76 - Installation of Shiva's image 

Süta said: 

1. Henceforth, I shall mention the benefit accruing from the installation of the idol entirely, for the welfare of the world. The idol may be in accordancc with one's own wish. 

2. After making the idol of the lord seated in an elegant seat along with Skanda and Umā and after installing it with devotion one shall fulfil desires. 

3. In the manner I had heard, I shall mention the benefit that a man obtains by worshipping the lord along with Skanda and Umā (even) once (but) in accordance with the injunctions. 

4-7. Until the dissolution of all living beings, he becomes a yogin and sports like Shiva in aerial chariots resembling crores of suns wherein everything desirable is available and where virgins of Rudra sing and dance. In the aerial chariots where everything desirable is available he enjoys great pleasures. He then goes to the following worlds one after the other viz: the world of Umā, of Kumāra, of iśhāna, of Vişhnu, of Brahma and of Prajāpati. "The deity of great splendour passes through the Janaloka and Maharloka. After reaching the world of Indra he assumes the role of Indra for ten thousand years. Again, after enjoying divine and brilliant pleasure in the Bhuvarloka, be reaches the Meru and rejoices in the abodes of Devas. 

8-14. One shall attain Sayujya (union) with Shiva by duly installing the omniscient, omnipresent lord in accordance with the injunctions of the Shastras, the lord who has a single foot, four arms, three eves and trident, the lord who is stationed after creating Vişhnu from his left side and the four-faced Brahma from the right side. The lord who created twenty eight crores of Rudras, and then the twentyfifth669 principle Puruşha, brilliant in all the limbs, from his heart; the lord who created Prakruti from his left; cosmic intellect from the region of the intellect, the cosmic ego from his own ego and the Tanmatras therefrom. The great lord sportingly created the sense-organs from his own sense-organs. He created the earth from the soul of his foot and water from the private parts. He created tue from the umbilical region the sun from the heart, the moon from his neck, the soul from the middle of his eyebrows and the heaven from the forehead. One shall instal the image of the lord who is stationed thus after creating the entire universe inclusive of the mobile and immobile beings. 

669. panchavimśhatikam the twenty-fifth principle, i.e., jiva (the individual soul). 

15. By making the idol of Ishāna, the lord of the sacrifices670, who has three feet, seven hands, four horns and two heads, the devotee is honoured in the world of Vişhnu. 

670. yajiešham--agnirupam ST. of the form of fire. 

16. The man will enjoy great pleasures there for a hundred thousand kalpas, He shall be happy and in due course return to his would as master of all sacrifices. 

17-18. If the device makes the idol of the lord who rides on a bull accompanied by Umā did with the crescent moon as his ornament, he attains that merit which one usually obtains by performing ten thousand house-sacrifices. He goes to Shiva's divine city in a golden aerial chariot having clusters of ankling bells and he is liberated there itself. 

19. In the manner I have heard, I shall mention the benefit that one attains by making the idol of the lord accompanied by Nandin and Uma and surrounded by all Gañas. 

20-21. He will go to the city of Shiva on the aerial chariots that resemble the solar sphere, that are tied to the bulls, that are difficult of access even to Devas and Dänavas that are occupied and beautified all round by the dancing nymphs. He shall then attain the chieftainship of the Ganas. 

22-26. I shall mention the benefit that one attains by making any of the following idols of Shiva and installing it with devotion viz: the lord of the chiefs of Devas as in his dancing posture and accompanied by the daughter of the lord of mountains; the omniscient lord having a thousand arms or having four arms; lord Parameśhvara surrounded by Bhrugu and others as well as the groups of goblins; the bull-bannered Iśhvara accompanied by the daughter of the lord of mountain, the diety as perpetually being bowed to by Brahmā, Indra, Vişhnu, Soma (the moon) and all other Devas; Parameshvara as surrounded by Mothers and sages. He shall attain a crore times the benefit that accrues from all yajnas, penances, charitable gifts, pilgrimages to the holy centres and visits to the deities. He shall then go to the region of suspiciousness,671 Until the dissolution of all living beings he shall enjoy great pleasure there. When the next creation arrives he shall return to the region of mortals. 

671. Shiva-puram- a mythical city "Shivapura' on the the Himalayas, particularly on the Kailasa peak is conceived as the abode of Shiva 

27-28. One shall attain identity with Shiva by making the idol of Shiva as follows and installing it with devotion; the lord as naked, white-complexioned, having four arms, three eyes and the serpent is girdle, with black curly hairs and holding a skull in his hand. 

29-33. By making the idol of the lord as follows and installing it with devotional according to the extent of one's affluence, one surmounts all obstacles and is honoured in the world of Shiva; the lord as tearing asunder the leading elephant672 as accompanied by Amba, as the bestower of all desired objects; as smoke-coloured, red in eyes and adorned with the moon on the forehead, as having three eyes, wearing the sidelocks of hairs, holding the serpent-shaped hatchet, wearing the lion's hide as his upper garment and the deer skin as the lower one, as having sharp curved fangs and armed with an iron club, holding the skull in his uplifted hand, the lord as rendering all the quarters resonant with loud shouts of "Hum" "Phat" etc., holding the tiger skin673 and the conch674 shell in two of his hands, laughing, roaring and drinking the black ocean675 (poison) as dancing in the company of Bhūtas (goblins) and surrounded by Gaņas.  

