Chapter 103 - Mode of repair of old or broken Liṅgas (jīrṇa-uddhāra)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Lord said:

1-2. I shall describe the repairing [i.e., uddhāra] of the liṅgas which have become old etc. [i.e., jīrṇa-ādi] as laid down. That one which is devoid of the characteristics, or broken or whose outlines have become blunt or that which is struck by lightning or cracked or broken or mutilated or damaged in any other way should be installed on its pedestal as also its bull.

3-5. The liṅgas which have been shaken (from their position) or which have become unsteady or which have been slantingly fixed or which lean towards a particular direction or those which have been fixed exactly at the centre (of the temple) should be re-installed (in their places) if they are devoid of any cracks or if they have been washed by floods of river water etc. A liṅga of Śiva duly reinstalled at a different place as laid down should not be removed whether it has been perfectly fixed or improperly fixed.

6. A liṅga should be established by (offering) a hundred (oblations) and be removed by (offering) a thousand (oblations). If the liṅga is worshipped, it would set right even the old ones [i.e., jīrṇa].

7. After having erected a sacrificial shed either in the southern part or in the north-eastern part of the ground and an arch on the door on the western side and completed the worship of the guardian deities, worship with the mantras (is done) on the (sacrificial) ground.

8-10. After having appeased with the mantras and worshipped the presiding deities of the ground as before and made offerings for the quarters outside, the preceptor should sip waters (thrice). After having fed the brahmins, (lord) Śambhu (Śiva) should then be informed, “O (lord) Śambhu! This liṅga is defective and is to be removed. O (lord) Śiva graciously take thy seat in myself for a while if it pleases you”. After having submitted to the lord thus one should offer oblation of appeasement.

11-12. (The preceptor) (should offer) one hundred and eight oblations with honey, clarified butter, milk, and dūrvā (a kind of grass). After having established the liṅga, it should be worshipped on the ground then. (The Śiva mantras for the worship are (as follows): “Oṃ, to the all-pervading etc.” “Oṃ, obeisance to the lord of the heart, the pervading.” The aṅga mantras (those for assigning on the different parts of the body) are “Oṃ obeisance to the pervading lord, to the head.” etc. Then the principle abiding therein should be addressed with the mantras of the weapon.

13-17. (Then the preceptor should say as follows): “Whichever good spirit that is lodged in this liṅga may go to its place of liking after leaving this liṅga by the command of (lord) Śiva. (Lord) Bhava (Śiva) being attended to by the learning and the presiding deities of learning would remain here.” Then having made thousand oblations for each one of the (three) parts with the pāśupata mantra, sprinkled waters of appeasement and touched with the kuśa, (the preceptor) should repeat (the mantras). After having offered the arghya (waters for washing) in the reverse order to the (fundamental) principles and to the presiding deities of the principles, the preceptor should bid farewell to the presiding deities of the eight manifestations (of lord Śiva) located in the liṅga and the pedestal by binding them with a golden noose placed on the shoulders of the bull and leading them with the repetition of the mantras of (lord) Śiva and should put it in the waters. Then the preceptor should offer hundred oblations in order to confer prosperity.

18-22. One hundred oblations each (should be offered) to satisfy the presiding deities of the quarters and for the purification of the sacrificial ground. After having laid protection for that building with the (repetition of the mantra of) pāśupata weapon, the preceptor should establish another liṅga therein as laid down. (liṅgas) established by demons, sages, brahmins belonging to the clan of renowned sages and those well-versed in the Tantras (class of literature dealing with magic and mystic formulations for the worship of different deities) should not be removed even as laid down, even though they may be old or broken. This is the procedure to be followed for replacing an old edifice. After having located the collection of mantras on the sword another edifice should be made. If (the edifice is) made less spacious it is said to confer death (on the consecrator) and if made too spacious it would cause loss of wealth. Whether the same materials (are used) or better materials it should be done well to be of the same measure as before.