devas, let there be no fear or
misgiving in you in regard to your becoming Paus.
38-41. Now listen and try to pursue the means of libera-
tion from the state of Pau. He who performs the divine holy
rite "Pupata" will be liberated from the state of Pau. O
pure ones, I solemnly promise this to you. O excellent Devas,
there is no doubt in this that those others too who perform the
Pupata rite will be liberated from the state of a Pau. He
who renders service steadily for twelve years or even half that
period or even three years can be liberated from that state.
Hence, O excellent Devas, perform this great and divine
rite".
42-50. "So be it", said Devas to iva, who is bowed to by
all the worlds. That is why Devas, Asuras and human beings
are called Paus. Rudra is the lord of Paus
828
and the liberator
of Paus from their bondage. He who is Pau, shall eschew
that state through this holy rite. The scriptures declare that
even by committing sins he does not become a sinner.
628. panm dhipatyamlordship of the individual souls (jivas);
Cf. "so 'bravid vararh vrn ahameva panm adhipatir asSni"cited in
ST.
629. iva is named Paupati, the lord of animals. According to the
legend, recorded in the present chapter, every deity was asked by iva to
declare himself a mere Pau or animal before Tripuras could be slain in
the battle. The Gods accepted the proposal, declared themselves as animals
and fought brutally. Lord iva won them the battle but Gods were still
distressed. The lord then enjoined the observance of Psupata vrata for the
attainment of their release from animal nature.
This legend forms the basis for the formulation of Pupata sect which
aims at the release of Paiu (the individual soul) from the bondage of re-
birth.
Construction of Rudra's chariot 351
The n Vi nyaka himself, the boy wi t h t he exploit of an
adul t , forbade Devas as he had not been dul y worshi pped by
Devas and said t hus
Sri Vinyaka said:
W hi ch man, may he be a Deva or a Dnava, attai ns perfec-
ti on i n this worl d wi t hout worshi ppi ng me by means of splen-
di d foodstuffs, edibles, etc. Hence, O l eadi ng Devas, I will cause
i mpedi ment s in a trice in your tasks. O l eadi ng Devas, how is
i t t hat you had at t empt ed t o perform this wi t hout worshi ppi ng
me.
Thereafter all Devas i ncl udi ng I ndr a became frightened.
After worshi ppi ng t hat lord and propi ti ati ng hi m wi th all kinds
of edibles and foodstuffs, wi th loaves and sweet-meats they
spoke to l ord Gane a" Let now our task be achieved wi t hout
i mpedi ment s . "
Lor d Rudr a, t he chief of all l eadi ng Devas, embraced his son
and kissed hi m on the head. He worshi pped and propi ti ated
Gane a wi t h fl owers of sweet fragrance and j ui cy edibles and
foodstuffs.
After worshi ppi ng Vi nyaka the l eader of chieftains, worthy
of bei ng worshi pped, lord Rudr a who had t he l ord of moun-
tains for his bow started al ong wi th t he groups of Devas and t he
chiefs of t he Ganas , i n order to bur n t he three cities.
51. The groups of Devas, Si ddhas, Bhtas, Ganas and thei r
lords begi nni ng wi t h Nandi n followed Ia, Mahevara, t he l ord
of Devas, wi t h thei r respective vehicles.
52. Mount ed on a chari ot as huge as the lord of mount ai ns,
Nandi n went ahead of Devas and the chiefs of Ganas, in order
to strike at t he tri o of the cides, like the great l ord I a going
ahead to strike the god of Deat h.
53. Mount i ng on lordly elephants, huge bulls and stately
horses, Devas, the lords of Ganas, and the Ganas, wi th thi er
respective weapons and symbols i n thei r hands followed t hei r
l eader Nandi n.
54. Mount i ng on the lord of the birds (i.e. Gar uda) as
huge as the lord of mount ai ns the bi rd-bannered lord Visnu of
great prowess hurri edl y went ahead, on the left side of Rudr a
in order to bur n the three cities for the welfare of t he worlds.
352
Ligapurna
55. All Devas followed t hat lord of t he world, the l ord of
Devas and Asuras, t he i ncomprehensi bl e deity, wi th thei r ex-
cellent weapons such as t he sharp lances, axes, i ron clubs,
tridents and swords.
56. In t he mi ddl e of Devas, lord Vi snu whose vehicle was
a bi rd and whose compl exi on was like t hat of the lotus leaf
(pet al ) shone i n t he same manner as t he thousand-rayed f i erce
sun when he ascends t he peak of Sumeru.
57. In order to destroy t he cities, like Ga r uda who des-
troyed t he serpents, t he thousand-eyed I ndr a, t he f i rst among
Devas, went ahead on t he ri ght side of Rudr a. He was seated
on his lordly el ephant.
58. The heroes of t he Siddhas, Gandharvas and l eadi ng
Devas all round, eulogised I ndr a who was t he bestower of des-
ired objects and who was t he overlord of t he l eadi ng Devas by
saying " Be vi ctori ous. " They honoured hi m wi th the excellent
shower of flowers.
59. At t hat t i me those who were stationed i n t he heaven
bowed t o t he thousand-eyed I ndr a, who was t he par amour of
Ahal y, who was t he overlord of the universe and who was t he
leader of Devas after seeing hi m sporti ng like the son of Um
i.e. Krt t i keya.
60. Yama, F i re, Kuber a, Vyu, Ni rrt i , Var una and na
followed Rudr a.
61-64. V r abhadr a who was very efficient in bat t l e,
followed at t he south west side of t he chari ot. He was mount ed
on a huge bul l and surrounded by the beings bor n of his hai rs.
He thus served t he three-eyed l ord of Devas i n order to destroy
t he Asura cities. Mahkl a of great spl endour who appeared
like anot her Mahdeva, served t he chari ot on its north-western
side.
The six-faced deity Kart t i keya who resembled the king of
mount ai ns, who was born of t he fire god, and who was sur-
rounded by t he ar my of Devas, served the chari ot al ong wi th
the Siddhas, Cranas, warriors and el ephant s.
65. After creating i mpedi ments unt o the l eadi ng Asuras
and after removi ng obstacles in the case of Devas, l ord Ganea
Vi ghnevara went t o t he camp of I na, accompani ed by t he
groups of Vi ghnas (his followers).
Construction of Rudra's chariot
353
66-67. At t hat ti me, Kal i went ahead of Ganea al ong
with t he intoxicated Picas and Ganas. She had skulls for her
ornament s. She was whirl ing in her hand a t ri dent t hat shone
like Kl ar t r i . She was intoxicated by dri nki ng the blood of
Asuras whi ch tasted like wine (unto her ) . She made the lead-
ing Asuras trembl e. She had the gait of the el ephant i n r ut .
Her eyes were tremul ous due to i nebri ati on. Her body was
covered wi t h t he hi de of the el ephant .
68. Saying " Be vi ctori ous", the chiefs of t he Si ddhas,
Gandhar vas, Picas, Yaksas, Vi dydharas, lordly serpents and
l eadi ng Devas bowed to t he goddess, t he daught er of t he
mount ai n of snow and eulogised her loudly.
69. The mothers (Brhm, Mhesvar , etc.) who were
respectfully adored by the groups of Devas and who were bent
on killing t he Rksasas went to the great Mot her (Amb,
Gauri ) on thei r vehicles, al ong wi th their followers who held
banners all r ound.
70. Ri di ng on a lion, the goddess Dur g went forth to
chastise Dai t yas. The auspicious dei ty was one whose orders
could not be transgressed. In her mi ght y arms she hel d
weapons of different kinds such as the tri dent, axe, goad,
noose, discus, sword and conch. She bur ned and scorched t he
pat hway wi th her eyes as dazzling as thousands of mi dday
suns and fires. Though a woman, her exploits were uncommon
among women.
71. The l eadi ng chiefs of the Ganas who shone like t he
lord of Devas and the sun, followed lord I a on el ephants, horses,
lions, chari ots and bulls in order to destroy the t hree cities.
72. Equi pped wi th pl oughs, ploughshares, iron clubs,
missiles, Bhuundas and peaks of lofty mount ai ns, the lords of
Devas and the chiefs of goblins as huge as mount ai ns went
ahead of Mahe var a.
73. Devas, t he chiefs of whom were I ndr a, t he lotus-born
Brahm, Vi snu, and the lords of Ganas, surroundi ng lord
Gane a on all sides, spoke the words, " Be vi ct ori ous" wi t h
pal ms j oi ned in reverence over thei r coronets. *
74. W i t h staffs i n thei r hands the sages wi th mat t ed hai rs
danced. Siddhas, Cranas and other heaven-walkers showered
354
Ligapurna
fl owers. The three cities echoed and reverberated on all sides,
O leading brahmi ns.
75. Bhrgi, t he most excellent among all t he leading
Ganas , was surrounded by lords of Ganas and Devas. A Yogin,
he got i nt o an aerial and went forth like Mahendr a, to destroy
t he t hree cities.
76-84. The following leaders of Ganas surrounded Ia
and went forth to chastise t he Tr i pur as : Ke a, Vigatavsas,
Mahke a, Mahj vara, Somavall, Savarna, Somapa, Senaka,
Somadhrk, Sryavca, Sryapesanaka, Sryksa, Sri nma,
Sura, Sundara, Prakuda, Kakudant a, Kampana, Pr akampana,
I ndr a, Indraj aya, Mahbh , Bhmaka, atksa, Packsa,
Sahasrksa, Mahodar a, Yamaj ihva, atva, Kunt hana, Kan-
t hapj ana, Dvi i kha, Tri Si kha, Pacai kha, Munda, Ardha-
munda, D rgha, Pi scsya, Pi nkadhrk, Pi ppal yat ana,
Agrakana, ithila, ithilsya, Aksapda, Aja, Kuj a, Aja-
vaktra, Hayavakt ra, Gj avaktra, r dhvavakt r a and others.
They surrounded l ord Soma i n groups and went ahead. Ther e
were thousands and thousands of Rudras of subl i mated sexu-
ality. Surrounded by crores and crores of Ganas they rallied
round Mahdeva, Mahevara, the lord of Devas and went
forth to bur n t he t hree cities.
85. The t hi rt y t hree, the t hree hundr ed and three and
three thousand and three Devas went forth on all sides.
86. The mot hers of the worl d, the mot hers of Ganas,
and the mothers of the Bhtas followed the lord.
87. Seated i n the mi ddl e of the chari ot amongst Ganas the
lord of the Ganas shone like the moon amongst stars and
constellations.
88. Goddess Gauri , the daught er of the Hi mal aya, identical
wi th the worlds, was seated on t he left side of t he lord. She
shone forth as t hough due to the spl endour of lord iva.
89. The goddess, of auspicious marks, on t he left side of
the lord, shone with t he tips of her hands hol di ng the chowries.
She had t he lustre and colour of the golden lotus.
90. The pur e whi te body of the supreme lord, the lord of
Deyas, was shining wi th Bhasman. In the company of Ambi k
it shone like the whi te cloud in t he sky wi th the streaks of
lightning.
Construction of Rudra's chariot 355
91. The gentle body of lord iva, havi ng t he lustre of the
moon shone wi th the golden bow like the sky t hat shines with
t he rai nbow or the universe t hat shines wi t h the Mer u
mount ai n.
92. Hi s whi te umbrel l a interspersed with the rays of j ewels
shone like t he full disc of the moon at t he time of its rising.
93. The gem-set necklace r ound t he neck of iva suspen-
ded al ong wi t h his silken upper cloth near t he extremity of
t he umbrel l a shone like the excellent river Gag falling from
the sky.
94. Then t he l ord whose lotus-like feet were bowed to
by I ndr a, Brahma, f i re-god and others, went to the three
cities al ong wi t h Amb for the welfare of t he world.
95. The trident-bearing lord i s competent to bur n mental l y,
wi thi n a trice, the enti re universe i ncl udi ng t he mobi l e and
i mmobi l e beings. W hy should then the Pi nka-beari ng lord go
t here himself al ong wi th the Ganas i n order to bur n t he three
cities ?
96. Devas, Vi snu, Br ahma and I ndr a s ai d: " Of what
avail is the chari ot to ambhu ? Of what avail is the excellent
arrow to hi m ? W hat has he to do wi th the groups of Devas ? He
i s never want i ng i n power to bur n the three cities. Then what
is t hi s?
97. We thi nk t hat j ust for his pastime the Pi nkabear-
ing l ord set about doi ng all these things. Otherwi se, what
other benefit has he to derive from this el aborate show ?
98. Del i ghted in the company of leading Devas and
Ganas headed by l ord Nandi n, and wi th the universe for his
chari ot he shone along wi th the goddess, like t he mount ai n
Mer u with its eight peaks. He shone thus as he neared the
three cities.
99. On seeing Ivara, the lord of Devas seated in the
arena of the t hree cities al ong with Ganas and t he daught er of
Hi mavat , the group of Devas followed hi m.
100. O leading sages, the three cities appeared like ano-
ther set of the t hree worlds (because it was occupied) by
l eadi ng men, the Ganas, Devas and the three kinds of Asuras.
101. Then arva tied up the string of the bow, fitted t he
356
Ligapurna
arrow, j oi ned i t wi th the mi racul ous missile pertai ni ng to
Paupati and t hought of the three cities.
102. W hen t he great lord stood ready with the bow well-
drawn, the three cities merged i nto one.
103. W hen t he three cities had at t ai ned fusion i nto one,
the del ight of the noble-souled deities was t umul t uous and
excited.
104. Eulogising the dei ty wi t h eight cosmic bodies, all
the groups of Devas, Si ddhas and sages shouted t he words,
" Be vi ctori ous".
105. Even when the auspicious Pusyayoga was at t ai ned,
the lord, t he husband of Um, who had destroyed the eye of
Bhaga i ndul ged i n sportive pastime. Then l ord Brahm spoke
t o h i m:
106. O Mahdeva, Paramevara, this gesture on your
par t is but proper, since, O lord, Asuras and Devas are equal to
you.
107. Still, in view of t he fact t hat Devas are virtuous and
asuras are sinful, it behoves you, O lord of the universe, to
eschew your sportive pasti me.
108. O Ia, O lord, of what avail is t he chari ot, or t he
banner or t he arrow, or Vi snu, or I or even these goblins unt o
you for burni ng the three cities ?
109-113. It behoves you to bur n t he trio of t he cities even
as t he Pusya conj uncti on still prevails. O lord of Devas, it
behoves you to bur n the three cities quickly lest they should
get separated. Then the great lord Vi rpksa, glanced at t he
three cities. Instantaneousl y they were reduced to ashes. All
those deities, viz., Soma ( Moon) , l ord Visnu, Kl gni (Black
f i re) and Vyu who were stationed i n the arrow bowed down
to the lord and s a i d: " O lord of Devas, al t hough t he trio of
the cities has been bur ned by your glance i t behoves you to
discharge the arrow for our wel fare. " Ther eupon O l eadi ng
brahmi ns, Ivara, Tr i pur r dana, laughingly brushed t he
string of the bow, pulled it as far as his ear and discharged
the arrow.
114-121. Af t er bur ni ng t he three cities in a moment t he
arrow t hat brought about the destructi on of t he Tr i pur as came
back to t he lord of Devas, bowed to hi m and stood by. The
Construction of Rudra's chariot
357
t hree cities t hat contai ned hundreds of crores of Dai tyas,
on bei ng bur ned by t hat arrow, shone like t he t hree worlds
bur ned by Rudr a at t he end of the kal pa. Those Dai t yas who
had been worshi ppi ng Rudr a even at t hat stage al ong with
t hei r ki nsmen, at t ai ned t he chieftainship of t he Ganas, thanks
to t he power of the dul y performed worshi p. Devas i ncl udi ng
I ndr a and Vi snu and t he lords of Ganas, looked at the lord
and t he goddess, the daught er of t he Hi mavat wi th awe and
fear. They di d not say anythi ng. On seeing Devas thus fright-
ened, t he l eadi ng Deva, i.e., Rudr a asked t hem, " W ha t
next ?" But they merel y bowed to hi m from all sides. They
sal uted Nandi n who had t he moon for his or nament . They
saluted t he daught er of t he king of mount ai ns. They saluted
the son of t he daught er of t he mount ai n, viz., Gane a. They
sal ut ed Mahe var a. W i t h due at t ent i on, Br ahm eulogised
lord Bhava, vara t he enemy of Tri puras, a l ong wi t h Devas
and Vi snu.
Brahm said:
122. Be pleased, O lord of the chiefs of Devas; be pleased,
O Par ame var a; be pleased, O lord of the worldsj be pleased,
O eternal lord, t he bestower of bliss.
123. O Rudr a of five faces, obeisance to you; obeisance to
one who has fifty crores of physical forms; obeisance to the
principl e of learning, seated on t he threefold Atman.
124. Obei sance to Siva, to the principl e of iva; obeisance
to Aghora; obeisance to the principl e of the set of eight forms
880
Aghora and ot hers; obeisance to one of the form of twel ve
83 1
Atmans.
125. Obei sance to the Atman of Siva stationed in this
world after adopt i ng the splendid form t hat resembles crores of
lightnings and t hat has sway over the eight quarters.
126. Obei sance to the fierce one of fiery compl exi on;
obeisance t o one with Ambi k occupying half of his body;
obeisance to the i mmort al bei ng; to the bestower of salvation
unto those of whi te, black and red colour.
630. aghorstaka-tattvyathe set of eight forms beginning with
Aghora.
631. dvdatmthe sun ST.
358 Ligapurna
127. Obei sance to the Eldest one i n t he form of Rudr a ;
to the deity accompani ed by Um ; to t he bestower of boons;
obeisance to t he deity of the three worl ds; obeisance to the
Tri ni t y; obeisance to Vasat kra.
128. Obei sance to t he one of t he form of firmament in the
mi ddl e; obeisance to you stationed in the firmament; obei-
sance to t he deity wi t h eight forms*
31
i n t he eight shrines;*
88
obei sance to one havi ng eight principles.*
3
*
129. Obei sance to one stationed in three different sets of
four
8 8 8
and two different sets of five;* * ' obeisance to one
havi ng five mant ras as his physical form.
130. Obei sance to the letter " A" , of sixtyfour*
87
types;
obeisance t o t he letter " U " of t he form of t hi rt y two*
88
princi-
ples.
131. Obei sance t o t he letter " M" , havi ng the sixteen
forms*
8
* of I hc At man; obeisance to t he deity i n the eight
forms* *
0
of half a Mt r .
132. Obei sance to you, to t he Omkr a stationed i n four**
1
ways; obeisance to t he lord of the firmament, to t he lord of
heaven.
133. Obei sance to t he lord havi ng the seven worlds (as his
f or m) ; obeisance to the lord of the Pt l a (Nether-worl ds) and
Nar aka ( hel l ) ; obeisance to t he deity havi ng eight forms i n t he
eight* *
8
holy shrines; obeisance to the deity greater t han the
greatest.
134. Obei sance to you havi ng a thousand heads; obeisance
to you who stays i n thousands (i.e., i n many f orms); obeisance
633. asfa-ksetraright stations, sun, etc.
633. eight shrinesRudra, etc.
634. eight tattvas, eight elements, earth, etc.
635. It refers to four Vedas, four sramas and four vyuhas.
636. It refers to five mahbhtas, five forms, Sadyojta, etc., and five
mantras.
637. It refers to the syllable 'a' and its sixtyfour divisions.
638. It refers to the 'u' and its thirtytwo kinds.
639. It refers to the syllable'm* and its sixteen divisions.
640. It refers to the eight-formed iva.
641. It refers to the syllables 'a', 'u', 'm' and nada sound.
64s. It refers to the eight forms of iva, such as consist of earth,
water, fire, etc.
Construction of Rudra's chariot 359
to arva possessing a t housand feet; obeisance to Paramestfun.
135. Obei sance to one wi th the form of ni ne
6 4 8
principles
of the At man; obeisance to one havi ng ni ne ti mes eight*
4 4
At mans and tmaakti s; obeisance to one havi ng eight*
4 8
modes of revel ati on; obeisance to one havi ng eight times eight*
4
*
physical forms.
136. Obei sance to one possessing sixtyfour*
47
principles of
t he At man, obeisance to one (st at i oned) i n ei ght
8 4 8
different
forms; obeisance to one encompassed by t he eight Gunas ;
6 4 9
obeisance to one the Saguna as well as Ni rguna.
137. Obei sance to you stationed at t he r oot ; obeisance to
t he resident of the eternal abode; obeisance to one stati oned i n
the umbi l i cal regions; obeisance to one who causes sounds i n
the heart .
138. Obei sance to one stationed in t he neck; to one who is
stationed i n t he apert ure of t he cymbal s; to one stati oned i n
the mi ddl e of t he eyebrows; to one stati oned i n t he mi ddl e of
sounds.
13$. Obei sance to iva stationed in the disc of t he moon;
to one of auspicious forms; to one, havi ng the forms of fire,
moon and the sun; obeisance to one havi ng the form of t he
thirtysix
6 5 0
aktis.
140. Obei sance to one who is t he At man of t he Serpent
that i s a s l e e p after encircling the worlds three t i mes; obeisance
to one stationed i n three different forms; obeisance to one wi th
the forms of threefold (sacrificial) fires.
141. Obei sance to Sadi va; to the Pi nka-beari ng quie-
scent Mahe a; obeisance to the omniscient one; worthy of being
sought refuge i n; obeisance to Sadyoj ta.
142. Obei sance to Aghora; to Vmadeva; to Tat pur us a;
and t o na.
643. It refers to bis nine forms. Gf. Mbh : purusah prakrtir vyaktam
ahamkro nabho' nilah / jyotir pokshir iti tattvnyuktni te nava.
644. It refers to the seventytwo forms not mentioned by name.
645. i.e., manifesting in syllables through the eight organs of speech.
646. aststaka-mrtaye, i.e., of the form of 64 syllables.
647. i.e. the life-principle of sixtyfour yoginis.
648. astavidhyaof eight forms or names, Bhava, etc.
649. gunstaka-vrtyainvested with eight gunas. Cf. "samkhydikh
paca buddhir icchyatno'pi cevarah"Nyayasiddh&nla-muktAvali cited in
ST.
650. The text does not mention the names of the thirty-six ktis.
360 Ligapurana
143. Obei sance to one havi ng t hi rt y*
5 1
modes of revela-
t i on; obeisance t o one beyond Snt (the digit of t hat na me ) ;
obeisance to the lord Anant a to the subtle and the excellent
one.
144. Obei sance to you, the single-eyed; obeisance to you,
t he Ekar udr a; obeisance to you, the t ri ni t y;
6 5 8
to r kant ha; to
i khandi n (the tufted one) .
145. Obei sance to t he Infinite one; to one stati oned in
t he seat of t he Infinite; obeisance to t he cause of dest ruct i on;
obeisance to one devoid of i mpuri ti es; obeisance to the large
one; obeisance to you of pur e body.
146. Obei sance to one stationed in t he seat devoid of im-
puri ti es;*
5 8
obeisance to one of the form of weal th for the pure
purpose; obeisance to the yogin stationed in yogap thas; obei-
sance to the bestower of yoga.
147. Obei sance to one stati oned in the heart of yogins like
t be_awn of t he wild rice N vr a; obeisance to you the Praty-
f hr a, to you engaged in Pr at yhr a.
/ 148-149. Obei sance to one stationed in the heart of those
who are engaged i n Pr at yhr a, and Dhr an ( r et ent i on) and
Dhyna ( medi t at i on) ; of the form of Dhr an and Dhyna;
and to one who i s comprehensibl e through Dhyna.
150. Obei sance to one worthy of medi t at i on. Obeisance to
one approachabl e t hrough medi t at i on; obeisance to you of lau-
dabl e medi t at i on; obeisance to one worthy of medi tati on even
by those who themselves are worthy of medi t at i on; obeisance
to you the worthiest of those who are worthy of medi tati on
by others.
151. Obeisance to one worthy of approach t hrough contem-
pl at i on; obeisance to you, who are contempl ati on itself; obei-
sance to one in the form of Ni rvi kal pa object unt o those who
are engaged i n medi t at i on.
152. O Rudr a, by burni ng the three cities this entire set of
the three worlds has been redeemed by you today. W ho will
651. trimatprakiyaone who shines throughout the thirty
muhrtas, i.e. ever shining.
653. i.e. in the form of Brahma, Visnu and Rudra.
653. Verses 145-149 speak of hit yogic postures, viz. sana, praty-
hara, dhran, dhyna and samdhi.
1/1
Construction of Rudra's Chariot 361
dar e to eulogise you (befittingly) ? How shall I eulogise you
who are of this extraordi nary nat ur e ? Obei sance to you O
delightful iva.
153. O lord of Devas, thanks to their devotion, cont ent ment
and vision of miracle, t hat the mortals, immortals, Ganas, and
Si ddhas, make obeisance to you. O lord of Ganas, obeisance to
you.
154. O l ord, you are competent to bur n the three cities,
nay even the three worlds by a single glance of yours. Leisurely
sporting wi t h Ambi k, you have burned t hem in a trice; and
the arrow too was discharged.
155. F or your work of anni hi l at i ng t he Tri puras, I made
with great deal of effort the excellent chari ot, die speedy
arrow and t he spl endid bow; but the benefit thereof was not
seen by Devas as well as Si ddhas.
156. O lord, you are all these combi ned: t he chari ot,
the char i ot eer , Vi snu the excellent Deva Rudr a himself, akti
and Pi t ma ha . How shall I adequat el y eulogise you? I bow
down my head t o you, who cannot be adequat el y pro-
pi ti ated. *
3
*
157. O lord, you have infinite number of feet, infinite
number of arms, infinite number of heads and infinite number
of forms. You are the anni h' l at or as well as the auspicious one.
Shall I propi ti ate you of this nat ure ? How shall I please you,
who are of this nat ur e?
158. Obei sance to you, the knower of everythi ng; obei-
sance to you Rudr a, arva and Bhava; obeisance to the gross,
to the subtle, to the subtler t han the sifbtlest; to t he creator
and to one conversant wi th the subtle meani ng.
159. Obei sance to the creator, sustainer and the annihil a-
tes of all Devas and Asuras; obeisance to the creator of the
worlds, to the l eader of Devas and the lord of Asuras. Obei sance
to the giver, to the ruler, to the chastiser of all.
160. Obei sance to the purest one comprehensible only
through Vednt a; obei sance to one continuously eulogised by
those who know t he meani ngs of Vedas; obeisance to Bhava in
054. ato?yamtosayitum asakyam. According to ST. 'one who
cannot be described by speech or conceived by the mind.' Cf. "yato vco
nivartante aprpya manas saha"cited in ST.
362
Ligapurna
the form of the At man of t he Vedas; obeisance to you, to the
last one, to t he mi ddl e one, to t he upper one.
161. Obei sance to one who is devoid of a begi nni ng or an
end; to one who exists; to one devoid of expressibility; to the
Li gi n (one havi ng a Li ga f or m) ; obei sance t o you who have
no symbols a nd yet ar e i dent i cal wi t h t he Li ga; t o Li ga
i dent i cal wi t h Veda, et c.
162. Obei sance t o Rudr a who had severed my headI am
t he pr i mor di al l ord a nd yaj amrti (one whose form i s yaj a) .
O l ord, it was for dispelling my darkness t hat you had severed
my head* by t he t i p of your finger on observing my cri me whi ch
deserved t hat puni shment .
163. O l ord of Devas, O lord of Asuras, wonderful i ndeed
ar e your activities. O dei t y devoid of at t ri but es and forms, like
an embodi ed soul you will carry out t he task of Devas al ong
wi t h t hem.
164. Among your t at t vas one is gross;*
5 5
one is subt l e; one
i s very subt l e; one i s bot h embodi ed and unembodi ed; one i s
embodi ed; one -is unembodi ed; one is vi si bl e; and one is i n-
visible and one i s wor t hy of bei ng medi t at ed upon, t he wonder-
ful Ia.
165. O lord, what is seen in a dr eam is an uncharacteri sed
obj eet; I thi nk t hat it certainly appears as well as does not ap-
pear ; Your divine form cannot be perceived even by Devas, in
spite of their efforts. Yet it appears in the visible liga form.
166. O lord of Devas, where is your divine prowess ? W here
are we ? W here is devoti on ? W here is your eulogy ? Still, O
lord, forgive me who t hough a pri meval bei ng am l amenti ng,
inspired by devoti on.
Sta said:
167. O excellent brahmi ns, he who listens to this hymn of
the chastiser of Puras, or he who reads it after bowing to the
lord on the ground eschews the bondage of sins.
* This is contradicted in P. p. 58.
655. The verse explains the characteristics of each of the eight
forms of iva, viz., gross (earth), subtle (water), subtler (fire), manifest-
unmanifest (moon), manifest (sun), unmanifest (wind), having the quality
of sound (ether), and the object of meditation (dhyeyam Isam) on the
part of the mind.
Construction of Rudra's Chariot
363
168. On heari ng this hymn, the mi ghty-armed resident of
the peak of Mandar a who was eulogised devotedl y by the four-
faced deity looked laughingly at t he daught er of t he mount ai n
and said to Br ahm of great exalted dignity.
Siva said:
169. O lotus-born one, I am delighted by this hymn as
well as by your devotion. Welfare unto you. Choose the boons
in accordance wi th the desire of Devas.
Sta said :
170. Ther eupon, after bowi ng to the l ord of Devas, t he
lotus-born deity became delighted i n his mi nd and spoke wi th
pal ms j oi ned i n reverence.
Brahma said :
171. *'o lord akara, O lord of t he chiefs of Devas, O
des troyer of Tri puras, O Paramevara, be pleased to confer on
me t he greatest devotion towards you.
172. O l ord, the bestower of all riches on all Devas. Be
pleased wi th our devotion towards you always as well as wi th
my char i ot eer s hi p/'
173. Lor d Vi snu also bowed down to Mahe var a. J oi ni ng
his pal ms together in reverence he said thus to t he three-eyed
lord accompani ed by Um .
174-175. "O lord, be pleased wi th me. O l ord of Devas,
obeisance be to you. I perpetual l y desire to be your vehicle.
I wish for your devotion as well as my efficiency to bear you.
O akara, the bestower of boons, I wish for omniscience and
al l -pervasi veness. "
Sta said :
176. On heari ng their submission Paramevara, Mahdeva,
Bhava engaged t hem respectively i n charioteership and the
position of vehicle.
177. After burni ng Daityas, and after giving boons to
Br ahm and Vi snu, iva, the noble-souled lord of Devas,
vanished al ong wi th the goddess, Bhtas and Nandi n.
364 LigapurSna
178-179. When t he lord had gone away from t he bat t l e-
fi el d al ong wi t h his Ganas, t he awe-struck lords of Devas
bowed down t o Bhava and Prvat. They became devoid of
misery and ret urned to heaven on their vehicles. The lords of
Devas, the chiefs of sages, the lords of Ganas and Bhskaras
went to heaven.
180-184. O brahmi ns, he who reads this chapt er on the
exploits of the destroyer of Tri puras, originally composed by
Brahma formerly or he who narrates this devotedly to the brah-
mi ns at the ti me of r ddha or duri ng the rites of Devas
goes to the worl d of Brahma. O excellent brahmi ns, the indi-
vidual soul is l i berated from all kinds of sins ment al , physical
or verbal. He is l i berated from the pri nci pal as well as subsi-
diary sins, gross, subtle or subtlest on heari ng this splendid
chapter. Hi s enemies will perish and he will be victorious in
battl e. He will never be harassed by any sickness. Adversities
will not afflict hi m. He shall at t ai n wealth, longevity, renown,
l earni ng and i ncomparabl e prowess.
CHAPTER SEVENTYTHREE
Glory of worshipping iva
Sta sad :
1. W hen lord Mahevara departed thence after burni ng
the ihree cities in a trice the lotus-born deity (Brahma) spoke
thus in the assembly of the leading Devas.
Brahma said :
2-6. Due to the My of Lord Visnu t he following Daityas
forsook Mahdeva and perished along with their cities and
citizens. They were the grandson of Tr a of great brilliance,
the powerful son of Tr aka, the asura Trakksa, the powerful
Kamal ksa, Vi dyunml i n, the lord of Daityas and many others
along wi th kith and kin. They left t he worship of the lord
Mahevara and so they perished. Hence Sadiva in the Liga
form should always be worshi pped since Devas have stability
Glory of Worshipping iva 365
only as long as they worship t he lord. iva should always be
adored by t he l eadi ng Devas with faith. The endr e world i s
based on t he Li ga. Ever yt hi ng i s founded i n t he Li ga.
7-9. Hence, he who wishes for perfection of t he soul shall
worship t he Li ga. It is only t hrough t he worship of the Li ga
t hat Devas, Dai t yas, Dnavas, Yaksas, Vi dydharas, Siddhas,
Pi i tanas, Pitrs, Sages, Picas, Ki nnaras and others have
undoubt edl y achieved Si ddhi . Hence, O Devas, by any means
whatsoever one should always worship the Li ga.
10-21. The holy rite Pupata.
We ar e all Paus of t hat intelligent lord of Devas. Eschewing
Paut va and adopdng the holy ri te Pupat a, the eternal
Mahdeva i n the Li ga form shoul d be worshi pped. The f i ve
elements should be cleansed simultaneously by means of five'
5
*
Pranavas al ong wi t h fi ve Pr nymas (control of br eat h) ,
O l eadi ng Devas. Then the process shoul d be repeat ed wi th
four Pr anavas; t hen with t hr ee; and then wi th two, always
accompani ed wi th an equal number of Prnymas. He shall
t hen ut t er Omkr a and control t he Pr na and Apna. He shall
fill all the limbs wi th t he nect ar of perfect knowl edge as well as
Pranava. He shall then purify t he three Gunas, the fourth
called Ahamkr a ( ego)
9 5 7
and t he t anmt ras, O Devas of
good holy rites. Then he shall cleanse t he elements, t he organs
of sense and the organs of acdon. After cl eansing t he two,***
viz., t he Purusa and t he Gi dt man he shall repeat " Agni h
Bhas ma" (the f i re i s t he Ash) and touch t he body (?) He shall
then say similarly t hat t he wi nd, ether, water and eart h are
ashes and t hen smear his body wi th ashes duri ng t he t hree
sandhys t hroughout life. (By doi ng so) one becomes a Yogin
conversant wi th all tattvas (principles). Thi s i s t he Pupat a
vr at a) pertai ni ng to iva. O excellent Devas, it was for t he
liberation from bondage t hat this has been ment i oned by the
lord himself. By performing t he P upat a ri te i n this manner
and by worshipping t he great l ord i n t he Li ga formerly seen
656. i . e . t he fi ve prnaymas preceded by the f ive pranavas (om
syllables).
657. f ourf old, viz., manas (mind), buddhi (intellect), ahamkara(ego),
and citta (consciousness).
658. the two purusas : taijata (the universal) and prjfia (the in-
dividual) soul.
366 Ligapurna
by me and the noble-souled Visnu, O Devas, people cease to
be Paus within a year. All rites should be performed assi-
duously by us after worshipping lord vara externally and
internally. O excellent Devas, this is my divine vow as well as
t hat of Vi snu.
22-25. Ther e is no doubt t hat it is the vow of the sages
also. Hence one should worship iva. If one does not think
about the only God iva, even for a moment , it is a loss, it
is a great blemish, it is delusion, it is silence. Those who
indulge in devotion to hi m, those who mental l y bow down to
hi m, and those who at t empt to remember Bhava are never
subjected to misery. The fruit of the worship of iva is as
follows : Pl easant and charmi ng abodes, divine ornament s,
women, and riches till one is satisfied. May those who wish for
enj oyment of great pleasures or t he ki ngdom of heaven, worship
Mahe vara i n the Li ga form, at all times.
26-29. Even after striking and destroying all living beings,
and after burni ng this entire universe if one should worship the
only God Vi rpksa (i.e. i va), one is never tarnished with
sins.
After saying, " My Li ga is made of rock, it is bowed to by
all Devas, " Br ahma worshipped Rudr a, the lord of t he three
worlds at the outset and eulogised the three-eyed l ord of Devas
with pleasing words. Ever since then, I ndr a and others too %vor-
shipped t he lord directly after performing the Pupat a rite
and smearing thei r bodies with ashes.
CHAPTER SEVENTYF OUR
Description of iva Ligas
Sta said :
1. At t he bi ddi ng of Lord Brahma, Vi vakarm made the
following Ligas befitting the office of Devas and gave those
Li gas to t hem.
Description of iva Ligas
367
2. The Li ga made of Sapphi re was worshipped by Vi snu.
I ndr a worshi pped t hat of ruby. The son of Viravas worshipped
the Li ga made of gold.
3. Vivedevas worshipped Silver Li ga, Vasus t he aus-
picious magnet i c Li ga, Vyu t he Li ga made of brass; and
Avins the Ear t hen Li ga.
4. Ki ng Var una worshipped the crystal Li ga; Adityas
the excellent Li ga made of copper, and king Soma the excel-
l ent Li ga made of pearls.
5. Anant a and the other great serpents worshipped the
Li ga of coral ; Dai tyas and Rksasas t he ferrous Li ga.
6. Guhyakas worshipped t he Li ga of three metals, Ganas
t hat made of all metal s and O excellent brahmi ns, Gmund
and Mot her s worshi pped t he Li ga of Sand.
7. Nai r r t i worshi pped t he Li ga of wood; Yama t hat of
emer al d; Ni l ar udr a and ot hers t he pur e and spl endi d Li ga
made of Bhasman (ashes).
8. Laksm worshipped t he Li ga of Laksmvrksa (Bilva
t r ee) ; Guha t he Li ga of cowdung. O l eadi ng sages, t he sages
worshi pped t he excellent Li ga of Ku a grass.
9. Vmadeva and others worshi pped the Puspa liga
and Manonman t he Li ga made of scents. Sarasvat wor-
shi pped the Li ga made of jewels.
10. Dur g worshi pped t he Li ga made of gol d al ong wi t h
the pedestal. All the Mant r as worshipped Ugr a in the form of
sacrifice wi th the splendid Li ga made of ghee.
11. The Vedas worshi pped the Li ga of cur ds; Picas t he
Li ga of lead. All the worshippers at t ai ned the suitable region
by t he favour of Br ahm.
12. Of what avail is much talk ? Ther e is no doubt in this
t hat i t was due to their worshi ppi ng t he Li ga t hat the universe
of mobi l e and immobile beings could stand.
13-16. Due to the difference in the mat eri al , they say, there
are six types of Ligas. Thei r subdivisions are fortyfour in
number . The first type of Li ga is called ailaja (made of
rock). It has four sub-divisions. O excellent sages, t he second
type is made of jewels. It has seven sub-divisions. The thi rd
type originates from metals andit has eight sub-divisions. The
fourth Li ga originates from wood and it is of sixteen sub-
368 Ligapurna
divisions. O excellent br ahmi ns, t he fifth type of Li ga is made
of cl ay; it has t wo subdivisions. The sixth type of Li ga is t he
Ks ani ka (moment ary) and it is of seven subdivisions.
17. The Li ga ori gi nati ng from j ewels bestows f ortune;
t hat ori gi nati ng from rock yields all Siddhis. The Li ga made
of met al s bestows weal t h and the Li ga made of wood yields
the achi evement of worl dl y pleasures.
18. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, t he Li ga of clay is splendid and
brings about all Siddhis. The Li ga of rock i s very excel l ent ;
t he Li ga of met al s is the mi ddl i ng one.
19-20. Li gas are of numerous types. In brief, they are of
ni ne t ypes.
At the root of t he Li ga, Br ahma i s stationed. Vi snu t he
l ord of three worlds, is stationed in the mi ddl e. Above is
stationed Rudr a, Mahdeva, Sadi va who i s called Pr anava.
The pedestal of Li ga is t he great goddess havi ng t hree Gunas ,
t he mot her havi ng t hr ee
6 5 9
attri butes.
21-25. The goddess as well as t he lord is adored by t he
person who worships wi th t hat pedestal. The spl endid Li ga
whet her of rock, or of j ewel or of metal s, or of wood or of clay
or of moment ar y type, shoul d be installed wi th devot i on. The
result is very spl endi d.
The person who worships t he Li ga i s eulogised by I ndr a,
Brahma, Agni, Yama, Var una, Kuber a, Si ddhas, Vidy-
dharas, t he ki ng of serpents, Yaksas, Dnavas and Ki nnar as
wi th t he sounds of t he divine dr um. He is a meri tori ous soul.
Shi ni ng brilliantly wi th spl endour he gradual l y occupies and
passes t hrough Bhh, Bhuvah, Svah and Ma ha r worlds and
then beyond J anal oka he shall go on t o Tapas and Satya,
i l l umi nati ng t hem wi t h his own brilliance. He shall unhesi-
tatingly pierce t he cosmic Egg by means of t he l arge sword
deposited i n the holy pat h wherei n the Li gas had been in-
stalled.
26-30. After eschewi ng t he Li gas of rock, or of j ewels, or
of met al s, or of wood or of cl ay or of the moment ar y type he
shall establish his enti re body i n t he Li ga.
The ma n who instals t he spl endi d Li ga whi t e as t he kunda
6 59. triniaybrahma-visnu-rudramay ST. of the form of Brahma
Vi snu and Rudra.
Monism of iva
369
fl ower or cow' s mi l k, i n accordance wi t h the inj unctions, al ong
wi th Skanda and Um undoubt edl y becomes Rudr a embodi ed i n
human form. By touchi ng hi m or seeing hi m men at t ai n great
bliss. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, his merit cannot be ment i oned by
me even in hundr eds of yugas. Hence one shoul d instal the
Li ga i n t he above manner .
The Sakal a (one wi t h at t ri but es) and di vi nel y spl endi d
body of t he l or d i s wort hy of bei ng conceived by all men. But
t he Ni skal a (at t ri but el ess) body of the l ord can be conceived
only by t he yogi n.
CHAP T E R SEVENTYFTVE
Monism of iva
The sages said:
1. How di d t he lord who is niskala (attri butel ess), ni rmal a
( pur e) , and ni tya (eternal) adopt sakalatva (the state of bei ng
with at t ri but es). It behoves you to tell us about this in t he same
manner you had l earnt i t formerly.
Sta said:
2. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, persons who know reality reco-
gnize the lord in t he form of the Pranava, Vi j na (perfect
knowl edge), after heari ng about the unbor n lord i n the Ved-
nti c treatises.
3. The knowledge t hat has sound, etc. for its object is
called J na. Ot hers say t hat j na is devoid of Error. Still
others say t hat it is not so.
4. O brahmi ns, some sages say t hat knowledge which is
pur e, devoid of i mpuri ti es, has no alternatives as objects and
does not requi re a support and is made manifest through a
teacher, is the real one.
5. Salvation results onl y from perfect knowledge. Grace of
the lord is conducive to the achi evement of perfect knowledge.
370 Ligapurna
Both hel p to liberate the yogin and make hi m blissful.
960
6. Some sages say t hat Hi s contact can be acqui red by
means of holy rites. By one' s own free will, the form t hat is
conceived fancifully shall be wi thdrawn.
7-11. The heaven is the head of Lord, the sky*
61
is his
umbilicus, the moon, sun and fire are his eyes, the quarters are
his ears. The nether worlds constitute his feet, t he ocean is his
cloth, Devas are his arms, the constellations are his ornaments,
Prakrti is his wife, Purusa is his Liga. F r om his face
4 6 4
issued
forth all the Brahmins, Brahma, Indr a, and Visnu. The Ksatri -
yas issued from his arms. The Vaiyas issued from his thighs and
Sdras from his feet. Puskara Avartaka and other clouds are his
hairs. The winds are born of his nose. The Sruti and Smrti
texts constitute his gait.
12. The lord in the form of Kar man makes Prakrti function
by means of this cosmic body. The glorious Purusa is compre-
hensible to man through perfect knowledge, not otherwise.
13-14. Tapoyaj a (sacrifice in t he form of aust eri t y) is
superior to t housands of Kar mayaj as (sacrifice in t he form of
holy ri t es). Japayaj a (sacrifice in t he form of J a p a ) is superior
to t housands of Tapoyaj as. Dhynayaj a (sacrifice in t he form
of medi t at i on) is superior to thousands of Japayaj as. Ther e is
not hi ng great er t han Dhynayaj a. Dhyna (medi t at i on) is a
means of perfect knowledge.
