Chapter 65 - Brahmeśvara (brahmā-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Hara said:

1. O my beloved, know Brahmeśvara Liṅga as the sixty-fifth deity. Merely by seeing it, one attains Brahmaloka.

2-7. There was a leader of Daityas named Pulomā. He had great strength and valour. He was regularly honoured and adored by thousands of Paulomas (attendants and followers). They worshipped him in the same way as Devas worship Sureśa.

Once in the presence of the Daityas, he said: “If even now there is the name (and fame) of the Guardians of the Worlds, of Indra, Dhaneśa, Yama and Varuṇa, of the Sun, of the Moon, of the Fire, and of the Waters, of what avail is the penance and very life of myself surrounded (and supported) by all these Paulomas of supreme strength! I shall drive out all the heaven-dwellers.”

After saying thus, O goddess, he, surrounded by his Daityas, went to the ocean. He saw Lord Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu) lying down there. He had the lustre of an autumnal cloud dark in the middle. On seeing him he spoke to his Daityas:

8-14. “Here is that Madhusūdana who acts like thunderbolt unto the mountains in the form of Dānavas. He destroys the fame, women, and pleasure-sports of his enemies. He mars and destroys (erases) the refulgent decorative paintings on the persons of the womenfolk of Daityas. He is our great foe causing widowhood to our Jayavadhūs (brides in the form of victory). He is asleep alone and without the least suspicion. He is always mentally crooked. The wicked one should be killed at once. Even as I wish for it he has come into my view.”

After saying thus Pulomā, the extremely angry leader of Daityas, rushed in full speed. He saw ahead Brahmā meditating repeatedly in the lotus of his novel. On seeing the wonderful columns of the army of leonine Daityas invincible in battle, Brahmā became bewildered and agitated. Soon the highly powerful enemy of Kaiṭabha woke up. He saw Pulomā in front of him surrounded by his own army. The Lord who cannot be defeated in battle spoke to Brahmā thus:

Viṣṇu said:

15-25. Let endeavour be made for the destruction of Pulomā. This Daitya has been granted boons. He will defeat me with his powerful force. Hence hasten to the splendid Mahākālavana. There itself, to the north of Cyavaneśa you will see a great Liṅga that has been in existence for six Kalpas and that is endowed with Śiva-Śakti (the Śakti aspect of Śiva). You will get permanent power due to the greatness of that Liṅga. There is a stream of water that touches the hand of Kuṇḍeśvara continuously. Fetch that water and let this fellow be killed thereby.

On hearing his words thus, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, came within a short time to the place where that excellent Liṅga was present. Immediately Pitāmaha devoutly perceived the Lord and eulogized.

Brahmā said:

Obeisance to you of divine form; obeisance to you, the multi-formed one. Obeisance to the Lord whose vigour is unbearable. Obeisance to you, the soul of all universal activities. Obeisance to the Lord with tawny matted hairs. Obeisance to the Lord bearing the crescent moon. Obeisance to the golden-coloured one. Obeisance to one who always stays in forest. I salute you, the Lord of all living beings, the permanent destroyer of enemies, one with tinkling golden arm-lets, one who holds aloft the disc of the full moon. I bow to you, the presiding deity of the Devas, the presiding deity of the entire universe, the great Lord, who annihilate the mass of miseries of the worldly existence and whose feet are always meditated upon by sages. I always salute you, the Lord who destroy the mass of Daityas and who hold the axe, the trident, the excellent bow, the sword, the Paṭṭiśa and the club.

26-39. On being eulogized thus, Lord Maheśvara in the form of the Liṅga with a slightly smiling face said to Brahmā, the creator of the worlds: “What is it you desire, O Pitāmaha? What can I do? What shall I give you? O most excellent one among the sages, why do you eulogize? Why do you seem distressed?” On hearing these words of the Liṅga, Brahmā told everything in detail. Then, O my beloved, the Liṅga said: “O Consort of Vāṇī, take ‘the water produced through weapons.’ It can avert the attack of the enemies. In an instant you will kill Pulomā along with his army.” On being told thus, Brahmā hurriedly went to the place where Janārdana was present. With that water he struck those Daityas down to the ground. That Pulomā was a great man in the Svārociṣa Manvantara. Along with Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa came to Kuśasthalī. Janārdana saw the Liṅga there and assigned a name to the Liṅga. “For the sake of getting me blessed, the deity was eulogized by Brahmā. Hence he will be well-known in all the worlds by the name Brahmeśvara. Those men who devoutly visit Śiva named Lord Brahmeśvara with go beyond Brahmaloka and reach me. He who (even) casually sees Lord Śiva named Brahmeśvara shall have his desires fulfilled. He will never bewail death. The merit of a person who visits Brahmeśvara is more than that of a person who goes to Puṣkara and performs penance for a hundred years. Even a man of wicked mind who is guilty of the five deadly sins, will go to the region of Śiva after visiting Śiva named Brahmeśvara. By perceiving Brahmeśvara one obtains the benefit of ten Cāndrāyaṇas duly performed.” After saying this, O my beloved, Viṣṇu went back to the eternal Vaikuṇṭha. Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, went to Brahmaloka.

Thus, O goddess, the sin-destroying power of Brahmeśvara Deva has been recounted to you. Listen to (that of) Jalpeśvara.