Poorvārdha - 1 - Introductory 

1. Obeisance t0 the Supreme Soul, Rudra, Vişhnu and Brahmā,1 the lord of Pradhana and Purusha2 and the cause of creation, sustenance and dissolution. 

1. The Shaiva Puranas trace the origin of Brahmā, Vişhņu and Rudra to the Supreme Spirit (Maheśhvara) and assign the functions of creation existence and dissolution of the universe to each respectively. In fact, the three gods represent the three attributes-sattva, rajas and tamas which together form Pradhāna- the original source of the universe. Thus, the trinitarian pattern of the Cosmos is a single whole at its base. Cf. Devi Bhaga. 1.8. 2-4. 

2. Pradhana--the primary or unevolved matter, the original source of the material world. 

Puruşha--the twenty-sixth principle represented as passive and a spectator of the working of Prakruti the creative force. Hours distinguished from the personal soul (jiva) as the latter is the enjoyer of the fruits of the World-Tree. Cf. 1. 28.7; 11. 17. 26-27. 

2-4. The sage Närada3 want to Naimisha4 after worshipping Shiva, in all the holy centres,5 viz. Shaileśha, Sangameshvara, Hiranyagarbha, Svarlina, Avinukta, Mahālaya, Raudra, Gopre kşhaka, the excellent Pāśhuputa, Viglineshvara, Kedāra, Gomāyu- keśhvara, Hiranyagarbha, Chandresha, Ishänya, Trivistapa and Shukreśhvara. 

3. Närada --the mind-born son of Brahma and a divine sage who acts as a messenger between gods and men. 

4. Naimisha or Naimišha, mod. Nimsar. It is situated in the Sitāpur district in the Uttara Pradesha, on the left bank of the Gomati 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 (Vāyu 2.7). Or the place is so called because here an army of asuras was destroyed by the sage Gauramukba in a twinkling of eye. (Cf. Varāha quoted in ST.) On the authority of the Matsya Purāna, A Borooah (Ancient Geography of India) places it about the confluence of the Gomati and the Ganges. It was sacred in the Kruta agneas Puşhkara in the Tretā, Kurukşhetra in the Dvāpara, the Ganges in the Kali age. 

5. For detail about the holy centres, see part I. Ch. 92. 

5. On seeing Narada, the residents of Naimisha were delight- ed in their minds. After honouring him they offered him a befitting seat. 

6-17. He too being pleased acccpted the seat offered by the excellent sages. Seating himself comfortably on the excellent seat and duly worshipped by the sages he discussed with them the holy narrative of the Lingas, the narrative consisting of wonderful anecdotes. At the very same time, the intelligent Sūta who was well-versed in the Purāņas came to Naimişha for offering homage to the sages. The residents of Naimisha greeted him duly with holy songs and adorations, (since) he was the disciple of Krishna Dvaipayana.6 On seeing the truly trustworthy and scholarly Sūta Romaharşhana7 there arose in them the desire to hear the Purāņa. They, thereafter, asked him about the meritorious Purāna that contained the glory and greatness of the Lingas. 

6. Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyäsa was the son of Parāśhara by Satyavati who later on married king Shantanu. He composed the Mahabhārata and the Puranas and arranged the Vedas into four compendiums (Vāyu 1.60, ut) 

7. Romaharşhana or Lomaharshana was one of the five disciples of Vyása (Väyu. 1.61), 13; SP. Vidyeshvara-Samhitä, 4.7). He was assigned the duty of preserving Purānic tradition while the other four Paila, Vaišhampāyana, Jaimini and Sumanta were entrusted with the task of preserving the Vedas. He is called Süta but he is a brahmin. He should not be confused with the Süta of mixed caste who was the offspring of a kshatriya father and brahmin woman as described in Manu (Munusmruti X, 11.17) 

The residents of Naimişha said: 

"O Sūta, of great intellect, after adoring the sage Krishna Dvaipāyana for the knowledgc of the Purānas you have obtained the Purānic lore from him. Hence, O Sūta, the best among the Paurāņikas, we desire to hear from you that Purānic lore illustrating the glory of the Lingas. Nārada, the glorious son of Brahmā, after completing his pilgrimage to the holy centres of the supreme lord Rudra and worshipping the Lingas therein, has arrived here. You are a devotee of lord Rudra. So also are we and Narada. It behaves you to recount the meritorious Purāņa containing the glory and greatness of the Lingas8 in the presence of this sage. Since', everything (relating to Dharma) has been successfully achieved by you, it should all be well known to you." 

8. Repeated in verse to of this Chapter. 

Thus told, Sūta, the most gified among the Pauriņikas was delighted in his mind. He, the meritorious one, marle obeisance  first to Nárada, the son of Brahmä and then to the ascetics of Naimisha and began narrating the Purāņa. 

Sūta said: 

18. After bowing to Shiva, Brahınā and Vishnu, I remember the leading sage Vyāsa in order to recount the Linga Purāna. 

19-24. I bow down to the supreme lord whose body is Shahda-Brahman, who is the revealer of the Shabda-Brahman, whose limbs are the letters whose characteristics are unmanifest, but who menifests himsell in diverse ways, who is constituted by the letters a, u, m, who is gross as well as subtle, who is greater than the greatest, who has the form of Om, whose face is the Rugveda, tongue the Samaveda, throat the Yajurveda, and heart the Atharvaveda, who is the lord beyond Pradhāna and Puruşha, who is devoid of birth and death and who is called Kälarudra when he assumes taniogua and Bralunī when he rajoguna and the all-pervading Vişhnu when he assumes sattvaguna, who is Maheśhvara when devoid of all the gunas9, who manifests first in seven10 forms by enveloping the body of Pradhāna, then in sixteen11 forms, and finally in twentysix12 forms, who is the source of origin of Brahmā, and who assumes the form of the Linga merely for the sport of Creation, sustenance and annihilation (of the universe). After howing down faithfully to that supremne lord, I begin a counting the auspicious narrative of the Lingpurīna. 

9. Repeated in 1.6.30. 

10. saptadha a group of seven tattvas consisting of intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkāra) and five subtle elements (tanmatras). 

11. shodaśhadha - five senses of action (Karmendriyas), five senses of knowledge (jñānendriyas), five gross elements (mahābhūtas' and mind. 

12. To the twentythree categories (supra Nos. 10, 11) are added Pradhāna (twentyfourth), Jiva (twentyfifth) and Purusha (twentysixth). To this group of twentysix is added another (the twentyseventh) namely the supreme lord (maheśhvara).