15. W hen the yogin stands firmly by equal elegance and
see? through medi tati on, when he is engaged in the Dhyna-
yaja, iva becomes manifest in hi m.
16. All peopl e conversant wi th the knowledge of Brahman
are pure, thanks to that Vidy. Ther e is no expiatory rite or any
injunction i n regard to Vi j nins (knowers); nor do they have
purificatory rites.
17. On consideration it is clear t hat there is no holy rite in
660. nandamayahi.e. by the real knowledge and divine grace the
yogin can attain the supreme bliss. Cf. "Anandamayo'bhyst"cited
in 57".
661. khamthe world of mortals. ST. quotes Viiva in suppo rt of
this meaning.
66a. The divine origin of society and its division into four classes, viz.
Brahman a, Ksatriya, Vaiya and dra, can be traced as far back as the
Purusa-skta of the Rgvtda.
Monism of iva 37i
the world, t here is no happiness or misery, nei t her dhar ma nor
adhar ma, nei ther j apa nor homa, to those who take up medi t a-
tion. They come near to the ' Sat' (the existent Bei ng).
18. The Li ga i s pur e, auspi ci ous and i mperi shabl e. It i s
exceedingly blissful in nat ur e. The Ni skal a form, t hat is, t he
form devoid of at t ri but es is all-pervasive. It is al ways st at i oned
in t he hear t of yogins.
19. O br ahmi ns, they say t hat the Li ga is of two types
vi z. , the external and the i nternal . O excellent sages, the gross
one is the external . O brahmi ns, the subtle one is the i nternal .
[So are the devotees].
20. The gross devotees are those engaged in the worship of
gross Li gas and interested in holy rites and sacrifices. The
gross idol is j ust for awakening knowledge of the gross devotees.* * *
21-22. The spi ri tual liga is not percepti bl e to the del ud-
ed person who conceives things only external l y and not other-
wise. The gross liga made of clay, wood, etc. , is percepti bl e
only to non-yogin as the subtle and eternal Li ga is percepti bl e
t o t h e j ni n.
23. Ot her knowers of reality say t hat the object, on consi-
derat i on, is non-existent.* * * Therefore, everything, the Ni skal a
and the Sakal a is of the nat ur e of iva.
24. Ot her s say like this, O men of good holy ritesAl-
t hough the ether is one, it is perceived separatel y in>regard to
separate pl atters. Similarly iva has separateness as well as
non-separateness.
25. O men of good holy rites, though the sun is only one
he is seen manifold in the different water-reservoirs. Thi s
exampl e is cited in order to convince the peopl e.
26. The creatures i n the heaven and on t he eart h are
evolved out of the five elements. Still they are seen in multiples
of forms as different species and individual s.
663. The gross (liga) form of the supreme lord iva is meant just
to create a feeling of devotion in the gross-minded people. In fact, lord
iva (like the ether) is an indivisible entity. His division into sakala and
niskala forms, as of the ether into ghafksa and mathka is conditioned
by external factors.
664. arthahgoal, viz. the release from the bondage of activities.
Because, actually, as there is no bondage, there is no release. Gf. Pacadast;
VI. 35; also, Mbh. "bandhasya mymulatvn na me mokso na bandhanam
cited in ST.
372 Ligapurna
27. Know that whatever is seen or heard is identical with
iva. The difference among the people, on deliberation, is
mere illusion.
28. After experiencing extensive pleasures in dream a man
may be happy or miserable. But on pondering we understand
that neither the pleasure nor the misery has been really expe-
rienced.
29-30. All those who have understood the real meanings
of the Vedas also speak thus in regard to worldly matters.
The great lord invested with attributes is directly perceptible
in the hearts of the worldly-minded persons. The lord devoid
of attributes appears in the hearts of yogins and is identical
with the universe. He appears to the wise ones only. The
physical body of the great lord is of three types.
31. O excellent brahmins, the first-one is Niskala, the
second one is Sakala-Niskala and the third-one is Sakala.
32-33. Some worship the Sakala-Niskala form, some wor-
ship in the heart, or in the Liga or in the fire. Some worship
the Sakala form along with their wives and sons.
34-35. Just as iva so also is the goddess. Just as the god-
dess so also is iva. Hence people worship the deities with the
consciousness of non-difference. They worship the twenty-
seven*** principles in the body as well as outside, in the mystic
diagrams of four, six, ten angles, twelve, sixteen and three sides.
36. iva, the lord, devoid of difference of Sat and Asat
is stationed out of his own free will along with the goddess for
the protection of the world.
37. Some call him one, some call him one with two
Gunas.
,M
Some call him Triguna"
7
(having three Gunas).
Some say that it is iva. Others, the knowers of the Vedas
speak of him as the cause of the universe.
38. All Brahmins equipped with devotion and auspicious
yoga are persons of special characteristics. They are interested
665. sapta-vimiat prabhedatahIn the group* of tattvai, i va it
placed in the twentyieventh category. (Cf. 1.71. 51 ) . But this classification is
' Tmtyi mpi ri cal , not real. However, the physical and mental worship of iva
enjoined in the i gamas rests on the categorical basis.
666. dvigunamin the form of Prakrti and Purusa.
667. trigunamin the form of Brahma, Visnu and Rudra.
Installation of Siva's image 373
i n Dhar ma. In the mi ddl e of t he hexagon they worshi p the
lord of yogas, havi ng all t he forms (or no f orm).
39. Those who perceive Siva in the three-sided (mysti c
di agr am) , i n t he mi ddl e of the three principles, at t ai n hi m;
not t he other yogins. They perceive the three-eyed*
6 8
lord
wi th t he three Gunas , the anci ent Purusa al ong wi th the
goddess.
CHAPTER SEVENTYSI X
Installation of Siva's image
Sta said:
1. Henceforth, I shall ment i on t he benefit accrui ng from
the installation of the idol entirely, for t he welfare of the
worl d. The idol may be i n accordance with one' s own wish.
2. After maki ng the idol of the lord seated in an el egant
seat al ong wi th Skanda and Um and after installing i t with
devotion one shall fulfil desires.
3. In the manner I had heard, I shall ment i on the benefit
that a man obtains by worshipping the lord al ong wi th
Skanda and Um (even) once ( but ) i n accordance wi th the
inj unctions.
4-7. Unt i l the dissolution of all living beings, he becomes
a yogin and sports like iva in aerial chariots resembling
crores of suns wherei n everything desirable is avail abl e and
where virgins of Rudr a sing and dance. In the aerial chariots
where everything desirable is available he enjoys great pleasures.
He t hen goes to the following worlds one after the other viz :
the worl d of Um, of Kumr a, of Ina, of Vi snu, of Brahm
and of Praj pati . The deity of great spl endour passes through
the J anal oka and Mahar l oka. After reachi ng the worl d of
I ndr a he assumes the role of I ndr a for ten thousand years.
Again, after enjoying divine and bri l l i ant pleasure in the
668. tri-yaksam=tryakjam, three-eyed. See p. 380 note. 359.
374 Ligapurana
Bhuvarloka, he reaches the Mer u and rejoices in the abodes of
Devas.
8-14. Qne shall at t ai n Syujya (uni on) with iva by dul y
installing the omniscient, omnipresent lord in accordance with
the injunctions of the stras; the lord who has a single foot,
four arms, three eyes and trident, the lord who is stationed after
creating Vi snu from his left side and the four-faced Brahma
from the right side. The lord who created twenty eight crores
of Rudr as , and then the twenty fi fth* *
9
principl e Purusa,
brilliant in all the limbs, from his heart ; the l ord who created
Prakrti from his left ; cosmic intellect from the region of di e
intellect, the cosmic ego from his own ego and the Tanmt r as
therefrom. The great l ord sportingly creat ed the sense-organs
from his own sense-organs. He created the earth from the
root of his foot and water from the pri vate parts. He created
fire from the umbilical region, the sun from the heart, the
moon from his neck, the soul from the mi ddl e of his eyebrows
and the heaven from the forehead. One shall instal t he i mage
of the lord who is stationed thus after creati ng the entire universe
inclusive of the mobile and i mmobi l e beings.
15. By maki ng the idol of Ina, the lord of the sacrifices*
70
,
who has three feet, seven hands, four horns and two heads, the
devotee is honoured in the world of Visnu.
16. The ma n will enjoy great pleasures there for a hun-
dred thousand kalpas. He shall be happy and i n due course
ret urn to his world as master of all sacrifices.
17-18. If t he devotee makes the idol of the lord who rides
on a bull accompani ed by Um and with the crescent moon as
his ornament , he attai ns t hat merit whi ch one usually obtains
by performing ten thousand horse-sacrifices. He goes to Siva' s
divine city in a golden aerial chari ot having clusters of tinkling
bells and he is liberated there itself.
19. In the manner I have heard, I shall ment i on the
benefit that one attai ns by maki ng the idol of the lord accom-
pani ed by Nandi n and Um and surrounded by all Ganas.
66y. pacavirhatikamthe twenty-fifth principle, i.e., jiva (the in-
dividual soul).
670. yajesamagnirpam ST. of the form of fire.
Installation of Siva's image
375
20-21. He will go to the city of Siva on the aerial chariots
t hat resemble the solar sphere, t hat are tied to the bulls, t hat
are difficult of access even to Devas and Dnavas t hat are
occupi ed and beautified all round by the danci ng nymphs. He
shall then at t ai n the chieftainship of the Ganas.
22-26. I shall ment i on the benefit t hat one at t ai ns by maki ng
any of the following idols of iva and installing it wi th devotion
viz : t he l ord of the chiefs of Devas as in his danci ng posture
and accompani ed by the daught er of the lord of mount ai ns ;
the omniscient l ord havi ng a thousand arms or havi ng four ar ms ;
l ord Par ame var a surrounded by Bhrgu and others as well as
the groups of gobl i ns; the bul l -bannered var a accom-
pani ed by the daught er of the lord of mount ai n, the diety as
perpetual l y being bowed to by Brahm, Indr a, Visnu, Soma
(the moon) and all other Devas; Paramevara as surrounded
by Mot hers and sages. He shall attai n a crore dmes the benefit
t hat accrues from all yaj as, penances, chari t abl e gifts, pi l gri -
mages to t he holy centres and visits to the deities. He shall t hen
go to t he region of auspi ci ousness.
8 7 1
Unt i l t he dissolution of all
living beings he shall enjoy great pl easure t her e. When t he
next creat i on ar r i ves be shall r et ur n t o t he regi on of mort al s.
27-28. One shall at t ai n identity wi t h iva by maki ng the
idol of iva as follows and installing it with devoti on; the lord
as naked, white-complexioned, havi ng four arms, three eyes and
the serpent as girdle, with bl ack curly hairs and hol di ng a skull
in his hand.
29-33. By maki ng the idol of t he lord as follows and instal-
ling it wi th devotion according to the extent of one' s affluence,
one surmounts all obstacles and is honoured in the world of
iva ; the lord as tearing asunder the leading el ephant
8 7 2
as
accompani ed by Amb, as the bestower of all desired objects ;
as smoke-coloured, red in eyes and adorned wi th t he moon on
the forehead, as havi ng three eyes, weari ng t he sidelocks of
Tairs,"h^o1ngThe^erpent-ihapecl"""hatchet, weari ng the lion' s
hi de as his upper garment and the deer skin as the lower one, as
671. Siva-purama mythical city 'ivapura' on the the Himalayas,
particularly on the Kailsa peak is conceived as the abode of Siva.
672. ibbendra-drakamibhendrah gajsurah tarn drayatitione
who has slain the asura Gaya.
A**
376
Ligapurna
havi ng sharp curved fangs and armed wi th an i ron cl ub, holding
t he skull in his uplifted hand, the lord as renderi ng all the
quarters resonant wi th loud shouts of " Hu m" " Ph a t " etc. ,
holding the dger ski n
6 7 8
and t he conch
87
* shell in two of his
hands, l aughing, roari ng and dri nki ng t he black ocean
8 7 5
(poison) as danci ng i n t he company of Bht as (goblins) and
surrounded by Ganas.
34-37. Ther e (in the world of i va) he enjoys great plea-
sures until the dissolution of all living beings. By means of
deliberation he gains perfect knowledge from the Rudras there
and becomes liberated.
By maki ng the idol of iva as follows and installing it wi th
devotion the devotee is honoured in the world of Siva. The
excellent lord has half of his body in female form. He has
four arms wherein he holds t he boon to be bestowed; the
gesture of fearlessness, the tri dent and the lotus. He is stationed
in the form of a woman as well as a man, bedecked in all
ornaments. Ther e ( i n the ivaloka) he enjoys all great plea-
sures. He is t hen endowed with Ani m (minuteness) and
ot her qualities. Therefrom he obtains the knowledge lasting as
long as the moon and the stars and is liberated.
38-40. He who makes t he idol of t he omni sci ent lord of
the chiefs of Devas, Nakul vara, who is surrounded by disci-
ples and thei r disciples and who has uplifted his hand in
expoundi ng the principles and t hen instals it wi th devotion goes
to the world of iva. The man enjoys extensive pleasures there
for a hundred yugas. After attai ni ng the pat h of knowledge he
attai ns l iberation there itself.
41-43. Hi s abode is liked by all among Devas and Asuras.
By maki ng the idol of the lord as follows and by installing it,
one is liberated from the ocean of worldly exi st ence: The lord
shows gestures. He has the ashes from t he funeral pyre for his
unguent ; he has the triple mark of Tr i pundr a; he wears a gar-
l and made of skulls; he wears a single sacred t hread constituted
673. Pundarlkjinaone who ii clad in the tiger-hide, (pundarika^
tiger. Cf. "vyghre tu pundarko n"Amarakoa.
674. Kambukam--kamandulam ST. a water-pot.
675. Krsna-tgaramST. gives an alternate meaning:kfira-samudram,
videch. a 9. verses 39-31.
Installation of Siva's image 377
by the hairs of Br ahm; wi th his left hand he holds the ex-
cellent skull of Br ahm; as Paramesti i i n he adopts the body
of Visnu.
44-46a. He who repeats even once the holy mant r a of
ei ght syllables, viz., " Om Namo N l akant hya ( Om obeisance
unt o the blue-necked l or d) , is l i berated from sins. By worship-
pi ng the l ord of the chiefs of Devas by means of this mant r a
wi th devoti on after using scents and other things in accordance
wi th one' s weal th, one is honoured in the world of iva.
46b-47. By maki ng the idol of the lord as follows and ins-
tal l ing it wi th devotion the devotee attai ns oneness wi th iva.
The lord destroys J al andhar a who i s severed i nto two. The lord
is hol di ng Sudar ana. By installing such images or any one of
such images the devotee attai ns oneness wi th iva. No hesita-
tion or doubt need be ent ert ai ned i n this regard.
48. By maki ng the idol as follows and by installing it wi th
devotion one is honoured in the worl d of iva. The Deva
is the bestower of Sudar ana wi th the characteristics as men-
tioned before. He is worshipped by lord Vi snu who adores
hi m by means of worship including the gift of his own
eye.*
7
'
49-51. One shall at t ai n oneness with iva by dul y maki ng
and installing the idol of the lord as standi ng on the back of
Ni kumbha (a gana) fixing his lotus-like ri ght foot firmly on
hi m and embraci ng the daught er of the mount ai n on his
left side. Hi s elbow rests on the ti p of his tri dent. The serpents
are suspended from the tri dent like so many tinkling bells. He
is glancing at Andhaka who is standing at his side with palms
j oi ned i n reverence.
52-54. He who makes the idol of iva, the lord of the
chiefs of Devas, vara the destroyer of the Tri puras, with bow
and arrows in his hands, the crescent moon as an ornament ,
seated in a chari ot accompani ed by Um and being chario-
teered by the four-faced lord ( Br ahm) , assumes that form (of
iva) and goes to the city of iva. He is happy and he undoub-
tedly sports like the second iva. O excellent brahmi ns, after
enjoying great pleasures there, as much as he desires and
676. When Visnu fell short of a flower he plucked his own eye and
offered it as a gift.
378 Ligapurna
having obtai ned perfect knowledge after due deliberation he
is liberated there itself.
55-58. The intelligent devotee who makes and instals
these idols al ong wi th Vi ghnea shall at t ai n oneness wi th
i va: The lord is seated comfortably hol di ng the Gag and
having the moon on his coronet; the lord is accompani ed by
t he Gag and Um is seated on his left l ap; the lord is
s ur r ounded by Vi nyaka, Skanda, J yest h, Dur g, Bhskara,
Soma, ^Brahmn , Mhevar , Kaumr i , Vaisnav, Vrhi ,
Varad, Indrn , Gmund, Vi rabhadra and Vi ghnea.
59-63. By maki ng the idols as follows and installing them
with devotion one shall at t ai n oneness wi th iva. The unchan-
ging lord is in t he form of a Li ga surrounded by great
clusters of flames; the moon-crested vara as seated in the
centre of the Li ga. The Li ga should be made i n the ether
wi th Brahma wi th folded hands in the form of a swan standi ng
on the right and Vi snu in the form of a Boar standi ng beneat h
the Li ga wi th his face t urned down. The terribl e great Li ga
is stationed in the mi ddl e of the great waters.
By maki ng idols of the lord as the protector of the holy
centre, and Kset rapl a as lord Paupati and by duly instal-
ling them with devotion, one is honoured in the world of iva.
CHAPTER SEVENTYSEVEN
The Temples of Siva
The Sages said:
1-2. The meritorious acts of preparat i on and installation
of the Li ga and the differences among the various types of
Ligas have been heard as described by you. It behoves you
to narrat e the benefit t hat accrues from building Siva's templ e
by means of materials beginning with clay and endi ng with
jewels.
Sta said:
3-6. If a devotee of iva is endowed with perfect know-
ledge he is not harassed by sons, wives, houses, etc. Then of
The Temples of iva 379
what avail are the temples he should make for the lord ? Still
the devotee of the lord who is saluted by the chief of Devas
and the l otus-born deity Br ahm makes divine and excellent
temples or shrines even wi th bricks and stones. Even as a
childish prank if they make the pri mordi al Siva' s image wi th
clay or stone or even with dust and his abode also in the same
manner and worship hi m, they do at t ai n i denti ty with hi m.
Hence, for the achievement of virtue, love and weal th, the
abode of iva should be made by devotees with devotion,
assiduously.
7. By devoutly maki ng the abode of Rudr a of the type of
Kesara, Ngar a or Drvi da one is honoured in the world of iva.
8. He who makes his mansi on called Kai l sa, rejoices
happi l y in the aerial chariots of the shapes of Kai l sa peaks.
9-11. Or the devotee shall make i n accordance wi th the
inj unctions the templ e of Mandar a, for hi m. He shall devoutly
make it in accordance wi th his means. It may be of the mi ddl -
ing or inferior type. Thereby the man goes to the beautiful
city of Siva in aerial chariots whi ch resemble the mount ai n
Mandar a, and whi ch have faces all round, whi ch are occupied
by groups of Apsarases and whi ch are difficult of access even
to Devas and Dnavas. He enjoys all pleasures, attai ns the
pat h of knowledge and finally the chieftainship of the Ganas.
12-13. Even by means of great sacrifices no one attains
that benefit whi ch accrues to the person who makes the man-
sion called Mer u. He attai ns all the benefits of sacrifices,
penances, gifts, visits to holy centres and study of all Vedas. Like
iva, he rejoices for a long time.
14. The intelligent devotee who makes the mansion
Ni sadha wi th devoti on attai ns Siva' s world and like iva
rejoices for a long time.
15-17. O brahmi ns, he who makes the splendid and
excellent mansi on called Hi maai l a, goes to the splendid city
of iva by means of vehicles comparabl e to the mount ai n
Hi mavat . Attai ni ng the pat h of knowledge, he shall achieve
the chieftainship of the Ganas.
I shall menti on the benefit that a man obtains by making
the splendid mansi on named N l dri i khara ( t he peak of the
380
Ligapurna
bl ue mount ai n) . He need make it only i n accordance with his
riches. He shall dedi cate i t to Rudr a with devotion.
18-21. He obtains all those benefits which I have men-
tioned to you before as the benefit of maki ng the mansi on
Hi maai l a devoutly [see verse 15]. Then he is bowed to by
all Devas. Reachi ng the worl d of Rudr a he rejoices al ong
with t hem.
I shall menti on the benefit t hat one attai ns by maki ng the
mansion named Mahendraai l a. He goes to the divine city of
i va i n t he aerial chari ot as huge i n size as t he mount ai n
Mahendr a, yoked to bulls. O leading sages, he enjoys all plea-
sures and at t ai ns perfect knowledge after del iberation with
Rudras. He eschews worldly pleasures as t hough they were
poison and attai ns Syujya (uni on) wi th iva.
22-23. He who makes j ewel-studded mansi on wi th gold,
in accordance with the inj unctions, of the type of Drvi da,
Ngar a or Kesara or makes the peak
6
'
7
or platform square or
obl ong i n shape attai ns great meri t . Hi s mer i t cannot be men-
tioned even in hundreds of yugas.
24-28. If anyone Arepairs or rebuilds the old, di l api dated
fallen or broken temples and reconstructs t hem with doors, etc.
or if he repairs the mansi on, platform, r ampar t or the orna-
ment al gateway, he derives more benefit t han even the origi-
nal maker. Ther e i s no doubt about this. The man who does
some j ob in the templ e of iva t hough it be for his sustenance
undoubtedl y goes to the heavenly world along with his kins-
men. If a man does some j ob in the t empl e of Rudr a even for
once and for his own pleasure he attai ns happiness and
rejoices. Hence, O excellent sages, the man who devoutly
makes the templ e by means of wood, bricks, etc., is honoured
in the world of iva.
29-32. O leading sages, for the grace of Mahea, for the pur-
pose of achieving virtue, love, weal th and liberation, the mansion
of Mahe a should be bui l t assiduously. O excellent sages, if one
is i ncapabl e of bui l di ng a mansi on he shall serve the lord by me-
ans of sweeping and other activities. He who performs the sweep-
i ng j ob wi th a soft and delicate broom shall attai n all desires.
He obtai ns the fruit of a thousand Cndr yana rites within a
677. Ktam yantrarpam ST. made of some mechanical device.
The Temples of Siva 381
mont h. He who duly performs the rite of appl yi ng unguents to
the l ord wi th the scented cow-dung water fil tered and purified
by means of a cloth shall obtai n the benefits of Cndryana for
a year.
33-37. The place wi thi n the radi us of half a Kr o a from
the Li ga of iva is called iva-ksetra (holy centre of i va).
He who casts off his life (within t hat cent re) usually very diffi-
cult to be cast off, shall obt ai n yujya wi th iva. O sages of
good holy rites, these are t he measuri ng units of t he self-born
Bna Li ga. In the Svyambhuva, O excellent brahmi ns, t he
measure of the holy centre shall behal f, in t heAr sa (pert ai ni ng
to t he sages) it shall be half of t hat . In t he Mnus a (pertai n-
ing to human beings) it shall be still half of that. O excellent
brahmi ns, the measure of holy centres in the abode of ascetics
is thus.
O brahmi ns, he who casts off his vital br eat h in any of
these places shall at t ai n Syujya with Siva vi z: Rudr vat r a,
Narvat ra, the holy rl parvata*
7 8
and its boundary line.
The benefit shall be extended to his disciples and the disciples
of disciples.
38-39. The same is true of Vrnas*
7
* and parti cul arl y of
Avimukta.*
80
He who casts off his vital breaths in Kedra, *
8 1
Pr ayga
8 8 2
or Kur uks et r a
8 8 3
attai ns extreme bliss.
40. He who dies in Prabhsa, *
8 4
Puskara,*
85
Avant,*
88
678. riparvata or riaila is one of the sacred hills of the south
overhanging the Krsna river. It contains the celebrated shrine of Malli-
krjuna, one of the twelve jvotirlingas.
679. Vrnasi--see p. 97 note, i so
680. Avimuktasee p. 46 note. 64
681. Kedraa very sacred Himalayan peak in Garhwal. It still
retains its ancient name and sanctity.
682. Praygasee p. 291 note 567.
683. Kuruksetra It lies south of Thanesar, not far from Panipat
inHaryana State.
684. PrabhsaIt is a celebrated place of pilgrimage in Saur?tra
the southern part of Kathiawar.
685. Puskaraa sacred place near Ajmer famous for the lake Pus-
kara.
686. Avanti or Avantik. It is identical with Ujjayini or modern
Ujjain.
Ligapurna
Amares' vara
4 8 7
and i n Vani ai l kul a
4 8 8
attai ns the nat ur e of
iva.
41-45. The person who dies i nVrnas is not born again.
He who casts off his vital breath in Tri vi st apa,
8 8 9
Avimukta,
Kedra, Sagamesvara,
8 8 0
l aka,
8
*
1
J ambukei var a,
6 8 2
i n
Sukrevara,
6 9 3
Gokar na,
8 9 1
Bhskarea,
4 9 5
Guhe var a,
6 9 4
Hi ran-
yagarbha,* * ' or Nand a
4 9 8
attai ns the greatest goal. He who
"esiccates his body by means of observances and casts it off
in any holy centre of iva whether it is of human or divine
origin, whether it is built by sages or whether it is self-born,
becomes a yogin and at t ai ns oneness with iva. O excellent
sages, if the deity is self-born or installed by Devas, no doubt
need be entertai ned in this regard. He who worships the lord
and then collects fire i nto which he consigns his body, attai ns
the greatest goal.
46-49. One shall abstain from taking any sort of food
whatsoever and cast off one' s vital breaths in a holy centre
of iva. O excellent sages, he shall at t ai n Syujya wi th iva.
He who cuts off his pai r of legs and stays in the holy centre
of iva, attai ns oneness with iva. No doubt need be enter-
tai ned in this regard. The vision of a holy centre is meritorious.
The ent rance therein i s hundr ed times more meri tori ous. The
touchi ng and t he ci rcumambul at i on is hundr ed times more
meritorious. The abl uti on in the waters is hundr ed times more
meritorious t han t hat .
50. The bat hi ng of the deity, O brahmi ns, in milk, is
hundred times more excellent. It is menti oned t hat the ablution
6"7. Amarevarain Orhkra Mndht. It is a sacred place of
aiva pilgrimage in the Nimar district in Madhya Pradea.
688. Vanailanot identifiable.
689. Trivistapa-not identifiable. But Trivisfapa or tripisfaka is
the heaven of Indra, said to be situated on Mount Meru.
690. Sagamevaraa sacred place mentioned in Sk., VII.i.33 bat
not identifiable.
691-693. laka, Jambukevara and ukrevara are not identifiable.
694. Gokarna : lit. 'cow's ear'. It is a place of pilgrimage sacred to
iva, on the east coast, near Mangalore. It has the temple of Mahdeva,
iva, supposed to have been established by Rvana. This Gokarna should
not be confused with the town of the same name situated in Nepal on the
Bhgamat river.
695-698. Not identifiable.
The Temples of iva
383
with curds has thousand times more merit. W i t h honey it is
hundred times more.
51-52. The abl uti on with ghee has infinite mer i t ; t hat
with sugar is hundr ed times more. One shall eschew cooked
rice after reachi ng a river near t he holy centre of Siva and
pl ungi ng into it. He shall thus cast off his body. He is honoured
in the world of iva. All the rivers pear the hol y centres of
Siva are very meri tori ous.
53-56. The wells, tanks and lakes are ivat rthas (sacred
waters of i va). O excellent brahmi ns, by taki ng his bat h in
those (wells, etc.) wi th devotion a man is undoubt edl y liberated
from brahmi n-sl aughter and ot her sins. O excellent sages, by
taking his morni ng pl unge in t he sacred waters of iva, a man
attai ns the benefit of horse sacrifice and goes to Rudr a' s worl d.
By taki ng a single pl unge in the sacred waters of iva at
mi dday wi th great devoti on a man surely obtains meri t equal
to t hat of taki ng bat h in the Gag. By taking bat h after the
sunset one shall at t ai n the auspicious region of iva.
57-59. Casti ng off his slough of sins in the holy waters of
iva the man at t ai ns the auspicious region of Siva. O brah-
mins, by taki ng the threefold bat h once in the sacred waters
of iva, the man obtains Syujya with iva. No doubt need
be ent ert ai ned in this respect.
Once a boar saw a dog on the way. Due to fright it
chanced that it pl unged i nto t he sacred waters of iva and
died. O excellent brahmi ns, he at t ai ned the chieftainship of
the Ganas .
60. He who sees iva, the lord of the chiefs of Devas, in
the form of Li ga at dawn at t ai ns a goal superior to all.
61. By seeing Mahdeva at mi dday one attai ns the bene-
fit of sacrifices. By seeing the lord in the evening, one attai ns
the benefit of yajas and is liberated.
62. He i s l i berat ed from all great sins, ment al , verbal and
physi cal ; subsi di ary sins occurri ng as a sequel .
63. By visiting lord Ina in t he form of the Li ga at the
time of transit of the sun from one sign of Zodi ac to the next,
one eschews sins commi t t ed in the course of mont h and he
at t ai ns the auspicious region of iva.
64. By visiting t he lord at the begi nni ng of the southern or
384 Ligapurna
nort hern transit of the sun one dispels sins commi t t ed in the
course of half a mont h. By worshi ppi ng the lord, at the ti me of
equinoxes, one at t ai ns the greatest goal.
65-66. The clean and pur e man who ci rcumambul at es the
mansion of iva three times in the mode of Savya and Apas-
avya [clockwise and anticlockwise] and treads softly shall
attai n the benefit of a vamedha at every step. He who screams
and l aments to iva, attai ns the auspicious abode. W hat else
remains for hi m to at t ai n ?
67-73. (After sprinkling) with scented cowdung water the
devotee shall make t he mysti c di agram of the auspicious lotus
along wi th the peri carp. F or this purpose the dust particles of
pearls, sapphires, rubies, crystals, emeral d, gold or silver may
be used. Those who are not sufficiently rich may use other
powders similar in colour to the powders ment i oned above.
The mystic di agram shall extend upt o ten Hast as. It should be
described near Mahdeva. Mahdeva accompani ed by the nine
aktis shall be invoked therein : The devotee shall invoke the
lord who bestows the desired things by means of five elements, six
sense-organs and eight cosmic bodies. Again the devotee shall
worship I na i n the ten-cornered (mystic di agram) through
the eight cosmic bodies or the ten organs of sense and know-
ledge externally. After the worship the devotee shall bow down
and offer food offerings to the lord of Devas. He shall thereby
obtai n the benefit of the chari tabl e gift of earth. The indigent
person shall make the mystic di agram of the lotus by means
of the powdered grains of li rice. Even then he shall obtai n
the meri ts as ment i oned before.
74-80. The devotee shall draw the mystic di agram of
twelve sides and then the excellent lotus by means of such
powders as those of jewels, etc. In the mi ddl e of the mystic
di agram he shall instal Bhskara al ong wi th the twelve deities
and then worship the sun surrounded by the planets. He shall
attai n the excellent S yuj ya (t he salvation of i denti ty) with the
sun. Similarly he shall draw the six-sided figure by means of
red chalk to depi ct deities pertai ni ng to Prakrti . In the mi ddl e
region he shall worship the goddess of Devas, Prakrti , in the
form of Br ahman. To the right he shall worship the deity of
Sat t va-Guna; to t he left t hat of Raj o-Guna and in front
The, Temples of Siva 385
t hat of Tamo-Guna. He shall worship the goddess Ambi k
i n the mi ddl e. To the ri ght he shall worship the fi ve elements
and t he f i ve Tanmt r s . To t he nort h he shall worship t he
five organs of action and five organs of sense. In t he six-sided
fi gure he shall worship the two Atmans, viz., At man and
Ant ar t man as well as the cosmic intellect and ego al ong wi th
t he pri nci pl e Mahat . He shall then at t ai n the benefit of all
sacrifices.
81. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, thus the great Prkrt a Mandal a
(t he mystic di agram pert ai ni ng to Prakrti ) has been menti oned
to you. Henceforth I shall ment i on the means of achieving
all desired objects.
82-85. The devotee conversant with the mant r as shall
sprinkle the ground dul y wi th water and scrub it wi th cow-
dung. He shall then make t he mystic di agram i n t he form of
a square measuri ng a go-carma (i.e. 150 Hastas a si de). He
shall then decorat e it wi th canopies, or charmi ng umbrel l as.
He shall embellish t hem wi th globe-like bubbl es or crescent-
shaped trinkets made of gold or the leaves of Asvattha tree.
He shall decorate it wi th full bl own whi te, red or bl ue lotuses;
also strings of pearls shall be suspended from t he extremities
of the canopies. He shall embellish it with whi te banner s and
silken Vaij ayantis (Ensigns) or garl ands of sprouts and fruits.
Ther e shall be whi te mud-pots and elegant water-jars fi l l ed
wi th water. He shall have fifty l amps in a row and five kinds
of incense.
86-94. The devotee shall make an excellent lotus wi th fi fty
petals by means of powders of different colours or only wi th
whi te powder. The lotus shall extend to one Hast a i n magni -
t ude. It shall be made i n accordance wi th the inj unctions.
He shall fix t he lord Rudr a, the lord of Devas al ong wi th t he
goddess i n the peri carp. Beginning wi th t he petal i n the east
and proceeding gradual l y he shall fix t he syllables in the petals
along wi th the Rudras. O sages of good holy rites, the syllables
are to begi n wi th the Pranava and end wi th Namas. O excellent
sages, after dul y worshi ppi ng thus wi th scents and fragrant
flowers, he shall feed fifty brahmi ns in accordance wi th t he in-
j uncti ons. He shall give those leading sages t he chari tabl e gifts of
garl ands of rosary, sacred t hread, ear-rings, water-pots, seats,
386 Ligapurna
staff, turbans and clothes. He shall offer Mahcar u as Nai -
vedya to ambhu the lord of Devas and dedi cat e the black pai r
(i.e. a black cow and a black ox) . In the end he shall offer
t he mystic di agram made of powders to t he lord of Devas. He
shall then offer materials of utility in a sacrifice to iva. The
intelligent devotee shall perform the J a pa of the letters one by
one wi th Omkr a in t he beginning. I shall briefly ment i on t he
benefit t hat a man attai ns after describing this excellent Mandal a
amongst all wi th devotion.
95-98. By seeing the coloured Mandal a and by wor-
shi ppi ng it one at t ai ns the same benefit as a yogin attai ns
i n the following circumstances : W hen he has learned the
Vedas dul y al ong wi t h thei r Agas (anci l l ary subj ects); when
he has worshipped God by means of sacrifices, such as
J yot i st oma etc. , endi ng wi t h t hat of Vivaj it; when (as a
househol der) he has procreated sons like himself; wh e n i e has
adopt ed the stage of life of a forest-dweller wi t h earnestness
mai nt ai ni ng t he sacrificial fire, and performing all rites such as
Cndryana, et c. ; when he has renounced all holy rites, l earned
Brahmavi dy assiduously and at t ai ned perfect knowledge and
when wi th perfect knowledge he has seen what should be seen.
99-100. After scrubbing and cl eani ng the front yard of the
shrine by any mat eri al , O excellent brahmi ns, if a devotee
describes a mystic di agram in the form of a square to the
nort h or south or to the west of the shrine and embellishes it
wi th the powders, fl owers, raw rice grains etc., and then wor-
ships the deity wi th flowers, raw rice grains, etc., he is
liberated from all sins.
101-102. He, who devoutly scrubs and cleans the sanct um
sanctorum all round, even once, scatters scented flowers all
round, offers fragrant articles like sandal paste, camphor, etc.,
makes the pl ace sweet smelling wi th incense of four kinds and
prays to the lord I na, goes to the world of iva.
103-104. The ma n enjoys pleasures for a hundred crores
of kalpas. Hi s body emits sweet fragrance-like t hat of flowers
wi th whi ch he fills the templ e of iva. Gradual l y he goes
to the worl d of Gandharvas and is worshipped by the Gandh-
arvas. He comes to this world in due course and becomes a
powerful monarch.
Scrubbing and cleaning the shrine of iva
387
105-106. Mahdeva i s t he pri mordi al l ord. He i s t he
cause of creation, dissolution and sustenance. Sadai va is all
pervasive and is t he overlord of the worlds. The' nect ar of iva-
Br ahman should be known as the excellent means of salvation.
One shall always worship t he lord, the manifest and the un
manifest being t he lord beyond i magi nati on.
CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT
Scrubbing and cleaning the shrine of iva
Sta said:
1. O excellent sages, the holy shri ne of Siva should be scr-
ubbed and cleaned by means of water fi l tered and purified wi th
a cloth. Otherwi se no Siddhi is at t ai ned.
2. O leading sages, waters t hat have no foam, parti cul arl y
from the rivers, should be taken. W hen filtered wi th a cloth they
become pur e and holy.
3. Hence, O excellent brahmi ns, all divine holy rites should
be performed by t he purified waters for achieving t he results in
all rites.
4. W at ers are mi xed wi th mi nut e germs. By using t he un fil-
tered waters one attai ns the same sin as by killing t hem.
5-6. O brahmi ns, householders adopt violent means always
whil e sweeping or wiping, while using fire, threshing, poundi ng
things or while fetching water. But one shall eschew violence.
Non-violence is t he greatest virtue to all living creatures.
7. Hence, by all means one shall practise water purified
by cloth. The meritorious and chari tabl e gift of giving protecti on
is the excellent of all chari tabl e gifts.
8-10. Hence, violence should be avoided always and at all
places. All violent creatures do not har m a man who abstains
from violence mental l y, verbally and physically. They harass
one who injures others. A man who abstains from violence
obtai ns a crore times the benefit t hat one attai ns by gifting
away the three worlds to one who has mastered the Vedas.
Those who are engaged in the welfare of living beings, men-
388 Ligapurna
tally, verbally and physically and those who follow the pat h
poi nted out by kindness go to the world of Rudr a.
11-15a. Those who protect persons of various sorts like a
loving master or with love as if they were their own sons and
grandsons, go to the worl d of Rudr a. Hence, by all means sprin-
kling should be performed by means of water filtered with a
cloth. The abl uti on should be carri ed out parti cul arl y. Even by
killing a single person in the premises of Siva' s templ e one
attai ns the sins t hat accrue from destroying the three worlds.
But, O excellent brahmi ns, violence to flowers
699
must always be
pursued for the worship of iva, violence to the ani mal s
7 0 0
for
the sake of sacrifice. The chastisement of the wicked by the
Ksat ri ya caste can be pursued.
15b-17a. In the case of yogins expoundi ng the Br ahman
these rules regardi ng what is laid down and what is forbidden
are not appl icabl e. They shall not be killed even if they resort
to forbidden things. Similarly expounders of Br ahman shall
not be killed since they have eschewed all actions and taken to
Sannysa, even if at times they are prone to sinful activities.
17b-18. W omen are holy ones as they are bor n of the
family of Atri. Even when they are engaged in sinful acts they
should not be killed. They are to be worshipped always. By kill-
ing Atreyis one incurs a sin equal to the slaughter of a brahmi n.
19-20. W omen from any caste should not be taken up for
the Yajas at any time, by anyone or in any pl ace, O leading
br ahmi ns. Women engaged in sinful activities, whet her they be
dirty or beautiful, ugly or robed in ugly clothes should never be
killed by men due t o t he suspicion t hat t hey may be Siva.
21. Those who practise t he holy rites and conduct of life
outside t he pal e of t he Vedas, those who are excl uded from t he
rites laid down i n Srutis and Smrtis and those who are notori-
ous as heretics should not be conversed wi t h by t he twice-born.
699-700. violence incurred by plucking flowers (puspa-hims) for iva's
worship is not sinful, so also the slaughter of animals in propitiation of iva.
V-19 (below) prohibits the slaughter of women in sacrifices implying
thereby that man-slaughter(nara-vali) was a common practice. ST interprets
'striyah' as 'mnusa-striyah' and explains that the restriction of slaughter
did not apply to the female animals. ST. quotes a scriptural saying (ruti)
in support of this view : "Sarasvatim Vam labheta."
The mode of worship of iva
389
22. They should nei ther be seen nor touched. After seeing
t hem one should look at the sun. Still they should not be
killed by kings or other creatures.
23. O brahmi ns, by worshipping lord Siva even for once,
thanks to t he contact wi th good men, a man attai ns Rudra' s
worl d.
24. O excellent sages, all unki nd persons become miserable.
So also, all men who are devoid of devotion towards t he great
l ord.
25. Those who are devotees of iva, the lord of Devas, are
fortunate. After enjoying pleasures here itself they become
liberated.
26. The mi nds of men are at t ached towards sons, wives
and houses. J us t as the mi nds of ascetics and sages are at t ached
towards the pri mordi al lord. But if men t urn their mi nds to-
wards the l ord at least once by chance the world of great Ia
is not far for t hem.
CHAPTER SEVENTY NTNE
The mode af worship of iva
The sages said:
1-2. O sages of great intellect, how should the great lord,
the lord of subjects be worshipped by t ardy and dull-witted
men who are short-lived, whose strength is trifling and whose
virility is insignificant. Even after worshipping lord iva by
means of penance for thousands of years, Devas do not see hi m.
How t hen do they worship the lord ?
Sta said:
3. O l eadi ng sages, what you have said is qui te true. Still
wi th faith the lord can be seen and pleased and even conversed
wi th.
4. O brahmi ns, if even those who are devoid of devotion
incidentally worship the lord, he bestows fruits befitting the
emoti on.
390
Ligapurna
5. O brahmi ns, the base brahmi n who worships the lord after
being defiled by the leavings of food becomes a Pica. The man
of del uded intellect who worships the l ord in a fit of anger shall
at t ai n the abode of Rksasas.
6. ' The wicked man who eats forbidden food and worships
the lord becomes a Yaksa. A man who practises music and
worships the lord attai ns the abode of Gandharvas. A person
who practises dance also attai ns the same state.
7. The base man attached to women and yearni ng for fame
attains the abode of t he moon
7 0 1
(by worshipping the l or d) . A
person afflicted by pri de and arrogance, worshipping Rudr a,
shall attai n the abode of Soma (moon ?)
8. By worshipping the lord by means of Gyatri verses one
shall attai n the world of Praj pati . By worshipping by means of
Pranava one attains the abode of Brahm or Visnu.
9. By worshipping the lord with faith even for once, t he
devotee attai ns t he world of Rudr a and rejoices along wi th t he
Rudras.
10-22. The splendid Liga, worshipped by Devas and Asu-
ras should be cleaned by the holy waters. The lord should be
invoked devoudy in the pedestal. After visiting the lord dul y
and after worshipping hi m he should be installed in the concei-
ved seat whi ch has the splendid form of perfect knowledge,
which is richly endowed with det achment and prosperity, which
is bowed to by all the people, which is in the mi ddl e of the lotus
of Orhkra and whi ch has its origin from t he moon, sun and
fi re. After offering Pdya, Acamana and Arghya to Rudr a t he
devotee shall bat he the deity with pure waters, ghee and milk.
He shall bat he Rudr a with curds and clean Hi m. Thereafter
he shall bat he the deity wi th pur e water and worship i t with
sandal-paste. After worshi ppi ng wi th yellow pi gment he shall
worship it wi th red flowers, unbroken Bilva leaves, bl ue and
red lotuses, Nandyvart a fl owers, Malliks, Campakas, J t i
fl owers, Bakulas, Karav ras, ami and Brhat fl owers, Unmat t as ,
Agastyas, bunches of Apmrga flowers and splendid orna-
ments. After offering incense of five kinds he shall offer milk
puddi ng as Nai vedya. Ot her food offerings shall be rice with
curds, rice soaked in honey and ghee, t hen pur e cooked rice
701. cndramBudha-sthnam ST. the house of Mercury.
The mode of worship of iva 391
and then Mudgnna (rice cooked green gr am) of six types.
Thereafter he shall offer as Nai vedya five types of cooked rice
along with ghee, or rice alone wherein he shall cook one
Adhaka measure of rice. After ci rcumambul at i on be shall bow
down again and again i n the end. After eulogising lord Ina
and after worshipping iva he shall adore hi m by repeati ng t he
mant r as of na, Tat purusa, Aghora, Vmadeva and Sadyo-
j t a. W i t h this mode of worship lord Mahevara becomes de-
lighted.
