Linga Purana English Pdf
Carlota Sproul
The Linga Purana (लङ्गपुरण, IAST: Liṅga-purāṇa) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, and a Shaivism text of Hinduism.[1][2] The text's title Linga refers to the iconographical symbol for Shiva.[1][3]
The author(s) and date of the Linga Purana are unknown, and estimates place the original text to have been composed between the 5th-10th century CE. The text exists in many versions and was likely revised over time and expanded.[2][4] The extant text is structured into two parts, with a cumulative total of 163 chapters.[5]
The text presents cosmology, mythology, seasons, festivals, geography, a tour guide for pilgrimage (Tirtha), a manual for the design and consecration of the Linga and Nandi, stotras, the importance of these icons, a description of Yoga with claims of its various benefits.[1][2][6]
Like all the Puranas, the Linga Purana has a complicated chronology. Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van Buitenen state that each of the Puranas is encyclopedic in style, and it is difficult to ascertain when, where, why, and by whom these were written:[4]
"As they exist today, the Puranas are a stratified literature. Each titled work consists of material that has grown by numerous accretions in successive historical eras. Thus no Purana has a single date of composition. (...) It is as if they were libraries to which new volumes have been continuously added, not necessarily at the end of the shelf, but randomly.
The text is titled after its theme, which is the worship of Linga, and the text is primarily focused on Shiva as Supreme.[1][8] However, along with Shiva-related themes, the Linga Purana includes chapters dedicated to Vedic themes, as well as includes reverence for Vishnu and Brahma.[5][9]
Linga, states Alain Danilou, means sign.[11] It is an important concept in Hindu texts, wherein Linga is a manifested sign and nature of someone or something. It accompanies the concept of Brahman, which as invisible signless and existent Principle, is formless or linga-less.[11] The Linga Purana states, "Shiva is signless, without color, taste, smell, that is beyond word or touch, without quality, motionless and changeless".[11] The source of the universe is signless, and all of the universe is the manifested Linga, a union of unchanging Principles and the ever-changing nature.[11] The Linga Purana text builds on this foundation.[12]
The Linga Purana is notable for its aggressiveness in retaliating against those who censure Shiva, suggesting in chapter 1.107 that Shiva devotee should be willing to give his life to end the censorship of Shiva, if necessary with violence against those who censure Shiva.[5] In Chapter 1.78, the text also emphasizes the virtues of non-violence, stating, "violence should be avoided always, and at all places."[21]
The Linga Purana's ideas incorporate, states Stella Kramrisch, those of the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.[12] The chapter 1.17 of the Linga Purana introduces Linga as Pradhana or Prakriti (cosmic substance), while Shiva is described as Lingin, or one with this "subtle body".[12] Lingam is presented by the text as an abstract concept, the formless reality, contrasted with Alinga (Vyakta), along with its phallic significance with the sexual truth in nature's process of life creation in the universe. The verses of the text, states Kramrisch, present Linga as an aniconic symbol of both the matter and the spirit, the Prakriti and the Purusha, whereby the "powers of creation, liberation, and annihilation" are symbolized by the icon.[12]
Summary: The English translation of the Linga Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas originally compsed by Vyasa in 11,000 Sanskrit verses. This encyclopedic book covers topics such as the Linga (symbol of Shiva), Shaiva pilosophy and Cosmology or creation theories (i.e., origin of the universe), mythology, Astronomy, Yoga, Geography, Tirtha (sacred pilgrimage guides) and Ethics. Even though it is an important text in Shaivism (for it contains many hymns and discussions on Shiva), this Purana also narrates stories dealing with Vishnu and Brahma, and various other deities.
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The project of the Series was envisaged and financed in 1970 A.D. by Shri Sundarlal Jain, the veteran interpreter in the field of Oriental Publications and the leading proprietor Messers Motilal Banarsidass. Hitherto six volumes of the series (that is, four vols. of the Sivapurana and two vols. of the Lingapurana completing both the Puranas) have been published and made accessible to the reader.
The present English translation is based on the Sanskrit text of the Lingapurana published in India by Messers Ksemaraja Srikrsnadasa. The text, constructed on the collation of Mss. is fairly reliable, although here and there it suffers from certain lapses and defies our efforts for accurate translation. But these lapses are few and far between and they do not vitiate the quality of translation as a whole.
