77 - The Temples of Shiva

The Sages said: 

1-2. The meritorious acts of preparation and installation of the Linga and the differences among the various types of Lingas have been heard as described by you. It behoves you to narrate the benefit that accrues from building Shiva's temple by means of materials beginning with clay and ending with jewels.

Süta said: 

3-6. If a devotee of Shiva is endowed with perfect knowledge he is not harassed by sons, wives, houses, etc. Then of what avail are the temples he should make for the lord? Still the devotee of the lord who is saluted by the chief ol Devas and the lotus-born deity Brahmā makes divine and excellent temples or shrines even with bricks and stones. Even as a childish prank if they make the primordial Shiva's image with clay or stone or even with dust and his abode also in the same manner and worship him, they do attain identity with him. Hence, for the achievement of virtue, love and wealth, the abode of Shiva should be made by devotees with devotion, assiduously. 

7. By devoutly making the abode of Rudra of the type of Kesara. Nägara or Drāvida one is honoured in the world of Shiva. 

8. He who makes his mansion called Kailasa, rejoices happily in the aerial chariots of the shapes of Kailăsa peaks. 

9-11. Or the devotee shall make in accordance with the injunctions the temple of Mandara, for him. He shall devoutly make it in accordance with his means. It may be of the middling or inferior type. Thereby the man goes to the beautiful city of Shiva in aerial chariots which resemble the mountain Mandara, and which have faces all round, which are occupied by groups of Apsarases and which are difficult of access even to Devas and Dänavas, He enjoys all pleasure, attains the path of knowledge and finally the chieftainship of the Ganas. 

12-13. Even by means of great sacrifices no one attains that benefit which accrues to the person who makes the mansion called Meru. He attains all the benefits of sacrifices, penances, gifts, visits to holy centres and study of all Vedas. Like Shiva, he rejoices for a long time. 

14. The intelligent devotee who makes the mansion Nishadha with devotion attains Shiva's world and like Shiva rejoices for a long time. 

15-17. O brahmins, he who makes the splendid and excellent mansion called Himashaila, goes to the splendid city of Shiva by means of vehicles comparable to the mountain Himavat. Attaining the path of knowledge, he shall achieve the chieftainship of the Gaņas. 

I shall mention the benefit that a man obtains by making the splendid mansion named Nīlādriśhikhara (the peak of the blue mountain). He need make it only in accordance with his riches. He shall dedicate it to Rudra with devotion, 

18-21. He obtains all those benefits which I have mentioned to you before as the benefit of making the mansion Himaśhaila devoutly (see verse 15). Then he is bowed to by all Devas. Reaching the world of Rudra he rejoices along with them. 

I shall mention the benefit that one attains by making the mansion named Mahendraśhaila. He goes to the divine city of Shiva in the aerial chariot as huge in size as the mountain Mahendra, yoked to bulls. O leading sages, he enjoys all pleasures and attains perfect knowledge after deliberation with Rudras. He eschews worldly pleasures as though they were poison and attains Sãyujya (union) with Shiva. 

22-23. He who makes jewel-studded mansion with gold, in accordance with the injunctions, of the type of Drāvida, Nägara or Kesara or makes the peak677 or platform square or oblong in shape attains great merit. His merit cannot be mentioned even in hundreds of yugas. 

677. Kūtam-. yantrarupam ST. made of some mechanical device. 

24-28. If anyone repairs or rebuilds the old, dilapidated fallen or broken temples and reconstructs them with doors, etc. or if he repairs the mansion, platform, rampart or the ornamental gateway, he derives inore benefit than even the original maker. There is no doubt about this. The man who does some job in the temple of Shiva though it be for his sustenance undoubtedly goes to the heavenly world along with his kinsmen. If a man does some job in the temple of Rudra even for once and for his own pleasure he attains happiness and rejoices. Hence, O excellent sages, the man who devoutly makes the temple by means of wood, bricks, etc., is honoured in the world of Shiva. 

29-32. O leading sages, for the grace of Mahesha, for the pur- pose of achieving virtue, love, wealth and libration, the mansion of Mahesha should be built assiduously. O excellent sages, is one is incapable of building a mansion he shall serve the lord by means of sweeping and other activities. He who performs the sweeping job with a soft and delicate broom shall attain all desires. He obtains the fruit of a thousand Chandrāyaṇa rites within a month He who duly performs the rite of applying unguents to the lord with the scented cow-dung water filtered and purified by means of a cloth shall obtain the benefits of Chăndrāyana for a year 

33-37. 'The place within the radius of hall a Krosha from The Linga of Shiva is called Shiva-kshetra (holy center of Shiva). He who casts off his life (within that centre) usually very difficult to be cast off, shall obtain Sayujva with Shiva O sages of go Holy rites, these are the measuring units of the self-born Bana Linga. In the Svayambhuva, O excellent brahmins, the measure of the holy centre shall be half, in the Arsa (pertaining to the ages) it shall be half of that. In the Manusha (pertaining to human beings) it shall be still half of that O excellent Brahmins the measure of holy centres in the abode ut asceties is thus. 

O brahmins, he who casts off his vital breath in any of the places shall attain Savujya with Shiva viz: Rudravatara, Natavatara, the holy Shrīparvata678 and its boundary line The benefit shall be extended to his disciples and the disciples of disciples.

678. Śhriparvata or Shrishaila is one of the sacred fulls of the south overhanging the Krishná river. It contains the celebrated shrine of Mallikarjuna, one of the twelve jyotirlingas.  

38-39 The same in true of Varanasi679 and particularly at Avimukta680 "He who casts all his vital breaths in Kedara,681 Prayaga682 or kurukshetra683 attains extreme bliss. 