23. O excellent brahmi ns, those trees whi ch are utilised in
the worship of iva through their flowers, leaves, etc., and t he
cows too, at t ai n the supreme goal.
24. He who but once worships iva, Rudr a, arva, the un-
born Bhava attai ns Siva's Syuj ya devoid of returni ng here
agai n.
25. One is liberated from all sins even by seeing but once
incidental l y Parame na, Bhava, arva, lord of Um who was
worshipped thus.
26. Ther e is no doubt in this t hat a man attai ns Brahma' s
worl d by seeing Mahdeva who has been worshipped or i s
bei ng worshipped.
27-30. He who on heari ng about the lord approves of it
and rejoices therein attai ns the greatest goal. He who, for even
once, offers a ghee l amp in front of the Li ga attai ns t hat goal
whi ch is difficult of access by means of the stages in life and
whi ch is steady. By offering a tree of l amps either made of clay
or of wood in t he templ e of iva one is honoured in the worl d
of iva al ong wi th hundr ed members of his family. He who
duly and devoutly offers l amps to iva made of iron, copper,
silver or gold shall go to the city of iva in splendid vehicles
refulgent like ten t housand suns.
31-34. He who offers a ghee l amp in front of iva in t he
mont h of Krt t i ka or he who sees the great lord being dul y
worshipped with faith, O excellent sages, goes to the worl d
of Brahma.
It is menti oned t hat t he rites of invocation, welcome pres-
ence, installation and worship shall he conducted through Rudr a
Gyatr , the Asana (seat) by means of Pranava, the abl uti on
by means of five mant ras (Sadyoj ata, et c. ), assigned to Rudr a.
392 Ligapurna
One shall thus perpetual l y worshi p Uma' s husband, the lord of
Devas. One shall worship Brahm wi th Pranava on his right
side.
35-37. To his nort h, he shall worship Vi snu the l ord of the
chiefs of Devas by means of Gyatr , after performing Homa in
the fi re duly by repeati ng t he fi ve mant r as and the Pranava. By
t hus worshipping the lord he attai ns Syujya wi th iva. Thus,
succinctly t he mode of worshipping iva has been menti oned.
After heari ng this directly from Rudr a, this was menti oned to
me by Vysa i n former times.
CHAPTER EI GHTY
The holy Pupata rite
The sages said :
1. How is the liberation of the Pau (Indi vi dual soul)
from t he Pa (bondage) effected on seeing Paupati ? It
behoves you to tell us how Devas eschewed their Pautva ?
Sta said :
2-5 Thanks to the grace of omniscient lord, formerly Devas
came to hi m as he had stationed in his city called Bhogya
7 0 2
on the peak of the Kail sa, for the welfare of Devas. Lord
Vi snu, mount ed on the wings of Gar uda, came along with
Brahm. He approached t he lord of Devas along with Devas.
Along with Yama, I ndr a and the Sdhyas, they came to the
spl endid and excellent mount ai n and bowed down to the excel-
lent mount ai n as well as to t he lord. The Garuda-bannered lord
Vi snu got down from Gar uda and climbed t he Mer u along
wi th the foremost Devas.
6-7. Mer u was devoid of all sins. It bestowed each
and every object of desire. It was the chief means of enj oyment.
The flocks of sparrows rejoiced therein. Herds of el ephants
702. Bhogya or Bhogy. The city is located on the mountain Kailsa.
The holy Pupata rite
393
made i t resonant. Ther e was sweet rattl i ng music. Even the
darkness was welcome to peopl e. The region of the forest was
well laid wi th footsteps. The waters at t he borderl and were
sparkling and the wi nd was attracti ve. It consisted of hundreds
and thousands of abodes resembling suns. It was bl ended
wi t h t he fl ocks of swans adept i n elegant movements. It con-
t ai ned trees, such as Dhava, Khadi r a, Pal a, sandal, etc. and
groups and fl ocks of excellent birds, such as the cuckoo etc. and
also t he bees.
8. In some places i t abounded i n divine trees. Ther e were
Kur abaka, Pri yaka and Ti l aka trees. The excellent mount ai n
had many Kadamba trees and was surrounded by the creepers
of Taml a. The mount ai n had many peaks.
9. The city of l ord iva was bui l t by Vi vakarman on t he
t op of this mount ai n for the sports of lord iva.
10. Devas incl uding I ndr a and Vi snu saw t hat city and
wi th great concentrati on and at t ent i on they bowed down from
a great distance due to the power of the trident-bearing lord.
11. The great pri mordi al lord went t o t he mount ai n
Kai l sa, a par t of t he Mer u, whi ch is as refulgent as thousand
suns, and whi ch is great and whi ch has thousands of virtues
bl ended wi th it.
12. The n Brahm and Vi snu t he destroyer of Asuras
reached the gateway of the city whi ch resembled the lofty
mount ai n and whi ch abounded i n women, horses, elephants,
chariots, Ganas and their chiefs.
13. It was surrounded by big mansions full of gold and
bedecked in jewels. It contai ned lofty palaces of various shapes
and also rampart s.
14-20. On seeing the exterior of the city of lord iva
al ong wi th Devas i ncl udi ng Brahm, Vi snu wi th beami ng face
became delighted i n his mi nd. He then entered the city whi ch
had great palaces and mansions with lofty upper storeys. The
second city of the lord of Devas was also splendid. It had four
ent rances. It was encompassed by di amonds, lapis lazuli, rubies
and clusters of j ewels and hangi ng swings. It was bedecked wi th
bells and chowries, and resonant wi th musical instruments, such
as Mr daga, Muraj a, V n and Venu. It was surrounded by
danci ng Apsarases and Bhtas (goblins). Ther e were mansions
394 Ligapurna
charmi ng to the eyes. They resembled the abodes of the leaders
of Devas. On the tops of these palaces thousands of lady citizens
stood with flowers, fruits and Aksatas ( r aw rice grains) in
their hands. As on the head of lord iva they strew these on
the head of Visnu from all directions. On seeing Visnu,
the women rejoiced immediately, danced and sang. Thei r eyes
were roving due to inebriation and they had ampl e buttocks.
On seeing Vi snu some women wore smiling faces ; thei r
garments became loosened ; their waistbands and girdles
dropped. They sang passionate songs.
21-35. Visnu then went beyond those excellent cities (one
within the ot her) the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ni nt h
and t ent h. Then he reached the highly-splendid city of iva.
It was perfectly circular and very splendid, stationed on the
auspicious peak of Kai l sa. It was adorned wi th lofty mansions
resembling the sphere of the sun. In different quarters it
contained crystal Mandapas and splendid platforms made of
gold and different jewels. The ornament al gateways were
adorned with different kinds of jewellery and many jewel-stud-
ded Sarvatobhadras (temples with openings on all the four
sides). Ther e were twentyeight fort walls of different forms and
shapes. Ther e were side doors and mai n doors in the inter-
stices of the quarters, all firmly buil t and of diverse kinds. There
were hi dden apart ment s and houses. Ther e were splendid
abodes of Guha. O highly blessed ones, they were built in
the rural model and other types. Ther e were charmi ng pearls
too. The divine abodes of the leaders of Ganas were full of
rubies. Ther e were many splendid flower gardens of various
shapes wi th sandal trees in them. There were many lakes and
tanks with golden rows of steps. They \vere frequented by
swans t hat had been defeated by the gaits of women. The tanks
had divine and nectarine water and the water fouls ( Kr andas ) ,
pgacocks, cuckoos and ruddy geese hei ghtened their splendour.
Ther e were thousands of Rudrakanys (virgins) who were be-
decked in all ornament s, who were adepts in conversation
and el ocuti on
J
_who_ stooped down due to the weight of their
heavy breasts, whose eyes were roving due to inebriation and
who were engaged i n singing and pl aying on instruments. Ther e
were groups of danci ng nymphs. The lakes contai ned full-
The holy Pupata rite 395
blown lotuses difficult of access even to Devas. Ther e were ex-
cellent birds of all kinds. Ther e were the womenfolk of
Rudr as lustrous as rubies, engaged in aquat i c sports. Ther e
were groups of women engaged in amorous festivals of great
elegance. They were passionately fond of rural notes and
strains of music. On seeing these things in t he abode of lord
iva the great lord of Devas stood in surprise.
36. Ther e itself they saw Rudraganas and thousands of thei r
heroic leaders.
37. They saw the crystalline aerial chariots, lofty pal aces
bedecked in di amonds, lapis lazuli and golden steps.
38-41. On the tops of palaces there were delighted women
wi th lotus-like eyes, and ampl e buttocks. Ther e were Yaksas,
Gandharvas and Apsarases, Ki nnari s, Ki nnar as, serpents,
and si ddha girls. They had different kinds of dresses. They
were bedecked i n different ornaments. They had diverse
efficiency. They were fond of pl easure and amorous dal l i ance.
They had the lustre of t he bl ue lotus petals. They had eyes
as large as the petals of lotus. They looked respl endent by
their upper garment s resembling the fil aments of lotus. They
were bedecked in bangles, anklets, necklaces and umbrel l as of
variegated colours as well as attracti ve garment s. They
were fond of embellishments and they were bedecked in
various ornament s also.
42. On seeing these beautiful women of t he chiefs of
Ganas, the leading Devas I ndr a and others went to the
mansi on of the destroyer of Tri puras.
43. On seeing the fi rst pal ace of the lord, t hat had the
colour of a thousand rising suns, in the mi ddl e of t he city, the
groups of Devas and Siddhas beginning with I ndr a hal ted
there.
44. Then all Devas wi th I ndr a at thei r head saw Nandi n,
the lord of Ganas standi ng at the doorway of the pal ace.
45. On seeing Nandi n the leader of Ganas, Devas bowed
down t o hi m and said " Be Vi ctori ous". On seeing t hem the
l eader of Ganas r epl i ed:
46. "O hi ghl y blessed Devas, why have you come here ?
O persons of good holy rites, you who have shaken off your
sins, ye the lord of all worlds, it behoves you to say.
396 Ligapurna
47. They then spoke to the lord, the bestower of boons, the
lord havi ng the lustre of a lordly el ephant. " F or our liberation
from the bondage of Paus kindly show lord Mahevara to us.
48. F ormerl y i n order to bur n the three cities, the Pautva
was stipulated. O you of good holy rites, now we are worri ed
over this Pautva.
49. The holy ri te Pupat a was menti oned by lord iva.
O leader of Bhtas, thanks to this holy ri te, the state of Pau
ceases to exist.
50-53. By performing this excellent Vr at a for twelve
years, or for twelve mont hs or for twelve days, all Paus are
liberated from the bondage of worldly existence." Nandi n, t he
son of ilda, the leader of the Bhtas showed the lord to all
Devas incl uding Visnu. On seeing lord iva the unchangi ng
deity accompani ed by Amb and Ganas, Devas were thrilled
with pleasure. They bowed to the lord and eulogised hi m.
After submi tti ng to lord Siva, their desire for liberation from
bondage, Devas stood in front of lord iva bowi ng again and
again.
54-57. After glancing at t hem and purifying their souls,
the full-bannered lord of Devas, t he great lord t aught the
Pupat a Vr at a to t hem. He then seated himself along with
Um and the sages.
Since t hen, all Devas are known as Pupatas (bel ongi ng to
Pa upat i ) . All those who consider the lord of Paus as their
di rect deity are said to be Pupatas. Thereafter, Devas per-
formed penance again.
58-60. The excellent Devas performed penance for twelve
years and became free from bondage. They went back
wi th Brahma and Vi snu. Thus everything t hat had been
heard from Brahma has been menti oned to you. It had
been hear d by Sanat and by Vysa from hi m. The man who
remains pur e and hears this or narrates this to the brahmi ns
attai ns a different body and is liberated from the bondage of
Paus.
The holy rite for the release ofPaSus 397
CHAP TER EI GHTYONE
The holy rite for the release of Paius
The sages said:
1-4. Thi s holy rite t hat liberates Paus (i ndi vi dual souls)
from bondage has been menti oned by you. Thi s holy rite of
Paupati pertai ni ng to the Li ga had been performed formerly
by Devas. It behoves you to ment i on this to us in the manner
you had hear d i t formerly.
Sta said:
F ormerl y, Nandi n, the son of Silda, was earnestly asked by
Sanat kumr a. W hat Nandi n spoke to hi m I shall ment i on
succinctly. Thi s excellent vrat a called Dvdaa Li ga and
capabl e of l i berati ng Paus from bondage had been performed
by Devas, Dai t yas, Gandharvas, Si ddhas, Cranas and the
highly blessed sages.
5. It yields worldly pleasures, l iberation, yogic power
and whatever one desires. It is auspicious, hol y and conducive
to perseverance and energetic efforts.
703
It destroys entangl e-
ment in worldly affairs in the case of devotees.
6. It has been evolved after churni ng t he Vedas and
their six anci l l ari es.
7 0 1
It excels all chari t abl e 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 t hat
are immersed in t he ocean of worldly existence.
8. It dispels all sickness and destroys all fevers. It had
been performed formerly by Devas as well as by Br ahm and
Visnu.
703. N.S. edition reads 'aviyoga-karam' for 'abhiyoga-karam'. avi-
yogakaramsarvad iva-snnidbyadyakam ST. that which brings about
the devotee's proximity to iva.
704. Sadaga : six ancillaries to the Veda, namely (i) iksthe
science of proper articulation and pronunciation, (ii) Ghandasthe science
of prosody, (iii) Vykaranagrammar, (iv) Niruktaetymological expla-
nation of difficult Vedic words, (v) Jyotisaastronomy, (vi) Kalparitual or
ceremonial.
398 Ligapurna
9. O leading brahmi ns, the devotee shall make a small
Li ga and bat he i t wi t h sandal wat er. Begi nni ng i n t he mont h
of Cai t r a he shall perform t he hol y ri t e of ivaliga.
10-11. He shall make an auspicious golden lotus wi th
peri carp and fi l aments. It shall have eight petals duly studded
wi th all the ni ne precious gems. He shall then fi x t he crystal
Li ga i n t he per i car p al ong wi t h its pedest al . He shall t hen
dul y and devoudy worshi p i t wi t h Bilva leaves.
12-14. O sages of good holy rites, he shall worshi p t he
liga wi th thousands of whi te, red and bl ue lotuses, wi th
whi te Arka, Karav ra, Karni kra and Kur abaka as well as
wi th other flowers in accordance with their availability repea-
ting t he Gyatr . After adori ng wi th scents, etc., with incense,
wi th auspicious l amps and with N rj anas (wavings of lights)
the devotee shall worship t he. great lord in Li ga form. O
excellent brahmi ns, he shall offer Aguru (agal l ochum) in
the south by means of Aghora Mant r a.
15. He shall offer the divine ManahMl (red arsenic)
in the west wi th t he mant r a of Sadyoj ta, and sandal paste in
t he nort h wi th t he Vmadeva Mant r a.
16-17. O excellent sages, he shall offer Har i t l a (yellow
orpi ment) i n the east by means of Tat pur usa. W i t h devotion
he shall offer t he following varieties of incense, viz., t hat origi-
nati ng from whi te Aguru and black Aguru; then the Guggul a
dhpa (aromat i c gum resi n), t he excellent Saugandhi ka
(fragrant incense) and t he incense named Si tra.
18. Mahcar u or an Adhaka measure of cooked rice should
be offered as Nai vedya. Thus , this great holy rite of ivaliga
has been nar r at ed t o you.
19-22. All these are common to all months. I shall menti on
t he parti cul ar features now: The Li ga shall be adamant i ne
in Vai akha;
7 0 5
in J yestiia it shall be made of emeral d; in
Asdha of pearl ; in rvana of lapis lazuli and in Bhdrapada
of rubies. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, in Avina, the Li ga shall
be made of onyx; in Kr t t i ka of coral ; in Mrga rsa of lapis
705. Vaiikhe. For the worship of Liga in Caitra read V-9 ff. The
crystal (sphfika) liga is recommended in Caitra. Cf. 3T?T ^1HT*SJ<ft1-
?5rrafoT5T 'Spfar* PBTfc^ stem ST.
The holy rite for the release of Paus
399
l azul i ; i n Pausa of t opaz; i n Mgha solar stone and i n Phl -
guna of crystals.
23-24. In all mont hs one golden lotus ' shall be used for
worshi p; if t hat is not available a silver lotus shall be used; if
t hat too is not available ordi nary lotus shall be used.
W hen precious stones are not avail abl e t he worshi p shall be
conduct ed wi th gold or silver. If silver is not avail abl e it shall
be made wi th copper.
25. The Li ga can be made of rock, wood or clay al ong
wi t h its pedest al . Or he shall make a t empor ar y Li ga wi th
fragrant substances.
26-27. In the season of Hemant a (earl y wi nt er) one shall
worshi p Mahdeva wi th r pat ra
7 0
* (Bilva leaves) al one. In
al l t he mont hs a lotus made of gold or a lotus made of silver
wi t h gol den peri carp can be used. If silver lotus i s not available
he shall worship wi th Bilva leaves.
28. If t housand lotuses are not available one shall worship
wi t h hal f t hat quant i t y; or he shall worship Rudr a wi th a
moi ety of t he said half or he shall worship wi t h a hundred
and ei ght lotuses.
29. Goddess Laksm endowed wi t h all characteristics is
stati oned on t he leaf of t he Bilva. Ambi k is di rectl y present
i n t he bl ue lotus and Sanmukha
7 0 7
himself i s present i n the red
lotus.
30. Mahdeva, iva, t he l ord of all Devas occupies t he
lotus. Hence the l earned ma n shall never forsake t he Bilva
leaf. He mus t empl oy every means to secure it.
31. He shall not forsake t he bl ue lotus, t he red lilies and
parti cul arl y the red lotuses. The lotus fascinates everyone. il
( r ed arsenic) bestows Si ddhi of all objects.
32-33. The incense ori gi nati ng from the black agal l ochum
dispels all sins; the offering of aromat i c gum, resin, etc. and t he
gift of l amps destroy all ai l ment s; sandal paste bestows all
706. ripatrabilva patra. iva ii very fond of biiva. Cf. iva-raha-
sya as cited in ST.
707. Sanmukhah(Sadnanab, sadvaktrah, sadvadanab)six-
mouthed or six-faced or six-beaded, i.e., Krttikeya. He is so called because
when born he was fostered by the six Krttiks who offered their six breasts
to him, so he became six-headed.
400
Ligapurna
Si ddhi s; t he scented incense is t he means of achieving all
desired objects.
34. The incense ori gi nati ng from whi t e agal l ochum as
well as black agal l ochum and t he gentl e incense S tri bestow
salvation.
35-37. The four-faced Br ahma is present in t he whi te Arka
flower; the goddess of intelligence is well established in t he
Kar ni kr a fl ower; t he presiding dei ty of t he Ganas i s present
i nt heKar av r a fl ower. Nr yana himself i s present i n the Kur a-
baka flower, t he daught er of t he mount ai n is present in all
fragrant fl owers. Hence, one shall devoutl y and i n accordance
with one' s means, worshi p the l ord of t he chiefs of Devas by
means of these spl endid flowers, incenses, etc. accordi ng to
their availability.
38. Thereafter, he shall devoutl y offer Mahcar u made of
milk, as Nai vedya al ong wi th ghee and side-dishes, prepared
wi th all material s of diet.
39-45. Or the devotee shall offer an dhaka measure or
half of it of pur e cooked rice or cooked wi t h green gr am dal .
The devotee shal l offer Cmar a (chowries) and fans to t he
deity. He shall also dedi cat e presents t hat had been earned by
legally justifiable means. They shall be hol y and befitting and
of diverse kinds. They should be sprinkled wi th wat er before de-
dication and offered to Rudr a wi th a devoted mi nd. It was from
milk t hat nectar had been extracted by t he victorious Vi snu
for the sustenance of Devas. Everyt hi ng is founded on cooked
rice. By giving chari t abl e gifts of rice to all living beings l ord
iva is delighted. Hence, one shall worship the l ord with cooked
rice. The vi tal breat hs are stabilised i n cooked ri ce. Ther e i s
also pleasure in t he offering of other presents; t he wind-god is
present in the fan. Mahdeva himself is present in all materi al s;
the lord of waters, Var una is present in the scented wat er;
Prakrt i along wi th the pri nci pl e Ma ha t i s present i n the
pedestal. Hence, one shall worshi p t he lord duly every mont h.
F or achieving all desired objects the Vr at a should be observed
on the full moon day.
46. One shall preserve truthfulness, cleanliness, kindness,
quiescence, cont ent ment and liberal-mindedness. The devotee
shall observe fast on full moon and new moon days.
The holy rite for the release of Paus 401
47. At t he end of the year he shall make a gift of a cow.
Parti cul arl y he shall observe the ri te of Vrsotsarga.
7 0 8
W i t h
devoti on he shall feed brahmi ns who have mastered the Vedas
and who have sound learning.
48. The devotee shall deposit the Li ga t hat he has
worshipped, in t he shrine of i va al ong wi th t he material s of
worship or he may give t hem to a brahmi n.
49. O excellent sages, only he who devoutly performs this
great holy ri te of ivaliga in all the months, is the most
excellent one among those who perform penance.
50. In aerial chariots t hat are bedecked i n j ewels and t hat
are as refulgent as crores of suns, he goes to t he divine city of
iva
7 0 9
and never ret urns here.
51. Or he shall perform this excellent vrat a only for a
mont h. Even t hen he attai ns t he world of iva. No doubt need
be ent ert ai ned in this respect.
52. Or , if the mi nd of t he devotee is at t ract ed to worldly
pleasures he shall observe t he holy ri te for a year. He will
attai n whatever boons he craves for and obtai n iva.
53. The devoted man obtains Deva-hood, Pitr-hood, or
becomes t he king of Devas or the chieftain of Ganas.
54. He who seeks l earning obtains l earni ng; he who seeks
worldly pleasures will at t ai n t hem; he who seeks weal th may
espy a treasure-trove and he who desires for longevity will
achieve longevity.
55. One rejoices by at t ai ni ng whatever desires he cheri-
shes by performing t he vrata, only for a mont h. In the end
he will at t ai n Rudr at va.
56. Thi s sacred and excellent vrat a whi ch is a great secret
is evolved by iva t he creator of t he universe, for the benefit of
Devas, Asuras, Siddhas, Vi dydharas and human beings.
57. After dul y worshi ppi ng t he lord who is worthy of
worship, after bowi ng to hi m wi th head bent down al ong wi t h
708. Vrsotsargaa rite of letting loose a bull (or, according to some,
a bull and four heifers) as a work of merit, especially on the occasion of a
rddha in honour of deceased ancestors.
709. A mythical city 'iva-pura' on the Himalayas, particularly on
the Kailsa peak is conceived as the abode of iva.
402
Ligapurna
one' s sons and servants and after assiduously ci rcumambul a-
ting hi m one shall repeat the hymn " Vyapohana. "
7 1 0
58. Thi s highly precious hymn was composed by lord
Brahma, the Creat or of t he Uni verse. F or t he welfare of the
three worlds this was repeated by the magnani mous l ord al ong
wi th Devas.
CHAPTER EI GHTYTW O
Hymn ofpurification
Sta said:
1-4. I shall now ment i on the auspicious hymn t hat dispels
sins and bestows Siddhis. Thi s was at fi rst heard by the
noble Kum r a from Nandi n and narrat ed to Vysa and from
hi m heard by me wi th great at t ent i on.
Obeisance to Siva, the pure, the renowned, devoid of
impurities ; the destroyer of the wicked. Obei sance to arva,
to Bhava ; to t he great At man. May t he omniscient fi ve-
l aced,
7 1 1
t en-armed
7 1
* l ord possessed of fifteen organs of senses,
decked i n all ornament s and resembling pur e crystal and
accompani ed by Um
7 1 3
dispel sins quickly. He i s quiescent,
all-pervasive stationed above all i n t he Padmsana
7 1
* posture.
5-8. May I na, Purusa, Aghora, Sadya and Vmadeva
-di s pef s i n quickly. May Anant a, the lord of all learning, t he
omniscient lord who is t he bestower of everything and who is
richly endowed wi t h medi tati on on iva dispel my sin. May the
subtle lord of Devas and Asuras, the lord of the universe,
worshipped by Ganas and endowed wi th the sole medi tati on on
iva dispel my sin. Ma y the most excellent one among auspi-
710. vyapohanaa stotra of iva. See ch. 8a.
71 1 . paca-vaktrahfive-faced. See p. 49 note 6 5.
712. daabhujah this epithet of iva seldom occurs in the Purnas.
713. someahUmay sahitah somah, sa csau liai ca ST. the lord
accompanied by Um.
714. padmsanaSee p. 35 note 47.
Hymn of purification 403
cious ones, the great one worthy of worship, the deity engaged
in auspicious medi tati on, the all-pervasive bestower of every-
thi ng dispel my sin.
9-12. May the single-eyed l ord Ia, engrossed in aus-
picious worship, the lord richly endowed wi th medi t adon on
iva dispel my sin. May lord a of three forms, the i nducer
of iva' s devoti on and richly endowed wi th medi t at i on on_Siva
dispel my sin. May ri kant ha t he glorious lord of fortune,
always engaged in medi t at i on and worshi p of iva, dispel, my
sin. May t he tufted quiescent lord, smeared wi th ashes from
the corpse and the glorious one engaged i n t he worship of
iva, dispel my sin.
13-24. Ma y the great goddess di rectl y dispel my sin
i mmedi at el y: t he goddess bowed to by t he t hree worlds,
the anci ent goddess in the form of a comet, the great
goddess, t he daught er of Daksa, Gaur i , t he splendid dau-
ght er of the Hi mavn, Ekapar n,
7 1 5
Agraj ,
7 1 8
t he gentl e one,
Ekapj al , Aparn, the goddess who bestows boons, the god-
dess who i s interested only i n grant i ng boons, Um, the
destroyer of Asuras, Kauik, Kapar di n , Khat vgadhri n
the Divine lady, one who plucked the sprouts by means of t he
tip of her hand, one who is surrounded by t he four sons Nai ga-
meya
7 1 7
and others, the daught er of Men, goddess born of
water, one whose eyes resemble lotuses, one who is the mot her
of the noble-souled Nandi n devoid of sorrow, the compani on of
ubhvat , Pacacd, the bestower of boons, the unchangi ng
one who attai ned the state of Prakrti for the sake of creati on
of all living beings; one who pervades everything by means
of t he t went yt hree
7 1 8
principles begi nni ng wi th Ma ha t ; one"
who is perpetual l y bowed to by Laksm and other aktis; the
del i ghter of Na nda ; Manonman , one who is fond of embellish-
715. eka-parnone who lived on a tingle leaf, i.e., Pirvati, Um,
better known as 'aparn'.
716. agrajthe first-born.
717. Naigameya, etc. The four brothers (sons of Um) are named
(i) Kumra, (ii) kha, (iii) Vikha, (iv) Naigameya. These appear on
the gold coins of Kuviska in the early Kushan period.
718. The twentythree principles consist of ten senses, five bhtas,
five tanmtras, buddhi, ahamkra and manas. Gf. Bhga 3.6.9 "trayo-
vimati tattvnm ganam.
404 Ligapurna
ing Mahdeva the wielder of Mys ; one who agitates and
fascinates the enti re universe begi nni ng wi th Brahma and
consisting of t he mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings, by means of her
My, one who is stati oned in t he heart of the yogins; one
who i s stationed i n the world bot h as one and many; one
whose eyes resemble the blue l otus; one who is perpetual l y
eulogised wi th great devoti on by all Devas begi nni ng wi th t he
leaders of the Ganas, Br ahma, I ndr a, Yama and Kuber a; t he
mot her who on being eulogised destroys all t hei r cal ami ti es; the
destroyer of t he agony of devotees; the el egant one; she who
destroys worldliness; the di vi ne deity t he bestower of enjoy-
ment of worldly pleasures and l i berati on on devotees wi t hout
their effort. [ May t hat great goddess dispel my sin i mmedi -
^ 25. Ma y Canda t he lord of all the Ganas, who came out
of the mout h of iva, t he glorious one engaged in t he worship
of iYa_dispel my sin.
26-29. May the lord Nandi n dispel all sins; Nandi n t he
son of l akyana, ori gi nati ng from t he pat h of the plough-
share, t he son-in-law of the Mar ut s , t he lord of all Bhtas,
t he all-pervasive, one who has eyes everywhere; t he lord who
is like the lord of all, may he dispel sins. He is the lord of the
three worlds eulogised by Devas i ncl udi ng Nr yana, Indr a,
moon, sun, Si ddhas, Yaksas, Gandhar vas , Bht as, t he creators
of Bhtas, serpents, sages and the noble-souled Brahma. He is
stationed i n t he har em of t he l ord. He i s always wor-
shipped by all.
30. May he who has great spl endour and strength, he who
is like anot her Mahdeva, the glorious one engaged in the
worship of iva, dispel my sin.
31-35. May the auspicious elephant-faced deity surrounded
by hundreds and crores of Ganas and engrossed i n the medi ta-
tion on iva dispel my sin. He splits and pierces the ridges and
peaks of the Mer u, Mandar a and Kai l sa; he is worshipped by
Ai rvata and ot her divine el ephants of the quarters. The seven
Pt l as
7 1 9
constitute his feet; the seven cont i nent s
7 2 0
his thighs
and calves; the seven oceans
7 2 1
his goads; all t he holy centres
719. seven nether regions, seep. 71 note 90 a I
720. See p. 140 note 247. A kcj
721. See p. 14 note 247; p. 181 note 28a.
v 1
''
Hymn of purification 405
722. See p. 166 note 273.
723. See p. 167 note 275.
724. twelve dityas, viz., dhtr, mitra, aryaman, rudra, varuna,
srya, bhaga, vivasvn, psan, savitr, tvastr and visnu. These represent the
sun in the twelve months of the year.
725. For detail, see MPA Study, p. 63.
his belly; t he firmament his body; the quarters his arms, the
moon, sun and fire his eyes; t he asuras like the trees are killed
by hi m; he i s great and fi erce wi th the Vi dy of t he Br ahman;
He is bound to the pillar of lotus-like hearts of men by
Br ahma and others who act as di vi ne ma h o u ^ s a n d who are
equi pped wi th t he ropes of yoga. '
36. May the glorious tawny-eyed lord Bhrgin who has a
body t hat has bri ghtened the quarters, and who i s engaged i n
the worship of iva dispel my sin.
37-41. May the akti-bearing commander-in-chief of the
ar my of Devas, the glorious destroyer of Asuras by means of
his four bodies [?], t he quiescent peacock-vehicled l eader of the
armies dispel my sin. May these forms
7 2 2
of Paramesj hi n dispel
my sin, viz.,Bhava, arva, Ina, Rudr a, Paupat i , Ugr a,
Bhma and Mahdeva, who are always engaged i n the worship
of iva. The following parts of his body,
7 2 3
vi z. , Mahdeva,
iva, Rudr a, akara, N l al ohi ta, Ina, Vijaya, Bhma, Bhavo-
dbhava the lord of Devas, Kapl i n and Ia, who are all engag-
ed in doi ng obeisance of iva. May they dispel my i mpuri ty
(si n).
42-43. May these twelve Adi tyas
7 2 4
dispel my i mpur i t y
Vi kart ana, Vivasvn, Mr t anda, Bhskara, Ravi , Lokaprak-
aka ( t he i l l umi nator of the worl ds), Lokasksin (the witness
of the worl ds), Tri vi krama, Aditya, Srya, Am umn and
Di vkara.
44-45a. The firmament, wind, fire, water, earth, moon
and At man are ment i oned as his cosmic bodi es.
7 2 5
Ma y they
dispel my sin. May they destroy my fear.
45b-47a. May Vsavay ( I n d r a ^ Pvaka (fire), Yama,
Ni rrti , Var una, Vyu, Soma, Ina, Vi snu and Brahma all
engaged in medi t at i ng on Siva dispel my sin commi tted men-
tally and physically.
47b-48. May the Mar ut s (wind-god) Nabhasvn, Sparana,
406
Ligapurna
Vyu, Anila, Mr ut a, Prna, Prnea and J ive a, all engaged
in the worship of iva, dispel my impurities.
49-50. The following are the Granas hi ghl y purified by
his worshi pKhecari n, Vasucrin, Brahmea, Brahmabrah-
madh , Susena, vata, Pusta, Supusj a and Mahbal a. May
they dispel my i mpuri ti es and all sins commi t t ed by me.
51-52a. May all the Si ddhas t he worshippers of the feet of
iva dispel my i mpur i t i esMant r aj a, Mant r avi d, Prj a,
Mant rarJ , Siddhapj ita, Si ddhavat parama and Si ddha. They
are the bestowers of all Siddhis.
52b-53. May these lords of Yaksas dispel my i mpuri t i es
Yaksa, Yaksea, Dhanada, J r mbhaka, Mani bhadr aka, Prna-
bhadrevara, Ml i n, Ksi ti kundal i and Nar endr a.
54-55. May these who constitute the ornaments i n the body
of iva dispel my sin and all poison mobile and i mmobi l e
Anant a, Kulika, Vsuki, Taksaka, Karkofaka. Mahpadma,
akhapl a and Mahbal a, all engaged i n doi ng obeisance to
iva.
56-57a. May the Ki nnaras, Vnj a, rasenaj Pr amar dana,
Ataya, Saprayogi n and Gi t aj a, all engaged i n adori ng iva
dispel my impurities.
57b-59a. May the Vi dydharas, viz., Vi budha, Vidyari,
Vi dmvara, Vi buddha, Vi budha, Kr t aj a, and Mahyaas,
all engaged in medi tati ng on iva, dispel all terrible impurities
through the grace of Mahdeva.
59b-62a. Ma y the following noble-souled heroes, all
greatly devoted to Mahdeva dispel all fear and the dreadful
asura t endency
7 2 6
: Vmadeva, Mahj ambha, Kl anemi , Mah-
bal a, Sugrva, Mar daka, Pi gal a, Devamar dana, Prahl da,
Anuhl da, Samhl da, Ki l a, Bskala, J ambha, Kumbha, My-
vin, Kr t avi r ya and Kr t aj aya.
62b-64. Ma y t he following Gar udas the vehicles of Vi snu,
all golden i n colour and ador ned wi t h various ornament s, dis-
pel my i mpuri t y, Gar ut mn, Khagat i , Paksirt, Ngamar-
dana, Ngaat ru, Hi ranyga, Vai nateya, Pr abhaj ana, Ng-
h, Vi sana and Vi snuvhana.
65-66. May these sages who are sanctified by iva and who
are engaged in Hi s worship, dispel my i mpuri tyAgastya,
726. suram bhvam evil thoughts created by Satan.
Hymn of purification
407
Vasistha, Agiras, Bhrgu, Kyapa, Nr ada, Dadh ca, Cya-
vana, Upamanyu and others.
67-68a. May t he depart ed fathers, grand-fathers, great
grand-fathers, the Agnisvttas, the Barhisadas, t he mat ernal
grandfathers and others who are devoted to medi t at i on on iva
dispel my fear and sin.
68b-70. May t he divine mot hers dispel my impurities,
thanks to the grace of t he lord of Devas, viz.,Laksm,
Dhar ani , Gyatr , Sarasvat, Durg, Us, ac, and J yesdi ,
who are all worshi pped by Devas, the mothers of Devas, Ganas,
Bhtas and the mot hers of the Ganas wherever they are.
71-73a. Ma y t he celestial damsels and the goddesses, enga-
ged in the worship of iva dispel my impuritiesviz., Urva ,
Menak, Rambh, Rat i , Ti l ot t am, Sumukh , Durmukh ,
Kmuk , Kmavar dhan and other di vi ne Apsarases in all the
worlds and the goddesses who are highly purified by doi ng the
Tndava dance for iva.
73b-74; May the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, J upi t er ,
Venus, Sat urn, Rhu and Ket u (t he ascending and descending
nodes) dispel all affliction from evil pl anet s.
75-77a. May these twelve Ri s (signs of zodi ac), viz.,
Mesa, Vrsa, Mi t huna, Karkat aka, Si mha, Kany, Tul a, Vr-
cika, Dhanus, Makar a, Kumbha and M na (i.e., from Aries to
Pisces), all engaged in the worship of iva, dispel fear and sin
t hrough the grace of Paramest hi n.
77b-8ra. May the goddesses of the twenty-seven l unar
mansions always dispel my i mpuri ty. They are Avin, Bharan ,
Krt t i k, Rohi n , Mrgai ras, Ardr, Punarvasu, Pusya, Ales,
Magh, Prvaphl gun , Ut t araphl gun , Hast a, Ci tr, Svt,
Vi kh, Anur dh, J yest h. Ml , Prvsdh, Ut t ar s dh,
ravana, ravisfh, Satabhisak, Pr vabhdr a, Pr os di apad
7 2 7
and Revat .
81b-83. May these Pr amat has , vi z. J vara, Kumbhodar a,
akukarna, Mahbal a, Mahkar na, Pr abht a, Mahbht apr a-
mar dana, yenajit and ivadta, who increase one' s delight as
also i nnumerabl e mot hers of t he Bhtas, dispel my fear and
sin t hrough t he grace of Mahdeva.
727. prostapaduttar bhdrapad.
408 Ligapurna
84-85a. May Hi mavn dispel my sin, who is engaged in
the worship of iva, who resembles a watery expanse, who has
the colour of t he Kunda fl ower and the moon, who i s inimi-
cal to t he submari ne fire and who pierces the face of Vadav.
85b-87. May the lord of bulls (Nandi n) dispel my sin; the
bull who has four feet, who is grey in colour like the milk
ocean, who is always stationed in t he worl d of Rudr a along
wi th the Rudr as and t he leaders of t he Ganas, who holds t he
universe, who is t he divine father of the enti re universe, who
is surrounded always by Nand and ot her mot hers and who is
the suppressor of sacrifice.
88. May mot her Gag,
7 2 9
t he mot her of the universe,
stationed in t he worl d of Rudr a, a del ighted devotee of iva,
dispel my sin.
89. May Goddess Bhadr of auspicious position stationed
in the worl d of iva, t he highly blessed mot her of all kine, dis-
pel my sin.
90. May Surabhi , who is auspicious all round, who is the
destroyer of all sins and who is always engaged in t he worship
of Rudr a dispel my sin.
91. May Sul of good conduct and glorious position,
sanctified by iva and stati oned in the world of iva dispel my
sin.
92-95. Ma y Senpat i ( Skanda) t he son of the l ord of Devas
dispel my sin. He is conversant wi th the reality of the teachi ng
in the Vedas and stras; he ponders over all actions, he is
richly endowed wi t h all attri butes, he i s t he eldest and the lord
of al l ; he is gentle, and has the body of Mahvi snu, he is the
noble commander of t he army, he is the mysterious suppressor
of sacrifice; he rides on the el ephant Ai rvata, he has black
curl y hai rs; his limbs are black, his eyes are r ed; moon and ser-
pent constitute his or nament s ; he i s surrounded by goblins,
ghosts, evil spirits and Ks mndas and he is engaged in the
worshi p of iva.
728. kumbha-kundendu-bhsanahomitted in translation: 'adorned
with the moon-like kumbha and kunda flowers, kumbham-tatsanjakam pus-
pam ST. a kind of flower.
729. The river Gag, the mother of the worlds (jaganmt), is
invoked in her various forms.
Hymn of purification 409
96-97. Ma y all these mot hers accompani ed by Yogins dis-
pel all great si ns: Brahmn , Mhe , Kaumr , Vaisnav ,
Vr hi , Mhendr , Cmunda and Agneyik. They are worship-
ped by all t he worlds and they are pur e and attenti ve.
98-103. Vl r abhadr a of great spl endour is the son of Rudr a.
He i s t he l eader of the armies and lord of t he Ganas. May he
dispel sin. He resembles the snow, the Kunda f l ower and the
moon; he is terri bl e, his great hand closely clinging to the
tri dent. He i s omniscient and t housand-armed. He holds all
weapons. The t hree sacrificial fi res consti tute his eyes. He i s t he
lord, the bestower of fearlessness on t he three worlds. He is
the per manent prot ect or of the mot hers. Hi s vehicle is the
great bull. He i s glorious and i s bowed to by the three worlds.
He i s engaged i n t he worshi p of iva. He beheaded Yaksa;
7 3 0
he destroyed the tooth of Ps an;
7 3 1
he removed the hand of
the fire-god;
7 3 2
he caused t he eye of Bhaga to fall down;
7 3 3
he
pounded the l imbs of Soma by the big toe of his foot; he is t he
bodyguard of Upendr a, I ndr a, Yama and other Devas; he cut
off t he nose and lips of t he great goddess Sarasvad.
7 3 4
May the
lord of Ganas dispel my sin.
104. May Mahl aksm t he mot her of t he universe dispel
my sin. She is the eldest, most excellent, bestower of boons and
bedecked in excellent ornament s.
105. May the hi ghl y blessed Mahmoh ( t he great delu-
sion) , surrounded by the great groups of goblins and engaged
in the worship of iva dispel my sin.
106. Ma y Laksm who i s endowed wi t h all attri butes, who
has all the characteristics, who is the goddess t hat bestows all
and who is omni present, dispel my sin.
107-108. May Dur g engaged in t he worshi p of iva dis-
pel my sin. She is the great goddess ri di ng on a lion. She is the
unchangi ng daught er of Pr vad. She is Mahmy of Vi snu
consti tuti ng his slumber. She is worshi pped by Devas. She has
730. The translators prefer yaksasya to yajasya and translate accor-
dingly. But the legends referred to in this verse relate to Daksa's sacrifice.
Hence in 'yaksasya ca irai chett' 'yajasya' for 'yaksasya' would suit
the contextEditor.
731-733. For the legends, see Purnic Encyclopaedia.
734. This legend is not traceable.
410
Ligapurna
three eyes. She is the goddess who bestows boons. She had
suppressed the demon Mahi s a.
7 8 5
109. May all t he ment al sons of Sat, t he Rudr as who sus-
tain t he Cosmic egg, and who are worshi pped by all the worlds,
dispel my fear.
110. May t he Bhtas, Pretas, Ks mndas , the leaders of
Ganas and of Ks mndas dispel my sin.
111-112. Devas eulogised the lord wi th this hymn and
t hen bowed down their heads as far as the ground. O excellent
brahmi ns, he who reads this divine hymn every mont h, or he
who listens to this, sheds off all sins and is honoured in the
world of Rudr a.
113. He who seeks a virgin obtai ns her ; he who is desirous
of victory shall at t ai n vi ctory; he who is desirous of weal th
shall at t ai n weal th and he who wishes for sons will obtai n
sons.
114-116. He who seeks l earni ng obtai ns l earni ng; he who
seeks enj oyment of pleasures will at t ai n pleasures. By listening
to this, a man obtai ns i mmedi at el y what ever he desires. He
will be favourite of Devas. If this meritorious hymn is read
on behalf of some one, t he ail ments arising from gas, bile, etc.,
do not harass hi m. He courts no pr emat ur e deat h nor i s he
bi tten by snakes.
117-120. By repeati ng this hymn a man obtai ns many
times t he meri t of visiting holy centres, and doing Ajs,
giving chari tabl e gifts and performing the vratas in parti cul ar.
The slayer of cows, the ungrateful wretch, the murderer of
heroes, brahmi ns, mot her and father, t he slayer of those who
seek refuge, the sinner who is guilty of breach of faith towards
friends, all these wretched men dispel their sins and are honour-
ed in t he worl d of iva.
735. Mahisathe asura from whom the country of Mysore is said to
take its name.
The holy rites of iva
411
CHAPTER EIGHTY/THREE
The holy rites of iva
The Sages said:
1. The meri tori ous vyapohana hymn has been attenti vel y
heard by us. Now ment i on t o us t he vrat as pert ai ni ng t o t he
Li gas.
Sta said:
2. O excellent sages, I shall ment i on to you t he auspicious
vratas t hat were narrat ed by Nandi n t o t he son of Brahm.
3-4. I shall ment i on t hem to you as I have heard t hem
from Vysa. On t he ei ghth and fourteenth days of bot h t he
fortnights, t he devotee shall eat only once, at ni ght, and conti-
nue this ri te for one year and worshi p iva. He acquires
t he benefit of all sacrifices and at t ai ns t he greatest goal.