In this translation, we have followed the text as closely as possible but at places, we have been a little freer with a desire to maintain the spirit of the language in which the original is so rendered. At the same time, we have excluded all far-fetched, forced, or fancied interpretations including those that are suggested by the author of the Sivatosini, though we have often quoted him in the footnotes.
The reader will find that the Purana deals with a variety of subjects-geographical, historical, philosophical, religious, and the like which need elucidation. This task could not be accomplished by a mere translation. We have therefore provided footnotes on these topics. The footnotes are very brief but illuminative. They supply the background without which the exegesis would not be possible.
We have prefixed to this Part a critical introduction that discusses, besides other topics, the nomenclature, authorship, authenticity, date, and general characteristics of the work. We have suffixed to Part II a general index that lists among other words the names of persons, tribes, tribes, places, rivers, lakes, mountains, etc. of which the identity already discussed in the footnotes is marked here by introducing a letter of abbreviation put within the bracket against the name. But we have eschewed all unnecessary repetitions and therefore have included the constantly recurring names, as those of the deities, kings, and sages, only when there is some special reason for specifying them.
Before closing, it is our pleasant duty to put on record our sincere gratitude to Dr. S.K. Chatterjee, Dr. V. Raghavan, Dr. R.N. Dandekar, Shri K.R. Kripalani and the authorities of UNESCO for their kind encouragement and valuable help which render this work more valuable to scholars than it would otherwise have been. We must also thank Shri T. V. Parameswar Lyer for his valuable spade work which lightened our labors, especially in their initial stage.
Puranas: Origin and Development
According to the Visnupurana, the sage Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa compiled a Puranasamhita from the various ancient episodes and imparted it to his disciple Romaharsana. The latter composed his own Puranasamhita and among his disciples Kasyapa, Savarni and Samsapayana composed their own. These four were the original Puranasamhitas. The Vayupurana specifies the number of the Puranas as ten. This represents the second stage in the development of the Puranas. The traditional number eighteen is the final stage.
The Puranic scholars agreed upon the authenticity of the seventeen Puranas but in regard to the eighteenth there is a difference of opinion. The majority of the Puranas include Sivapurana in the list while a few others substitute Vayu for Siva.
Section I describes the evolution of Linga, a phallic form of Siva. It records traditions about the rise of the Linga cult, modes of worshipping Linga, principles of its ritual, and the efficacy of its worship illustrated by myths, legends, and anecdotes, It provides a graphic account of the geography of the earth with seven continents, their flora and fauna, their people, mountain, oceans, and river. It describes the size of the earth, stars, and planets, their positions, and movements in the heavens. It recounts the genealogies of some famous monarchs of the solar and lunar dynasties. It gives an account of prominent Asuras, their expeditions, and destruction.
Section II contains legends on the glorification of Linga, a detailed account of the form, concept, and attributes of Linga, and the vratas, gifts, and mantras related to his worship. Finally, it explains in detail the procedure of the Pasupata Yoga as the means of attaining the ultimate goal viz., the absorption of the personal soul into the supreme soul-Lord Siva.
The Lingapurana is a Saiva Purana. It derives its name from the fact that it reveals the supreme Lord Siva in his niskala (attributeless) and sakala (qualified) forms, recounts his emblems, qualities, exploits, and incarnations, narrates legends on the origin and importance of Linga-his phallic idol, dwells upon the merit of installing and consecrating it, describes the ritual and philosophical principles of the Linga cult and embodies sermons and dissertations on the glory of Linga image.
The authorship of the Puranas is attributed to the sage Krsna Dvaipayana but Bhavisya speaks of separate authorship for different Puranas. According to this authority, the Linga was composed by the sage Tandi. But this statement of Bhavisya is not supported by the internal evidence, although the Purana suggests the theory of separate authorship. For instance, when Bhavisya states that Visnu was composed by Parasara, we find that Linga had already stated this fact. Besides, this voluminous set of Puranas beset with different strata of society of different times cannot be ascribed to a single author.
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