Chapter 46 - Installation of the Liṅga (Pratiṣṭhita or Liṅgasthāpana)

The sages said:

1. O Sūta of great intelligence, O Romaharṣaṇa, the mode of performing Śrāddha of living persons has been recounted by you for the sake of our liberation despite the fact that we are foolish.

2- 6. O sage of good holy rites, how is the installation of Rudra, Āditya and Vasus, of Indra and others; how is the installation of Śiva the deity represented by the Liṅga; how are the following deities installed:—Viṣṇu, Indra, Brahmā, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Soma, Yakṣa, Kubera, Īśāna, Earth, Śrī, Durgā, Śivā the excellent daughter of the Himavān, Skanda, Gaṇarāja and Nandin in particular? It behoves you to describe in detail the characteristics of the installation of other Devas and Gaṇas.

7. O sage of good holy rites, you are conversant with the reality of ail objects. You are another physical form of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.

8-9. “Sumantu, Jaimini and Paila are great sages. Romaharṣaṇa is capable of devoutly serving bis preceptor.” Thus is the great story sung about Vyāsa on the banks of the Bhāgīrathī. You are the chief disciple of that lustrous person, equal to or non-different from him.

10. You are equal to Vaiśampāyana among the disciples of Vyāsa on the earth. Hence, it behoves you now to mention everything to us.

11- 13. After saying thus, the sages stood there for a while. At that time a mysterious thing happened in front of him (Sūta) and the sages. Goddess Sarasvatī herself uttered these words from the sky:—

“May the questions of the sages stop. The whole world is identical with the Liṅga. Everything is founded on the Liṅga. Hence, one shall eschew everything, install (pratiṣṭhita) the Liṅga and worship it.

14. One shall pierce the cosmic egg instantaneously by performing the rite of installing the Liṅga (liṅgasthāpana) which acts like a large sword fixed to the path of the good. The devotee shall then unhesitatingly go out.

15-21. All these are firmly founded on the Liṅga:—Upendra, Brahmā, Indra, Yama, Varuṇa, Kubera, Īśvara and others. They have installed Maheśvara Śiva, whose physical form is the Liṅga. O brahmins, they have become the chief among their kinsmen by installing Śiva thus.

Brahmā, Hara, Viṣṇu, Ramā, Dharā, Lakṣmī, Dhṛti, Smṛti, Prajñā, Dharā, Durgā, Śacī, Rudras, Vasus, Skanda, Viśākha, Śākha, Naigameśa, guardians of the quarters, planets, the Gaṇas, Nandin, Gaṇapati, Pitṛs, sages, those lustrous ones beginning with Kubera,^[1] Ādityas, Vasus, Sāṃkhyas, the excellent physicians Aśvins, Viśvedevas, Sādhyas, Paśus, birds and animals—nay everything beginning with Brahmā and ending with an immobile thing is founded on the Liṅga. Hence, one shall eschew everything and install the unchanging Liṅga. If one worships it, it is as good as worshipping everything installed assiduously.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kuberādyāḥ—yakṣas with their leader Kubera.