5-6. By performi ng this ri te for one day and one ni ght on
Parvan days and by maki ng t he eart h t he vessel, the devotee
at t ai ns the benefit of t hree ni ghts on Parvan days. By
performi ng t he Ks r adhr vr at a,
7 3
' t he devotee obtai ns t he
benefit of horse-sacrifice. He shall perform this holy ri t e on the
t woPr at i pads (first day) and two Pacam s (fifth day) i n
the mont h.
7. The devotee shall take food onl y once a day at ni ght ,
between t he ei ghth and t he fourteenth day i n the dark half of
t he mont h. He attai ns all worldly pleasures and goes t o the
worl d of Br ahm.
8-9. The devotee shall perform this holy ri te for a year
i n t he ni ght of all Parvan days. He shall be celibate, conquer
anger and be devoted to medi t at i on on iva. At t he end
of a year he shall dul y feed l eadi ng br ahmi ns. He t hen at t ai ns
t he worl d of iva. No doubt need be ent ert ai ned i n this
respect.
10. Gr eat er t han t he observance of fast is t he part aki ng of
alms and great er still is food acqui red wi t hout begging. Taki ng
736. Kslradhrvratamthe observer of this vow Kves only on the
milk-fluid.
412 Ligapurna
food onl y at ni ght i s greater t han Aycita ( t he food acqui red
wi t hout beggi ng). Hence one shall dul y pursue Nakt a
7 3 7
.
11-13a. F ood is taken in the forenoon by Devas; in the
mi dday by sages; i n t he afternoon by pitrs and at dusk by
Guhyakas,
7 8 8
and others. Passing over all these times, part a-
king of t he food at ni ght i s the best t hi ng. The devotee who
regul arl y takes food at ni ght shall practi ce taki ng i n only
Havi sya, bat hi ng, truthfulness, light food, rites in the fire,
and sleeping on t he bare ground.
13b-14a. I shall ment i on t he excellent vratas of iva for
each mont h. These vratas function for the at onement of sins
and for t he acquisition of virtue, love, weal th and salvation.
14b-19.
The Vrata for the month of Pausa.
The devotee shall worshi p the lord and take food only at
ni ght. He shall speak t r ut h and conquer anger. Hi s food shall
consist of li ri ce, wheat and mil k product s. He shall
assiduously observe fast on t he Astam (ei ghth) day in bot h the
fortnights. He shall sleep on t he bar e ground. At the end, on
the full moon day he shall bat he Rudr a, Mahdeva by means
of ghee and ot her mat eri al . O brahmi ns, after worshi ppi ng
the lord dul y t he devotee shall feed good brahmi ns serving
t hem barl ey cooked wi t h mi l k and ghee. He shal l perform
the j apa of nti mant r as i n part i cul ar. He shall dedi cat e a
tawny-coloured cow and a bul l to Bhava t he l ord of Devas, to
Siva Paramesti i i n. O l eadi ng sages, he goes to the excellent
worl d of t he fire-god. After enjoying extensive pleasures he is
l i berated there itself.
20-22.
The Vrata for the month of Mgha.
In t he mont h of Mgha the devotee shall worship the
lord and take food only at ni ght. He shall par t ake of Krs' ara
al ong wi t h ghee. He shall restrain the sense-organs. He shall
observe fast on t he fourteenth day i n bot h the fortnights. On
t he full moon day he shall offer Rudr a a bl ack cow and a
737. naktamA kind of ritual explained in v-12 ff.
738. guhyaka -a class of demi-gods who like the yaksas, kinnaras
etc. are the attendants of Kubera and guardians of his treasures.
The holy rites of Siva
413
black bul l al ong wi th ghee and a bl anket . He shall worship
iva and feed br ahmi ns i n accordance wi t h his means. He
t hen at t ai ns t he worl d of Yama and rejoices t here.
23-26.
The Vrata for the month of Phlguna.
In the mont h of Phl guna the devotee shall take food at
ni ght wi t h cooked rice of ymka, ghee and mi l k. He shall
conquer anger and the sense-organs. He shall observe fast
on t he eighth and t he fourteenth day. On the full moon day
he shall bat he and worship iva t he great l ord and dedi cate t o
the tri dent-armed lord, a cow and a bul l havi ng t he col our of
copper. After feeding t he brahmi ns he shall pr ay to Parame-
vara. He t hen at t ai ns i denti ty wi t h t he moon. No doubt need
be ent ert ai ned i n this respect.
27-29a.
The Vrata for the Caitra month.
In t he mont h of Cai t r a also t he devotee shall worshi p
Rudr a and have ni ght food accordi ng to his pl easure, consis-
ti ng of li rice cooked wi th milk and ghee. O excellent sages,
he shall be down i n the cowpen on t he bar e ground at ni ght.
He shall t hen remember Bhava. On t he full moon day he shall
bat he iva and dedi cate to hi m a cow and a bul l , whi te
i n col our. He shall feed t he brahmi ns. The devotee t hen
at t ai ns t he abode of Ni rrt i .
29b-30.
The Vrata for the month ofVaikka.
In the mont h of Vai kha t he devotee shall take food at
ni ght. On t he full moon day he shall bat he Bhava by means of
Pacagavya,
7 3 9
ghee, et c. , and dedi cat e a cow and a bul l whi t e
i n col our. He t hen at t ai ns t he benefit of a horse-sacri fi ce.
7 4 0
739. pacagavyaIt consists of the five products of the cow, viz.
milk, curd, butter, the liquid and solid excreta.
740. asvamedhaa sacrifice performed by kings for the achieve-
ment of universal supremacy. A horse was turned loose to wander at will
for a year, attended by a guardian ; when the horse entered a foreign
country, the ruler was bound either to submit or to fight. In this way, di e
horse returned at the end of a year, the guardian obtaining or enforcing the
submission of princes whom he brought in his train. After the successful
return of the horse, the horse was sacrificed amidst great rejoicings.
414
Ligapurna
31-34.
The Vrata for the month of Jyesfha.
In the mont h of J yestfia, the devotee shall, wi th faith and
devotion, worship arva t he lord of Devas, Bhava the consort
of Um . He shall take food only at ni ght consisting of red li
rice purified by means of honey, water, ghee, et c. F or half the
ni ght he shall be engaged in serving cows. He shall sit in the
V rsana.
7 4 1
On t he full moon day he shall worshi p the lord
of Devas, t he consort of Um after bat hi ng t he deity. He shall
offer Car u dul y to t he tri dent-beari ng l ord. After feeding the
brahmi ns accordi ng to his means t he devotee shall give a cow
and a bul l smoke-like i n col our. He shall t hen be honoured i n
the worl d of Vyu (wi nd-god).
35-37a.
The Vrata for the month of sdha.
In t he mont h of Asdha t he devotee shall be engaged i n
taking food at ni ght Consisting of fried grai n flour mi xed wi th
ghee, sugar candy and milk products. On t he full moon day
he shall bat he t he dei ty wi th ghee, etc. and worship hi m dul y.
After feeding l earned brahmi ns who have mastered the Vedas
he shall give a whi t e cow and a whi te bul l . He shall then
at t ai n t he worl d of Var una.
37b-40a.
The Vrata for the month of roana.
O brahmi ns, in t he mont h of rvana the devotee shall take
food at ni ght consisting of Sasfika rice cooked wi th milk,
after worshi ppi ng t he bul l -bannered deity. On t he full moon
day he shall bat he t he deity wi th ghee, etc., and worship hi m
dul y. He shall t hen feed t he brahmi ns who have sound learn-
ing and who have mastered t he Vedas. He shall offer sugar-
cane
7 4
* and a cow and a bul l wi th whi te toes (above hoofs).
The devotee t hen at t ai ns i denti ty wi th Vyu and becomes
all-pervasive like Vyu.
741. Vrsanaa particular post'i"* p^^' scd by ascetics in medita-
tion, sitting on the hams^l t is the same as paryaka.
74a . paundraracitram ST. wonderful. ST. quotes Viva koia in
support of this meaning. . .
Hymn of purification 415
40b-43a.
The Vrata for the month of Bhdrapada.
O l eadi ng brahmi ns, t he devotee shall take food at ni ght
consisting of what i s left over after Homa. Dur i ng day ti me he
s'hall resort to t he root of trees. On the full moon day he shall
bat he and worship iva, the l ord of Devas. He shall dedi cate
wi th devoti on a cow and a bul l wi th bl ue shoulders. After
feeding the brahmi ns who have mastered the Vedas and the
Vedgas he will at t ai n the worl d of Yaksas
7 4 3
and be thei r
king.
44b-45.
The Vrata for the month of ivayuja.
In t he mont h of Avayuja the devotee shall take food at
ni ght consisting of ghee. As before, on t he full moon days he
shall worshi p iva and feed t he ever pur e brahmi ns, the
devotees of iva. By giving a blue-coloured bul l with lifted
chest and a cow he will at t ai n t he worl d of I na.
46-48.
The Vrata for the month of Krttika.
In t he mont h of Kr t t i ka the devotee shall take food at
ni ght consisting of rice cooked wi th mil k and ghee after wor-
shi ppi ng l ord Bhava. On t he full moon day t he devotee shall
bat he t he dei ty and offer Ca m as Nai vedya. He shall feed
the br ahmi ns accordi ng to his means. As before, O brahmi ns,
a cow and a bul l of tawny-colour shall be dedi cated to t he
deity. He t hen attai ns identity wi th the sun. No doubt need be
ent ert ai ned i n this regard.
49-51.
The Vrata for the month of MrgaSirsa.
In t he mont h of Mrga rsa the devot ee shall take food
at ni ght consisting of barl ey cooked wi th ghee, milk, etc. On
the full moon day he shall do towards arva, ambhu, what
has been ment i oned before. After feeding the poor brahmi ns
who are masters of the Vedas he shall dul y make a gift of a
cow and a bul l of yellowish whi te col our. The devotee then
743. yaksa-lokaiva's world or the region of Kubera with Alak as
the capital.
416 Ligapurna
attai ns the worl d of the moon
7 4 4
and rejoices wi th t he moon.
52-54. The following shall be practised t hroughout :
non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, forgiveness,
mercifulness, t hree times abl uti on, Agni hotra, sleeping on t he
bare ground, food at ni ght only, observance of fast on ei ghth
and fourteenth days i n bot h the fortnights. Thus t he i vavrata
for each mont h has been fully recounted. O brahmi ns, the
devotee shall observe this Vr at a for a year in t he order
ment i oned or i n the reverse order. He t hen attai ns identity
wi th iva and obtai ns the pat h of perfect knowl edge.
7 4 5
CHAPTER EIGHTYFOUR
(The holy rite of Um-Mahefvara)
Sta said :
1. F or the welfare of men, women and other creatures,
O excellent sages, I shall recount t he holy rite of Um-Mahe-
vara, ment i oned by var a himself.
2. F or t he peri od of a year t he devot ee shall prepare
Havisya at ni ght
7 4 5
on t he full moon and new moon days and
on the ei ghth and fourteenth day and worship Bhava.
3-8. The devotee shall make a splendid i mage of Um-
Mahe a in gold or in silver and instal it duly. At the end of
the year, he shall feed t he brahmi ns and give t hem gifts accord-
ing to capacity. He shall take t he lord of Devas to the. templ e
of Rudr a on chariots, etc., fitted wi th all excellent things and
decorated wi th umbrel l as and chowries. He shall dedi cate the
Vrat a unt o iva, Paramest i un. He attai ns i denti ty wi th iva.
If the devotee is a woman she will at t ai n Syujya (i denti ty)
wi th the goddess. If the devotee is a virgin or a widow she
shall abstai n from taki ng food on the eighth and fourteenth
744. Soma-lokamivaloksun ST.
745. jna-yoga : yoga of knowledge. Knowledge has been defined
iaKrma thus
:
*WT tf^t *PItH f=rS P TT %g?f <TC: I tfTS TTfTt * T fT -
^td^HRl R ^tldclH 11 cited in ST.
746. naktama vow of night. For detail, see v-ia of this chapter.
The holy rite of Um-Mahevara
417
day. She shall observe celibacy and conti nue the holy rite for a
year. At t he end of t he year she shall make an idol in accor-
dance wi th the inj unction laid down before and instal i t dul y.
She shall t hen feed t he brahmi ns after taki ng t he idol to the
t empl e of Rudr a. Thanks to this holy rite she rejoices wi th
Bhavn .
9-14. If any woman continues for a year performing t he
rite only on the fourteenth day in the dark half, and, O
brahmi ns, at t he end of t he year she makes an idol (of iva) in
any mat eri al whatsoever and worships as ment i oned above,
she rejoices wi t h Bhavn.
The woman devotee shall take no food on t he New moon
day. She shall observe all other restraints and conti nue the
holy ri te for a year.
At t he end of the year she shall make a t ri dent in accor-
dance wi th t he injunctions and dedi cate i t to t he l ord. After the
holy abl uti on she shall devoutl y worship l i a na wi th a thousand
whi te lotuses. He shall dedi cate a silver lotus wi th a gold
peri carp. He shall give gifts to the brahmi ns. That woman
undoubt edl y dispels all want on sins, such as t he destructi on of
t he foetus, by means of the holy rite of t he dedi cati on of t he
tri dent. O excellent brahmi ns, she thus obtains the Syujya
wi th Bhavn . If a man devotee performs this hol y rite, he
attai ns Syujya wi th Rudr a .
15-18a. O excellent brahmi ns, a man or a woman can
perform this holy ri te. The devotee observes fast on the full
moon and on New moon day devotedly for one year. O excel-
lent brahmi ns, the holy rites, J apa, Dana (charitabl e gift),
penance and everything else should be performed by women,
only at the behest of their husbands since women are never in-
dependent. Every mont h she shall dedi cate all scented material s.
At the end of the year t hat lady of holy rites attai ns Syujya
(i denti ty) and Srpya (similarity in form) with Bhavn.
Undoubt edl y I am telling you the t r ut h and t r ut h al one.
18b-21. The woman devotee shall take food only once on
the full moon day in the mont h of Krt t i ka. She shall observe
forbearance, non-violence and other restraints and be celibate.
418
Ligapurna
She shall alertfully offer a Bhra
7 4 7
weight of black gingelly
seeds cooked with ghee and j aggery to Paramesdi i n and to
brahmi ns in accordance wi th her means. She shall observe fast
on the ei ghth and t he fourteenth day. That l ady of good holy
rites attai ns Srpya (similarity in form) and rejoices along
wi th Bhavn.
22-23. The common characteristics of all vratas are :
F orbearance, truthfulness, mercy, charity, cleanliness, curb on
the sense-organs and the worship of Rudr a. I shall succi ncdy
recount to you the extensive holy vrat a for every mont h in
due order begi nni ng wi th Mrga rsa and endi ng with Krt t i ka.
Thi s has been recounted at t he outset by Nandi n.
24-31. In the mont h of Mrga rsa the woman devotee shall
dul y embellish an excellent bul l havi ng all limbs in perfect
condi ti on and dedi cat e i t to Siva. Ther e i s no doubt about
this t hat she rejoices al ong wi th Bhavn.
In t he mont h of Pausa after doi ng everything menti oned
before, the devotee shall instal the tri dent and then dedi cate it
to t he lord. She rejoices wi th Bhavn.
In the mont h of Mgha, the devotee shall make a chari ot
endowed wi th all characteristics. After worshipping the lord of
Devas she shall offer the chari ot to the dei ty and feed the
brahmi ns. That highly blessed lady shall, no doubt , rejoice wi th
t he goddess.
In the mont h of Phl guna, she shall dul y make an image
of gold or r adi ant silver accordi ng to her means, instal it and
worship it. The n she shall deposit it in t he shrine of akara.
Undoubt edl y she rejoices along wi th the great goddess.
In t he mont h of Cai t ra the woman devotee shall duly make
t he idols of Bhava, Kumr a and Bhavn i n copper or other
metal s, and instal t hem duly. By offering t hem to Rudr a,
she rejoices al ong wi th Bhavn.
32-34. In the mont h of Vai kha t he devotee shall perform
t he excellent ri te of Kai l sa vr at a thus : The shining abode
747. bhra : a particular weight equal to so tuls, measuring 2000
pal as of gold. ST. quotes pasupata tantra to define bhra
:
rMUT' 5 M^HT
JTYW TOFT' ftrWat 1 CT^T >il*T*fw mi l i*rr*<l i
The holy rite of Um-Maheivara 419
of Kubcr a (i.e., Kai l sa mount ai n) shall be made out of silver
wi t h var a and Um therein along with t he lords of Ganas. It
must be embellished wi th all j ewels and dul y deposited i n t he
spl endi d abode of Bhava, Paramea. Ther eby she attai ns the
mount ai n Kai l sa and rejoices al ong wi th Bhavn.
35-38a. In t he mont h of J yesdi a the i mage of Mahdeva,
t he consort of Um , shall be made in Li ga form out of copper
or ot her met al s. Br ahma and Vi snu should be depi ct ed as
pr ayi ng wi t h pal ms j oi ned i n reverence and seated on t he swan
a nd on t he boar respectively. O excellent br ahmi ns, t he
spl endi d Li ga in t he mi ddl e of whi ch is Bhava, shall be i n-
stalled dul y. Thereafter she shall feed the brahmi ns. By dul v
deposi ti ng this i mage in an abode of iva for obt ai ni ng aus-
piciousness and by worshi ppi ng iva al ong wi th t he brahmi ns
t he devotee will at t ai n Syuj ya wi th t he goddess.
38b-46a. In t he spl endi d mont h of sdha t he devotee
shall dul y make a spl endid abode wi th baked bricks in accor-
dance wi t h her means. It must be f i l l ed wi t h all necessary
seeds and liquids, wi th all splendid household effects and
utensils, t he mor t ar , pestle etc. , and furnished wi t h mai ds and
men servants, wi t h all foodstuffs, beddi ng outfits, clothes etc.
They shall be covered wi th cloths all round. The lord Mah-
deva, consort of Um, shall be bat hed in ghee etc. A t housand
br ahmi ns shall be dul y fed. A br ahmi n who is richly endowed
wi t h l earni ng and humi l i ty and who has mastered t he
Vedas and who i s i n t he first A r ama
7 4 8
shall be dul y and
devout l y worshi pped. A virgin of good waist line, accompani ed
by t he necessary requisites for the whole life shall be offered
to hi m. So also a piece of l and, a cow and a bul l and a
house shall be offered to hi m al ong wi t h the different kinds of
di vi ne perquisites as massive as the Mer u mount ai n. She
at t ai ns t he worl d Gol oka and rejoices wi th Bhavn. Un-
doubt edl y she will become similar to Bhavn and remai n
unchanged t hroughout t he kal pas, and shall i n t he end at t ai n
Syuj ya wi t h Bhavn .
46b-48a. In t he mont h of rvana the devotee shall make
a hillock of gingelly seeds scattered wi th mi neral s and em-
bellished wi th banners and dedi cate these to ar va. The offering
748. ptathamasramiijambrahmacarinam ST. one who lives a student's
life.
420
Ligapurna
shall be ma de al ong wi th t he canopy, banners, clothes and
all t he mi neral s. By feeding the br ahmi ns, everythi ng men-
tioned before will happen.
48b-50a. In the mont h of Bhdr apada t he devotee shall
make a spl endid hillock of li rice and dedi cat e it to the
lord al ong with canopy, banners, clothes as well as mi neral s.
After feeding the brahmi ns dul y she shall present these to t hem.
She shall t hen become as respl endent as t he rays of t he sun
and rejoice al ong wi th Bhavn .
50b-51. I n t he mont h of Avayuja she shall make a
massive hillock of grai ns al ong wi t h clothes of good colour.
By worshi ppi ng Siva wi t h this offering and feeding t he brah-
mi ns she will at t ai n all things ment i oned before.
52-65. Mahmeru vrata.
The devotee shall make a huge mount ai n wi t h all grains,
all seeds and j uices. It shall have all mi neral s and shall be be-
decked in all j ewels. It shall have four peaks. Its beaut y shall
be enhanced by canopi es and umbrel l as, scented garl ands and
incenses of diverse ki nds. Ther e shall be dances and songs and
the i nstruments of l ute, conch, etc. of diverse kinds. It shall be
rendered hi ghl y meritorious by auspicious chant i ng of sacred
hymns. Ther e shall be eight great banners dazzling wi t h diffe-
rent f l owers. It shall represent the great mount ai n Mer u, the
excellent support of the three worl ds. iva shall be depi cted
on its t op, i n the centre, by means of mi neral s. In the south
the four-faced Brahma shall be dul y represented. In t he nort h
the devotee shall depict Nr yana t he lord of t he chiefs of
Devas, devoid of ai l ments. I ndr a and ot her guardi ans of the
quarters shall be dul y represented wi th devotion. After instal-
ling the deity the devotee shall bat he and worship Mahe var a.
In the ri ght hand of t he lord shall be depi cted t he tri dent
worshipped by Devas and in the left the noose. The lotus bedec-
ked in gold shall be depi cted in the hand of Bhavn. The
devotee shall assiduously represent the conch, discus, i ron club
and lotus i n the hands of Vi snu. In t he hands of Br ahma shall
be placed the rosary and the excellent Kamandal u (wat er-pot ).
The respective weapons of t he following shall be dul y depi ct ed:
the t hunderbol t of Indra; t he great weapon akti of Agni ; t he
staff of Ya ma ; the sword of Ni rrti the ni ght wal ker; the terrible
The holy rite of Um-Mahevara 421
and wondrous noose; Nga of Var una; t he bat on of Vyu; the
i ron cl ub of Kuber a t hat is worshi pped by all the worlds and
t he axe of lord na. Nai vedya shall be dul y offered in the
above order. The great worship of iva shall be performed
wi th Car u. The devotee shall worship al l Devas i n accordance
wi th one' s means. After performing the worship assiduously the
devotee shall feed the br ahmi ns . After performing the Mah-
mer u vr at a she shall offer i t to Mahdeva. Attai ni ng Mah-
mer u she rejoices al ong wi th Mhdev . Undoubt edl y she will
at t ai n t he Syujya of t he great goddess for a long ti me.
66-72. In t he mont h of Kr t t i ka the woman shall make a
splendid i mage of goddess Um fully bedecked in all orna-
ments and marked wi t h all auspicious characteristics. The image
may be made i n gold, copper etc. and shall be dul y installed.
The i mage of t he lord of Devas shall be. equi pped with
all characteristics. In front t he fi re-god shall be depi cted.
Br ahm shall be depi cted hol di ng the sacrificial l adl e.
Nr yana the munificent shall be depi cted bedecked i n all orna-
ment s and surrounded by the guardi ans of quarters and
Si ddhas. The vrat a shall be offered i n the templ e of Rudr a
wi th devoti on. By observing this vrata she will at t ai n t he
body of Bhavn and rejoice wi th Bhava. In every mont h it is
meritorious to have t he hol y ri te wi th one meal a day. Thus,
the holy rites begi nni ng with the mont h of Mrga rsa and,
endi ng wi th Kr t t i ka have been observed. O excellent sages,
they are for the benefit of all creatures, men or women.
The devoted man will attai n Syujya wi th iva by performing
the vrat a and the devoted woman will at t ai n Syujya with the
goddess. Ther e is no doubt t hat this has been so ordai ned by
iva.
422 Ligapurna
CHAPTER EIGHTYFrVE
The glory of the Jive-syllabled Mantra
Sta said:
1. O excellent brahmi ns, in all these holy rites, after wor-
shipping the l ord of Devas, t he consort of Um, the devotee
shall repeat t he f i ve-syl l abl ed
7 4
* Mant r a dul y.
2. Ther e i s no doubt about this t hat t he vratas are dul y
concl uded onl y wi t h t he j apa and not otherwise. Hence, one
shall repeat t he meri tori ous f i ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a.
The sages said:
3. O highly blessed one, how is this five-syllabled Mant r a ?
How is it powerful ? Tel l us. We are eager to hear t he met hods
and means for its j apa.
Sta said:
4. I shall succinctly recount t he holy things, formerly
recounted to Prvat , by lord Rudr a, the lord of Devas.
The goddess said:
5. O lord, O Mahevara of all the worlds, O lord of the
chiefs of Devas, I wish to hear factually t he glory of the five-
syllabled Mant r a.
The lord said:
6. O gentle lady, even in hundreds and crores of years, it
is not possible to recount the glory of t he five-syllabled Mant r a.
Hence, listen to it in brief.
7-8. At the advent of dissolution
7 5 0
when t he mobile and
i mmobi l e beings, Devas and Asuras, serpents and Rksasas, all
are destroyed and when everything dissolves i nto Prakrti along
wi th you al so,
7 5 1
O gentle lady, only I do survive. Ther e is no
second being anywhere.
749. packsarim vidym. The five-syllabled mantra of iva is
'namah iivya.'
750. pralayadissolution of the universe at the end of a kalpa.
751. During the period of dissolution and re-creation, Prakrti re-
mains hidden in the body of iva. It again becomes manifest at the begin-
ning of creation. Thus the supreme lord iva alone is eternal and the
abode of all beings, mobile and immobile.
The glory of the ftoe-syllabled Mantra 423
9. At t hat ti me the Vedas and Scriptures are stationed i n
t he f i ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a. They do not at t ai n destruction.
They are protected by my power.
10-11. I am t hen present in two forms: Prakrti and At man.
Lord Nr yana adopts the body of Prakrti and lies on t he
yogic couch in t he midst of water. The five-faced Brahm is
born of his umbilical lotus.
12. Brahm was desirous of creating the three worlds. Being
i ncompet ent for it wi t hout a helping hand, he, at t he outset,
created ten ment al sons'
5 8
of unmeasured spl endour.
13. Brahm requested me to grant power to create. He
said: "O Mahdeva, O Mahevara, grant power unt o my sons. "
14. Thus requested by hi m I wi th five faces
783
ut t ered t he
five syllables to Brahm.
15. Brahm, the grandfather of the worlds grasped t hem
t hrough his fi ve faces
758
* . He understood Paramevara i n the
form of the Being expressed by t he t erm of expression.
16. O gentl e lady, iva who is worshipped by the three
worlds is the Being expressed by the five syllables. The great
five-syllabled Mant r a itself is his expression.
17. After underst andi ng properl y the procedure (for j apa)
and at t ai ni ng Siddhi ( by j a pa ) , the noble-souled f i ve-f aced
deity (Brahm) i mpart ed to his sons t he fi ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a
t hat was meaningful and conducive to the welfare of t he
uni verse.
18. After receiving t he j ewel among the Mant r as directly
from the grandfather of the worlds they propi ti ated lord iva
the greater Being t han the greatest.
19. Then lord iva who is greater t han the t hree dei ti es
7 5 4
752. daa mnasn putrn. Their names are : Marici, Atri, Agiras,
Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracetas, Vasistha, Bhrgu and Nrada. Their
distinctive features are brought out in many a legend related of them in the
Purna'!.
753. five heads of iva : Seep. 49 note 65.
753a. five heads of Brahm : When the four heads of Brahm became
thwarted in their functions because of Brahma's erotic impulse, then out of
tapes was produced a fifth head on the top, and that head was covered with
t ut t ed locks. But later on, this head was clipped by Rudra. But against
this statement, tee P. 1.8.8.
754. Cf. Liga. 1. 71. 51.
424
Ligapurna
became delighted. He granted t hem the perfect knowledge and
the eight attri butes such as Ani m (minuteness) et c. '
3 6
20-24. After obtai ni ng the boons, those brahmi ns, desirous
of propi ti ati ng me went to the mount ai n Muj a va t ,
7 5 6
on t he
beautiful peak of t he Me r u .
7 5 7
The glorious mount ai n i s my
favourite and i s always prot ect ed by my Bhtas. Eager in the
creati on of the worlds they performed severe penance for a
thousand divine years near t hat mount ai n, living only on air.
O gentle lady, those sages stood there for my blessings. On see-
i ng their devotion I appeared before t hem immediatel y. W i t h
a desire for the welfare of the nobl e peopl e of the worlds I told
t hem everything about the five-syllabled Mant r a, its sage, its
met re, its deity, its akti, Bja (seed), Nysa (fixation), on six
Agas (l i mbs), Di gbandha (the bi ndi ng of the quart ers) and
Viniyoga ( appl i cat i on) .
25. After heari ng the glory of t he Mant r a, those sages
whose assets were the austerities, performed activities by utilising
the Mant r a properl y.
26-28. Thanks to its glory they created the worlds includ-
ing Devas, Asuras and human beings, the different castes and
thei r sub-divisions as well as t he splendid hol y rites. They
heard the Vedas as before and as descended from t he previous
kalpas. It i s due to the prowess of the fi ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a
t hat all these survive, vi z. t he worlds, t he Vedas, the pious
sages, the per manent holy rites, Devas and t he enti re universe.
Therefore, I shall ment i on it now to you. Listen to everything
attentivel y.
29. Thi s Mant r a has i vaf or its At man. It consists of few
letters but is full of great meani ngs. It is the essence of the
Vedas. It yields l i berati on. It is undoubt edl y proficient in
commandi ng.
30. Thi s is my val uabl e statement, accompani ed by
different kinds of real isation; it is pleasing to the mi nds of the
peopl e of this worl d and the di vi ne bei ngs; its meani ng is
decisive and it is majestic.
755. See p. 134 note 241.
756. Mujavn : a peak of the mountain Meru, well known for Soma
production. It is also mentioned in the Rgvtda as Mjavata.
757. Meru, see p. 98 note 127.
The glory of the five-syllabled Mantra 425
31. It i s a Mant r a t hat can be easily uttered by t he mout h;
it achieves all obj ects; it is the seed of all Vi dys; it is t he first
spl endi d Mant r a.
32. It is very subtle and its meani ng is great ; it is like t he
seed of the holy banyan tree. It is the Veda t hat is beyond the
t hree Gunas ; it is t he omniscient lord doing everything.
33-34. The " Om" i s the single-syllabled Mant r a. The all-
pervadi ng iva is stationed in it. The five syllables consti tute
his body. He is stationed in the six-syllabled subtle Mant r a in
t he form of the "expressed and the expression." iva is Vcya
( t he expressed) since he is comprehensi bl e. The Mant r a is his
Vcaka (expression).
35-36. The relation of the, expressed and the expression
is a pri mordi al one between the two. In the Vedas and in iv-
gamas the mai n Mant r a is the six-syllabled one but for purpose
of secular activities it is t he five-syllabled Mant r a.
7 6 8
W hy
should he have many Mant r as and extensive scriptures ?
37. If anyone has ret ai ned this Mant r a i n his heart he has
studied t he Vedas, he has hear d the sacred l ore; he has perform-
ed everything.
38. If a scholar performs its j apa after l earni ng the Vedas
in accordance wi th t he inj unctions it is enough; the perfect
knowledge of iva is this much; the greatest goal is thus far.
39-41 a. Brahmavi dy (learning pertai ni ng to the Brah-
man) i s this much. Hence, the l earned man shall continuously
perform its j apa. Thi s Mant r a consisting of t he Pranava and
the five syllables is my heart , it is the greatest esoteric secret
greater t han all else; it is t he excellent knowledge l eadi ng to
salvation. I shall ment i on t he sage, t he met r e and the deity
controlling this Mant r a, its Bja, akti, Svara (vowel ), Var na
(l et t er), St hna (place of ori gi n), l etter by letter.
41b-43. The sage i s Vmadeva; the met re i s Pakt i . I,
iva alone, am the deity of this Mant r a, O l ady of excellent
face. The syllables " n a " etc. are t he Bjas; they ar ei n the form
of t he five el ements; know t hat the Pranava is the unchangi ng
Atman t hat is all-pervasive, you al one are its Sakti, O goddess
bowed to by all Devas.
758. The five-syllabled mantra of iva prefixed by om :
"Om namai Sivya".
426
Ligapurna
44. Somethi ng is your Pranava and somethi ng is my Pra-
nava. O gentle l ady, your Pranava is undoubt edl y the akti, of
all the Mant r as .
45-46. The letters 'a',
c
u' and *m' are present in my Pra-
nava, the letters a, m and consti tute in order your Pranava,
whi ch has three Mt r s and t he Pl ut a t one( pr ol at ed vowsl ).
The Svara (Not e) of Omkr a i s Udt t a ( hi gh) , the sage i s
Brahma and the body is whi te.
47-54. The met re i s Daiv Gyatr and the great Atman
is the presiding dei ty; the first, second and fourth letters ar e
Udt t a ( hi gh) . The f i f th i s Svarita (neither hi gh nor l ow), the
mi ddl e one is Ni sda.
The letter n is of yellow colour, its pl ace of origin is the
eastern face. I ndr a i s t he deity, Gyatr t he met re and Gaut ama
the sage.
The letter mah is of black colour, its pl ace of origin is t he
southern face, t he met r e is Anusfup, t he sage is Atri, Rudr a
is the deity.
The l etter i is of smoky col our; its pl ace of origin is the
western face; the sage is Vi vmi tra, the met re is Tri sfup and
the deity is Vi snu.
The letter v is of gol den colour, its pl ace of origin is the
nort hern face; Br ahma is the deity, Brhat is the metre and
Agiras the sage.
The l etter ya is of red col our; its pl ace of origin is the up-
ward face; t he met r e is Virf; the sage is Bharadvj a and
Skanda is the Dei ty.
I shall now ment i on the Nysa (fixing rite) t hat is auspi-
cious and conduci ve to the achi evement of all Siddhis. It is
destructive of all sins too. Nysa is of three types; the difference
being due to thei r connecti on with creati on, sustenance and
dissolution.
55-59. These Nysas bel ong respectively to the religious
students, the householders and ascetics, i.e., the Nysa of
Ut pat t i (creation) is for the religious st udent ; the Nysa of
Sthiti (sustenance) is for the householders and the Nysa of
Samhrt i (dissolution) is for t he ascetics; otherwise Siddhi can-
not be achieved. The Nysa is of three types viz., Aganysa
(t he fixation of the l i mbs); Karanysa ( t hat of the hand) and
The glory of the five-syllabled Mantra.
427
Dehanysa (that of the body) . O lady of splendid face, t he
Nysa of the three types relating to creation, etc. is being men-
ti oned to you. One shall at the outset perform the Nysa of t he
hand; thereafter he shall perform the Nysa of the body and
thereafter he shall perform the Nysa of Agas (limbs) in t he
order of t he syllables of the mant r a. The fixation begi nni ng
wi t h t he head and endi ng wi t h t he feet i s called t he Ut pat t i -
nysa. O beloved one, that beginning with the feet and endi ng
with the head is the Nysa of Sarhhra (di ssol uti on). The
Nysa of the heart, face and t hroat is Sthitinysa (t hat of
sust enance).
60-65. O splendid lady, these Nysas relate to the reli-
gious students, householders and the ascetics respectively.
Repeat i ng the Mant r as one shall touch the body al ong wi th the
bead. Tha t is common to all householders, religious students
and ascetics.
Beginning wi th the t humb of the right hand and endi ng
with t he t humb of the left
?
if the fingers are fixed it is called
Ut pat t i nysa ( t he Nysa of creat i on). Its opposite is t hat of
dissolution. F ixing the Nysa begi nni ng wi t h the t humb and
ending wi th the little finger in bot h the hands is called Sthiti-
nysa (t hat of sust enance). O gentl e lady, it yields much
pleasure to the householders. Thi s is the common pr ocedur e
the Nysa of the hand is performed at first, t hen t he Nysa of
the body and thereafter one shall perform the Nysa of the
limbs. Then the devotee shall perform t he Nysa over all the
limbs and t hen one by one with the full Mant r a wi th Omkr a
prefixed and suffixed
759
on all the ten fingers of the hands. The
devotee shall perform the Nysa ri te facing the east or the north
after first washi ng the feet. He shall be cl ean and attentive.
65-72. At the outset he shall remember t he sage, met re,
deity, Bja, Sakti, Atman and preceptor, O l ady of splendid
face. Repeat i ng the Mant r a, he shall wipe off the hands and
fix the Pranava in the pal ms and in the first and last knots in
all the fingers. He shall fix the Bjas al ong wi th t he Bindus in
the f ive mi ddl e knots. In accordance with the order of t he
750. The five-syllabled mantra of iva prefixed and suffixed by om :
" Om nama ivya om" .
428 Ligapurna
stages of life he shall perform the Nysa of creati on, etc. with
both hands and begi nni ng with t he foot and endi ng with the
head. Repeat i ng the Mant r a wi th Orhkra affixed he shall
touch t he body ( I ) on the head, face, neck, heart and i n the
pri vate par t s ; and, on the two feet; (2) i n the private parts
and in the heart and in the neck in the mi ddl e of the face and
on t he head or (3) he shall fix in the heart, in the private
parts, on the feet, on the head, in the face, and in the neckhe
shall fi x wi t h the Pranava, etc. i n t hree ways.
73-76. After fixing the limbs thus, t he devotee shall medi-
t at e upon the faces (of i va). Beginning wi th the face in the
east and endi ng wi t h the face upwar d he shall fix the syllables
begi nni ng wi th na in due order. Thereafter he shall perform
the Nysa rite of the six lirribs in the respective places with
delight. The Nysa shall be accompani ed wi th the words
Namas (obei sance), Svh, VaSat, Hum, Vausat and Phat .
The Pranava is known as the heart ; the syllable na the head;
the syllable ma the tuft; the syllable "i" the coat of mai l : the
syllable "v" the eye; the syllable "ya" the " As t r a" (missile).
After fixing the letters on the limbs as ment i oned the devotee
shall bi nd the quart ers.
77-78. The deities of the four corners beginning with the
south-east, are respectively Vi ghnea, the mot her Durg and
Kset raj a ( ? ) . The devotee shall fi x t hem wi t h t he tip of the
t humb fixed on t hat of t he index finger with a beami ng face.
After saying "Pr ot ect ye al l " he shall make obeisance t o t hem
severally.
79-80. The expert devot ee shall perform t he Nysa of the
hand on t he fi ngers beginning wi th the index fi nger with his
t humb. He shall perform the Nysa on the mi ddl e of the neck
also. Thi s Nysa ri te is said to be splendid and destructive of
sins. It is conduci ve to the achievement of Siddhis. It is holy,
auspicious and affords all protection.
81. W hen t he Nysa rite has been performed by means of
the splendid Mant r a the devotee shall be on a par with Siva,
W i t hi n a moment , all the sins commi tted in the previous births
are destroyed.
82. The intelligent devotee shall be pur e in body by per-
forming this Nysa rite. Steady in the performance of holy rite
TA
t
glory of the five-syllabled.Mantra
429
he shall repeat the fi ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a after acqui ri ng the
same gracefully from a preceptor.
83-85. O spl endi d lady, henceforth, I shall recount the
procedure for acqui ri ng the Mant r a. W i t hout i t the Mant r a i s
futile and wi th it, it is efficacious. The futile ones are the
fol l owing: j h na (i.e. Mant r a acqui red wi t hout permis-
sion) , Kr i yh na (devoi d of holy ri tes), raddhh na (devoid
of f ai th), Amnasa (non-ment al i.e. if t he devotee does not
devote full at t ent i on) , Anj apt am (t hat whi ch has been prohi -
bi t ed) , Daksi nh nam (permi t t ed but devoid of gifts) and
Sadj apta (indiscriminately repeat ed al ways).
The following Mant r as are fruitfulAjsiddha (achieved
wi th permi ssi on), Kri ysi ddha (at t ended wi t h ri tual s),
raddhsi ddha (fully equi pped wi th fai th), Sumnasa (where
the mi nd fully dwells) and Daksi nsi ddha (at t ended with gifts).
86-91. The devotee shall approach the br ahmi n preceptor
who is conversant wi th the real meani ng of t he Mant r a, who
has perfect knowl edge who is interested in the pat h of medi -
tati on and who is endowed with good qualities : W i t h emo-
tional puri t y t he devotee shall assiduously propi ti ate hi m
mental l y, verbally, physically and monetari l y. The disciple shall
always worship the precept or wi th all at t ent i on. If he is suffi-
ciently affluent t he disciple shall give these things devoutl y to
t he precept or: el ephant s, horses, chariots, j ewels, fiel ds,
houses, ornament s, clothes, and different kinds of grai ns. If he
wishes for his Si ddhi he shall not be stingy in spendi ng money.
O gentle lady, thereafter he shall dedi cat e himself al ong wi th
his possessions and at t endant s. After worshipping thus in accor-
dance wi t h his capaci ty and not at all at t empt i ng decepti on,
the disciple shall grasp the mant r a and perfect knowledge from
the preceptor, gradual l y.
92-95. Thus propi t i at ed, the preceptor shall make the dis-
ciple take his bat h after testing hi m thus. The disciple shall
stay wi th hi m for a year and serve hi m. He shall be pur e and
devoid of egotism. He shall become emaci at ed due to constant
fasts. The preceptor shall then bless the disciple wi t h the ex-
cellent perfect knowledge of iva in a holy pl ace at an auspi-
cious hour. The pl ace may be the shore of the sea or t he bank of
a river, t he cowpen or a templ e, or a cl ean pl ace in the house
430
Ligapurna
itself. The time shall be a Ti thi conducive to the fulfilment of
desires; the constellation and the j unct i on of planets shall be
auspicious. It shall be devoid of defects in every respect. Even
i n the isolated pl ace the preceptor shall ut t er t he mant r a
loudly and legibly wi th a delighted mi nd.
96. The preceptor shall ut t er himself and make the dis-
ciple utter after hi m. He shall then bestow Siddhi (on the disci-
ple) s ayi ng" May there be auspiciousness. May it be splen-
di d. May i t be pl easi ng".
97. After acqui ri ng the great Mant r a and perfect know-
ledge from the preceptor the disciple shall repeat it every day
wi th the due Sarhkalpa. He shall perform Puracarana too.
98-99. As long as he lives, he shall repeat this a thousand
and eight times every day. W i t hout repeati ng it, he shall not take
food. Thus interested in it he attai ns the greatest goal. He who
repeats this Mant r a a hundred thousand times for each syllable
and t hen repeats it four times with great attenti on is known
as one who has made a Puracarana. He shall take food only
at night. He shall be self-controlled.
100. A person who seeks for Siddhi, ere long, shall be one
qf these t wo: ei t her a Puracarana repeater or daily repeater.
101. If a devotee performs Puracarana and continues to
be a daily repeater too, there is no one else in the world who
is equally accomplished, self-controlled and competent to bestow
Si ddhi s.
102-103. Sitting in a comfortable posture he shall be silent
wi t h his mi nd fully concentrated. He may sit facing the east
or the nor t h and then repeat the excellent Mant r a. At the
begi nni ng of the j apa and at its conclusion he shall restrain
his br eat h. In the end, he shall repeat the excellent Bija mant r a
a hundr ed and eight times in all.
104-105. The devotee shall restrain the breat h forty times
and repeat t he mant r a. Thus t he Pr nyma for the f i ve-syl l a-
bl ed Mant r a has been cited. Thanks to Prnyma, his sins
will be destroyed soon and the sense-organs shall become con-
trolled. Hence, one shall practise Prnyma.
106. It should be known that the j apa performed in the
house has ordi nary benefit; that performed in the cowpen
shall be hundr ed times more efficacious; if it is on the banks of a
The glory of the five-syllabled Mantra
431
river it is hundr ed thousand times more efficacious; if it is in
t he presence of iva it is endless.
107. The j apa performed on the seashore in a divine
pond, on a mount ai n, in a templ e and in a sacred hermi tage
has crore times the benefit.
108. The ri te of j apa is commended if it is in the presence
of iva or in front of the sun, the preceptor, the l amp, cow
or water.
109-111. O l ady of auspicious face, if the number of the
repetitions is reckoned on the fingers it has the ordi nary benefit;
if lines ar e dr awn and t he number is cal cul ated the benefit is
sai d to be ei ght times mor e; if it is reckoned by means of t he
fruits of Putraj va it has ten times more benefit; if it is cal-
cul at ed by means of conches and jewels t he benefit is hundr ed
times mor e; t hrough coral t he benefit a thousand times mor e; it
is ten thousand times more, if t he reckoning is t hrough crys-
tal s; it is hundr ed thousand times more if the calculation is by
pearl s; it is one million times more if the cal cul ati on is by
lotus-seeds; if it is cal cul ated by gold pieces the benefit is ten
mi l l i on times more. The benefit is infinite if the calculation is
by knots of Ku a grass or Rudr ks a beads.