672. ibhendra-darakam-ibhendraḥ gajāsuraḥ tam dārayatīti-one who has slain the asura Gaya. 

673. Pundarikājina-one who is clad in the tiger-hide, (pungarika = tiger. Cf. vyāghre tu pundariko na" -Amarakošha. 

674. Kambukam --kamandulam ST. a water-pot. 

675. Krişhna-sågaram-ST. gives an alternate meaning; kshira-samudram, vide ch. 29. verses 29-31. 

34-37. There (in the world of Shiva) he enjoys great pleasures until the dissolution of all living beings. By means of deliberation he gains perfect knowledge from the Rudras there and becomes liberated. 

By making the idol of Shiva as follows and installing it with devotion the devotee is honoured in the world of Shiva. The excellent lord has half of his body in female form. He has four arms wherein he holds the boon to be bestowed; the gesture of fearlessness, the trident and the lotus. He is stationed in the form of a woman as well as a man, bedecked in all ornaments. There (in the Shivaloka) he enjoys all great pleasures. He is then endowed with Animă (minuteness) and other qualities. Therefrom he obtains the knowledge lasting as long as the moon and the stars and is liberated. 

38-40. He who makes the idol of the omniscient lord of the chiefs of Devas, Nakulīśhvara, who is surrounded by disciples and their disciples and who has uplifted his hand in expounding the principles and then instals it with devotion goes to the world of Shiva. The man enjoys extensive pleasures there for a hundred yugas. After attaining the path of knowledge he attains liberation there itself. 

41-43. His abode is liked by all among Devas and Asuras. By making the idol of the lord as follows and by installing it, one is liberated from the ocean of worldly existence: -The lord shows gestures. He has the ashes from the funeral pyre for his unguent; he has the triple mark of Tripundra; he wears a garland made of skulls; he wears a single sacred thread constituted by the hairs of Brahma, with his left hand he holds the excellent skull of Brahma; as Parameshthin he adopts the body of Vişhnu. 

44-46a. He who repeats even once the holy mantra of eight syllables, viz., "Om Namo Nilakanthaya (Om obeisance unto the blue-necked lord), is liberated from sins. By worship ping the lord of the chiefs of Devas by means of this mantra with devotion after using scents and other things in accordance with one's wealth, one is honoured in the world of Shiva. 

46b-47. By making the idol of the lord as follows and ins- talling it with devotion the devotee attains oneness with Shiva. The lord destroys Jalandhara who is severed into two. The lord is holding Sudarshana. By installing such images or any one of such images the devotee attains oneness with Shiva. No hesitation or doubt need be entertained in this regard. 

48. By making the idol as follows and by installing it with devotion one is honoured in the world of Shiva. The Deva is the bestower of Sudarśhana with the characteristics as mentioned before. He is worshipped by lord Vişhnu who adores him by means of worship including the gift of his own eye.676 

676. When Vişhnu fell short of a flower he plucked his own eye and offered it as a gift. 

49-51. One shall attain oneness with Shiva bu duly making and installing the idol of the lord as standing on the back of Nikumbha (a gaña) fixing his lotus-like right foot firmly on him and embracing the daughter of the mountain on his left side. His elbow rests on the tip of his trident. The serpents are suspended from the trident like so many tinkling bells. He is glancing at Andhaka who is standing at his side with palms joined in reverence. 

52-54. He who makes the idol of Shiva, the lord of the chiefs of Devas, Ishvara the destroyer of the Tripuras, with bow and arrows in his hands, the crescent moon as an ornament, seated in a chariot accompanied by Umā and being charioteered by the four-faced lord (Brahmā), assumes that form (of Shiva) and goes to the city of Shiva. He is happy and he undoubtedly sports like the second Shiva. O excellent brahmins, after enjoying great pleasures there, as much as lie desires and having obtained perfect knowledge after due deliberation he is liberated there itself. 

55-58. The intelligent devoice who makes and instals these idols along with Vighnesha shall attain oneness with Shiva: -The lord is seated comfortably holding the Gangā and having the moon on his coronet; the lord is accompanied by the Ganga and Umā is seated on his left lap; the lord is surrounded by Vinayaka, Skanda, Jyeșhthi, Durgā, Bhaskara, Soma, Brahmāņi, Mäheśhvari, Kaumāri, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Varada, Indrāņi, Chāmundā, Virabhadra and Vighnesha. 

59-63. By making the idols as follows and installing them with devotion one shall attain oneness with Shiva. The unchanging lord is in the form of a Linga surrounded by great clusters of fames; the moon-crested Ishvara as seated in the centre of the Linga. The Linga should be made in the ether with Brahmă with folded hands in the form of a swan standing on the right and Vişhnu in the form of a Boar standing beneath the Linga with his face turned down. The terrible great Linga is stationed in the middle of the great waters. 

By making idols of the lord as the protector of the holy centre, and Kshetrapala as lord Pashupati and by duly installing them with devotion, one is honoured in the world of Shiva.