112-115. The necklace of twenty-five Rudr ks a beads is
conducive to sal vati on; t hat of twenty-seven is nourishing,
t hat of thi rty is conduci ve to the achi evement of weal th and
t hat of fifty pertai ns to black magi c.
If the devotee faces the east and performs the j apa it is
Vaya (i.e. he will be abl e to at t ract ot her s ) ; facing the south
pert ai ns to Abhi cra; facing t he west bestows weal th and facing
the nor t h is conduci ve to quiescence.
One should know t hat the t humb bestows l i berati on; t he
index finger destroys enemi es; the mi ddl e finger yields
weal t h; the ri ng finger causes quiescence. O splendid
lady, in the rite of j apa t he little finger bestows protecti on.
The devotee shall perform j apa with the t humb comi ng i nto
contact wi th other fi ngers.
116. Any holy rite performed wi thout t he t humb is fruit-
less. Li sten. The j apayaj a excels all ot her sacrifices.
117-118. All t he ritualistic sacrifices, chari t abl e gifts and
aust eri t i es do not mer i t even a si xt eent h fraction of t he j apa-
432
Ligapurna
yaja. The ot her yajas ar e at t ended wi t h violence or killing
but j apayaj a has not hi ng t o do wi t h violence. Now t he greatness
of only t he Vci ka (i.e. chant i ng wi th audi bl e voice) j apa-
yaj a has been glorified.
119-122. The Upm u (mumbl i ng) i s hundr ed times more
efficacious t han verbal and the Mnasa ( ment al ) is thousand
times more efficacious t han mumbl i ng.
If one utters the mant r a clearly wi th highly accented or
lowly accented tones or wi thout either, t hat j apayaj a i s called
Vcika (verbal ). If one utters the mant r a wi th a low tone,
maki ng t he lips t hrob slightly and maki ng only some sounds
audi bl e, t hat J a pa i s called Upm u ( mumbl i ng) . If the devotee
ponders over the meani ng of t he words letter by l etter and
proceeds ahead wi th the series of syllables t hat j apa is called
Mnasa (ment al ). Of the three j apayaj as t he l at t er one excels
t he earl i er one.
123-127. The q ual i t y of t he benefit varies accor di ng t o t he
mode of yaj a. If t he dei t y i s eulogised cont i nuousl y by j a pa i t
becomes pleased and on bei ng pleased it shall best ow extensive
pleasures and per manent l i berat i on. Nei t her t he yaksas nor
t he Rksasas, nei ther the Picas nor the terribl e and evil
pl anets even appr oach t he person doing the j apa. They are
frightened all r ound. One shall entirely suppress by means
of j apa all the sins commi t t ed in a number of previous bi rths.
One wins worldly pleasures, Si ddhi s and l i berati on and also
conquers deat h by means of j apa.
After thus acqui ri ng perfect knowl edge pert ai ni ng to iva
and after underst andi ng t he procedure for the j apa the devo-
tee shall abi de by good conduct. Conti nuousl y medi tati ng
thus, he attai ns welfare.
I shall now ment i on sadcra (good conduct) t hat is the
perfect means of Dhar ma ( vi r t ue) .
128. Since perf ormance devoid of good conduct shall be
fruitless good conduct is the greatest virtue, the greatest
penance.
129. Good conduct is t he greatest l earni ng. Good conduct
is the greatest goal. Me n of good conduct shall be fearless
everywhere.
The glory of the five-syllabled Mantra 433
130-133. Simil arl y men devoid of good conduct shall meet
with fear everywhere.
O l ady of excellent face, peopl e at t ai n Deva-hood and
sage-hood by observing good conduct. Similarly, by trans-
gressing good conduct they at t ai n bi rt h in lower and base
state of society. A person who has eschewed good conduct
becomes despicabl e. Hence, one who seeks perfect accomplish-
ment shall scrupulously cling to the good conduct. One who
is wicked in conduct and activity is sinful. He is mostly
uncl ean. He defiles perfect knowledge.
Hence, one shall assiduously perform t he holy rites prescri-
bed for respective castes and stages in life.
134-140. One who performs the rites laid down for hi m
i s always my favourite. In the evening and i n the morni ng he
shall practise worship wi th a delighted mi nd. He shall begin
the rite, clean in mi nd and body before sunrise and before
sunset and perform it dul y. A brahmi n shall not transgress
Sandhy due to lust, delusion, fear or covetousness. Since by
giving up Sandhy prayers, the br ahmi n falls off from the
status of brahmi nhood.
One shall not tell lies. Nor shall one eschew t rut h. They
say t hat t r ut h is Br ahman. Hence, unt r ut h defiles the Brahman.
These are all causes of sins:viz, unt rut h, harshness (i n
speech), stubbornness and back-biting, Not even mentally,
verbally or physically shall one violate others' wives, or take
away ot hers' weal th or injure others.
One shall eschew the cooked rice of a dra, the cooked
rice t hat is stale, the Nai vedya offering, the rddha (part a-
king of food t herei n), the cooked rice for t he masses and at
social functions or served as the doles by the king. The puri ty
of the charact er is based on the puri ty of food and not by
means of clay or water. One can at t ai n Siddhi only when
there is puri t y of character. Hence, he should be scrupulous
about the food he takes.
141. Even those brahmi ns who are the expounders of
Br ahman are defiled by accepti ng gifts from their patrons,
kings, etc. Ther e is no rebi rth unt o those who are defiled by
taki ng gifts, as unt o t he seeds that are heat ed in fire.
142. Gift from kings is sinful. It is comparabl e to poison.
After realising this at the outset it shall be avoided by a
l earned man as he shall avoid the flesh of a dog.
434 Ligapurana
143. One shall not take food wi thout taki ng bat h, or
performing j apa or worshipping the fi re. One shall not take
food on the out er side of a leaf. At ni ght one shall not take
food wi thout a l amp.
144-145. One shall never take food in a broken pot, in the
open street, and in the presence of fallen peopl e. One shall
not take food part l y consumed by a dra nor shall one take
cooked rice along wi th infants. One shall take in only pur e
food which is unctuous, emol l i ent ^consecrat ed and inspired
wi th mant ras. Whi l e taki ng food one shall remember that it
i s iva who eats. He shall keep silent and concentrated.
146. One shall not dri nk wat er, sipping standi ng, through
folded hands, nor wi th the left hand or seated on a bed even
wi t h the right hand.
147. One shall not resort to t he shade of Vibhtaka,
Arka,
7 8 1
Karafij a
7
*
2
and Snuhi
7 8 3
trees, nor shall one stand i n the
shadow of a pillar, l amp post, human beings and other animals.
148. One shall not go on a long j ourney by oneself nor
cross a river wi th one' s hands ; one shall never descend into a
well nor cl i mb tall trees.
149. O splendid lady, one shall never perform religious
actions, j apas and other holy rites wi th the face t urned away
from the sun, fi re, water, Devas and the preceptors.
150. One shall not war m one' s feet over the fire; one
shall not touch t he hand by means of legs; one shall not
occupy a lofty pl ace above the fire; one shall never cast
impurities or ordure i nto the fi re.
151. One shall never kick the water wi th the feet; one
shall never cast the di rt of the limbs i nto the water. After
washing the di rt on the banks one shall take one' s bat h.
152. The water shaken off from the tip of the nail or hairs,
from the garments after bat h and from the water pot, is con-
duci ve to misfortune. If one touches it, it is i mpure.
153. If a man of del uded mi nd touches husks and dust
particl es licked up and raised by a goat, dog, donkey,
760. Vibhtakathe tree Terminalia Bellerica.
761. Arkathe plant Calotropis Gigantea.
762. Krajapertaining to the Karaja tree Fongamia Glabra.
763. Snuhithe milk-hedge plant.
cf f
of camel or swept off by a broom it will destroy fortune even
if it belongs to Vi snu.
154-158. A man who keeps a cat in his house is on a par
wi t h a low caste person. If a man feeds leading brahmi ns in
the presence of a cat it shall be considered to be similar to
t he act of a Cndl a. No doubt need be entertai ned in this
respect. The wi nd from the buttocks, the wind from the win-
nowi ng basket, the wind coming out of the mout hs of animal s,
all these coming i nto contact wi th a person dispel his merits.
One shall never perform j apa weari ng a t urban or a coat
of mai l . If one is naked or one has loosened the knots of hairs,
or is dirty or is i mpure or has i mpure hands, he shall not
perform j apa. He shall not perform j apa while conversing wi th
ot hers.
All these are inimical to j apa, viz.anger, arrogance, inebri-
ati on, thirst, lethargy, spitting, yawning, seeing a dog or a
base man, slumber, and prat t l i ng. W hen these occur one shall
look at the sun and get purified.
159-161. By the sun the following are meant . The sun, fire,
moon, pl anets, stars and constellationsthese are called lumi-
naries. W hen anger, etc. occur one shall perform Acamana or
Pr nyma and then conti nue the j apa.
v
One shall not perform j apa keeping the legs stretched. One
shall not sit in the cock posture at the time of j apa. Nor shall
one be lying down, wi t hout sitting on a seat. The repeat er of
the mant r as shall not perform j apa in the open street, or in
the presence of the dras or in a ground smeared wi th blood,
or sitting in a cot.
162-165. The devotee shall mental l y thi nk about the
meani ng of mant r a. Seated on a cosy seat he shall perform
j apa perfectly. He shall have any of t he following for a s eat :
viz., a silk cloth, tiger skin, a cotton cloth, an upper cloth or a
cotton quilt, a wooden pl ank or a pal myra leaf. The worship
of the preceptor shall be performed in all the three Sandhys
by one who wishes for welfare. He who is the preceptor is also
iva. He who is iva is the preceptor. As is iva so is the
l earni ng; as is the learning so is the preceptor. The knowledge
about iva is obtai ned from the preceptor. The benefit accrues
in accordance with devotion. O fair lady, indeed he (the pre-
The glory of the five-syllabled Mantra 435
436 Ligapurna
ceptor) is identical wi th all Devas; he is identical wi th all aktis.
166-172. The disciple shall bear the behests of his prece-
pt or on his head (i . e, he shall obey him) whether he is wi th or
wi thout good qualities. He who seeks welfare shall not trans-
gress, even mental l y, t he behests of the preceptor. One who
strictly conforms to t he biddings of the preceptor attai ns the
weal th of knowledge. W hat ever he does in t he presence of t he
preceptor shall be done wi th the permission of the preceptor
viz.going, standi ng, sleeping, eating, etc. Nei t her in front of the
preceptor nor in the presence of the deity shall he be compl a-
cently seated as he pleases, since the preceptor is the lord
himself and his house is the templ e of t he lord. If one comes
i nto contact wi th sinners one will have downfall due to their
sins. If one comes i nt o contact wi th the preceptor one shall
i ncur the benefit of his holy rites.
J us t as a piece of gold eschews its impurities after coming
i nto cont act wi th fire so also a man eschews sins due to his
contact with the preceptor.
J us t as t he ghee in a pot pl aced near fire becomes melted
so also the sin of a person near the preceptor becomes dissolved.
J us t as the bl azing fire burns ordure and l umber so also t he
contented preceptor burns sins by means of the power of his
mant r a.
173-179. Undoubt edl y if the preceptor is satisfied, Bra-
hm, Vi snu, Rudr a, Devas and sages are also satisfied and they
bless hi m. One shall never infuriate the precept or physically,
mental l y or verbally. By his wr at h are bur ned the longevity,
fortune, wisdom and good holy rites. The sacrifices of those
who infuriate hi m are futile. His j apas and other observances
are also futile. No doubt need be entertai ned in this respect.
One shall assiduously refrain from maki ng any statement against
the preceptor. If out of great delusion he speaks it out, he will
fall i nto Raur ava hell. O fair lady, never should one falsely
cheat the preceptor mental l y, or verbally or physically or mone-
tarily. If he proclaims the wicked qualities of his preceptor he
will have hundr ed times t hat wickedness. If he proclaims the
good qualities he will have t he benefit of all good qualities.
W het her directed or not , he shall always do what is beneficent
and pleasing to t he precept or.
The glory of the five-syllabled Mantra
437
180-181. W het her wi thi n sight or out of sight of the pre-
ceptor, one shall do what is beneficent or pleasing to t he
precept or. If he does anyt hi ng against hi m mental l y, physically
or verbally, he goes down and revolves there itself. Hence, he
shoul d be worshi pped and saluted always.
182-185. The disciple shall speak to the preceptor only
after getti ng permission from hi m even when he is nearby.
Otherwi se he shall not look at hi m straight i n t he face. The
disciple who adheres to all these rules, who is devout, who is
perpetual l y engaged i n j apa and who does everything pleasing
to his precept or deserves to utilise the Mant r a. I shall ment i on
t he appl i cati on and the purpose of the Mant r a t hat has been
accompl i shed. If t he devotee does not know t he mode of appli-
cati on, the mant r a becomes ineffective. Tha t should be known
as Vi ni yoga whereby the desired benefit is put in conj unction
wi t h the activity. It is the benefit of this worl d as well as of
t he next. The benefit arising out of Viniyoga is longevity,
heal t h, the permanence of the body [?] ki ngdom, royal glory,
perfect knowledge, heaven and salvation.
186-193. The following rites shall be performed by
repeati ng the fi ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a eleven t i mes: Proksana
(ritualistic sprinkling with wat er ) ; Abhi seka( abl ut i on) ; Agham-
arsana (prayi ng for forgiveness for sins) and t he two bat hs
one at dawn and one at day. The intelligent devotee shall
be clean and after cl imbing the mount ai n shall alertfully repeat
the mant r a a hundr ed thousand times, or two hundr ed thousand
times on t he banks of a great river; he will at t ai n long life.
Ten thousand Homas with the following materi al s of worship
are conducive to longevity vi z: The sprouts of t he Dr v
grass, gingelly seeds, Van! (?), Gudc and Ghut i k (?). The
wise devotee shall repeat the j apa two hundr ed thousand times
after resorting to the holy fig tree. By touching the Avattha
tree on a Sat urday the man obtains long life. The intelligent
devotee shall touch the Avattha tree with both the hands on
Sat urdays and repeat the j apa hundred and eight times. It
will dispel premat ure deat h. F aci ng the sun and wi th the
mi nd not dwelling on anyt hi ng else the devotee shall repeat
the j apa a hundred thousand times. By performing hundr ed
and eight Homas everyday with Arka twigs the devotee is
438
Ligapurna
l i berated from ailments. F or suppressing all ailments the man
shall perform ten thousand sacrifices. By performing sacrifices
the man shall be free from sickness. The devotee shall repeat
the mant r a hundred and eight times and shall dri nk water i n
the presence of t he sun. W i t hi n a mont h he shall be l i berated
from the gastric troubl e.
194-201 a. One shall eat cooked rice and other foodstuffs
and dri nk t he beverages after inspiring the same with the
mant r a eleven times. Even if it were poison it shall become
nect ar. Everyday, iii t he forenoon, the devotee shall perform
hundr ed and eight offerings to t he fire, repeat the mant r a a
hundr ed thousand times and worship the sun. He shall at t ai n
perfect heal th. The devotee shall fi l l good pot wi th river water.
Touchi ng i t he shall repeat the j apa ten thousand times. If he
bat hes in t hat wat er it becomes an anti dote for ailments.
Everyday t he pur e devotee shall repeat the mant r a twentyeight
times and t hen take food or he shall perform Homa wi th Pal a
twigs. He will at t ai n perfect heal th. Duri ng t he days of l unar or
solar eclipse the devotee shall be clean and observe fast at t he
outset. F or the durat i on of eclipse he shall wi th great concentra-
tion repeat the ma nt r a on t he banks of a river flowing i nto a
sea and after t he eclipse is over he shall repeat the j apa, thou-
sand and eight times and dri nk the j ui ce of Brahm . He shall
then at t ai n in this world, good intellect capabl e of grasping
all scriptures. His words shall be s uper human and similar to
those of goddess Sarasvati .
201b-202a. If afflicted by evil pl anets and stars the man
shall repeat t he j apa devoutly ten thousand times. By perform-
ing a thousand and eight Homas, t he affliction of the evil planets
shall be dispelled.
202b-203a. On seeing evil dreams, the man shall take bat h
and repeat the j apa ten thousand times. By performing hund-
red and eight Homas wi th ghee, there shall be i mmedi ate
calmness.
203b-205a. Duri ng the solar and l unar eclipses the devotee
shall dul y worship the Li ga. W hat ever he may seek, O gentle
lady, he shall perform ten thousand j apas earnestly in the
presence of the l ord. He shall be clean and keep his mi nd res-
trai ned. Undoubt edl y t hat person attai ns cherished desires.
The glory of the five-syllabled Mantra 439
205b-207a. At the advent of ailments of el ephants, horses
and of t he kine i n part i cul ar t he man shall be cl ean and per-
form homa with twigs. He shall worship devoutl y and dul y
repeat the mant r a ten thousand times for a mont h. Ther e will
certainl y be peace among t hem and they will fl ouri sh.
207b-208a. Dur i ng uprisings and calamities as well as
harassment from enemies t he devotee shall be cl ean and per-
form ten thousand Homas with twigs of Pal a. He will have
peace; and di sturbance, if any, will be suppressed.
208b-209a. O gentl e lady, one' shall perform this when
there is harassment from bl ack magi c, when the power of that
magi c shall t ur n round and afflict the enemy.
209b-210. In order to create hat red the devotee shall
perform eight Homas with Vi bhi t aka twigs or with wet blood
repeati ng t he syllables of the mant r a backwards. If the
devotee smears himself with blood and performs the Homa
wi th poison i t causes hat red among men.
211. I shall now recount the mode of expiation for the
at onement of sins. Since the at onement of sins is the cause of
enri chment in perfect knowledge, all t he holy rites will be futile
if sins are not properl y at oned for.
212-215. Because knowl edge dwindles, therefore sins must
be properl y at oned for. O auspicious lady, for the bet t erment
of l earning and fortune the devotee shall take handfuls of water
and, medi tati ng on me (iva) and repeati ng the mant r a eleven
times he shall perf orm abl ut i on. F or the eradi cati on of the sin
he shall take bat h, repeat i ng the mant r a hundr ed and eight
times. It has the same benefit as the pil grimage to all holy
centres. It is auspicious and it dispels all sins. If there is any
break i n the conti nui ty i n the Sandhy prayers the man shall
perform hundred and eight j apas.
216. He shall not part ake of the cooked rice touched and
defiled by pigs, Cndl as, wicked people and cocks. If he eats
i t he shall repeat t he j apa hundr ed and eight times.
217. F or the at onement of the sin of br ahmi n slaughter
the man shall repeat the mant r a thousand million times i.e.
hundred crores. F or the expiation of great sins he shall perform
the j apa to the extent of half that number. No doubt need be
entertai ned in this respect.
440 Ligapurna
218. It is ordai ned t hat in the case of those who are de-
fil ed by subsidiary sins, the j apa shall extend to half t hat num-
ber. F or t he expiation of other sins one shall repeat the j apa
fi ve thousand ti mes.
219. The mant r a has beari ng on t he knowledge of the
At man. It is a secret and it illuminates t he understandi ng of
iva. He who repeats the mant r a unexcitedly to the extent of
five hundr ed thousand times shall become iva himself.
220-226a. Thereby, O gentle lady, t he man attai ns an easy
victory over t he fi ve vital airs. The devotee shall t hen restrain
the sense organs wi th pur i t y and repeat t he j apa f i ve hundr ed
thousand times. Thereby, O l ady of excellent face, he will
have victory over the fi ve sense organs. The man who meditates
well and who unexcitedly repeats the mant r a f i ve hundr ed
thousand times attai ns victory over the five objects of senses.
The man who devoudy repeats f i ve hundr ed thousand times
the mant r a for the fourth time attai ns victory over the five
elements. O l ady of excellent face, he who assiduously restrains
the mi nd and repeats the mant r a four hundr ed thousand times
attai ns mastery over the organs. O lotus-faced lady, by means
of two million fi ve hundred thousand j apas the man attai ns
victory over the twenty five principles. A man shall earnestly
repeat t he j apa ten thousand times at mi dni ght when the wi nd
is at a standstill. O beautiful lady, he attai ns t he Siddhi of the
Br ahman by means of this Vrat a.
226b-228. The devotee shall, wi thout l ethargy, repeat the
mant r a a hundr ed thousand times in a pl ace where the wi nd is
still and where there i s no sound at mi dni ght . Undoubt edl y he
perceives bot h Siv and iva. Ther e shall be the destruction
of darkness al ong with the bri ght i l l umi nati on as of a l amp,
bot h within the heart and wi thout. The self-possessed man shall
repeat the mant r a ten thousand times for t he achievement of all
kinds of weather.
229. The devotee shall with puri ty and devotion repeat
t he mant r a ten million times affixed wi th t he Bjas. He shall
at t ai n Syujya wi th me. W hat else is greater t han this ?
230-231. Thus , t he mode and procedure for chant i ng the
f i ve-syl l abl ed Mant r a has been recounted to you. He who
reads this and listens to this, attai ns the greatest goal. He who
The sacrifice of meditation 441
narrat es this mode of procedure of the j apa of t he fi ve-syl l abl ed
mant r a to pious brahmi ns at a divine ri te or at t he ri te per-
t ai ni ng to t he Pitrs, is honoured in t he worl d of iva.
CHAP T ER EI GHTYSI X
The sacrifice of meditation
The sages said:
1. The brahmi ns who have destroyed thei r sins say t hat the
meri tori ous sacrifice of medi t at i on is bet t er t han j apa for
unat t ached and enl i ghtened persons.
2. Hence, O St a, tell us today about t he sacrifice of
medi t at i on suited for unat t ached nobl e souls in detai l and wi th
all effort.
3-4a. On heari ng those words of t he nobl e sages who had
performed the sacrifice of l ong durat i on, St a recounted to
them what Rudr a of universal act i on
7 6 4
ment i oned after neut ra-
lising t he poison Kl akt,a
7 6 5
and enteri ng his cave.
7 6 6
Sta said:
4b-5. The sages of great discipline bowed down to iva
who ent ered the cave and seated himself comfortably along
wi t h Bhavn . All of t hem, then, eulogised N l akant ha, the
consort of Um .
6. "O lord, O bul l -bannered lord, the terribl e poison
Kl akt a has been neutralised by you. Hence everything has
been stabilised by you. "
7. On heari ng their words, lord N l al ohi ta, the At man
of t he Universe, smilingly said to those sages, Sanandana and
others.
764. Viva-karmanvivam karma yasya sah visvakarm tena,
Rudrena ST. by Rudra of multifarious activities.
765. The poison Klakta or halhalaa product of the churned
ocean was swallowed by iva. The blue colour of his neck and his extreme
ire are the effects of that poison.
766. guhi.e. Meru-guh, the abode of iva.
442 Ligapurna
8. "O excellent brahmi ns, of what consequence i s t hi s ?
I shall ment i on anot her more terrible poison. He who nullifies
that poison is really efficient. Of what avail is this ?
9. W hat is called Kl akj a is not at all poison when
compared to worldly existence whi ch is the real poison.
Hence, wi th all efforts one shall try to dispel t hat terri bl e
poison.
10-13. The mundane existence is two-fold
767
in accordance
with one' s rights and duti es. In regard to men of del uded
mi nds, the mundane existence i s very terri bl e and burden-
some. O sages of good holy rites, creati on is caused by
i gnorance due to the defects of mal ice and at t achment .
7
*
8
It i s
certainly due to these, t hat vi rtue and evil befall everyone.
O brahmi ns, even i n regard to thi ngs not near at hand,
7 8 9
the scri pture creates desire for t hem even in t he mi nds of
good men i n t he world merel y by heari ng of it. Hence, the
perceptible worl d and t he worl d of Vedi c t radi t i on
7 7 0
and
rituals bot h shoul d be eschewed
7 7 1
wi th great effort. He t hen
becomes Vi rakta ( unat t ached person) altogether.
14. Tha t port i on of the Vedas whi ch deals wi t h ritual s
is called scri pture, O br ahmi ns . It is the pri nci pal essence of
the Vedas. The benefit of the rites goes to t he sages.
7 7 1 3
15. Those who do not know these things say: " Desi r e is
nat ur al
7 7 2
i n everyone. The opposite i s not seen. It i s the
Veda t hat makes t hem work (for fulfilling such desi res).
767. i.e. tmasa and rjasa.
768. saniccb ST. desire.
rgahvisaya-pritih ST. attachment with the objects of senses.
769. asannikrste that which is beyond the scope of sense-perception.
770. drstamaihikam ST. pertaining to this world,
nuravikam pralaukikam ST. pertaining to the world beyond.
771. ST. disjoins'ucyate bhgam' as 'ucyate abhgam' and con-
strues with 'karmasu*. i.e. karrnasu abhgamnon-participation in activities.
ST. interprets : here metaphysics (dhytma-stra) is considered to be
superior to the Vedas.
771a. rsinm karmanah phalam : here karmanahniskma-
karmanah ST, i.e., participation in activities without the expectation of
their fruits.
772. svabhvahparticipation in activities is natural. The Vedas enjoin
activities such as the performance of agnisomya. Cf. "agnisomiyam paum
labheta svargakmah".
The sacrifice of meditation
443
16. The vi rtue of renunci ati on from worldly affairs, is
i nt ended for efficient persons.
7 7 3
Hence, it is said t hat worldly
existence is caused by i gnorance of all embodied persons.
17-18a. The Digit i s dri ed up due to Kar man
7 7 4
or t he
nat ur e of others (?). Indi vi dual s endowed wi th Kal s (?)
are of three types.
7 7 8
They are devoid of perfect knowledge
due t o i gnorance. The t hree types are ( a) those destined t o
fall i nt o hell because they commi t sin; ( b) those destined to go
to heaven because they perform meritorious deeds and they go
to heaven due to the weight of their meri t and (c) a mi xt ure of
these two.
18b-19. The living beings are classified under four
heads
7 7 6
vi z: Udbhi j j as (germi nat i ng pl ant s) , Svedajas ( bor n
of sweat, i.e. germs and worms), Andaj as (ovi parous bei ngs),
and J aryuj a (vi vi parous). Thus t he i gnorant embodi ed bei ng
does not get relief t hrough Ka r ma n ( ? ) .
20. Sal vati on i s not at t ai ned by good men t hrough thei r
progeny, t hrough actions, or t hrough weal t h.
7 7 7
Li berati on
shall occur only t hrough renunci at i on. He wanders i n the
worl d due to the absence of i t ( r enunci at i on) .
21. Thus due to the fault of i gnorance and as a result of
various Kar mans , the i ndi vi dual soul adopt s a body produced
by six Ko as
7 7 8
(vestures).
22. Many miseries are to be faced by t he i ndi vi dual i n
the womb, i n t he vaginal passage, on the eart h, i n boyhood, i n
yout h, i n old age and i n deat h.
773- samarthnmviraktnm 57".
774. For those who are unattached activities are not unavoidable. Gf.
"pravrttir es bhtnm nivrttistu mahbal"Manu; Or activities have no
fixed goal. Cf. Bhga. 'vedoktam eva kurvno nissagrpitamvare/
naiskarmyam labhate siddhirh rocanrth phalarutih //
karmanniskma-karman 57". by aimless activities. Life-seed
(kal=jivanakal 57".) becomes unproductive (osam yti)a fact that
leads one to emancipation.
775. trividhah jvahthe invidividual soul is threefold (See V-18
below).
776. caturdhin four ways. Cf. V-19 below.
777- Cf. Supra I.8.27.
778. sat-kauikamsnyvdi-satkoa-yuktam 57*. consisting of six
coverings Cf. fq*mT*rf"'r<*rr^T"T "fT*% **3:/*r**nq"fi3'r'*r>fr
W&IT **f 5r-Tf% PrTRe-rsTT il c 4 HW *"ftfiT"*rftT% ""fT"T~T**""f **T"=rO"f f?
444
Ligapurna
23. O brahmi ns, if dul y pondered over, good men have to
face only misery t hrough the contact with women and similar
activities. The mi serabl e try To quell one misery only by
anot her misery.
24. Lust is never quelled by means of enj oyment of plea-
sures. J us t as fire blazes all the more by Havi s (ghee offer-
i ng) so also lust is inflamed all the more by indulging i nto
pl easure.
7 7 9
25-27. Hence, on ponderi ng over, it will be seen t hat
there is no happi ness unt o men even due to coitus. Ther e is
misery in earni ng weal th as also in preserving and spending
it. O excellent brahmi ns, if we ponder over it, there is
misery amongst the Picas, Rksasas, Yaksas, Gandharvas, in
the worl d of the moon, in t he world of mercury, in the
worl d of Praj pat i , in the worl d of the Br ahman, in the
worl d of Prakrt i and Purusa also. O sages of good holy rites,
there are miseries due to destruction of possessions, due to one' s
possession bei ng excelled by another' s, etc. These cause only
other miseries.
28-30. One shall eschew those i mpure fortunes and
riches. Hence, O sinless sages of good holy rites, all kinds of
pleasures are really miseries to the discriminating person
in whatever way you view t hem, viz., eightfold or sixteenfold
or of twentyfour, thi rty two, fortyeight, fiftysix, or sixtyfour
types.
31-32. The pleasures of the following types are undoubte-
dly miseries if pondered over properl y even to those yogins who
talk of Br ahman: Pr t hi va (eart hl y), Apya (wat ery)Tai j asa
(fiery), Vyavya (gaseous), Vyauma (of the firmament),
Mnas a (ment al ), Abhi mni ka, (bringing pr i de) , Bauddha
7 8 0
(i ntel l ectual ), Prkrt a (pertaining to Prakrt i ).
33-37. The attri butes (?) of the leaders of the Ganas are,
on reflection, causes of misery. In all the worlds there is always
misery i n t he begi nni ng, i n the mi ddl e and i n the end. The
present ones are miseries, the future ones are miseries. (?) In
the lands defiled by faults, there are various kinds af miseries.
779. Repeated I. 8. 25; 67, 16.
780. bauddham prkrtam eva ca : the intellectual enjoyment is also
material.
The sacrifice of meditation 445
(?) Those who consider i gnorance as knowledge do not consi-
der the past events. (?) J ust as t he medi ci ne is used to dispel
ailments and not for positive pleasure so also t he food taken in
is i ntended for dispelling the sickness of hunger and not for
any positive happiness. In the different seasons, the embo-
died beings undergo miseries t hrough dul l ness, heat, wi nd
rains, etc. Ther e i s no doubt about i t ; but t he i gnorant do
not consider it t hat way. O excellent sages, even in t he hea-
ven t he same thi ng happens t hrough the destruction, etc. of
the mer i t .
7 8 1
38. J us t as the tree whose roots have been cut falls down
to the ground helplessly so also the living bei ng overwhelmed
by various kinds of ailments, passion, hat red, fear, et c.
7 8 2
39-41. Similarly the heaven-dwellers fall down to the
eart h due to t he destruction of the tree of meri t . Even for
heaven-dwellers who desire for things that cause misery and
who are richly endowed wi th pleasures t hat cause misery,
there is terribl e misery when they fall from t hat heaven. Ther e
is definitely misery in the hell due to the fact t hat even religious
students resort to i t when they do not perform those ri tes t hat
are laid down, O l eadi ng sages.
42. J us t as the deer frightened of deat h and uprooted from
his habi t at i on does not obtai n sleep so also the noble-souled as-
cetic engaged in medi t at i on and frightened of the worldly
existence does not obtai n slumber.
43. Unhappi ness is seen even in germs, birds, animals,
deer, el ephants and horses. Hence there is great happiness
unt o a ma n who renounces.
44. O sages of good holy rites, there is misery unt o even
those officers on dut y spread over t he whole kal pa who move
about i n aerial chariots, unt o Manu and others who take pri de
in thei r respective positions.
781. The activities enjoined for the attainment of heaven are not
without impurities. For instance, the agnisomya sacrifice leads to heaven,
but it is attended by violence (hims)the slaughter of the animal (Gf.
agnisomlyam paum labheta) for which the performer of sacrifice suffers
pain (Gf. varakrsnadr?tavadnuravikah sa hy aviuddhi-ksaytiaya-
yuktahSK.); secondly, heaven is not a permanent abode (Cf. V. 88 below).
782. As soon as he has exhausted merit the heaven-dweller falls from
heaven. Cf. ''{ffOT 3^ *"?"f*i*r"F PttrPtf \"
446
Ligapurna
45. Devas and Dai tyas undergo misery due to their desire
for mut ual conquest. Even kings and Rksasas in the three
worlds undergo misery.
46-48. In fact the Aramas bri ng about only misery
or exhaustion (rama) unt o the different castes. People do not
attai n the At man t hrough Asramas (stages in life), Vedas,
yajas, Smkhyas, (numeri cal knowl edge), vratas (hol y
rites), severe penances, different kinds of chari tabl e gifts, etc.
But people wi th knowledge obtai n it. Hence, wi th all efforts
one shall perform t he P upat a ri te. In the holy ri te of Pu-
pat a, t he l earned devotee shall perpetual l y lie on bhasman,
besmeared wi th ashes.
49-50. The l earned devotee, richly endowed wi th the
knowledge of t he five objects and havi ng great at t ent i on to-
wards the pri nci pl e of Siva shall adopt the yoga t hat causes
salvation and destroys fate and kar man and shall become
intelligent and endowed wi th the yoga of fi ve obj ects.
7 83
There-
by he attains the end of misery. The devotees underst and the
knowabl e by means of Par Vi dy
7 8 4
and not by Apar Vidy.
51-54. Two Vidys (topics of knowledge) are to be
known: Par and Apar, O excellent brahmi ns, Apar consists
of Rg, Yaj ur, Sma, and Atharva Vedas. Siks, Kal pa, grammar,
semantics, prosody and astrology also constitute Apar Vidy.
W hat is imperishable is the Par . It is imperceptibl e, in-
comprehensi bl e. It has no spiritual lineage, no caste, no colour,
no eyes, no ears, no hands and no feet. O excellent brahmi ns, it
i s not born. It has no past. It i s not describable by words.
55-58. It has no touch, no form, no taste, no smell, no
change, no support. It i s perpet ual , omni present and all-power-
ful. It it great and massive. O brahmi ns, it is unbor n and
identical wi th cit (consciousness); it is devoid of Pr nas (vital
ai r s ) ; it has no mi nd; it is non-emollient and it is devoid of
bl ood. It is i ncomprehensi bl e; it is nei ther stout nor l ong; it is
783. pacrtha-yoga-sampannahIt can be interpreted at 'accom-
panied by knowledge derived from the practice of the five-syllabled mantra
'namas ivya'.
784. par vidyknowledge of Brahma as taught in the Upartisads.
785. apar vidyknowledge of the ritual as taught in the rauta and
Gfkya Sutras.
The sacrifice of meditation
447
not excessively cl ear; it is not short; it is i mpassabl e; it is bliss;
it is unswervi ng; not open; wi t hout a second; infinite; not
percei vabl e, and not covered; Par i s identical wi th the
At ma n
7 8 8
and not otherwise.
59. But these Par and Apar are not the real. I al one am
i denti cal wi t h t he uni verse; t he universe i s i n me al one.
60-61. Everythi ng originates from me, stays within me and
gets dissolved in me ; there is not hi ng different from me. Thi s
shall be realised mental l y, verbal l y and physically. The devotee
shall wi t h concentrati on see everythi ng: t he ' sat' (the existent)
and t he ' asat ' (the non-exi stent), i n t he At man. One seeing
everything i n t he At man does not allow the mi nd to stray to
ot her obj ects.
62. On lowering t he vision, one shall see t he At man
st at i oned i n Vitasti above the umbil icus i n the heart , t he abode
of t he universe.
63-64. In t he mi ddl e of this heart i s stationed t he l otus
7 87
wi t h dha r ma for its bul bous root and knowledge for its splen-
di d J talk. The ei ght accompl i shments are its eight petal s;
vai rgya (detachment) i s its whi t e peri carp; t he quart ers are
its pores fi l l ed wi t h t he vital airs.
65-71. It sees mos dy and i n due order on bei ng uni ted
wi t h Pr na, etc. O l eadi ng sages, each of the veins (Nd s)
carries t he ten Prnas (vital ai r s) . Al together there are seventy-
t wo t housand Nd s. The J agr at (waki ng stage) i s stati-
oned i n t he eyes, the svapna ( dr eam stage) i n t he neck; t he
susupt a (sleeping stage) i n t he heart and tur ya ( t he fourth
above t he t hr ee) i n t he head. The presi di ng deity i n the
j agr at state i s br a hm ; i n Svapna Vi snu; Ivara i n Susupt a
and i n Tur i ya Mahe var a. Ot her s say as follows:when
t he person is in full possession of his senses and organs it is
cal l ed J agr at ; when onl y t he four organs, mi nd, intellect,
ego and ci tta function, it is Svapna. O sages of good hol y
ri tes, when t he organs and senses are merged i nto t he At man
786. para vidyS anyath naanya-prakarena varnitum aaky ST.
Cf . "yato veo nivartante."
The realization of Brahma cannot be described in words.
787. pundarlkamhrtkamalam S T . the lotus-heart which is the
abiding place of the mind.
448 Ligapurna
it is Susupta. The fourth (Tur ya) is different from t he organs
and senses. The greatest Siva who is beyond t he fourth is t he
pri me cause.
72-79. The four states J gr at (wakefulness), Svapna
(dream), Susupti (slumber) and Turi ya (the fourth) have
been ment i oned. I shall now describe t he dhi bhaut i ka,
Adhyt mi ka and dhidaivika terms, O l eadi ng brahmi ns. It
should be known by t he l earned t hat all these are I myself. O
great sages, t he Adhyt mi ka (organic) is said to be fourteen in
all, viz., t he sense organs (five), the organs of action (five) and
the mi nd, intellect, ego, and will (four).
0 excellent sages, t he following constitute the Adhi bhaut i ka
( t he extraneous mat t er ) , vi z. what should be seen, what should
be heard, what should be smelt, what shoul d be tested, what
should be touched, what should be t hought of, what should be
understood, what shoul d be taken pri de i n, what should be
willed, what shoul d be spoken, what should be grasped, what
should be traversed, what should be evacuat ed and what should
be enjoyed.
The following fourteen constitute the Adhi dai vi ka (the
Di vi ne f actor), vi z. the sun, quarters, eart h, Var una ( wat er ) ,
wi nd, Brahma, Rudr a, Kset raj a, Agni , I ndr a, Vi snu, moon,
l ord Mi t r a and Praj pati .
80-81. The following are fourteen Ntfs (t ubul ar vessels),
viz.Rj , Sudar an, J i t , Saumy, Mogh, Rudr , Mr t ,
( Amr t ) , Saty, Madhyam, Nd ra, iuk, Asur, Kr t t i k
and Bhsvat.
82-87. Ther e are fourteen carryi ng wi nds
7 8 8
stationed i n
the mi ddl e of Nd s : They are Pr na, Vyna, Apna, Udna,
Samna, Vai r ambha, the i mport ant Ant aryma, Pr abhaj ana,
Kr maka, yena, Sveta, Kr s na, Anila and Nga.
1 am t he l ord present in all these as the great At man and
the devotees shall worship me. I am present, O sages of good
holy rites, in the eyes, in what is to be seen, in the sun, in the
Nd , i n t he Pr na, (five types) i n the Vi j na, and i n nanda
(bliss), in the heart , in t he firmament, and within all these. I
am t he sole At man, movi ng wi thi n. The lord is ageless, infinite,
devoid of sorrow, i mmort al and stable. He is t he sole being
788. vyavaca caturdasathe fourteen vital airs stationed in the
arteries.
/
The sacrifice of meditation 449
789. The lord stationed in the subtle body is the source of pleasure
for others but he has no source of pleasure for himself.
790. The lord is the source of food for others but he has no source
of food for himself. Gf. BhagavadgitS:
sr - f t " R T ? R t -xpn 5 T T f - J F t ^-nf r"T: I
791. pacakoa or pancakacuka of aiva philosophy constitutes the
five sheaths of the self-luminous lord. They are the products of varana-
akti (power of concealment) of My (lord's power of projection).
movi ng amidst these fourteen types of objects. O brahmi ns,
all these merge i nto hi m as there is not hi ng else.
88. The omniscient Being is only one. Ther e is only one
l ord of all. He is the overlord of all. He is t he i mmanent
soul of jjtfiat lustre.
8T On^bei ng worshi pped, the eternal lord grant s happi -
ness. O excellent brahmi ns, if one does not worship hi m one
does not at t ai n happi ness.
7 8 9
90. He i s bei ng worshipped by the Vedas and other scrip-
tures. But this omniscient lord does not go unt o t hem for
succour.
91. Thi s visible universe i s his Anna
7 9 0
( f ood) . He does
not become t he Anna himself ( unt o anyone el se). Nowhere
does one devour Anna guarded by one' s own self.
92. I am the food taken in by the living beings everywhere. I
am the knot of t he living beings and I bri ng about all great
things. I am five-fold At man divided into several parts.
93. I am the soul of the living beings identical wi t h
Anna. W hat is taken in is called Anna. I am t he soul of the
sense-organs identical wi th Pr na (vital br eat hs ) . I am t he soul
of ment al concepti ons identical wi th the mi nd.
94. As Soma I am Kl t man (the soul of Ti me) , identi-
cal with Vi j na (perfect knowl edge). As Mahe a Paramevara
I become i denti cal wi th Ananda (Bl i ss).
7 9 1
95. Thus I am the enti re universe and everything is
stationed in me. I am i ndependent but everything is depend-
ent on me. This can be understood on ponderi ng over the real
form of various things.
96. Even t he state of bei ng one (i.e. ekatva) is not present
450 Ligapurna
t here
7 9 2
as a distinct at t ri but e. Then, how can there be Dvai t a
(duality) ? So also there is no mort al being. W hence can there
be an i mmort al born of the unborn ?
97. The At man i s nei ther Ant ahpr aj a (havi ng intellec-
t ual awareness wi t hi n) nor Bahi hpraj a (havi ng t he intellectual
awareness wi t hout ) nor i s He i n bot h ways (Ubhayat ahpr aj a) .
He i s not Pr aj naghana (solid in perfect knowledge) nor
Prj a (wise being) nor Aj naprvaka (having i gnorance).
98-99. Br ahman is not one that is known nor one to be
known. In fact it is Ni rvana (extinction, Kai val ya, Ni hreyasa.
Anmaya (devoi d of ai l ment s), Amrt a ( i mmor t al ) , Aksara
i mperi shabl e, Brahman, Par ama At man, Par t par a (greater
t han the greatest), Ni rvi kal pa (devoid of doubtful al t ernat i ves),
Ni rbhsa (devoid of fallacious appearances), J na (know-
l edge) ; all these are synonyms (for perfect knowl edge).
100. W hen it is pleased and concentrated in a single form
it is known as J na (Perfect knowl edge). Everythi ng else is
Aj na ( I gnor ance) . No doubt need be ent ert ai ned i n this
regard.
101-104. Perfect clear knowledge certainly originates from
cont act wi t h the preceptor. It i s uncont ami nat ed by lust, hat-
red, falsehood, anger, passion, covetousness and the like. It
should be known as the bestower of salvation. Since the man
has the i mpuri ty of i gnorance he is cont ami nat ed. Salvation
takes pl ace onl y when i mpuri t y is dispelled and not otherwise,
even if one takes a crore of bi rths. W i t hout perfect knowl edge
7 9 3
nei t her meri t nor demeri t is destroyed. Hence, O most excellent
ones among the knowers of the Br ahman, practise knowledge
al one as t he means of l i berati on. It is only by practice of per-
fect knowledge t hat the intellect of men becomes free from
i mpuri ti es.
105-109. Hence, one shall always practise perfect know-
ledge havi ng t hat as the foundation and the ul t i mat e goal. O
l eadi ng br ahmi ns, a yogin who is sati ated wi th knowledge
792. ekatvam api nstiThe terms ekatva (singleness), etc., are
relative and hence, they shall be avoided in regard to the exposition of
Brahman.
793. Cf. "jnd eva hi kaivalyam"cited in 57".; also "rte jnn
na muktih".
The sacrifice of meditation 451
al one and who has eschewed all contacts wi th worldly objects
has no further duty. If he has, he is no longer a knower of
reality. Nei ther i n this world nor i n the other has he any dut y,
7 9 4
since he is a l i berated soul. Hence, the knower of Br ahman is
t he knower of the reality of perfect knowledge and perpetual l y
engaged in the practice of perfect knowledge. He eschews the
practi ce of all duties. He obtains perfect knowledge al one. O
excel l ent brahmi ns, if one who takes pri de in his position in
var n r ama (as Brahmi n, ksatriya, etc.) takes pleasure in other
things (other t han Br ahman) certainly he i s del uded and
i gnorant , even though he mi ght have discarded anger. Ignorance
is t he cause of worldly existence and adopt i on of physical
bodies means worldly existence.
110-11.1. Similarly, J na (perfect knowl edge) is the
cause of salvation. The liberated man abides in his own t man.
O l eadi ng brahmi ns, there is no doubt about this t hat wrat h
et c. , occur only when t here is i gnorance. W r at h, delight, cove-
tousness, delusion, arrogance, vi rtue and evil, all these, O
excel l ent brahmi ns, cause adopt i on of physical bodies.
112-114. Ther e is distress and pai n only when there is
body. Hence, t he learned shall eschew Avidy (Ignorance, ill-
usi on) . Onl y if the yogin eschews Avidy by means of Vi dy
do anger, virtue, evil etc. perish, O brahmi ns. If they perish
t he (At man) i s not uni t ed further with the physical body. He
is liberated from mundance existene. He is devoid of the three
types of miseries.
7 9 8
Thus, O leading brahmi ns, the medi tator
cannot medi t at e wi thout perfect knowledge.
115. Perfect knowledge is obtai ned by personal contact
wi th the preceptor and not t hrough words in fact. After realis-
ing the Cat ur vyha
7 9 6
thus and after deep thinking, one shall
practi se medi tati on.
794. tmnaih ced vijanyd ahamasmti pru;ah
kim japan kasya kmya iarlram ami sam jvaret
PaiicadatiVVl. i.
795. duhkha-traya: threefold misery: (i) dhytmika, (ii) dhibh-
autika, (iii) dhidaivika; for detail, see Vcaspati's gloss on IsVarakrsna's
Smkhya-krik, karik I.
796. Caturvyhafour categories of the supreme soul: taijasa, Viva,
Frja and Turiya.
452
Ligapurna
116. Like fire t hat burns t he dry fuel quickly, t he fire of
knowledge burns sins whether i nborn or extraneous or origi-
nat i ng from bones and speech (i.e. physically and verbal l y).
117. Ther e is nothi ng greater t han perfect knowledge for
the destruction of all sins. One shall always practise perfect
knowledge after eschewing all at t achment to worldly objects.
118. Ther e is no doubt t hat all the sins of a Tnin shall
perish. Even if he indulges in dalliance he is not affected by sins.
119-120. As is knowledge so is medi tati on. Hence, one
should practise medi t at i on.
7 9 7
At the outset medi t at i on is laid
down as Savisaya (having an object) and then Ni rvi saya
(having no obj ect ). The leading yogin shall practise medi tati on
in six ways
7 9 8
as follows:for the durat i on of two, four, six, ten,
twelve and sixteen units of time in order. Certai nl y he shall be
l i berated.
121-125a. At the outset he medi tates on a form as resplen-
dent as pur e gol d
7 9 9
or like the burni ng coal wi thout smoke, of
yellow, red or whi te colour or havi ng the lustre similar to t hat
of a crore of l i ghtni ng streaks.
Or
8 0 0
t he medi t at or keeps his mi nd assiduously stati oned i n
the Br ahmar andhr a (cerebral orifice). He shall remember t hat
it ( t he obj ect of medi t at i on) is nei t her whi te nor bl ack nor
yellow. He shall thereby become the knower of Br ahman.
He shall be non-violent, truthful i n speech, and non-stealer.
He shall by all means mai nt ai n celibacy and avoid gifts. He
shall be stable in observing holy rites, contented richly endow-
ed wi th cleanliness and always engaged in t he study of the
Vedas. He shall be devoted to me and practise medi tati on, of
course, as i nstructed by the precept or.
125b-127a. O excellent brahmi ns, after fixing his mi nd,
the medi t at or does not know anyt hi ng else. The yogin does
not identify himself wi th anyt hi ng else. He does .not see all
797. In aiva system of thought, emphasis is laid upon knowledge
and meditation. For detail, see Siva-rahasya, section X.
798. For detail about the varieties of meditation, ibid, section X.
799. uddha-jmbunada. The verse describes the form of the lord in
the savikalpaka samdhi. Cf. munnm jfinadtri ca sadaivopanisac chrut
kaivalya-ruti-bodhy ri mrtir mama mahevariSiva-rahasya cited in ST.
800. The verse describes the state of the mind in the stage of nirvi-
kalpaka samdhi.
The sacrifice of meditation 453
r ound nor smell nor hear anythi ng. He has dissolved hi m-
self i n his At man. He does not feel t he t ouch of anythi ng. He
is then known as havi ng acqui red equal taste in everything.
127b-131a. He shall think i n order t hus
8 0 1
: Br ahma i n
the mass of ear t h; Vi snu in the principl e of wat er; Kl ar udr a
i n the pri nci pl e of F i r e; Mahevara i n t he principle of Vyu
and iva in firmament. I am lord Paupat i , stationed in eight
forms. In eart h I am lord Sarva.
803
In waters lord Bhava; I am
Rudr a i n fi re; Ugr a i n wi nd; i n fi rmament, I am Bh ma; i n t he
sphere of Sun I am Ina and in l unar disc as Mahdeva.
131b-137. Everyt hi ng firm and solid in body is spoken of
as pert ai ni ng to the ear t h; what is liquid in form pertains to
water; what is called colour belongs to Agni (fi re); what moves
about is Vyu (wi nd). O excellent brahmi ns, what appears like
a hole is the firmament.
O brahmi ns, perfect knowledge originating from sound is
born of firmament; similarly, t he knowledge of what is called
" t o u c h" originates from Vyu; t hat of Rpa (col our) from
Vahni ; O brahmi ns, what belongs to water is full of taste; and
what is called " s mel l " belongs to the earth.
Again he shall medi t at e in order : t he sun in the right eye;
the moon in the left eye; the lord in the hear t ; the principl e of
eart h up to the knee; the sphere of water upt o the umbi l i cus; the
principle of fire upt o the neck; the principle of wind upt o the
forehead. Beginning wi th t he forehead and endi ng wi th t he
tuft is the pri nci pl e called firmament; above the firmament and
beyond t hat is the Brahman called Harhsa. Thi s first entity
called Vyoman is stationed in the mi ddl e of firmament.
138-139. These principles i ncl udi ng the first enti ty J va,
Prakrti , sattva, rajas, tamas, intellect, the ego, the subtle ele-
ments, the sense-organs, the elements begi nni ng wi th ether are
not real
8 0 3
. Because he stands steady pervading the universe
he is cal l ed St hnu.
801. The verse describes the method of pacatattva-devat-dhyna
in the savikalpaka samdhi.
802. This refers to the asta-mrti-devatdhyna.
803. najivahIn fact, meditation, its varieties and ancillaries are
all due to mSythe lord's power of projection. Actually, meditation, medi-
tator and the object meditated upon are all unreal, vide Pacadaii vi . 35.
454
Ligapurna
140-142. It is at the behest of Bhava t hat the frightened
sun rises,
804
the wi nd blows and purifies, the moon shines, t he
fire blazes, waters flow, the earth holds aloft and the firmament
gives room. Hence, O brahmi ns, one shall think about all these.
O excellent brahmi ns, all these are presided over by hi m al one.
One shall remember Bhava, thinking t hat he is identical wi t h
all forms in the universe.
143. To those who are scorched by the poison of mundane
existence, the only anti dote is the nectar-like perfect knowledge
and medi tati on. O excellent brahmi ns, no other solution has
been laid down anywhere.
144. Perfect knowledge originates directly from Dhar ma
( vi r t ue) . Vai rgya (det achment ) originates from knowl edge;
from Vai rgya arises the supreme knowledge t hat il l uminates
the true meani ngs of objects.
145. O excellent brahmi ns, he who is endowed with know-
ledge and det achment attai ns Yogic Si ddhi . One who abides
by sattva guna attai ns l i berati on through yogic siddhi and not
otherwise.
146. It is surprising t hat his unchangi ng region is covered
by the words tamas and Avidy. O brahmi ns, one should adopt
Sattvaakti (the power of Sattvaguna) and worship iva.
147-152a. My devotee abides by the sattva guna. He i s
engrossed in my worship. He clings to vi rtue in every respect.
He is enthusiastic always. He is endowed wi th concentrati on.
He i s bold and endures all Dvandvas (mut ual l y clashing pai rs).
He is engaged in the welfare of all living beings. He is straight-
forward by nat ure. He i s continuously heal thy and normal i n
his mi nd. He is always soft-natured. He is not arrogant . He is
intelligent and quiescent. O excellent brahmi ns, he eschews
rivalry. He is always desirous of liberation. He is conversant
with virtue. He is marked wi th t he characteristics of the
supreme soul .
80 5
He is released from the threefold i ndebted-
ness in the previous bi rt h and is meritorious. After becoming
804. udetiGf. bhi?smd vtah pavate TA.8.8.1; TU. 2.8.1;
Nrp.U. 2.4
805. rna-trayam a man owes three debts, viz. (i) brahmacarya 'or
study of the Vedas,' to the rsis; (ii) sacrifice and worship, to the gods; (iii)
procreation of the son, to the manes.
Suppression of delusion 455
an aged br ahmi n or even otherwise he shall serve his preceptor
wi th si nceri ty
80 6
and avoid hypocritical atti tudes. O brahmi ns,
he reaches the heavenly worl d and enjoys pleasures in the
proper order. Then gradual l y he comes to the sub-continent
Bhrat a and is bor n as a knower of Brahman.
152b-157. Thanks to the contact wi th a J ni n (a man
wi th perfect knowl edge), he shall acqui re perfect knowledge and
become conversant wi th yoga. O excellent brahmi ns, this is the
order in whi ch one full of i mpuri ti es attai ns perfect knowledge.
Hence, O l eadi ng sages, he shall proceed al ong this pat h and
be steady in his holy ri te. Eschewing at t achment wi th worldly
objects he is liberated from the poison Kl akt a in the form of
the worldly existence. Thus , succinctly, I have incidentally
recounted to you t he greatness of perfect knowledge t hat is
splendid and unswerving.
O l eadi ng sages, this P upat a yoga menti oned by vara,
iva should not be given to anyone and everyone. It should be
i mpart ed gladly to a yogin who always clings to Bhasman. The
man who reads this chapt er on suppression of worldly existence
or listens to i t certainl y attai ns Syuj ya wi th the Brahmna.
CHAP TER EI GHTYSEVEN
Suppression of delusion
Sta said :
1. After heari ng it, those sages of great intellect Sanat and
others who were frightened, bowed to the Pi nka-beari ng lord
Paramevara who was pleased and spoke to hi m thus :
2. " I f it is so, O Mahe vara, how do you sport about wi th
the goddess, the daught er of the Hi mavn and enjoy various
pleasures. It behoves you to menti on thi s. "
806. raddhaywith faithful devotion. Gf.
d
*TTCJ ^W?f oT' T
t
T%5r T *prf% | | cited in ST.
456 Ligapurna
Sta said :
3. Thus requested, the Pi nka-beari ng l ord, N l al ohi ta
laughingly glanced at Ambi k and spoke to those brahmi ns
who stood by after bowi ng to hi m.
4-5. "I am one who can adopt any body as I choose.
Hence, I have nei ther bondage nor l i berati on.
80 7
He who is not
an agent i s i gnorant. The j va i s Pau (one i n bondage) . The
all-pervading Lord i s the enjoyer. Ma n i s only an at om. He who
is bound by My and disallusioned is the one who is entangl ed
in Karmans. O brahmi ns, the Atman has nei ther knowledge nor
medi tati on, nei ther bondage nor liberation.
6-7. He too who realises this in me has none of these. Thi s
Hai mavat is Vi dy
8 0 8
and I am Vedya ( one who should be
known) . She is Pr aj (i nt el l ect ). She is ruti and Smrti . She
is Dhrt i (fortitude) stabilized by me. She is t he power of know-
ledge, Kri y ( r i t e) ; and Icch (will). She is Aj (Behest).
Undoubt edl y we are the two Vidys.
8. Thi s Prakrt i does not belong to the J va. Nor is she a
Vikrti on consideration. She is My. She is not a Vi kra
(effect). She is devoid of clarity of ' Sat ' and ' Asat' .
9. F ormerl y she ori gi nated from my mout h at my behest.
She is the eternal deity of five faces. She is t he highly blessed
and bestows fearlessness on the worlds.
10-11. After enteri ng her the Aj (behest), I think about
the welfare of the worlds. I am iva. I pervade all al ong with
her in twenty-seven
80 8
forms. O excellent brahmi ns since
then begins the work for sal vati on. "
Sta said :
After saying t hus, Paramevara looked at Bhavn .
12-13. On seeing hi m, the unchangi ng Bhavn removed
the My. Ri d of the i mpuri ti es of My those sages looked
at Prvat, became pleased and were liberated. Hence she is
807. cf. JT f*rO*"ct T "*ft?T%-f 9T3Jt "T "" 1
H
Ti^J * 3"*^ "-^^rjr II
Pacadaii VI . 35.
808. es vidythis Um is identical with knowledge or with Primor-
dial nature in association with Purusa.
809. Cf. p. 3 note. 12.
Suppression of delusion 457
t he greatest goal. In fact, t here is no difference at all between
m and Sakar a.
8 1 0
14-17. Ther e is no doubt t hat he is stationed after adopt i ng
the two forms. W hen there is a contact wi th Vi j na (perfect
knowl edge) at t he behest of Paramesdi i n, liberation occurs
wi thi n a moment and not otherwise, even wi th crores of holy
rites. Her e the order i ntended for t he living beings is not
appl i cabl e. By t he grace of Paramest hi n liberation takes
pl ace in a trice. Thi s is undoubt edl y the vow of t he lord. The
cr eat ur e (i . e. i ndi vi dual soul) is liberated, thanks to the grace
of Pararhesdi i n even when he is in t he womb or when he is
bor n, or when he is a boy, a young man or an old man. By the
grace of t he l ord of Devas every living being is liberated
whet her it is oviparous or a pl ant or one born of sweat. No
doubt need be ent ert ai ned i n this regard.
18-22a. He al one is the lord of the worl ds; S iva is the cause
of bondage and l iberation. The worlds vi z: Bhh, Bhuvah,
Svah, Mahah, J ana, Tapas and Satya the i nnumerabl e Cosmic
Eggs as well as t he ei ght
8 1 1
coverings of t he Cosmic Egg con-
stitute the body of t he lord. Mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings who
reside in t he seven conti nents, on the mount ai ns, in the forests
and oceans, and in t he layers of winds and in other worlds also
are born from the part s of the lord. Indeed, he al one is the
goal unt o t hem all.
22b-25. Rudr a is all. Obei sance unt o the noble-souled
Purusa. Thi s universe, all living beings are bor n of Rudr a.
Thi s goddess Ambi k is the Aj (behest) of Rudr a. Salvation
is effected t hrough Her .
Thus, the Siddhas, the heaven-walkers procl ai med wi th de-
lighted mi nds.
W hen the l ord stands by and glances at t hem gracefully
al ong wi th Ambi k the heaven-walkers at t ai n identity wi th the
lord.
8to. In fact Prakrti and Purusa are identical.
8 u . Seep. 4 note 13, p. 1 1 . note 18.
458
Ligapurna
CHAPTER EIGHTYEIGHT
Review of pupata yoga
The Sages said:
1. By what yoga do the good men obtai n good attri butes ?
How do the yogins become endowed wi th Ani m and ot her
siddhis? O Sta, it behoves you to recount everything in
detail now.
Sta said:
2. Henceforth, I shall recount the yoga, extremely diffi-
cult of access. At the outset, t he devotee shall remember the
eternal deity after fi xi ng hi m i n the mi nd i n fi ve
81
* different
forms.
3-4. O excellent brahmi ns, he shall fix the lotus posture
accompani ed by the moon, sun and fi re. It shall be combi ned
with the twentysix aktis. Thereafter, O brahmi ns, the devotee
shall remember t he l ord, t he consort of Um , i n the mi ddl e
first in eight ways, t hen in sixteen and agai n in twelve ways.
5-6. He shall remember the unbor n l ord of eight cosmic
bodi es,
81 3
accompani ed by eight aktis, al ong wi th t hem
Rudras of eight types and then of sixty-four types. Similarly
all the aktis endowed wi th the eight Gunas are to be remem-
bered. After obt ai ni ng perfect knowledge gradual l y one shall
adopt this procedure.
7. The yoga pertai ni ng to Paupat i is one t hat bestows
salvation. O brahmi ns, only he who practices the yoga does
get the attri butes, Ani m, etc. and not otherwise, even through
crores of holy rites.
8. Ther e the Aivarya of the yogins is said to comprise
of ei ght
8 1 4
attri butes. Under s t and all these being nar r at ed in
the proper order.
812. pacadhin five forms i.e. Sadyojta and others.
813. astasaktieight powers personified and named. Gf.
-fl -nir-^ -TOT TirfT "PT^T f*T*f"r*OTt -TT I
wvf^ farfvft msmTtffi fan 11
""Tt"""T"ft' "TTT *"fT""2ft Siva-rahasyacited in ST.
814. See p. 134 note 241.
Review of pupata yoga
459
9-10. Ani m (mi nuteness), Laghi m (lightness), Mahi m
(greatness), Prpt i ( t he power of obtai ni ng anyt hi ng), Pr-
kmyam (irresistible wi l l ); Iitva (l ordship) over everything,
Vai tva (abi l i ty to make others subservient) and Km-
vasyit (when everything happens according to one' s desires),
these are eight types. Thi s Aivarya desired by everyone
should be known as of three types.
11-15. The t hree types are Svadya, Ni ravadya and
Sksma. W hat is termed Svadya is of the nat ur e of five elements.
The function of the Sksma (subtl e) is in respect of the sense
organs, mi nd and ego. The function is agai n of the nat ur e
of five el ements (?). The sense-organs, mi nd, will, intellect and
egot he Atman comes i nto contact with all these. Thi s three-
fold contact functions only in the subtle things. Again the eight
attri butes are laid down only in the subtle forms. I shall men-
tion their nat ur e as described by the lord and as they are
known among all living beings of the three worlds.
16. The Ani m, etc. are self-evident. They are well esta-
blished everywhere. They are cited as difficult of access to all
living beings in the three worlds.
17-19. On attai ni ng t he fi rst Aivarya, the devotee gets
the power of the yogins. Thi s will make hi m assume such forms
t hat will enabl e hi m to cross or fl oat (on water or ai r ) . The
second (Laghi m) is known as the at t ai nment of great quick-
ness ( ghrat va) among all living beings. In all the three
worlds honour among all living beings is due to one' s greatness.
Therefore, the t hi rd yoga (i.e. Aivarya) is called Mahi t va
( = Mahi m) in the world. Prpt i enables one to mi x at one' s
will and pleasure wi th all living beings in the three worlds.
20. By Prkmya the devotee enjoys all desired objects.
It is t hrough obstruction somewhere t hat happiness and misery
are brought about in all living beings in t he three worlds.
21. The knower of the yoga Iitva (sixth Ai varya) be-
comes the overlord everywhere in every stage. In the three
worlds consisting of the mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings all the
living beings become subservient to hi m. Thi s is Vaitva the
seventh Aivarya.
22. W here there is Kmvasyi tva (the eighth and highest
Aivarya) forms occur and cease to be as the devotee wishes
460
Ligapurna
among all the three worlds consisting of t he mobi l e and im-
mobi l e beings.
23. W hen all these Siddhis or Aivaryas are attai ned,
sound, touch, taste, smell, colour and t he mi nd, all function or
cease to function as the devotee wishes.
24-27. He is nei ther born nor dies. He is nei ther cut nor
pierced. He i s nei ther burned nor illusioned. He i s nei ther
attracted nor afflicted by anythi ng. He does not waste away
nor does he perish. He is never depressed and he is not at all
made to change or undergoes change. He is devoid of smell, taste
and colour, touch or sound. He has no colour or caste. He has
no t one; everywhere he i s wi thout an equal . He enjoys the
objects of pleasure, but he does not become at t ached to any.
Thanks to his being mi nut e, he is extremely subtle. Thanks to
his being subtie, he is worthy of salvation.
28. Thanks to salvation, he is all-pervasive. Being all-per-
vasive, he is called Purusa. Due to his subtle nat ure, Purusa is
stationed in the greatest Aivarya (prosperity and gl ory).
29-30. The Aivaryas are said to be subtler and greater in
ascending order all round. After obtai ni ng the excellent yoga
and the uni mpeded Aivaryas, one shall attai n salvation. That is
the greatest subtle goal. O leading sages, the yoga pertai ni ng to
Paupati should be known thus.
31-32. It bestows the benefits of heaven and sal vation. It
is the cause of i denti ty wi th iva. Or , one who has no perfect
knowledge may perform holy rites due to attachments. After
enjoying Rj asa and Tmasa pleasures he is liberated there
itself(i.e. in this wor l d) . Similarly, he who performs meritorious
deeds attai ns t he benefit in heaven.
33-37. But the moment his merits are exhausted the ex-
cellent man reverts to the mort al worl d from t hat abode. Hence
Brahman is t he greatest happiness. Br ahman is the best and
per manent goal. One shall resort to the Br ahman al one.
Br ahman al one is the greatest happiness. All yajas are mere
waste of energy and no good results from t hem. One becomes
a prey to deat h by resorting to Yaj as. So l i berat i on is t he
sole happi ness. After seeing t he di vi ne Pur usa of universal
names wi t h faces all r ound, the devot ee, engaged in medi t a-
t i on, devout l y engrossed i n t he principle of t he Br ahman can-
Review of pupata yoga
461
not be dislodged even in hundr eds of manvant ar as. The divine
Purusa has universal feet, heads and necks. He is l ord of t he
universe. He has universal forms (col ours) and smell. The
universe is his garl and. He is t he lord wearing the universal
clothes.
38-41. The rays of the sun fajl on t he eart h but do not
go back to t he sun and reproduce hi m.
One can see t he lord only t hrough yoga and not by t he
eyet he lord who is the anci ent sage, who is subtl er t han t he
subtlest, who is the chastiser, who is greater t han t he greatest,
who is t he golden-coloured Purusa wi thout sense-organs, who has
no symbol, who is devoid of attri butes, who is perpet ual , who is
sentient, who is present always and everywhere, who is the
essence of all. Devotees who are purified by Hi m see the deity
shining wi th His spl endour and possessing massive refulgence.
He has nei ther hands nor feet
81 5
nor belly nor sides nor tongue.
He is beyond the scope of the sense-organs. He is one and
very subtle. Though He has no eyes, yet He sees; t hough He
has no ears yet He hears. He has no intellect; yet there i s
not hi ng t hat He does not underst and. He knows everything
but none knows hi m. So they call hi m t he great and foremost
Purusa.
42. The yogins who are i n uni on wi th the dei ty see t he
Prakrti of all living beings as acet an (insentient) subtle, all-
pervasive and habi tual l y giving bi rt h to many effects.
43. She has hands and feet all round. She has eyes, heads
and faces all round. She has ear3 all round. She stands enve-
loping everythi ng in the world.
44. One who is endowed wi th yoga and knows the eternal
Purusa, the lord of all living beings, never gets disillusioned.
45. One who medi tates on t he unchangi ng, great and
nobl e Br ahman which is the soul of all living beings, and
which is t he greatest At man, does not get disillusioned.
46. J us t as the wi nd movi ng amongst all bodies is per-
ceptible so also the Purusa. Because he lies down in the pub
8 1 8
so
he is called Purusa [puri ete]. He is too difficult to be grasped.
815. This verse is found in most of the Upanisads.
816. puri ete iti purusah. puri=liga-ar ire, in the subtle body.
Purusa is so called because he is stationed in the subtle body.
462
Ligapurna
47-48. If one neglects Dhar ma, t hat man is born in the
womb
817
wi th the residue of his activities.
81 8
W hen a man and
a woman indulge in intercourse and the semen gets mixed
wi th the blood, in due course, the sperm becomes the foetus.
49-52. In due course, the foetus becomes a bubbl e.
8 2 0
J us t as the l ump of clay assumes some form of an i mage on
being whirled i n the wheel and shaped by the potter' s hands
so also t he physical body is evolved, endowed wi th organic
mat t er and filled wi th vital airs. As long as the external ai r
8 2 0
does not touch the chil d in the womb he thinks t hus " when I
leave off the vaginal passage
82 1
I shall resort to Mahevara and
worshi p Mahdeva. The foetus becomes a human bei ng accord-
ing to the pre-ordai ned form and age.
53. W i nd originates from the firmament, from wind water
is evolved; from wat er originates the vital ai r and the semen
is generated and it flourishes through the vital airs.
54. Thi rt yt hree parts of blood are mixed wi th fourteen
part s of semen. W hen halves of these parts mix together the
foetus is evolved.
55. Then t he child in the womb is encircled by the five
vi tal airs. The child' s form is evolved limb by l imb from the
physical body of the father.
56. Thr ough t he umbilical region the child is sustained
by t he food taken i n by the mother, by t he liquid dri nk and by
the lambatives licked.
57. F or nine mont hs the child undergoes the pai n and
817. brahma-garbha brhmana-yonau ST. He is born in the
brahman a caste. Cf. ucinm rimatm gehe yogabhrasto 'bhijyate.
Bhagavad git.
818. avaiistaih karmabhih.
tgi-f ""*Plfa "STFta "WW "TR-T 11 P:cited in ST.
819. *-sr.'S--rra-f-T wfa z^H, 1 f^fsr' *pm zwzz:
"faff II Sivagt cited in ST.
8ao. vaisnavamthe external air which the babe breathes when
he comes out of the womb.
821. Gf. -=JTT"}* J T T ST'WT "*T""n""""ft*'""r " T R T T : I
-^^r i ^ni f ^i i H; -ra^s^-<Rr?"*<: 11
Review of pupata yoga
463
st rai n; his neck is encircled by t he umbi l i cal cord. Hi s body is
curl ed up as the space wi t hi n the womb i s not sufficient.
58. After spendi ng nine mont hs i n the womb the child
falls down t hrough t he vaginal passage wi th his head down-
wards. Then in the course of his life on the earth he commits
sins and due to these sins he falls i nto hell after deat h.
59. F or exampl e, he may fall i nto the hells of Asi patravana
and l mal i cchedana. Ther e he may have to suffer being beaten,
eat en or forced to partake of foeted blood.
60-61. J us t as t he wat er becomes sdcky and bi ndi ng to-
gether when thi ngs are cut and t hrown in, so also the living
beings are cut and t hrown i nto the places of torture. They are
scorched by means of the sins commi tted by themselves. They
shall at t ai n misery or happi ness accordi ng to t he residue of
thei r actions.
62. One has to go al one after leaving off all peopl e. One
has to experience pl easure or pai n all al one. Hence, one shall
perf orm meri tori ous rites.
63. W hen he starts on his j our ney after deat h, none follows
hi m as he goes ahead. The action performed by hi m follows
hi m.
64. They function t hus i n the real ms of Yama. W hen t he
t reat ment is against thei r liking they always groan loudly. Thei r
bodies are dessicated by diversified tortures and surrounded by
t orment s and agonies.
65. The practi ce of what one repeatedl y resorts to mental l y,
physically and verbally influences hi m. Hence, one shall per-
form auspicious things always.
65. The uni nt er r upt ed series of previous acti ons of the
embodi ed soul has no begi nni ng : The i ndi vi dual soul adopts
six types of terrible worldly existence full of t amaoguna.
67-71. F r om human form i t adopts t he form of cow
(domesti c ani mal ) ; from t hat of a cow, the domestic ani mal , he
may become a wild ani mal ; from t hat of a wild ani mal he
may at t ai n bi rd-hood; from t hat the form of a reptil e and from
t hat he may at t ai n the form of an i mmobi l e being. W hen he
attai ns the form of an i mmobi l e being it whirls like t he wheel
of the pot t er there itself till the soul is uplifted. Thus is the
worldly existence beginning from human being and endi ng
464
Ligapurna
with the i mmobi l e bei ng. It should be known as Tmas a. The
soul revolves there itself. The existence of Brahm, etc. is
Sttvika worldly existence. The existence of embodi ed beings
begi nni ng wi th Br ahm and endi ng wi th Pi ca should be
known as existing in t he heavenly abodes. The existence of
Brahm is purel y of the nat ur e of Sattva, t hat of the i mmobi l e
being is of the nat ur e of Tmas a al one.
72-75. In t he mi ddl e of the fourteen abodes, Raj as is
t hat whi ch i mpedes or fixes firml y even as the vital parts of
the body of t he embodi ed being who is in agony, are being
cut and pierced. How can the brahmi n t hen remember t he
greatest Br ahman ? The worldly existence is pr ompt ed by t he
impression and effects of the previous Dhar ma and accordingly
human bi rt h i s achieved. Hence one shall practise medi tati on
always. One shall realise t hat the zone of the worlds is of four-
teen types and so shall be frightened of it and begi n to practise
Dhar ma. Then, he changes and gradual l y crosses worl dl y ex-
istence.
76. Hence, one shall always be engaged in yoga and
interested i n medi t at i on. He shall medi t at e on t he greatest
being. He shall so begi n the practi ce of yoga t hat he sees t he
At man within himself.
77-78. He is the waters. He is the greatest light. He is the
excellent bri dge. He is t he cause of all living beings by means
of evolution and combi nati on. He i s t he per manent one. Hence,
one shall worship Mahe vara t he bri dge, the At man, the fi re
wi th faces all round, and stationed in t he hear t of all living
beings.
79-84. The devotee shall medi t at e on Rudr a, t he lord
who is stationed within who is embellished by his own akti
who, for the sake of creati on, is stationed in a series of ei ght
8 2 2
different forms and who is stationed in the heart by compres-
sing t he fi re. W i t h t he mi nd cont empl at i ng the fi re stationed i n
the heart he shall perform fi ve offerings. He shall dri nk pur e
water silently once ( i n the ritualistic way) i n the squatti ng
position. He shall ut t er " Pr nya Svh" . Thi s i s the f i rst
822. The lord is stationed in the heart in the eight-fold way, viz.,
earth, etc., or in eight forms, viz., Bhava, etc., or in eight mrtis Vma-
deva etc.
Review of pupata yoga 465
offering. The second offering is for Apna, t he third for Vyna,
t he fourth for Udna and the fifth for Samna. After offering
these severally wi th t he utterance of Svh, the devotee shall
part ake of the remai ni ng offering as he pleases. He shall dri nk
water once again and perform the ri te of camana. After t hat
he shall touch the heart.
85. He shall perform the rite of satiety wi th this
mant r a : " you are the knot of the vital ai rs.
8 2 3
Rudr a i s
Atman. Atman is the destroyer of the subjects. Rudr a, indeed,
is the vital air of the Atman."
86-87. At the time of r ddha he shall perform five offer-
ings as per i nj unct i on: (1) Indeed, Rudr a is embedded in
Pr na ( 2) Hence, he himself i s identical with Pr na, ( 3) One
performs the excellent nect ar unt o Pr na and Rudr a, ( 4) O
iva, O Is a, enter me, (5) Svh unt o Brahmat man himself.
88-90. The Homa shall be concluded with the following
mant r as : You are Purusa. You lie down in the body, in the size
of the t humb. Ia is the great cause of all t hough based on t he
t humb.
8 2 4
May the per manent l ord of all t he Uni verse be
pleased. You are the eldest of all Devas. You are Rudr a. F or-
merly you were I ndr a. You are soft by nat ure. May this sacri-
ficial offering unt o you be our food.
Thus, everything has been menti oned wi th special emphasis
on the at t ai nment of good attri butes.
91-93. The practi ce of yoga has been formerly menti oned
by Br ahma himself. Thus, t he perfect knowledge belonging to
Paupat i should be known wi th effort. One shall take bat h
wi th Bhasman. One shall smear Bhasman. He who reads this,
listens to this or narrates this to excellent brahmi ns in di vi ne
rites or in those of the Pitrs attai ns the greatest goal.
823. "Prnnrh granthir asi" TA. 10. 31.1; Mahn. U. 16.2.
824. agustbm&tro'yam. TA. 10.38. 1; Mahn. U. 16. 3.
466 Ligapurna
CHAP T E R EI GHTYNI NE
Characteristics of good conduct
Sta said:
1. Henceforth, I shall ment i on the characteristics of puri ty
and good conduct. On acting accordi ng to it the pure soul
will at t ai n the highest goal after deat h.
2. Thi s has been formerly ment i oned by Brahm for the
welfare of living beings. Thi s is the summary of t he i mpl i cati on
of the Vedas. It is a collection of things expoundi ng the Brah-
man.
3. It is conduci ve to the rise of cleanliness. It is the
excellent position of the sages. The sage who does not err in
this does not come to grief.
4. Honour and di shonour are two things whi ch they call
poison and nect ar. Di shonour is nectar and honour is poison.
5. He, t he disciple, shall live wi th t he preceptor for a year
engaged i n the welfare of t he precept or. He shall always be
unerri ng i n the holy observances and restraints.
6. After obt ai ni ng his permission al ong wi th the excellent
pat h of knowledge he shall walk over t he eart h [i. e. fulfil the
duti es of t he mundane existence] wi thout repugnance to
Dhar ma.
7. One shall traverse the pat h sanctified by the eyes; one
shall dri nk the water rendered pure by a cl oth (i. e. well-
fi l tered); one shall speak out words sanctified by t r ut h; one
shall practise those things t hat are purified by the mi nd.
8 2 5
8. If one drinks i mpur e water for a day one incurs t hat
sin which a fisherman incurs in the course of six mont hs.
9. On dri nki ng i mpur e water one shall as expiation
perform fi ve hundr ed j apas of Aghora mant r a and then at t ai n
puri ty.
10. Or he shall worship iva wi t h el aborate details, such
as abl uti on with ghee, etc. Then he shall ci rcumambul at e the
deity three times, when he shall undoubtedl y be purified.
11. The knower of yoga shall not go anywhere to receive
hospitality as a guest or to part ake of rddhas and Yaj as. It
825. Cf. Manusmrti VI . 46.
Characteristics of good conduct
467
is t hought t hat t he yogin will be non-violent only in this
manner .
12. The intelligent mendi cant shall go in for alms to a
house wher e all peopl e have taken food but still t here is pl ent y
of fi re wi t hout smoke. But he shall not go t o t he same house
every day.
13. In t hat case peopl e will insult hi m and t he enemies
will di sgrace and humi l i at e hi m. So one shall beg for al ms in
t he pr oper manner . He shall not defile t he Dha r ma of good
men.
14. One shall beg for alms in t he houses of vagr ant
mendi cant s and i n t he houses situated i n t he forests. The l at t er
shall be t he bet t er mode of sustenance.
15. O br ahmi ns, thereafter he shall go in for al ms at t he
places of humbl e househol ders who have faith, who have
cont rol over t he sense-organs and who are noble-souled scho-
lars of t he Vedas.
16. Thereaft er, he shall go in for al ms in t he houses of t he
non-defiled and not-fallen. The pract i ce of beggi ng for al ms
from peopl e of ot her castes is considered t he meanest of all
modes.
17. Any of t he following things can be received in t he
form of al ms, viz. gruel , but t er milk, milk, barl ey wat er , ri pe
fruits and roots, bits of grai ns, oil-cakes and powder ed fried
grai ns.
18. The i t ems of food ment i oned by me are those t hat in-
crease t he accompl i shment s of t he yogins. If t hey are realised
t he al ms ar e said to be excellent.
19. Of these two persons, viz. one who begs for alms by
means t hat ar e justifiable and t he ot her who, (by way of
penance) dri nks a dr op of wat er by means of t he t i p of t he
dar bha grass once in a mont h, the former excels t he l at t er.
20. Bhaiksya is so called because it removes t he sins of
one who is afraid of old age, deat h, rebi rt h, residence in
hells, et c.
21. Those who ar e addi ct ed t o t he r egul ar use of curds
or mi l k or those who cause wast age in t he i ndi vi dual souls
all these do not mer i t even a sixteenth par t of one who
par t akes of t he al ms.
468
Ligapurna
22. One shall always lie down on Bhasman; wi th control
over the sense-organs he shall beg for alms. He who wishes
for the greatest abode shall perform the P upat a vrata.
23. The rite of Gndr yana shall be most excellent for
all yogins. According to his capacity, the devotee shall per-
form it once, twice, thrice or four times.
24. Bhiksus (mendi cants) have five vratas, viz: Asteya
(non-steal i ng); Brahmacarya (cel i bacy); Al obha (non-
covetousness); Tyga (renunci ati on) and Ahims (non-vio-
lence) whi ch is the greatest.
25. The ni yamas (observances and restraints) are t he
fol l owing: akrodha (abstention from anger ) , guruurs
(service to the precept or), auca (cleanliness), hral ghava
(lightness of food) and study of the Vedas regularly.
26. The qualities of t he seed, t he vagina and bondage
with the obj ectsare due to kar mans ( ?) . J us t as in the case
of the el ephant in the forest so also in regard to men it is laid
down.
27. All t he sacrificial rites are equal to Devas. But j apa
is superior to sacrificial rites; perfect knowledge is superior to
medi t at i on; and medi tati on, devoid of at t achment , is still supe-
rior to t hat . W hen t hat is acquired, the eternal goal is obtai ned.
28. Those persons whose intellects have been purified by
perfect knowledge say t hat the following are auspicious
qualities, vi z: cont rol of the mi nd, suppression of the sense-
organs, truthfulness, state of bei ng free from sins, silence,
straightforwardness in regard to all living beings and the
knowledge of those objects beyond the scope of the sense-
organs.
29. Onl y a nobl e soul who has concentrati on, who is
devoted to t he Brahman, who does not err, who i s pur e, who
likes seclusion, and who has conquered the sense-organs shall
at t ai n this yoga. Thus, say the sages who are devoid of i mpuri -
ties and are above censure.
30. The devotee who has destroyed even the seeds of sins
by means of this pur e pat h, restrained by the same goad (of
pur e pat h ) at t ai ns the desired places.
31. Qui escent persons engaged i n good conduct and
Characteristics of good conduct
469
mai nt ai ni ng thei r own Dhar ma conquer all the worlds and
attai n, the worl d of Br ahman.
32. The eternal Dhar ma has been i mpar t ed by Brahma
himself for the utility of the people. Listen now when I recount
it to you.
33. One shall duly perform his duties such as obeisance
and standi ng up by way of welcome towards elderly persons
who have acqui red instructions from preceptors and who stri-
ctly adhere to thei r routi ne ( i . e . the rules rel ati ng to their
A r ama) .
34. O sages of good holy rites, the br ahmi n and t he prece-
pt or are to be honoured by obeisance wi th eight limbs touch-
ing the ground wi t h the following three set aside vi z: head-
dress, upper garment and footwear and with three ci rcumam-
bul ati ons.
35. All el derl y persons should be respected. If one wishes
for excellent Si ddhi one shall never break their behests.
36. One shall avoid all these t hi ngs: Taki ng up i ron and
other metals for sustenance, living in a desert or unproduct i ve
soi l
82 9
and using worthless mant r as as means of support, sn:>ke-
char mi ng
8 2 7
and backbiting, f l attery
8 2 7
a or scandal .
37-40. One shall scrupulously avoid deception, stinginess
in spendi ng money, censure of others. In the presence of
preceptors and elders one shall avoid l aughter, haughtiness,
sportive dal l i ance and wilfulness. One shall never cont radi ct
the precept or; one shall never speak unbecomi ng words against
hi m. One shall scrupulously avoid menti oni ng things disliked
by the preceptor and shall not think evil of hi m. One shall
never t ouch these things wi t h one' s f ootthe clothes, staff, etc.,
of ascetics, their sandals, garl ands, places of sleep [i. e. bed-
mattress et c. ] , vessel, shadow and the requisite things of use in
sacrifices.
41. O brahmi ns, one shall scrupulously avoid treachery
826. bila-ksetramsarabhmih ST. barren field.
827. Visa-grahah visa-yuktaiarpdinm mantradin grahanam
ST. profession of a snake-charmer. It is hazardous as well as degrading.
827a. Vidambahanynukaranam ST. mimicry.
470 Ligapurana
to the deities and preceptors. If one unwillingly commits it, one
shall perform ten thousand j apas of the Pranava.
42-43. If he repeats the j apas a crore of times he is
purified from the sins of treachery to the preceptor and the
deities. F or the expi ati on of great sins, one shall repeat Siva' s
mant r a in accordance wi th the inj unction. If the sinner is,
otherwise, of good conduct he is purified by half t he number of
j apas. O sages of good holy rites, all the Upapt aki ns (those
who commi t subsidiary sins) get purified by half the number
of j apas.
44. A br ahmi n guilty of t he omission of Sandhy prayers
becomes pur e by repeati ng it thrice. If the daily routi ne is
violated, it shall be repeat ed hundred and one times.
45. In the following circumstances, one is purified by
repeati ng the mant r a for thousand times. The instances a r e :
violating agreements, eati ng forbidden food and speaki ng
what should not be spoken.
46. Ther e is no doubt in this that if one kills birds like
crows, owls and doves, etc., he is liberated from the sin by
repeati ng the mant r a hundr ed and eight times.
47. The excellent br ahmi n who knows the t r ut h and has
realised Br ahman becomes pure merely by rememberi ng the
dei ty. No doubt need be entertai ned i n this respect.
48. Ther e are no expi atory rites nor inj unctions regard-
ing t hem in the case of the knowers of the At man. Peopl e who
are conversant wi th t he l earni ng of the br ahman are pur e
themselves (because they are engaged) in the welfare of the
universe.
49. Those who adher e to yoga and dhyna are stainless
like gold. They become pure by resorting to Brahma vidy and
there is no further purification for persons already pure.
50. One shall avoid turbi d water. He shall perform all
rites by means of waters t hat have been purified by filtering
t hrough the pores of a cloth and t hat do not contai n cold foams.
51-52. One shall avoid waters of these t ypes : t hat whi ch
has defective smell, colour and taste; t hat whi ch stagnates in
i mpure pl aces; t hat which i s defiled by mud and pebbles, the
sea water, the water from puddl es, the water mingl ed with
Characteristics of good conduct 471
moss and water t hat is otherwise defiled. O brahmi ns, one
shall perform all rites equi pped wi th the cleanliness of clothes.
53. One shall perform the rites of obeisance as well as
service to the preceptors with pur e and clean clothes. One
devoid of cleanliness and puri ty in clothes is undoubt edl y
i mpure.
54. It is desired t hat the clothes used in divine rites should
be washed every day. Ot her clothes should be washed when
they become di rty.
55-57. O brahmi ns, one shall scrupulously eschew the
clothes worn by others.
Wool l en garments and silken clothes shall be washed by
means of har d coarse substances. Woven-silk garments should be
washed wi th whi t e must ard seeds. Silk garments called arhu-
paftas shall be washed wi t h bilva fruits. The pecul i ar type
of bl ankets called Kut apas shoul d be washed wi th soap-berry
nut s. The cleansing of l eather, wickerwork baskets and cane-
boxes is in the same way as t hat of clothes. Leadi ng sages who
know t he br ahman have ment i oned t hat the cleansing of bark
garments of all varieties, of t he umbrel l a and of the chowrie
is like t hat of clothes.
58. Bell metal is purified by Bhasman, iron is purified by
aci d; O brahmi ns, copper, tin and lead are cl eaned wi th
vinegar.
59. O excellent brahmi ns, the pots of gold and silver can
be purified by water. The cleansing of jewels, rock, conch and
pearls is similar to t hat of metal s.
60. The puri t y of excessively pol l uted things is t hrough
cont act wi th fire and water. The cleansing of all beverages is
called Ut pl avana.
61. Obj ects made of grass, wood, etc., are purified by
sprinkling t hem wi th sacred water. The puri t y of Sruk and
Sruva (the sacrificial pl ate and l adl e) is t hrough hot water.
62. The cleansing of the utensils of yajas, t hat of the
mor t ar and pestle and t he purification of those made of hor n,
bone, wood and ivory i s by means of por i ng.
63. O hi ghl y blessed ones, spri nkl i ng is t he means of puri -
fication of compact solid bodi es; if t he t hi ngs are disjointed
the-" shall be severally cl eansed.
472
Ligapurna
64. If a porti on of a heap of grains not eaten, is defiled
t hat portion is removed and the remai ni ng par t is sprinkled
with Kua grass-water.
65. It is desirable t hat vegetables, roots and fruits are
purified like grains. The house is purified by sweeping and
scrubbi ng. A mud-pot is purified by heati ng it over fire.
66. The floor can be cleansed by scraping, digging, bed-
aubi ng, sweeping, sprinkling and by tetheri ng cows over it.
67-68. The wat er stagnati ng over the surface of lands
becomes pure if a cow drinks from there and quenches its
thirst, but filth should not spread over it al ong wi th foul smell,
taste and colour.
The calf is purified in a spri ng; and the bi rd by throwi ng
a fruit at it. Duri ng sexual intercourse the mout h of the wife
is pure for t he loving householder.
69. The excellent knower of Dhar mas shall sprinkle with
Ku a grass water, t he cloth manual l y washed by a washerman
duly, and t hen take it for use.
70. Merchandi se spread in accordance wi th the division
of castes and stages of life is pur e. Thi ngs taken out of mines
are nat ural l y pur e. A hound is ptfre when it catches hol d of
a deer.
71. All these are pur e even when they come i nto contact
wi th t he body, viz. shadow, drops of water, brahmi ns, flies
etc. , dust, ground, wi nd and fire, O excellent brahmi ns.
72. O brahmi ns, even when one is pure, one shall perform
t he camana ri te after sleeping, taking food, sneezing, dri nki ng
and spitting. At the begi nni ng of t he study of t he Vedas and
on similar occasions one shall perform the camana rite.
73. If t he drops of wat er fall on the feet while others per-
form the camana rite they shall be known as earthl y things.
One shall not become i mpure thereby.
74-75. After sexual intercourse and after touchi ng a fallen
man, cocks, pig, crows, dog, camel , donkey, post, cndl a and
others, one becomes pur e, j ust by a bat h. One shall not touch
a woman in her mont hl y course, a woman after delivery and a
dra woman.
Characteristics of good conduct 473
76. One defiled by pol l uti on after bi rt h or deat h shall
not t ouch thei r dust. If he touches he shall be pur e by taki ng
bat h.
77. O sages of good holy rites, the following persons are not
defiled by pol l uti onasceti cs, forest-dwellers, religious students,
life-long celibates, kings and rulers of provinces.
78. Onl y when t here are i mpedi ment s i n thei r tasks, do
kings, sages and brahmi ns who have fallen become i mpure and
not otherwise.
79-80. The Aauca of the brahmi ns is upt o the collection
of bones after cremat i on and they are purified merely by taki ng
bat h. Si mi l arl y for those who are i ni ti ated in the sacrifice. It
has been ment i oned by the self-born deity t hat for those who
had performed sacrifices the pol l uti on is for one day. Then for
those who have studied thei r respective branches of the Vedas
it is for four days.
81. O excellent brahmi ns, ki nsmen do not have pollution
due to bi rt h or deat h beyond t hree days (if they hear of the
bi rt h or deat h) after t he el eventh day.
82. If one is present at the time of deat h one is purified
merel y by taki ng bat h. If the fact of deat h is known after
t hree seasons (i . e. six months)
8 2 8
the pollution is for one day.
83-84. If t he fact of deat h is known before seven years
8 2 9
the pol l uti on is for three days and beyond t hat for the brah-
mins, it is for ten days. The pol l ution due to bi rt h is for the
first day in the case of the father. O sages, in the case of the
mot her it is for ten days. If t he fact is known after three
years,
8 3 0
the puri t y is at t ai ned by bat h by the father as well as
by kinsmen.
85. If the fact is known after eight years
8 3 1
t he kinsmen
become pur e wi t hi n a day. O sages of good holy rites, if t he fact
828. rtu-trayd arvkbefore three seasons, i. e. before six months,
if the deceased is not six months old. Editor.
829. arvk sapta-varsatif the deceased is not seven years old.
Editor.
830. arvk sapta-varstif the deceased is not seven years old.
Editor.
831. asjbdtif the deceased is not eight years old. Editor.
474
Ligapurna
is known after twelve years
8 8 1
* or beyond t hat , the ladies will
have pol l uti on for t hree days.
86. Sapi ndat (the state of bei ng ki nsman by way of
offering t he funeral rice balls) recedes in the seventh genera-
tion. If the ten days i mmedi atel y after deat h have elapsed, one
shall be i mpure for t hree days.
87. The br ahmi n beyond t hat peri od or after a year has
elapsed, becomes pur e merel y by taki ng bat h.
88. If one touches a dead body, one becomes pur e after
three days. It is for t he sake of Dha r ma t hat abl ut i on is enjoin-
ed i n regard to t he persons who cr emat e t he dead body. If he
is not a relative he need t ake bat h al one.
89. If one follows t he dead body, one becomes pur e by
taking bat h and dri nki ng ghee. W hen the precept or dies, or when
a vedic-scholar passes away, pol l ution remai ns for three days.
83 2
90-92. O brahmi ns, if mat er nal uncles and t hei r wives or
brothers di e, i f kings and rulers di e, the peopl e become pur e
i mmedi atel y. O excellent brahmi ns, the pol l ut i on of t he Ksa-
triyas is for twelve days. A crowned ki ng need not observe
pol l uti on if his kinsmen di e in bat t l e. A Vai ya becomes pur e
in fifteen days. A dr a becomes pur e wi t hi n a mont h.
Thus, t he excellent mode of purification has been described
to you in brief.
93. Ascetics do not have to observe pol l uti on accrui ng from
bi rt h or deat h.
O brahmi ns, I shall now ment i on anot her i mpuri ty, i.e., t he
monthl y menst rual di scharge of the women.
94. Due to the nat ur e of t he yuga, i n t he Kr t a age, ladies
gave bi rt h but once. The blessed ones repai red to the forests
al ong wi th thei r wives like t he Kur us .
8 3 3
95. O sages of good holy rites, the arrangement regardi ng
the castes and stages of life began ever since the Tr et yuga.
831a. str?uif the married woman who has not completed twelfth
year dies (in her father's house). Cf.
TCf f l f i ^Ki qi -^ gr cT s r r ^ ^ T JT
T
T HS F T : Agnipurna cited in ST.
832. paksinia night with the two days enclosing it. Cf.
gHf l l ^ NKl f ay? q f ^ r ^ n w T c i t e d by V.S. Apte : The
practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 557.
833. KuravahKuruvarsyh ST. the residents cf Kuru varsa.
Characteristics of good conduct
475
Thi s ar r angement is observed only in the southern sub-continent
of Bharat a and not i n t he other.
96. Dhar ma is observed in t he following conti nents and
sub-continents, viz. Mahv t a,
8 3 4
Suv ta,
888
J ambdv pa
8 8 8
and
its ei ght other sub-continents, and kadv pa,
83 7
etc. and i n
Bhar at a.
8 3 8
97-99. In Kr t a yuga, t he sustenance of peopl e was from
taki ng l i qui ds; in Tr et yuga from domestic trees. But this was
discontinued duri ng the subsequent ages. The same occurred i n
regard to the unti mel y intercourse, duri ng t he menstrual dis-
charge, due to lust of men. O Brahmins, so barl ey and other
pl ants of t he village and forest as well as t he fourteen types of
medi ci nal herbs were cultivated unti mel y and destroyed, as i n
the case of sexual intercourse duri ng the menst rual period due
to t he passion of men.
100. Hence, one shall assiduously avoid conversing wi th a
woman i n her monthl y course. On the fi rst day, she has to be
avoided like a cndl a woman.
101-102. O brahmi ns, on the second day, she is to be treat-
ed like a woman who has slain a br ahmi n. On the thi rd day,
8 3 8
she has half t hat sinful nat ure. O sages of good holy rites, she
shall take bat h on the fourth day.
8 4 0
She shall then be pur e
wi thi n half a mont h. F r om the sixteenth day onwards t he
women shall observe cleanliness in regard to passing of uri ne.
103. If the menstrual discharge continues she cannot be
touched for five days.
84 1
As far as twenty days she is defiled by
the menstrual discharge and remains untouchabl e.
834. Mahvltasee p. 206 note 333.
835. Suvitanot identifiable.
836. Jambdvipa, see p. 189 note 292a.
837. ST. does not construe 'astasu' with 'ka-dvpdisu' but takes
it with 'kimpurusdisu* which it supplies since it does not occur in the
verse. It explains 'ka-dvipdisu' along with plaksadvpntikesu, on the
authority of Liga. I. 46. 46.
838. Bharata, see p. 186 note 289; p. 202 note 318.
839. trty'hnion the third day of menstruation she is as impure as
the washerwoman: 'trtiye rajak prokt'cited in ST.
840. She becomes pure on the fourth day: 'bhartuh uddh caturthe-
hni'cited in ST.
841. If her menses do not stop after three days she remains impure
for five nights. But Apastamba considers her to be impure so long as her
menses continue:
IT-IT f~f"{~T T"""f"T -TTfTffT P * ^ ^ 11
476
Ligapurna
104-107. A woman in her monthl y course shall avoid bat h,
toilet, singing, crying, l aughing, going in vehicles, appl yi ng
collyrium, pl ayi ng dice, appl yi ng unguents, sleeping duri ng
the dayti me, washing the teeth, sexual intercourse, worship of
deities whether ment al , verbal or physical as well as bowing
down. A woman in her monthl y course shall avoid touchi ng
anot her woman i n her monthl y course and talking to her also.
She shall assiduously avoid changi ng her garments. A woman
i n her mont hl y course shall not touch anot her man after her
108. She shall look at the brilliant sun and dri nk Brahma-
kurca or Pacagavya or milk for self purification.
109-110. The husband shall not i ndul ge i n sexual inter-
course on the fourth ni ght after t he mont hl y discharge has
st art ed. If he indulges t hus, t he child bor n will be short-lived.
The son bor n of this sexual cont act will be devoid of l earni ng,
depraved, devi at i ng from t he observance of holy rites, violating
t he chastity of ot her men' s wives and i mmersed in t he ocean of
enury. The woman should be appr oached on t he fi ft h ni ght
if he seeks a daught er .
111. If t he bl ood is pr edomi nant , t he child will be a gi r l ;
if t he semen is pr edomi nant t he child will be a boy; if bot h ar e
equal t he child will be an eunuch; if t he sexual intercourse is
on t he fifth ni ght t he child will be a girl.
112. The blessed l ady shall be appr oached on t he sixth
ni ght ; she will be t he mot her of a good son. The son will be
excessively bri l l i ant and he will remai n dutiful as a son.
113. Th e wor d Pum means " he l l " and t hey say t hat hell
is mi serabl e. She will give bi r t h to a son who will save his
parent s from Pum (i . e. hell).
8
**
114. The husband who seeks a daught er shall appr oach
her on t he seventh ni ght . She will give bi r t h t o a da ught e r .
8 4 3
If appr oached on t he ei ght h ni ght she will give bi r t h to a
son eq ui pped wi t h everyt hi ng.
115. He who seeks a daught er shall appr oach his wife on
842. Cf. Manu. I X. 138.
843. saiva prasyate Bandhy bhavati ST. she becomes barren.
ST. quotes Nirnaya-sindhu in support of his view: "saptamym apraj
yosit." But this meaning is not borne out by the text.
bat h.
Characteristics of good conduct 477
the ni nt h ni ght ; if approached on the t ent h ni ght a scholarly
son will be b o m; if approached on the eleventh ni ght she will
give bi rt h to a girl as before.
84 4
116-117. If approached on the twelfth ni ght she will give
bi rt h to a son who is conversant with the pri nci pl e of Dhar ma
and who will observe the holy rites laid down i n Srutis and
Smrtis. If approached on t he thi rteenth ni ght she will give bi rt h
to a sluggish girl who will bri ng about mi xture of castes. Hence,
one shall assiduously avoid her on t hat night. If he approaches
her on the fourteenth ni ght she will be t he mot her of a son.
118-122. If approached on the fifteenth ni ght she will give
bi rt h to a virtuous daught er ; if approached on the sixteenth
ni ght she will give bi rt h to a son who will be a master of per-
fect knowledge.
If at t he ti me of the sexual intercourse the air passes
through the left side of t he woman she will give bi rt h to a
daught er ; if it passes t hrough the ri ght side she will give bi rth
to a boy. The t i me of sexual intercourse shall be free from the
influence of evil pl anets. At the time ment i oned t hus t he hus-
band shall r emai n clean and appr oach t he pur e and smiling
wife joyously.
Thus, in the context of collecting together virtuous rites of
the ascetics, the good conduct of all living beings has been
recounted to you.
The pur e man who reads this discourse on the good conduct
or listens to it or narrat es this to the brahmi ns who have des-
troyed their sins will at t ai n the world of lord Br ahm and
rejoice al ong wi t h t he lord.
844. Construe 'purvt' with the following verse, i. e. dvdaym
prvavat (=panditavat) dharma-tattvajam (sutam praste).
478
Ligapurna
CHAP TER NI NETY
The expiatory rites of the ascetics
Sta said:
1. Henceforth, I shall ment i on decisively t he mode of
expiation by asectics. Thi s is recounted by iva and it makes
adequat e at onement for the sins of ascetics.
2. Sins are of three types: those ori gi nati ng from
speech, mi nd and body. It is by these t hat the universe is en-
compassed always, by day and by ni ght.
3. " W i t hout activities the world cannot be sustained even
for a moment " , says the sacred ruti . It is the only i nstrument
t hat is conducive to longevity and sustenance.
4. It is only to the unerri ng t hat the yoga becomes accessi-
bl e. Indeed, yoga is the greatest strength. Ther e is no other
auspicious thi ng for men t hat is greater t han yoga.
5-7. Hence, l earned men endowed with vi rt ue praise yoga.
They shall conquer (i gnorance) by knowledge and at t ai n
excellent aivarya. After seeing the greatest being inferior to
none, t he self-possessed ones will at t ai n that region. Ther e are
mai n and subsidiary holy rites to be observed by t he mendi -
cants (Bhiksus). Expi atory rites are also laid down for violating
any of t hem.
By carnally approachi ng a woman the mendi cant incurs
sin and for t hat t he following expi atory ri te is ment i oned.
8. He shall perform Prnyma and observe t he rite
Snt apana.
8 4 5
Then wi th great concentrati on and attenti on at
the end, he shall perform the Kr cchr a
8 4 8
ri te i n accordance
wi th the direction.
9-10. Again the Bhiksu shall ret urn to the hermi t age and
perform the ri te alertfully. Learned men say t hat a virtuous
falsehood does not inj ure one. Still it should not be pursued.
Its mere context is terrible. The expiatory rite is fasting for a
ni ght and a day and a hundred Pr nymas.
845. sntapanama rigid penance; cf. Manu. 11. 213; also Mitksar
on Yjavalkya (pryascitta).
846. ST. supplies prjpatyam with krcchram. For detail, see p. 45
note 62.
The expiatory rites of the ascetics 479
11. Evil ut t erance and discussion shall not be pursued by
an ascetic desirous of at t ai ni ng Dhar ma. Thi evi ng shall not be
i ndul ged in even when he is in great distress.
12-13. ruti says t hat there is no evil great er t han stealing.
W hat is ment i oned as " s t eal i ng" is a great violence t hat is
i nseparabl e from it. W hat i s named " weal t h" constitutes the
external vital airs ( Pr nas ) . Hence, he who takes away t he
weal th of anyone really takes away the vital airs of t hat person.
14-15. A person who is wicked in mi nd becomes one who
has transgressed the bounds of good conduct by doi ng so (i . e.
by steal i ng). He becomes one who has fallen down from his
hol y ri te. He shall repent for i t agai n and agai n and perform
t he rite of Cndr yana
8
*
7
for a year in accordance wi t h the
inj unctions l ai d down in scriptures. So says rut i . At the
end of t he year he shall el i mi nate all his sins. The Bhiksu shall
t hen alertfully repent and perform the rites.
16-17a. The Bhiksu shall abstai n from inj ury to all living
beings mental l y, verbally and physically. If t he Bhiksu injures
ani mal s and worms even unwi tti ngl y he shall perform t he ri te
of Krcchrt i krcchra or Cndr yana.
17b-18a. If, on seeing a woman, t he ascetic were to have
i nvol untary emission of semen due to his weakness, he shall
observe sixteen pr nymas .
18b-19a. Now the expi atory rite of a br ahmi n who has
seminal emission duri ng t he day time, i s laid down. He shall
observe fast for t hree nights and perform hundr ed pr nymas .
19b-20a. If he has noct urnal emission he shall take a
cl ean bat h and have twelve Dhr ans . O brahmi ns, by means
of t he pr nyma, one becomes a pure soul and free from sins.
20b-21, The following are forbidden foodstuffs for ascetics
vi z. al ms from a single house every day, honey, wine, flesh
( meat ) , uncooked food as W e l l as salt itself. Expi at ory rites are
laid down for viol ating anyone of these.
22-23. He is freed from t hat sin by the observance of
Prj pat ya and Krcchra. In regard t o other transgressions
whet her ment al , verbal or physical he shall consult good men
and perform what they lay down.
847. Cndryana : See p. 45 note 61.
480 Ligapurna
24. One shall view a l ump of clay and gol d alike and par-
form the rites. He shall be pur e and cl ean. He shall have
great concentrati on and at t ent i on in regard to all living beings.
By living thus he attai ns t hat stable, unchangi ng and great
abode from where he is not bor n agai n.
CHAPTER NI NETYONE
Portentous phenomena
1. Hencef orth, I shall menti on the Arisjas (t he phenomena
t hat i ndi cate misfortune and even de at h) ; underst and them.
It is by means of this special knowl edge t hat the yogins visua-
lise deat h.
2. He who is not abl e to see Arundhat (a constellation
among t he Pleiades) Dhr uva (Pol e st ar), the shadow of t he
moon and t he Mahpat ha (Milky W ay) shall not live more
t han a year.
3. He who sees the sun wi t hout rays and the fire wi th
rays will not live beyond the eleventh mont h.
4. He who dr eams t hat he vomits, passes uri ne and eva-
cuates stools in the form of gold and silver shall not live full
ten mont hs thereafter.
5. He who sees a gold-coloured tree, the Gandhar va city,
(i . e. the hal l uci nati on of an i magi nary ci t y), ghosts and spirits
shall live only for ni ne mont hs .
6. He who becomes stout or l ean all of a sudden, i.e., he
who thus moves away from his nat ur e shall live only for eight
mont hs.
7. He whose footprint appears split in front or behi nd
i n the dust or i n mud lives only up to seven mont hs.
8. If a crow, or a dove, or a vul t ure or any other bi rd of
prey perches on one' s head, one shall not survive six mont hs.
9. He who goes in t he company of rows of crows or of a
dust storm, he who sees his own shadow in a deformed state shall
live only for four or five mont hs.
Portentous phenomena 481
10. He who sees lightning in a spot t hat is not the sky and
the lightning in the southern direction or he who sees the rai n-
bow in t he water shall live for only one or two mont hs.
11. If one is not able to see oneself either in water or in
the mi rror or if he sees it devoid of the head he will not live
beyond a mont h.
12. If t he body emits t he odour of a dead body or of fat,
his deat h is i mmi nent . He will not live beyond a fortnight.
13. If i mmedi atel y after the bat h the hear t appears to
dry up or smoke is seen comi ng out of t he head, he will not
live even for ten days.
14. If the bursti ng wi nd pierces t he vital parts, if the
hairs do not stand on thei r ends on being sprinkled wi th
water, his deat h is i mmi nent .
15. If one dreams of going towards the southern
direction in a chari ot to whi ch monkeys and bears are yoked,
and sings and dances i n the meant i me, i t should be known t hat
deat h is i mmi nent .
16. If in t he dr eam, a singing dark-complexioned woman
who wears bl ack clothes leads a person to the southern direc-
tion he will not live long.
17. If a man sees a slit in his own neck in t he dream, or
dreams of a naked r amana (Buddhist recl use), know t hat
deat h is i mmi nent .
18. ' Theper s on sinks i nto the ocean of mi re upt o the head' .
On seeing a dr eam like this, he ceases to live i mmedi atel y.
19. A person who sees ashes, burni ng coal, hairs, dry
river, and serpents in dr eam does not live for ten days
thereafter.
20. He who i s beaten i n dream by dark-complexioned
hi deous persons with arms lifted up or hit by stones, ceases to
live i mmedi at el y.
21. If j ackal s howl directl y at a person early in the mor-
ni ng, at sunrise, t hat person' s days are numbered.
22. If the heart is excessively pai ned i mmedi atel y after
the bat h and there is a morhj d sensitiveness in the teeth one
can say t hat he is sure to die.
23. If a person is extremely frightened whet her at ni ght
<jl] <J
482
Ligapurna
or duri ng daydme and he is unabl e to perceive the smell of
the l amp one shall know t hat deat h i s i mmi nent .
24. If one sees t he rai nbow at ni ght or t he cluster of
stars duri ng the day and is unabl e to see himself in the eyes
of others, he ceases to live.
25. If one of t he eyes begins to water, if t he ears are dis-
lodged and i f t he nose becomes bent i n dr eam the ma n i s
sure to di e soon.
26. If the tongue becomes black and rough, if t he face be-
comes red like lotus, and if the cheeks develop red fleshy
swelling, his deat h is i mmi nent .
27. If a man wi th dishevelled hai r were to come face to
face i n the southern di recdon, singing, l aughi ng and danci ng,
his life ends wi th t hat .
28. If the body is frequently pale, whi t e in col our wi th t he
lustre of whi te clouds or like whi te must ar d his deat h is
i mmi nent .
29. If one dreams t hat camels and donkeys are yoked to
chariots they are inauspicious. If the chari ot is seen going
towards t he southern direction he wijl cease to live.
30-31. The following dreams i ndi cate t hat deat h i s im-
mi nent : Any two of the previous portents occurri ng simultane-
ously, not heari ng noise in the ear, not seeing lustre in the eye,
falling i nt o a pit, i nabi l i ty to rise up from t he pi t and closing
of a door.
32. These are signs of i mmi nent deat h: The eyes are turned
upwards, they are not steady, they are red, they revolve, there
is dryness in the mout h, there is a hol e in the umbilicus and
t he uri ne is excessively hot . The person is indeed in difficulties.
33. W het her duri ng day or ni ght if a person is directly
killed but he does not see the mur der er his life is extinct. He
will cease to live.
34. If at the end of a dream, a man sees t hat he enters
fire and does not remember it at all, his life ends wi th t hat .
35. If a man sees his own white bl anket as a black one, in
t he course of the dream or as a red one, his deat h is i mmi nent .
36. If the portents are indicated in the body and t hat
time of deat h has arrived, the intelligent man shall eschew
sorrow and dej ection and treat it with indifference.
Portentous phenomena 483
37-39. W i t h cleanliness and puri ty he shall set off in t he
di recti on of east or nort h. He shall sit in a steady level ground
in a secluded spot devoid of creatures. He shall sit facing the
east or t he nort h and perform t he rite of camana. He shall sit
i n the posture of Svastika and bow to Mahevara. The body,
t he head and t he neck shall be erect like a l amp in a wind-
less spot. He shall be steady wi thout flickering. He shall not
look at anyt hi ng else while practising Dhr an ( Ret ent i on) .
40-43. The knower of scriptures shall practise yoga in t he
spot facing the north-east. He shall restrain lust, doubt , pleasure,
happi ness and misery mental l y and only concentrate on cl ean
medi t at i on. He shall medi t at e on the nose, tongue, eyes, skin,
ears and mi nd. He shall retai n t hem i n the intellect and chest.
After realising t he time and actions he shall ret ai n these parts
of t he body i n t he groups perpetual l y. Thi s retenti on of the
twelve part s of the body i s called yogadhran. The ma n shall
perf orm hundr ed or f i f t y such Dhr ans on t he head.
44-45. If he becomes exhausted due to t he practi ce of
Dhr an, t he wi nd begins t o function upwards. He shall f i l l
the body with the wi nd al ong with the Oi kra. The yogin
identifying himself wi th Omkr a shall merge himself in imperi-
shabl e being. He shall become imperishable t hus.
Henceforth, I shall ment i on the characteristics of the at t ai n-
ment of Omkr a.
46. Thi s should be known as havi ng three Mat r s (uni t s),
t he consonant i n i t i s the deity. The fi rst Mt r i s Vidyut
(pertai ni ng to l i ght ni ng). The second is Tmas [having
Tamo- Guna] .
47. The t hi rd i s Ni r gun (devoid of at t ri but es). It covers
up t he imperishable Being. It should be known as Gndhr
too, because it originates from the Gndhr a not e (the t hi rd of
t he seven pri mary notes of I ndi an Ga mut ) .
48. W hen the Omkr a t hat i s uttered recedes to t he head
the devotee feels the touch of the moving ant .
49-52. The yogin identical wi th the Omkr a becomes identi-
cal wi t h the imperishable Being. Pranava is the bow, At man is
t he arrow and Br ahman i s t he target. It should be pierced by
one who does not err. He shall be concentrated therein as i n
regard to the arrow. The single-syllabled word Om i s hi dden i n
484 Ligapurna
the cavity. The Omkr a i s i denti cal wi t h the three worlds, the
three Vedas, the three sacrificial fires, t he three steps of Vi?nu,
the three scriptures, vi z. Rk, Smans and Yaj urmantras. It
should be known t hat they are really the three and a half
Mt r as . The yogin who utters i t attai ns identity with t he deity.
53. The letter " A" should be known as Aksara (Imperi sh-
able) ; t he letter " U " i s then al ong wi th it. Incl udi ng the letter
" M" , Omkr a becomes one wi th t hree Mt r s .
54. The letter " A" i s the Bhrl oka; the letter " U " i s
Bhuvarloka, the l etter " M " i s Svarloka.
55. The Om represents t he three worlds. Its head i s t he
Heaven. All the worlds constitute its limbs ( body) . Its feet are
consti tuted by Brahmal oka.
56. Rudr a' s worl d is the foot of the Mt r , iva' s region is
devoid of Mt r s (i.e. above t hem) . It is wi th this special
knowledge that, t hat region is worshipped.
57. Hence, the devotee shall be interested i n medi tati on.
Indeed t hat i mperi shabl e Being devoid of Mt r s , should be
assiduously worshipped by one who wishes for per manent
happiness.
58-59. The first Mt r is a short, t he next one is l ong;
the t hi rd Mt r i s Pl ut a (prol at ed vowel ). These Mt r s should
be known i n thei r proper order. They are t o be retai ned onl y
as long as it is possible.
60. He who always meditates on t he sense-organs, mi nd
and intellect in t he t man and listens to even half a Mt r
shall at t ai n its benefit.
61. Thanks to t hat Mt r , one attai ns the meri t whi ch a
person attai ns by a horse-sacrifice every mont h, conti nui ng it
for a hundred years.
62. Nei t her by a severe penance nor by sacrifices wi th
pl enty of gifts can t hat meri t be obtai ned whi ch is perfectly
obtai ned by means of t he Mt r .
63. The househol der yogins shall practise only t hat
Mt r whi ch i s t aught as Pl ut (Prol ated Vowel ).
64. Thi s M t r al one comprises the eightfold Ai varya
begi nni ng wi th Ani m.
8 4 8
Hence, O brahmi ns, be i n commu-
ni on wi th it.
848. Anim, etc. Cf. p. 134 note 241.
Portentous phenomena
485
65. O brahmi ns, he who knows and realises t he At man
obtai ns everything. He shall be endowed wi t h yoga.
8 4 9
He shall
be pure. He shall subdue t he sense-organs. He shall control t hem.
66. Hence, the l earned man shall cont empl at e the At man
by means of the yoga pertai ni ng to Paupat i . Those who know
the At man are certainly pur e beings.
67. It is t hrough t he knowledge of yoga t hat the br ahmi n,
thi nker on spiritual topics, attai ns the Rk, Sman, Yajur
mant ras, in fact all the Vedas and the Upani sads.
68. He becomes identical wi th all Devas and devoid of all
elements. He gets rid of the necessity of passing through wombs
and attai ns the perpetual region.
69. J us t as the ri pe fruit falls off the tree on being tossed
about by the wi nd, so also sin perishes by the grace of Rudr a.
70. W here the obeisance to Rudr a yields the benefits of all
Kar mans , one shall not at t ai n those benefits t hrough the obei-
sance to the other deities.
71-72. Hence, the yogin shall worship Mahevara repeat-
ing the Pranava twice. He who enlarges the scope of the Vedas
ten times more by el aborati ng the Vedi c texts shall medi t at e
and then forsake the body. He uplifts three generations and
attai ns Syuj j a salvation with iva.
73-76. Or after seeing any evil port ent and when the ti me
of deat h has arrived the ma n shall go to Avimuktevara in
Vrnas and perform t he expiatory ri te. Somehow the man
shall abandon his body there when, O leading brahmi ns, he
i s l i berated. The man may abandon his body on t he mount ai n,
r parvat a.
8 8 0
He attai ns i denti ty with iva. No doubt need be
ent ert ai ned in this regard. Avi mukta is a greatest shrine always
bestowing salvation on the creatures. The intelligent man
shall resort to it always especially when deat h is i mmi nent .
849. ST. defines'yoga-jnam' as yoga-yuktam jnam'i. e. know-
ledge joined with meditation. Yoga is the means for the attainment of right
or perfect knowledge 'yogo hi jna-sdhanam.'
850. rparvataSee p. 381 note 678.
486
Ligapurna
CHAPTER NI NETYTW O
Glory of riaila
The sages said:
1-2. O suta of great intellect, if Vrnasi is so meritori-
ous it behoves you to recount its greatness to us now. We are
eager to hear in detail t he excellent greatness of this holy
centre Avimukta.
Sta Said :
3. I shall succincdy ment i on the glory of Avi mukta, of
Vrnas i n the manner i n whi ch lord Bhava had narrat ed it.
4. O l eadi ng brahmi ns, even in hundreds and crores of
years i t cannot be menti oned i n detail by me or by t he nobl e
Brahm.
5-6. F ormerl y, after his marri age, Sakara, N l al ohi ta start-
ed from the peak of t he Hi mavn in the company of the goddess
the daught er of t he Hi mavn, and the l eadi ng Ganas. After
reachi ng Vrnas akar a showed his Li ga Avimuktevara and
began to stay t here.
7-8. One can become an ascetic in t he following places,
viz., Vrnas , Kurukset ra,
8 8 1
r parvata, Mahl aya,
8 5 8
Tuge-
vara,
8 5 8
and Kedr a.
8 5 4
But if one performs the yoga of Paupat i
perfecdy for a day, one becomes an ascetic. Hence, one shall
eschew everything and perform t he P upat a yoga.
9. One shall stay there in the garden of the Lord. Ther e
i s an excellent garden of arva at t hat pl ace. Rudr a created
mental l y a splendid mansion also.
10. The lord accompani ed by Nandi n poi nted out t hat
divine excellent garden to the daught er of the Hi mavn.
11. akara Par ame na, Bhava menti oned to her the
greatness of this holy centre Avimukta j ust for her pleasure.
851. KuruksetraSee p. 381 note 683.
852. Mahlaya See p. 95 note 115.
853. Tugevaranot identifiable.
854. KedraSee p. 381 note 681.
Glory of Sriaila 487
12. The garden was rendered beautiful by t he different
clusters of trees in full bl oom. It was very charmi ng due to t he
spreadi ng creepers, the Pri yagu pl ant s wi th growi ng fl owers,
and the Ket aka pl ants i n full bl oom t hough covered wi th
thorns.
13. It was overspread wi th clusters of t he Taml a trees.
It was strewn wi th pl enty of fragrant Bakula fl owers all round.
Hundr eds of Ai oka and Punnga trees were i n full bl oom.
Swarms of bees hovered round t he flowers.
14. In some places the garden was resonant wi th t he bi rds,
Srasas ( I ndi an cranes), Cakravkas ( Ruddy geese) and
t he i ntoxi cated excellent Dt yhas (water-crows) all r ound.
These birds were embellished by means of the pol l en dust of
the full-blown lotuses. They were chi rpi ng every moment .
15. In some places t he excellent garden was resonant
wi th t he crowi ng sound of t he peacocks; i n some places i t
was resonant wi t h the cackl i ng sound of t he Kr aodava ducks;
i n some pl aces t he gar den was rendered noisy by t he swarms
of the i nebri ate bees accompani ed by thei r bee-mates equally
agi tated due to intoxication.
16. It abounded i n charmi ng and fragrant f l ower s. In
some places it was full of Sahakr a (mango) trees wi th fresh
sprouts; some places (in the gar den) were hi dden by Ti l aka
trees encircl ed by creepers. The Vi dydharas, Si ddhas and
Cr anas sang i n some places i n the garden.
17. The garden cont ai ned groups of Apsarases engaged i n
dance. It was resorted to by different ki nds of del i ghted birds.
It was resonant wi th t he sound of the Hr t a pigeons. It
abounded i n bi rds whose mi nds were excited due to t he
roari ng sound of the lord of beasts.
18. In some places i t abounded i n fragrant bunches of
flowers and sprouts of the Dar bha grass pl ucked by t he deer.
In some places it was embellished by lakes and ponds aboun-
di ng in different charmi ng full-blown lotuses.
19. The garden was charmi ng by t he grace of t he bl ue-
necked peacocks hi di ng ami dst the clusters of branches. It was
resonant wi th the sounds emanat i ng from t he exuberant bi rds.
The intoxicated bees lay hi dden amidst the branches of t he
488 Ligapurna
trees in full bl oom. The tall branches of those trees were ren-
dered more splendid due to t he lustre of t he fresh sprouts.
20. In some places t he beautiful creepers were chewed by
the ladies of the Ki mpur us a cl an who wal ked in the garden
in their el egant slow gait. In some places t he beautiful trees
were embraced by the creepers.
21. (?) The beautiful tops of t he trees touched the clouds.
The pigeons and doves sat on these tops and made a cooi ng
noise. The tips of the trees had beautiful whi l e forms t hat
capti vated. the mi nds. The f l owers t hat were scattered by these
pigeons from tree tops disturbed t he swans (in the lakes
bel ow). The garden was rendered charmi ng by several groups
of di vi ne beings.
22. It cont ai ned number of garden lakes wi th full-blown
lilies and lotuses spreadi ng far and wide and these bri ghtened
up the pat h l eadi ng to the shrine of lord iva. The pl ace was
covered wi th different hedges and branches i n combi nat i on
wi th wonderful rows of flowers in the mi ddl e of t he paths.
23. The borderl ands of the garden were bri ght ened up by
charmi ng Aoka trees wi t h lofty tops and wi th thei r tall bran-
ches stooping down due to t he weight of branches of the flowers.
Ther e were swings on ei ther side of these trees and the songs
of the bi rds resdng therei n caused pleasure to the ears. At
ni ght these trees in full bl oom became indistinguishable from
t he Ti l aka trees i n bl oom, thanks to the lustre of t he moon.
Her ds of deer lay under the cool shade of t he trees, some
sleeping and some awake. Some of these deer had compl etel y
ni bbl ed the tips of the Dr v grass.
24. The clear waters of the lakes were spreadi ng out due
to t he movi ng lotuses whi ch were set i n moti on by t he wi nd
from the fluttering of the wings of swans. F locks of peacocks
danced elegantly on seeing the pl ant ai n trees on the banks of
these lakes set in moti on by the waters comi ng to their roots.
The lands i n some places appeared beautiful due to the eyelets
on t he feathers strewn on the ground from the tails of these
peacocks. In these spots, i nebri ate pigeons and doves of the
species called " H r t a " lurked leisurely and rejoiced.
25. In some places t he spots were beautified by the
Saraga (flamingo) bi rds. Some places were covered wi th
Glory of Sraila 489
heaps of fl owers of vari egated col our. At ot her places t he
del ighted Ki nnar a ladies pl ayed sweet songs on thei r lutes and
danced.
26. The trees thickly growing t here har bour ed t he resi-
dences of t he sages beneat h t hem, with fl owers strewn around.
In some places t he gar den contai ned a lot of J ack trees, tall and
spreadi ng all r ound, wi th fruits growing from thei r very
bot t om.
27. The gar den looked char mi ng and resonant wi t h the
sounds of t he gol den anklets of the Si ddhas and t he Si ddha
women resorti ng to t he grottos of At i mukt aka creepers in full
bl oom. The bees eagerly hovered r ound the bunches of flowers
of the char mi ng Pr i yagu trees. Swarms of bees i mbi bed honey
from t he fl owers of t he mango and Ka da mba trees.
28. Th e gar den whi ch bestows salvation on embodi ed
bei ngs looked char mi ng wi t h t he wat er i n t he ponds gent l y
shaken by t he breeze and st rewn wi t h clusters of fl owers. The
fascinating hedges wi t h bees hummi ng t herei n beautified t he
gar den. Her ds of doves whi ch got suddenl y fri ght ened by t he
gusts of wi nd took shelter wi t hi n t he thickets t here.
29. Th e gar den was hei ght ened i n beaut y by t he char m-
i ng Ti l aka trees as br i ndl ed as clusters of moon' s r ays;
by t he Aoka trees resembling saffron of t he various types such
as Si ndra, Kumkuma and Kus umbha and by t he Kar ni kr a
trees havi ng t he lustre of gold. These trees had large spreadi ng
branches and were in full bl oom wi th pl enty of flowers.
30. The ground was covered wi t h fl owers of various
colours. In some places they had t he lustre of powdered col-
l y r i um; i n some places t hey resembled coral and i n ot her places
they were like gold.
31. Hundr eds of birds chi rped on t he Punnga trees.
The red Aoka trees bent down due to t he weight of bunches
of fl owers. Ther e were rest houses on the char mi ng outskirts of
t he garden and they dispelled fatigue. The bees danced spor-
tively on t he full-blown lotuses.
32. Accompani ed by t he daught er of t he mount ai n wi th
snow-clad peaks, as well as by t he friendly leaders of Ganas
who were i ntoxi cated, delighted, and well nouri shed wi th food,
l ord Siva, t he rul er of all the worlds, thus poi nted out the
490
Ligapmna
extremely charmi ng and extensive garden of trees of diverse
kinds, to t he goddess.
33. W i t h di vi ne ornament s evolved out of t he most auspi-
cious flowers of t he forest, Siva decorat ed t he di vi ne goddess
who was present i n the garden. The daught er of t he snow-
capped mount ai n also devoutl y embellished iva t he lord of
Devas wi t h divine fl owers t hat were exceedingly auspicious and
beautiful.
34. After seeing the extremel y char mi ng garden, after
worshipping t he l ord worthy of bei ng worshi pped by t he
leaders of t he gods and after bowi ng down to t he l ord who was
accompani ed by t he l eadi ng Ganas, Nandi n and others t he
goddess spoke to t he l ord.
The exalted goddess said:
35. O lord, t he garden equi pped wi t h excessive l ustre has
been seen by me. It behoves you now t o r ecount all t he qual i -
ties of this hol y cent re.
36. O l ord of Devas, O bul l -embl emed l ord it behoves you
now to recount t he glory of this holy centre, Avimukta in
every respect.
Sta said:
37. O heari ng those words of t he goddess the excellent
lord, the l ord of Devas smelt her lotus-like face. Then he
l aughingl y spoke to her.
The lord said:
38. Thi s extremel y mysterious hol y cent re of mi ne, viz.
Vrnas is the hi dden cause of the l i berati on of all creatures.
39. O fair lady, many Si ddhas have adopt ed my Vr at a
in this holy centre. They have taken up different types of
Li gas and t hey al ways desire my wor l d.
40- 41. The y ar e s ai ndy souls one wi t h t he supreme spirit.
They have conq uer ed t hei r sense-organs. They practise t he
great est yoga i n this gar den aboundi ng i n different trees and
bi rds a nd embel l i shed by lakes aboundi ng i n lotus and lily
flowers. Thi s hol y pl ace i s always resort ed t o by Apsarases and
Ga ndha r va s .
42-43. Wh y this residence appeal s t o me, listen. On e
Glory of riSaila 491
whose mi nd is fixed in me, one who is devoted to me, one who
has always dedi cated his holy rites to me does not at t ai n
liberation anywhere else in t he same manner as here. O fair
lady, a creat ure t hat dies here becomes compet ent to at t ai n
salvation.
44-47. Thi s great and divine city of mi ne is the most mys-
terious of all mysterious places. Brahma, Siddhas and others
who are desirous of l iberation know this. The goal i n me i s
t he greatest one. Hence, this holy centre will never be aban-
doned by me nor has i t been eschewed by me. Thi s holy centre,
therefore, is known as Avi mukt a.
8 5 5
Absolution is not obt ai ned
by taki ng di p i n Nai mi sa,
8 5 6
Kurukset ra,
8 5 7
Ga gdvr a
8 8 8
and Pus kar a
8 5 9
nor by resorting to these. But it is obtai ned
here. Hence, this excels all those holy centres.
48. Li berat i on may be achieved either at Prayga or here,
thanks to my adopt i ng them. Thi s Avi mukta i s more auspicious
t han even Prayga whi ch is t he foremost of all holy centres.
49. Truthfulness is the esoteric pri nci pl e underl yi ng vir-
t ue; self-control is t he esoteric principl e underl yi ng sal vati on:
but excellent l earned men do not know t he esoteric pri nci pl e
underl yi ng holy centres and sacred waters.
50. Taki ng food, sleeping, sporting and performing dif-
ferent activities as one pleases, one shall cast off one' s vital airs
i n Avi mukta. The creat ure i s then compet ent to achi eve libera-
ti on.
51. F or men i t i s bet t er to commi t thousands of sins and
court Pi cahood t han to become I ndr a i n thousands of bi rths
wi thout resorting to the city of K .
52. Hence, Avi mukta should be resorted to for achieving
salvation. It i s here t hat J ai g savya
8 8 0
of great penance at t ai ned
Si ddhi .
53. The excellent cave of J ai g savya is purified, thanks to
855. AvimuktaSee p. 117 note 198. For a different interpretation
of the name, see verse 143 of this chapter.
856. NaimisaSee p. 1 note 4.
857. Kuruksetra See p. 381 note 683.
858* GangdvraSee p. g3 note 107.
859. Puskarap. 381 note 685.
860. Jaigisavyahan ancient sage (named along with Asita Devala),
Mbh. ii. iz, xii. There is a liga Jaigsavyevara in Vrapail.
492 Ligapurna
the glory of this holy centre and by means of devotion to me.
It is considered to be the abode of yogins.
54. They always medi t at e upon me at this place. The
yogic fi re shines brilliantly here. They attai n t he greatest
salvation whi ch is inaccessible even to Devas.
55. Her e itself, salvation is at t ai ned by the sages who
have t he unmani fest for thei r symbols and who know t he basic
tenets. It is difficult of access anywhere else.
56. To t hem I expound the excellent glory of the yogic
practi ce, t he Syujya type of salvation of the At man as well as
the desired abode.
57. Kuber a
8 4 1
dedi cated his holy rites to me at this holy
centre. It i s by havi ng recourse to this hol y centre t hat he
attai ned t he l eadershi p of t he Ganas.
58. Samvar t a
8 8 2
who i s yet to be born will be my devotee.
O fair lady, propi ti ati ng me here al one he will at t ai n excellent
perfection.
59. The yogin sage Vysa,
888
son of Parara, will be
performing here a great penance. He will be my devotee and
he will i naugurat e the institution of t he Vedas.
60-61. O lotus-eyed lady, t hat leading sage will be spor-
ting about in this holy centre. Br ahm al ong wi th the divine
sages, Visnu, Sun, I ndr a and all other noble-souled heaven-
dwellers do worshi p me here, O l ady of good holy rites.
62. Ot her divine yogins, nobl e souls in disguise, worship
me here always with thei r mi nds not t urni ng to anythi ng else.
63. Even a man whose mi nd is at t ract ed by mundane
affairs and who has eschewed interest in religious piety may
not be reborn in this worl d if he dies at this hol y centre.
64. But those who are bold and free from ego, who mai n-
tain the Sat t va Guna, who have conquered their sense-organs,
861. Kuberaalso named Vairavana. He is of deformed body (Ku-
bera) , having three legs and only eight teeth. He is regarded as the son of
Viravas by Idavid. He is represented as the god of riches and treasure. He
is the regent of the northern quarter, the chief of the Yaksas and a friend of
Rudra.
86a. Samvartaa muni and legislator. There are references to
Samvarta-smrti and Brhat-samvarta-snvrti in smrti works.
8 63 . VysaSee p. 2. note 6.
Glory of SrUaila
493
who mai nt ai n holy rites and who have eschewed unhol y ones
al l these have thei r emoti onal at t achment t o me.
65. Resorti ng to me, all t he intelligent persons devoid of
at t achment have attai ned salvation her e due to my favour, O
l ady of holy rites.
66. Thanks to my favour, O l ady of hol y rites, one attai ns
salvation easily here itself whi ch a yogin mi ght at t ai n in t he
course of t housand bi rths.
67. Thi s holy centre Gopreksaka has been formerly esta-
blished by Brahma. O excellent lady, see the di vi ne abode
Kai l sa here.
68. Goi ng t o Gopreksaka t he ma n shall visit me here.
Thereby, he avoids evil mishaps and is released forthwith from
sins.
69. The great holy T r t ha named Kapi l hr ada has been
made here by Br ahma. Thi s T r t ha, evolved out of t he milk
from the udders of cows, is extremel y hol y and sacred.
70. Her e I am known as t he bul l -bannered lord. O
gentl e lady, I am present here as seen by you.
71-72. See the deep pool of wat er here made by Brahma.
It is named Bhadrat oya (havi ng auspicious wat ers). O gentl e
lady, I have been propi ti ated in this pl ace by all Devas saying
" Be subdued, O l or d" and I became cal m. I have been
brought by Brahma Paramest hi n and installed here.
73. I was seized by Vi snu from Br ahma and re-installed
by hi m. Then Vi snu was addressed by Brahma wi t h a dejected
mi nd.
74. " Thi s Li ga has been br ought by me. Wherefore have
you installed i t . " Vi snu then said to Brahma, wi th anger evident
in his face.
75. " My devoti on t o lord Rudr a i s extremel y great and
nobl e. Al though t he Li ga has been installed by me i t will be
known after your name . "
76. Therefore, I have occupi ed this pl ace by t he name of
Hi ranyagarbha. Ma n shall visit this lord of Devas and at t ai n
my worl d thereby.
77. Thereafter, Brahma who was equi pped with t he
greatest devotion once agai n dul y installed this auspicious
Li ga of mi ne.
494
Ligapurna
78. I am known here as Svarlnesvara (the lord who has
merged i nto the heaven) . I have come her e voluntarily. A
man who gives up his life here is not reborn anywhere.
79-80. That goal is not attai ned by any one else. It is what
is known as the goal of yogins. In this pl ace a haught y power-
ful Dai t ya who was a t horn to Devas, was killed by me after
assuming the form of a tiger. I am perpetual l y settled here and
am well known as Vyghrevara ( Ti ger -Lor d) .
81-82. By visiting Vyghrevara one will avoid courti ng
disaster. Ther e were two Dai t yas Ut pal a
8
*
4
and Vidala
8
* * who
were, as ordai ned by Brahm previously, destined to be killed
by a l ady. They were therefore killed by you in a battl e wi th a
bal l contemptuously t hrown at them. Thei r bodies have occu-
pi ed this pl ace.
83. It was here t hat I came and settled at the outset al ong
wi th t he leaders of the Ganas. Hence, this is the greatest abode
of mi ne. It s vision is conducive to meri t.
84. These Li gas have been installed all round by Devas.
Hence, by visiting t he lord i n Li gas man shall invariabl y be a
Gana when he dies.
85-86. Real i si ng t hat this pl ace is pleasing and beneficial
to me a Li ga has been established by your father Hi mavn,
t he king of mount ai ns. It i s known as ailevara. Ma y this be
seen wi th respect. O gentl e lady, by visiting this no men shall
court disaster or become wretched.
87. O gende l ady, this river Var una is holy. It liberates
one from sins. It embellishes this holy centre and becomes
uni t ed wi th the Ganges.
88. An excellent Li ga has been installed by Brahm at
this confluence. It is known in the worl d as Sagamevara,
(l ord of the confluence).
89. If a man shall become pur e taking his bat h at the
confluence of t he divine river and then worship Sagamea
whence need he fear rebi rt h ?
90. I consider this great holy centre as t he exalted abode
of the yogins. I am self-born in the centre of this holy spot
occupyi ng t he acme of t he same.
864. Utpala and Vidalatwo daityas who were killed by iva.
865. Varunaa sacred river which joins the Ganges at Ki and has
given name to Vrnasl. '
Glory of SriSaila
495
91-92. It is glorified by all Devas and Asuras as Madhya-
mevara (Lord of the cent r e) . Indeed thi s i s t he abode of
Si ddhas who observe t he holy rites pert ai ni ng to me. It i s t he
abode of yogins desirous of salvation and of those who ar e
interested i n t he pat h of knowl edge. By visiting thi s Madhya-
me ana one will not bevail one' s bi rth.
93-94. Thi s Li ga has been installed by ukra t he son of
Bhrgu. It i s named ukrevara and i s worshipped by all t he
Si ddhas and i mmort al bei ngs. By visiting this dei ty t he man
who has self-control is i mmedi atel y l i berated from all sins.
The cr eat ur e t hat dies here i s not reborn i n t he worl d.
95-99. F ormerl y, an Asura who was a thorn to Devas assumed
t he form of a j ackal . The j ackal was not capabl e of bei ng caught
by others as he had acqui red boons from Br ahma. O daught er
of Hi mavn, he was killed by me here and so I am called
J ambuke a even today. I am known as such bowed to by
Devas and Asuras. By visiting this lord of Devas one shall
at t ai n all cherished desires. These Li gas have been installed
by the pl anets begi nni ng wi t h ukra. See these sacred Li gas
t h a t bestow all cherished desires. Thus , O Prvat , these
sacred Ligas wherei n I reside have been recount ed. Listen
to anot her esoteric secret of mi ne i n this hol y cent re. Thi s
is glorified as extendi ng to four Kroas in every di recti on.
100-101. O l ady of charmi ng features, this pl ace exten-
di ng to a yoj ana bestows i mmortal i ty after deat h. Know,
t hat , by visiting me stati oned i n t he Mahl aya mount ai n and
in Kedr a, one attai ns the state of bei ng a Gana. Sal vation is
obt ai ned i n thi s pl ace. Tha t l i berati on i s excellent since one
at t ai ns t he headshi p of Ganas .
102. O l ady of excellent face, this Avi mukta is known
as the most sacred holy centre greater t han even Mahl aya,
Kedr a and Madhyama.
103. These holy centres are sacred i n t he Bhurl oka (eart h)
:viz. Kedr a, Madhyama Kset r a and t he hol y spot Mah-
l aya. Thi s Avimukta i s more sacred t han all these.
104. Ever since these worlds have been created, thi s
auspi ci ous holy centre has never been abandoned by me. Hence
i t became Avi mukta ( un- abandoned) .
8 8 5
a
865a. For a different interpretation of the name, see p. 498, verse 143.
496
Ligapurna
105. By visiting t he Li ga named Avi muktesvara t he
man is i mmedi atel y l i berated from sins. He is l i berated from
the bondages of j va.
106-108. By visiting all these hol y centres, vi z: ai l ea,
Sagamea, Svarlina, Madhyame var a, Hi r anyagar bha, Gopr -
eksa, Vrsadhvaj a Upa nt a iva (?) the dei ty residing in
J yesti i asthna, ukrevara, Vyghrea and J ambuke var a
a man is not born agai n in the worl d whi ch is t he ocean of
misery.
Sta said:
After saying thus, Mahdeva surveyed all the quart ers.
109. W hen Mahe var a the l ord of Devas stopped after
surveying, t hat pl ace suddenl y became bl azi ng as i t were.
110-114. The n hundr eds of Si ddhas who were devotees
of Paupat i , who were whi t e by bei ng bat hed i n ashes, who
were great souls devoted to Mahe vara and who invariabl y obs-
erved holy ri tes came t here and bowed down to Mahevara. They
t hen observed t he lord of t he yogas and adopt ed Dhynayoga
(path of medi t at i on) assiduously. They took to t he support of
the At man and stati oned themselves as t hough they would
merge i nt o Mahe var a. Even as they stood by, t he consort of
Um, the lord of Devas, t he l ord Purusa assumed t he greatest
of his physical forms. He stood as though towards t he close
of the worlds i n or der to make t he ent i re universe present
i n one pl ace. W i t h hai rs standi ng on thei r ends due t o her
delight, di e daught er of t he lord of t he mount ai ns coul d not
look at the l ord of t he universe who had assumed t he greatest
of his physical forms.
115-118. The n she underst ood t hat t hat form whi ch had
not been seen before was stationed i n Prakrt i , and so Par ame -
var adopt ed t he form of t he Prakrti by means of yoga. The n
she could see t he form of t he nobl e soul . Then t he yogi ns
engaged i n t he medi t at i on of mergi ng (Iaya) entered t he
heart of t he Purusa. They bur nt all t he seeds of mundane
existence by rememberi ng t he spl endi d Bja of t he five-syllabled
Mant r a. Then t he Lord established his di vi ne and holy form
whi ch dispels all sins and whi ch had been revealed formerly
in this N l al ohi ta i mage.
119-121. On seeing hi m, t he daught er of t he mount ai ns
Glory of riaila 497
had hor r i pi l adon all over t he body. She bowed down to his
feet and eulogised hi m. Then she s a i d: " O lord, who are
these ?" Then the most excellent one among Devas spoke to
t he gentl e lady, the daught er of t he lord of the mount ai ns.
The lord said:
These are the best of br ahmi ns who possess devoti on to me
and who resort to my vrat a by practising all yogas t hat they
have l earnt . O beautiful l ady, thanks to the greatness of this
holy centre and thei r devotion to me, they are blessed by me
t hrough this physical form in t he course of a single bi r t h.
122-127. Hence, this great holy centre is resorted to by
Br ahm and others, by l eadi ng brahmi ns well-versed i n the
Vedi c l earni ng and by ascetics of great accompl i shments.
O goddess, t he deity is worshi pped at Vrnas on the ei ghth
and fourteenth day i n bot h the fortnights every mont h. It i s
parti cul arl y worshipped on solar and l unar eclipse days, espe-
cially in t he mont h of Kr t t i ka, duri ng all full moon and new
moon days, and duri ng equi nocti al and solstitial transi ts. All
t he Ti r t has of the eart h resort to the holy Gag fl owi ng nort h
at Vrnas , the Ga g t hat f l owed out of my mat t ed hairs,
the Gag t hat i s t he daught er of your father Hi mavn the
king of mount ai ns, the Gag t hat is stati oned in t he holy
abode and flows towards sacred quarters always. O lady of
excellent face, what are these Ti rt has ? Listen.
128-133. These Ti r t has accompani ed by hundreds of
T r t has f l ow t hrough Kurukset ra, Puskara, Nai mi sa, Prayga
where there is pl enty of water, and Dr umakset r a. O
fair lady, they flow t hrough all the holy centres all round.
The deities, sages, Sandhys, seasons, rivers, lakes, oceans
and the divine Ti r t has j oi n Gag duri ng the Parvan
days. O l ady of good holy rites, O goddess of Devas, by visiting
Avimuktevara and Trivisfapa and reachi ng Kl abhai rava, the
holy centre, men become rid of thei r sins duri ng the Parvans.
The sacred rivers of the eart h and the great shrines and abodes
enter Gag at Vrnas in t he course of holy Parvans.
134-139. The different shrines in and ar ound this pl ace
are as follows:Avimukta is t he most excellent holy
centre. It dispels great sins. The Li ga t hat i s at Kedr a,
498
Ligapurna
the Li ga that is in Mahl aya,
8
* * the Madhyamevara,
t he Pupat evara, . akukarnevara, Gokamr ci ,
8 8 7
Dr uma-
candevara, Bhadrevara, St hnevara,
8 8 8
Ekgra, Klevara,
8
* *
Ajevara, Bhairavevara, Ina, Omkra,* *
8
a Amarea,
8 7 0
Mahkl a, the J yoti rl i ga, Bhasmagtraka, etc, all those holy
centres of mi ne on the eart h numberi ng sixtyeight and all
other well-established shrines come to me at Vr na duri ng
the holy Parvans. Thus the mysterious secret has been revealed
to you.
140. Therefore, the creature t hat dies here attai ns the
divine i mmor t al ' region if he takes abl uti on in the Gag and
visits me, O auspicious l ady.
141-143. The creat ure i mmedi at el y obtains a benefit
equal to t hat of hundreds and thousands of sacrifices. W hat is
more wonderful t han t hat ? O fair l ady, of all t he i mport ant
shrines on the eart h and on mountai ns, Avimukta is t he grea-
test. Under st and what has been said by me. The sin ment i oned
i n the Vedas i s recount ed by brahmi ns by t he word "Avi ".
The holy centre is called Avi mukta because it is free from Avi
(i . e. s i n)
8 7 1
and resorted to by me.
144-147. After saying this, the l ord of all the worlds
s ai d" O goddess of Devas, Avimukta is my abode. See it wel l . "
After saying this, the lord, the consort of Um , poi nt ed out
the excellent r parvat a to her. He stayed at Avi muktevara
permanent l y al ong wi th her. In view of his ability to go every-
where, the lord of Devas, t he soul of all, i denti cal wi th ' Sat '
and ' Asat' came to r parvata al ong wi th the goddess. He, the
lord of all living beings, poi nted out to her the following holy
centres and idols:
148-155. Kund pr abha; the great and divine Vairavane-
vara; l i ga; Deve aj t he di vi neBl evara; the great Rme-
866. MahlayaThis peak of the Himalayas has not been identified
so far.
867. GokarnaSee p. 94 note 113.
868. Sthnevara -See p. 144 note 350.
860.. Klevarathe same as Mahklevara in Ujjayini, mod.
Ujjain, Greek Ozene.
870. Amarea -the same as Omkrevara in Orhkra Mndht in
the Nimar district, Madhya Pradesh.
871. AvimuktakaFor a different interpretation of the name, see
verses 104-105 of this chapter.
Glory of SriSaila 499
var a
8 7 1
* t hat had been installed by Vi snu; lord Kundal evara
at the sides of the southern gat e; the excellent Tr i pur nt aka
stationed near the eastern gat e; the idol t hat increased in size
al ong wi t h the mount ai n and was bowed to by t he chiefs of
Devas; what is well known in the three worlds as Madhya-
me vara; Amarevara t he bestower of boons, formerly installed
by Devas; lord Gocarmevara; the wonderful shrine Indre-
var a; the l arge idol Kar me var a installed by Brahm on
purpose. O unchangi ng lady, t he holy Si ddhavafa is my per-
pet ual residence. The divine splendid Ajabila is consecrated by
Aja himself; there itself in my divine Bilesvara are my divine
sandals. In the mi ddl e of the mount ai n rgta is the idol
rgtakevara installed by rdev. It is in the shape of
rgtaka. Mal l i krj una is my spl endid residence.
156-157. The shrine Raj evara is installed in succession
by means of Raj as; the Gaj esvara, the Vai kha idol, the
unchangi ng Kapot esvar a; O fair lady, see now the splendid
great T r t ha Kot vara, which was formerly resorted to by
crores of the Ganas of Rudr a and which is superior to all
the other shrines.
158. A splendid rocky idol was installed by Brahm in t he
south and anot her was installed i n the nor t h by Visnu.
Both these together consti tute the shrine called Dvi devakul a.
159. See, on the western mount ai n a Li ga of huge size
had been installed by me formerly. It is cal l ed Brahmevara,
Mal e vara.
160. A shrine is remembered by the name Al amgrha. The
lord said t hus : " O Brahm, this has been embellished by you
at the outset, al ong wi th the sages." After saying this he stayed
in the house. Hence, the shrine came to be known as Alam-
grha.
161. O lady conversant with the Ti rthas, see there is a
T r t ha and a Vyomal i ga of mi ne there also. Thi s is called
Kadambe var a, installed by Skanda himself.
162-164. The shrine Gomandal evara is installed by
Nanda and others. O lady of excellent face, see these holy
spots and shrines installed by Indr a and his Devas on t he
871a. Rmevaraone of the twelve great ligas set up by Rma
at Rmevaram, Deccan Bharata. It is a celebrated place of pilgrimage and
contains a magnificent temple.
500
Ligapurna
borders of Devahrada. O fair lady, in the pl ace where your
necklace fell down in Hr apur a,
8 7 2
the sacred pit of Hr akunda
has been made by you for the welfare of human beings. O
lady of good holy rites, in i varudrapura, the idol Acalevara
has been installed by your father on the mount ai n.
165-169. F ormerl y, the Brahman was embellished by me
along wi t h t he sages. O fair lady, the shrine Candi ke-
vara is evolved by Candi kCandi ke is your daught er
Thi s spot is the excellent Ambi k T r t ha.
The shrine Ruci kevara i s here. Thi s splendid Dhr
(current of wat er) is tawny-coloured. O fair l ady, t he devotee
who worships me devoutl y i n these different holy centres and
Ti rt has, shall rejoice wi t h me. The br ahmi n who abandons
his body on riaila destroys his all sins. Undoubt edl y he is
l i berated i n the same spl endid manner as i n the holy centre
Avimukta. O l ady of good hol y rites, he who dul y performs
the great holy rite of abl udon named Mahs nna by means
of ghee in these holy shrines and spots attai ns i dent i t y wi th me.
170-174. If t he abl uti on is made wi th twentyfive Palas
of the sacred mat eri al of worship it should be known as Abh-
yaga; if it is wi th a hundr ed Palas, it should be known as
Snna. Two thousand Pal as of the materi al are said to consti-
tute a Mahs nna (great abl udon) . The devotee bathes my
Li ga at t he outset wi th cow' s ghee. Then he consecrates
it with the ot her materi al s. Thereafter he washes wi th water.
The benefit of a hundr ed Yaj as i s at t ai ned by t he mer e ri t e
of wi pi ng off t he Li ga; by bat hi ng it t he benefit of ten thou-
sand sacrifices is at t ai ned; by worship the benefit of hundr ed
thousand sacrifices is obt ai ned. The benefit of those who sing
and pl ay on instruments of musi c is infinite. By means of
the great bat h eight times the benefit of bat h is acqui red. If
the devotee wishes to perform the rite of abl uti on by means of
water al one he shall do so by means of fragrant scented water
wi th devotion. The unguent in every case is by means of
twentyfive Pal as of t he materi al used.
175. The devotee shall use am flower, Bilva leaves and
lotuses dul y. He can use other fl owers also but he shall not
abandon the Bilva leaf.
872. Hrapuranot identifiable.
Glory of raila 501
176. He shall worship Mahdeva wi t h four measures or
eight Dronas of flowers etc. The Nai vedya (food offering)
shall be ten Dronas or eight Dronas.
177. If t he devotee is a br ahmi n devoid of weal th, he
at t ai ns t he same benefit and meri t as wi th t he worship of a
hundr ed Dronas even when he worships only wi th an dhaka
measure. No doubt need be entertai ned i n this respect.
178-184. The devotee shall keep awake duri ng the ni ght
by pl ayi ng on vari ous musical i nstruments such as Bher,
Mr daga, Muraj a, Ti mi r, Paf aha, etc. He shall effect ot her
types of sounds too. He shall dul y pray. Accompani ed by his
servants, sons, wife, relatives and ki nsmen he shall ci rcumam-
bul at e t he excellent Li ga and pr ay t hus :
"O lord of Devas, O akara, it behoves you to forgive all
my sins. F orgive me if my worship is devoid of the requisite
materi al s, faith and ri t es. "
After saying this he shall i mmedi atel y perform t he J a pa of
Tvar i t a Rudr a and other nti mant r as. He shall t hen repeat
t he Bja of t he fi ve-syl l abl ed mant r a. He at t ai ns the same
benefit as is obtai ned by visiting t he holy centres and perform-
ing the sacrifices. He attai ns the same goal as one who dies in
Vrnas . Similarly, he shall undoubt edl y at t ai n Syujya
(i denti ty wi th me ) . F or the sake of propi ti ati ng me, these rites
should be performed dul y by my devotees. If they neglect,
certainly they are not my devotees.
Sta said:
185-188. On heari ng these words, the goddess went to
Vrnas . She bat hed t he Li ga Avimuktevara wi th milk and
ghee. She worshi pped Rudr a the l ord of Devas, the l eader of
t he worlds. On t he Mandar a mount ai n (?) i n Avi mukta she
propi ti ated t he great At man by means of penance. She bui l t
a shrine on the Mandar a that has beautiful caves. It was here
t hat t he lord blessed t he great dai t ya Andhaka, the son of
Hi r anyksa. Sportively he blessed hi m wi th t he offer of Gana-
hood.
Thus the enti re story has been recounted to you i n detai l .
189-190. He who reads or listens to the glory of the
shrines shall i mmedi atel y at t ai n those merits whi ch one attai ns
by visiting holy centres. He shall narrat e this to all the brah-
502 Ligapurna
mi ns who are clean i n body and mi nd and who have conque-
red their sense-organs. That man al one shall at t ai n the benefit
of all sacrifices.
CHAPTER NINETY THREE
The Narrative of the Asura Andhaka
The sages said :
1-5. How did the l eadi ng Dai tya named Andhaka obtai n
the chieftaincy of the Ganas from Mahevara after being sub-
dued i n the Mandar a mount ai n with many charmi ng caves ? It
behoves you to recount it in the manner it happened and in
the way you have hear d.
Sta said :
I shall succinctly ment i on how Andhaka was blessed, how he
was dedi cat ed on the Mandar a mount ai n and how he attai ned
boons. I shall menti on everything briefly. F ormerl y a son was
born to Hi ranyksa. He was comparabl e to Hi r anyanayana
(i.e. his father in prowess). He was well known as Andhaka.
By means of penance he attai ned great prowess. Thanks to the
grace of Br ahm, he at t ai ned i mmuni t y from deat h. He enjoy-
ed the whole of the three worlds. F ormerl y, he conquered the
city of I ndr a sportively and terrified I ndr a wi thout any strain.
6. All Devas, Nr yana and others were oppressed, beaten,
bound and struck down by hi m. They became frightened and
entered Mandar a.
7. After afflicting Devas thus, Andhaka t he great Asura
happened to come casually to the mount ai n Mandar a with
charmi ng caves.
8. Then all those leading Devas i ncl udi ng Sdhyas,
approached Mahe a, the lord of all Devas and said t hus :
" W e have been split and pierced by the weapons of And-
haka, the king of Dai tyas. We are of very little virility. Hence,
we are quickly struck and split in every l i mb.
9-10. On heari ng thus of the arrival of the Dai t ya through
his leading Ganas the lord set out against Andhaka. At t hat
The Narrative of the Asm a Andhaka 503
place, I ndr a, t he lotus-born Brahma, Vi snu and other leading
Devas and the excellent brahmi ns shouted victories to t he lord
from all sides. They kept their j oi ned pal ms on thei r crown to
show their reverence.
11-13. Reduci ng t he enti re host of the Asuras to ashes in
crores and hundreds of crores, Mahdeva pierced Andhaka
wi th his tri dent. On seeing t hat Andhaka was pierced and t hat
his coat of mai l of sin had been burnt , Brahma, shouted in j oy
after bowi ng down to a. On heari ng t hat shout Devas bowed
down to the lord and shouted. The sages danced. The Ganas
rej oiced.
14. Then Devas showered plenty of flowers on lord iva.
The whole of the three worlds rejoiced wi th del ight and shouted.
15. Transfixed to the tri dent and burned like a dead body
i n f i re t he demon assumed Sttvika emotions and t hought thus
in his mi nd.
16-19. "Previ ousl y, lord Mahevara had been propi ti ated
by me in the previous bi rth since I have been bur ned now by
Siva. Hence, this has come to pass. Otherwise, this does not fit
in. He who remembers Rudr a even once i n his mi nd at the
time of deat h attai ns identity wi th hi m. W hy not then he who
remembers many times. Brahma, Vi snu, and Devas incl uding
Indr a seek refuge in hi m. One shall certainly seek refuge in him
al one. " After thinking thus, Andhaka, delighted in his mi nd,
eulogised iva, na who had suppressed hi m. It was due to
the weightiness of his meri t t hat Andhaka could eulogise thus.
20-21. On bei ng prayed to by hi m, lord iva, t he lord of
Devas, t he dispeller of dejection, said to Andhaka t he son of
Hi ranyanet ra, who was fi xed to the tip of the tri dent. Gl anci ng
at the Dnava, the lord spoke wi t h mercy.
22. "O dear one, I am delighted with you. Welfare unt o
you. W hat cherished desire of yours shall I fulfil. O leading
Dai t ya, O Andhaka, choose t he boons. I am known as t he best-
ower of boons.
23. On heari ng the words of the l ord, the son of Hi ranya-
nayana spoke thus to Mahe var a i n words choked within, due
to excess of delight.
24. O lord- O Sankara, the dispeller of t he agony of your
504 Ligapurna
devotees, O lord of the chiefs of Devas, I crave for your devo-
tion if a boon is to be given unt o me. O Ia, be pl eased. "
25-26. On heari ng t he words of Andhaka, t he great At man,
Bhava of great lustre grant ed hi m pur e devoti on whi ch is diffi-
cul t of access. He conferred on hi m the chieftancy of the
Ganas. The l eadi ng Devas and others bowed down t o hi m who
had been thus established in the position as the chieftain of the
Ganas.
CHAPTER NI NETYF OUR
Uplifting the Earth
The sages said:
1-2. How was his father t he terri bl e demon Hi ranyksa,
slain by Vi snu ? How di d Vi snu assume the form of a Boar ?
How di d his horn at t ai n the status of an or nament of Mahea.
O St a, it behoves you to nar r at e all this to us in detai l .
Sta said:
3. The brot her of Hi ranyakai pu is known as Hi ranyksa.
He was comparabl e to Kl a the destroyer. He was the father of
Andhaka the lord of the Asuras.
4. Thi s l eadi ng Dai t ya defeated all Devas. He bound the
eart h t hat has the lustre of bl ue lotus and took i t to Net her
regions. He made i t his prisoner.
5-8. Devas i ncl udi ng Brahm were oppressed, struck and
bound by this cruel l eader of the Dai tyas, Hi ranyksa, the
strong and wicked soul. Thei r facial spl endour became faded.
They bowed down thei r heads to Vi?nu who formerly had
suppressed crores of Dai tyas. They submi tted to hi m the news
about t he i mpri sonment of the earth. On heari ng this, Lord
Vi snu assumed the form of Yaj avar aha
8
'
8
as at t he t i me of
t he manifestation of t he Li ga. W i t h the ti p of his curved fangs
he killed Hi ranyksa the l eadi ng Dai tya of great strength. After
873. YajavarahaThe boar-form of Vi snu. On the symbolic
interpretation of Yajavaraha, see MatsyapurnaA Study, pp. 311-334.
Uplifting the Earth
505
killing hi m along wi th other Daityas, t he lord the slayer of the
Dai tyas shone splendidly.
9-14. J us t as in the beginnings of kal pas before, he enter-
ed the Net her regions and brought the earth out of the ocean
and made her seated on his l ap. Then Brahm, the best of
Devas, accompani ed by I ndr a and others eulogised Visnu the
lord of Devas wi th words choked wi th great emotion.
Obei sance to the perpetual Var ha with the curved fangs
and the staff. Obei sance to Nr yana who is identical wi th all.
Obei sance to Br ahman the greatest At man. Obei sance to the
maker of all. Obei sance to the hol der of the eart h. Obei sance
to the slayer of the enemies of Devas. Obei sance to the creator
and l eader of t he chiefs of Devas and the chastiser of all. You
are Ast amrt i (having eight cosmic bodi es). You have infinite
forms. You are the pri mordi al Deva. You are known as Anant a
(Eternal Bei ng) . Everythi ng has been created by you, O l ord
of Devas, be pleased, O lord of the worlds, O Var ha, O Vi snu.
O Vi snu the fulfiller of our desires, all the i mport ant Dai tyas
were killed in a trice by you wi t h half of a hundred mi l l i onth
par t of the tip of one of your curved fangs, al ong wi th thei r
sons and servants.
15. O lord of earth, the eart h was lifted up by you and
held at the ti p of your curved fangs, O lord, havi ng the lustre
of clouds, O lotus-faced God, served by all the peopl e, all t he
mountai ns, all the oceans, and by all Devas and Asuras.
16. O lord, it was by you alone that the victory of the.
Devas was brought about. Ha ! a boon has been given;
t he goddess of speech has been bestowed on the lotus-born deity,
O lord, be pleased.
17. All the leading i mmortal beings find a pl ace in your
hai rs; t he moon and t he sun i n your eyes; the earth t hat had
been t aken to t he nether worlds was pl aced at the pai r of your
feet. All the constellations find a pl ace on your back.
18. O lord, O preceptor of the universe, the eart h t hat
had been taken to t he cavity of the nether regions, has been
uplifted by you wi thout the hel p of any army, for the welfare
of t he worl ds. Everythi ng has been held by you al one.
19. Thus , the lord of speech, Praj pati , bowed down to
Vi snu al ong with Devas repeati ng different hymns and wor-
506 Ligapurna
shipping hi m in different ways. F rom Vi snu he ( Br ahma)
obt ai ned different boons. He was himself havi ng the body
originating from the umbi l i cal lotus of Visnu.
20. Devas and the l eadi ng sages received on their heads
the earth t hat had been uplifted by hi m. In t he presence of
t he discus-bearing lord they kept the eart h on thei r heads and
bowed down to hi m.
21-22. "O earth, O bestower of boons, you have been
redeemed by this Var ha al one, by Kr s na, by Vi snu who has
hundreds of hands and whose activities are not strained. O
eart h, you are highly blessed. O unchangi ng one, you are an
extensive being. O eart h, you are the supporter of al l t he
worlds. Di spel our sins.
23. O lotus-eyed bestower of boons, it is by your favour
t hat we live after our sins have been destroyed by you, mentally,
verbally and physi cal l y. "
24-26a. On being thus addressed by Devas the eart h s ai d:
"O brahmi ns, he who keeps on his head t he pi nch of eart h
broken by the curved fangs of Var ha, repeat i ng this Mant r a,
shall be liberated from sins. He shall be long-lived and strong.
He shall be blessed wi th sons and grandsons. After leaving the
eart h he reaches heaven and rejoices along wi th Devas. At t he
end of his Kar man he returns to the eart h.
26b-27. W hen Var ha the lord had gone back to mil k
ocean after leaving off the form of the boar, the eart h shook
agai n. The curved fangs of intelligent lord of Devas, pressed
down by the weight of the eart h fell down there.
28-32. Bhava, the lord of the universe, who casually went
t hat way, saw t hat curved fang and took it up for his own
embellishment. Mahdeva kept it on his head as well as on his
chest. Devas i ncl udi ng Indr a eulogised Bhava, t he lord of
Devas.
The ear t h was thus stabilised sportingly by t he lord of
Devas duri ng dissolution. If the lord had not thus decorated
himself with parts of Vi snu, Brahma and other Devas sportingly
how could the brahmi ns at t ai n salvation. Hence, Mahevara
wears curved fang ( Dams t r ) as his ornament .
The Exploits of Nrsirhha the Man-lion
50?
CHAPTER NI NETYF I VE
The Exploits of Nrsirhha the Man-lion
The sages said :
1. It is heard that Hi ranyakai pu the elder brot her of
Hi ranyksa was formerly killed by Nrsirhha. How was he killed
by hi m, kindly tell us.
Sta said:
2. The son of Hi ranyakai pu was known by the name
Pr ahl da. He was conversant with virtue endowed wi th truth-
fulness, asceticism and intelligence.
3-4. Ever since his bi rth he devoutl y worshipped the
unchangi ng omniscient Visnu who is lord of Devas, who is omni -
present, who is the cause of origin of all Devas, who is t he
pri mordi al Purusa, who has the form of Brahman, who is the
overlord of Br ahm and who is the cause of creati on, susten-
ance and anni hi l ati on.
5-6. The enemy of Devas saw that his son was frequently
repeat i ng " O Govi nda, Obeisance t o Nr yana. " He observed
t hat his son was devoted to Vi snu. The demon of sinful intellect
looked at his son as though he would bur n hi m and s ai d:
"O boy of wicked intellect, you don' t know me the lord of
all Dai t yas as well as Devas.
7-8. O heroi c Prahl da, O my wicked son, I am the cause
of agony to t he brahmi ns as well as Devas. W ho is Vi snu ?
W ho is lotus-born (Brahm) ? W ho is Indr a, Varuna, Vyu,
Soma ( Moon) , I na or Pvaka (Fire) to be considered equal
to me ? W orshi p me al one wi th devoti on and never the
insignificant Nr yana,
9-12. O Prahl da, listen to me if you have any desire to
be al i ve. "
Even after heari ng the t hreat eni ng words of Hi ranyakai pu,
t he intelligent boy Prahl da worshipped Vi snu and ut t ered
" O Nr yana obeisance t o you Obeisance t o Nr yana" He
t aught all t he Dai t ya boys the same excellent Brahmavi dy.
Hi ranyakai pu saw t hat his command had been transgressed
by his son, the command t hat could not be transgressed even
508 Ligapurna
by I ndr a and others. On knowing t hat his behest had been
violated Hi ranyakai pu said to Dnavas ; " I t behoves you to
kill this wicked son of mi ne who is worthy of being put to
deat h i n various ways. "
13. Thus ordered by that Dai t ya of extremely wicked
heart, Dnavas hi t and struck the undaunt ed Pr ahl da who
considered himself a servant of the lord of Devas.
14. O excellent brahmi ns, what had been evilly perpetrated
then by those Asuras on the son of the king of Dai tyas became
futile, thanks to the brilliance of the lord who lies down in
the milk ocean.
15-16. In order to kill Hi ranyakai pu who was furious due
to his haughtiness, the lord assumed the form of the man-lion
and manifested himself there itself. Gl anci ng at t he son kindl y
he hit t he father the base Dnava. At the very same moment
he split hi m wi th his sharp claws.
17. Then, the dispeller of sins killed t hat Dai t ya al ong
with his kinsmen. Like a fire of anni hi l ati on at the close of
yugas he harassed t he l eadi ng Dai t ya.
18. O brahmi ns of good holy rites, the entire universe be-
came terrified due to t he terrible roar of Nrsi mha. All the
worlds begi nni ng wi th the world of Brahma trembl ed.
19-21. On seeing Nrsi mha, Devas, Asuras, Ngas, Siddhas,
Sdhyas, Visnu, Brahma and others left off thei r courage and
strength and went off in different directions in order to pro-
tect their lives. W hen they had gone, the lord Nrsi mha who
had a thousand shapes, who had all feet and all arms, who had
a thousand eyes, whose three eyes were the moon, sun and fire,
who was the wielder of My remai ned there enveloping every
thing. The excellent Devas who were stationed on t he Lokloka
accompani ed by Brahma, Siddhas, Yama and the Marut s,
eulogised hi m.
Prayer
22-30. You are the Brahman t hat is greater t han the greatest.
You are the greatest of realities. You are the greatest spl endour
among all l uminaries. You are the greatest At man. You are
identical wi th the universe.
You are gross and subtl e; nay di e subtlest. You are t he
auspicious being identical wi th abdabr ahman. You are beyond
The Exploits of Nrsimha the Man-lion 509
the scope of speech and devoid of support. You are free from
Dvandvas (mut ual l y clashing opposites) i mpedi ment s and
calamities.
24. You are the part aker of sacrifices of sacrificers. You are
the l ord bestowing fruits on those who perform sacrifices. You
assume the form of a fish.
8
'
4
You are stationed in the universe
after assumi ng the form of a tortoi se.
87 8
25. You have assumed the forms of the Boar and the lion
for saving t he ki ngdom of Devas by killing the lord of Dai tyas.
26. Under the pretext of the curse of br ahmi n (i.e. Bhrgu)
you sportingly i ncarnated on the earth. Not hi ng is seen as
distinctly different from you. You are the whol e universe con-
sisting of the mobi l e and i mmobi l e beings.
27. You are Vi snu, Rudr a, and Brahma. You are t he
begi nni ng and the end; O lord, you al one are we.
28. You al one are the universe. O l ord, of what avail is
mere prat t l i ng. O lord, t hat which is non-dualistic is stationed
in manifold ways, due to My.
29-30. How shall we eulogise you ? O l ord of t he paus !
O l ord of Devas, how you shine ! "
Al though the lord was thus eulogised wi t h different hymns,
wi th emoti onal feelings, O brahmi ns, the lord di d not become
cal m because he was honouri ng the species in whi ch he mani -
fested himself (i. e. a l i on).
He who reads this hymn pertai ni ng to the Man-l i on, or
he who ponders over its meani ng or he who narrat es this to
t he brahmi ns, is honoured in t he world of Vi snu.
31-34. In the meant i me, Devas incl uding I ndr a and Brahma
came to lord iva and eulogised hi m after informing him
about the activities of Visnu who assumed the form of a beast
(Li on). The n Br ahma and others eulogised Paramevara. They
sought refuge in hi m who is the great cause, for saving t hei r
souls. Accompani ed by Devas and extremely afraid, Br ahma
eulogised Paramevara Mahdeva who was staying on t he
Mandar a mount ai n sporting wi th Um and who was served by
874-875. The verse* 34-35 of this chapter refer to the fish, tortoise,
boar and man-lion incarnations of Visnu. For detail, see H.M. under
AvatSra, pp. 33-38.
510 Ligapurna
his Ganas, Gandharvas, Siddhas and Apsarses. Brahm prost-
rated on the ground and eulogised Paramevara with words
choked in the throat.
Brahm said :
35 Obeisance unto you the destroyer of deat h; obeisance
unt o the wrat h of Rudr a; obeisance unt o iva, Rudr a; obei-
sance to you i va,
8
'
6
akara.
36 You are Ugra (Terri bl e), the retai ner of all living
beings; you are Siva (auspicious) unt o us; obeisance to
iva, arva, akara the dispeller of dejection.
37. Obei sance to Mayaskara,
8 7 7
obeisance to Viva, to
Visnu, to Brahm ; obeisance to you the destroyer ; obeisance
to the lord of Um.
38. Obeisance to Hi ranyabhu (one with golden arms) ;
obeisance to the lord of Hi ranya (gold) ; obeisance to arva,
87 8
having_all forms ; obeisance to Purusa.
39. Obeisance unt o one devoid of di sti ncti on between ' Sat '
and ' Asat' ; obeisance unt o you the cause of ' mahat ' ; obeisance
to the permanent Being of the form of t he universe t hat is being
born.
40. Obeisance unt o one born in many Ways ; obeisance
unt o the plentiful being ; obeisance to Rudr a ; obeisance to
N l arudra ; to Kadr udr a; obeisance to Pracetas.
41. Obeisance to Kl a of dark complexion ; obeisance to
the destroyer of Kl a; obeisance to lord Mi dhus t ama
8 7 8
(bount i -
ful ) : obeisance to you i ti kantha (bl ue-necked).
42. Obei sance to you the great one ; to th perpetual
destroyer of Daityas ; obeisance to T r a
8 8 0
(redeemer) and
to Sut ra (t he excellent r edeemer ) ; obeisance to Tr ana (one
engaged in redeemi ng sinners).
876. ivayamoksarpya ST. of the form of salvation. Gf.
"ivam mokse sukhe bhadre."Viva.
877. mayaskaryasukhakariya ST. the bestower of happiness.
878. arvyatrnti jagat hinastlti arvah 57". the destroyer of the
universe.
879. midhuatam&yasarva-varsakya ST. the best among those who
grant withes.
880. tryapranavarpya ST. of the form of pranava (om)'
The Exploits of Nfsirhha the Man-lion 511
43. Obei sance to Hari kea (one with tawny hair) ; obeis-
ance to ambhu the great At man ; obeisance to you the
benefactor of Devas ; obeisance to one t he benefactor of living
beings.
44. Obei sance to the benefactor of Um, the daught er of
Hi mavan ; obeisance to wrat h in the form of Rudr a ; obeis-
ance to Kapar di n (one with mat t ed hai r ) . Obei sance to Kl a-
kant-ha ( t he bl ue-necked).
45. Obei sance to gold-complexioned Mahe a; obeisance
to rl kant ha; obeisance to one who is smeared with ashes; obeis-
ance to Dandevara (lord with the staff or rod of puni s hment ) ;
obeisance to Mund vara (lord with skulls).
46. Obei sance to Hrasva (short one) ; to D rgha (l ong
one ) ; obeisance to Vmana (dwarf), to the terrible trident-bear-
ing lord ; obeisance to the fierce being.
47. Obei sance to Bh ma (the t erri bl e), to one of terrible
form ; obeisance to you interested in terribl e activities ; obeis-
ance to one, the foremost among the anni hi l ators; obeisance to
one who can kill from far.
48. Obei sance to Dhanvi n( one wi th a bow) , to l in ( t he
trident-bearing) ; obeisance to you the Gadi n (one with an iron
cl ub) , to Hal i n ( one wi th)pl oughshare (as weapon) , to Cakri n
(one with discus), to Varmi n (one with coat of mai l ) , to the
perpet ual destroyer of the activities of Dai tyas.
49. Obei sance to you, the Sadya, Sadyarpa, and Sadyo-
j t a ; obeisance to you the Vma, Vamar pa,
8 8 1
Vmanet r a;
50-51. Obei sance to you the lord with hideous form and shape;
obeisance to Pur us ar pa; to Tat pur us a; to the sole Puruga;
8 8 5
obeisance to the bestower of Purusrt has (aims of l i fe); obeisanc*
to the lord, to Paramesthi n ; obeisance to you, to na, to
vara.
52-54. Obeisance to Brahma, to one of the form of Br ahman;
obeisance to you, to iva himself.
881. Vmarpyasundararupya ST. of charming features.
882. purusaika-tatpurusyapurusesu ekas tatpurusah uttama-
purusa-rpa ityarthah ST. the best among men. Gf. "uttamah purusas
tvanyah paramtmetyudhrtah"Bhagavad Git
512 Ligapurina
O arva, Vi snu the maker of t he universe has assumed the
form of Nrsi mha. F or the welfare of the worlds t hat
lord himself has killed Hi ranyakai pu with his sharp claws
al ong with many leading Dai tyas. But being i n the leonine
form he is harassing the universe.
O lord of Devas, kindly do what should be done in the
mat t er.
55. You are Ugr a (fierce) ; you are t he restrainer of all
wicked ones ; you are our benefactor. Protect us t hrough your
bodies of Kl akfa, etc. We have sought refuge in you.
56-58. O lord of the universe, your conduct is spotless j we
are but tools of your game. Our dissolution and rise depend
upon the closing or openi ng of your eyes. Even when you are
wide awake, O lord, we are distressed by Vi snu of unmeas-
ured splendour. O iva, our destruction cannot happen wben
you are wi de awake. It behoves you to curb and check Nr-
simha, for t he welfare of the worl ds.
Sta said :
The lord who was thus addressed by them* repl ied smilingly.
59-63. The lord offered t hem fearlessness saying "I shall
kill hi m. " I ndr a bowed to the lord al ong wi th Devas. Lord Bra-
hma and Devas ret urned to their homes. Soon after Mahideva
assumed the form of a ar abha and approached the haughty
Man-l i on. The lord in the form of arabha took away his life and
was worshipped by Devas. F rom the form of a lion Visnu assum-
ed his ori gi nal form and went away gradually. The lord too
who was thus eulogised by Devas went away.
He who" reads or listens to this excellent hymn of Siva
attai ns his world and rejoices al ong with hi m.