679. Väranasi see p 97 note.120

         680. Avimukta-see p 46 note. 64 

681. Kedara a very sacred Himalayan peak in Garhwal. It still retains its ancient name and sanctity. 

682. Prayaga see p 291 note 567. 

683. Kurukshetra It lies south of Thanesar, not far from Panipat in Haryana State 

40. He who dies in Prabhasa,684 Pushkara,685, Avanti686 Amareśhvara687 and in Vanīśhailākula688 attains the nature of Shiva. 

684. Prabhasa It is a celebrated place of pilgrimage in Saurástra the southern part of Kathiawar. 

685. Puskara a sacred place near Ajmer famous for the lake Puskara, 

686. Avanti or Avantika. It is identical with Ujjayini or modern Ujjain. 

687. Amareśhvara -in Omkara Måndhātă. It is a sacred place of Shaiva pilgrimage in the Nimar district in Madhya Pradesha. 

688. Vanishaila -not identifiable. 

41-45. The person who dies in Vārāṇasi is not born again. He who casts off his vital breath in Trivişhtapa,689 Avimukta, Kedāra, Sangameśhvara,690 Shalanka,691 Jambukeshvara,692 in Shukreshvara,693: Gokarna,694 Bhaskaresha,695 Guheśhvara,696 Hiranyagarbha,697 or Nandiśha698 attains the greatest goal. He who desiccates his body by means of observances and casts it of in any holy centre of Shiva Whether it is of human or divine origin, whether it is built by sages or whether it is self-born, becomes a yogin and attains oneness with Shiva. O excellent sages, if the deity is self-born or installed by Devas, no doubt need be entertained in this regard. He who worships the lord and then collects fire into which he consigns his body, attains the greatest goal. 

689. Trivişhtapa not identifiable. But Trivishtapa or tripishtaka is the heaven of Indra, said to be situated on Mount Meru. 

690. Sangameśhvara --a sacred place mentioned in Sk , VII.i.3; but not identifiable.. 

641-693. Shálanka, Jambukeśhvara and Shukreśhvara are not identifiable. 

694. Gokarna: lit. 'cow's ear'. It is a place of pilgrimage sacred to Shiva, on the east coast, near Mangalore. It has the temple of Mahadeva, Shiva, supposed to have been established by Råvana. This Gokarna should not be confused with the town of the same name situated in Nepal on the Bhagamati river. 

695-698. Not identifiable. 

46-49. One shall abstain from taking any sort of food whatsoever and cast off one's vital breaths in a holy centre of Shiva. O excellent sages, he shall attain Sayujya with Shiva. He who cuts off his pair of legs and stays in the holy centre of Shiva, attains oneness with Shiva. No doubt need be entertained in this regard. The vision of a holy centre is meritorious, The entrance therein is hundred times more meritorious. The touching and the circumambulation is hundred tunes more meritorious. The ablution in the waters is hundred times more meritorious than that. 

50. The bathing of the deity, O brahmins, in milk, is hundred times more excellent. It is mentioned that the ablution with curds has thousand times more merit. With honey it is hundred times more. 

51-52. The ablution with ghee has infinite merit; that with sugar is hundred times more. One shall eschew cooked rice after reaching a river near the holy centre of Shiva and plunging into it. He shall thus cast off his body. He is honoured in the world of Shiva. All the rivers near the holy centres of Shiva are very meritorious. 

53-56. The wells, tanks and lakes are Shivatirthas (sacred waters of Shiva). O excellent brahmins, by taking his bath in those (wells, etc with devotion a man is undoubtedly liberated from brahmin-slaughter and other sins. O excellent sages, by taking is morning plunge in the sacred waters of Shiva, a man attains the benefit of horse sacrifice and goes to Rudra's world. By taking a single plunge in the sacred waters of Shiva at midday with great devotion a man surely obtains merit equal to that of taking bath in the Ganga. By Walking bath alter the SunSet On Shall attain the auspicous region of Shiva. 

37-39. Casting off his slough of sins in the holy waters of Shiva the man attains the auspicious region of Shiva. O brahmins, by taking the threefold both once in the sacred waters of Shiva, the main obtains Säyujya with Shiva No doubt need be entertained in this respect. 

Once a boat saw dog the way Due to fright it chanced that it plunged into the sacred waters of Shiva and died. O excellent brahmins, he attained the chieftainship of the Gamas. 

60. He who sees Shiva, the lord of the chief of Devas, in the form of Linga at dawn attains a goal superior to all. 

61. By seeing Mahadeva at midday one attains the benefit of sacrifices. By seeing the lord in the evening, one attains the benefit of yajnas and is liberated. 

62. He is liberated from great sins, mental, verbal and physical; subsidiary sins occurring as a sequel. 

63. By visiting lord Ishana in the form of the Linga at the time of transit of the sun from one sign of Zodiac to the next, one eschews sins committed in the course of month and he attains the auspicious region of Shiva. 

64. By visiting the lord at the beginning of the southern or northern transit of the sun one dispels sins committed in the course of half a month. By worshipping, the lord, at the time of equinoxes, one attains the greatest goal. 

65-66.?????

66-73.?????

74-80. The devotee shall draw the diagram of twelve sides and then the excellent lotus by means of such powders those of jewels, etc., In the middle of the mystic diagram he shall instal Bhāskara along with the twelve deities and then worship the sun surrounded by the planets. He shall attain the excellent Savujya, (the salvation of identity) with the sun Similarly he shall draw the six-sided figure by means of red chalk to depict deities pertaining to Prakruti. In the middle region he shall worship the goddess of Devas, Prakruti, in the form of Brahman to the right he shall worship the deity of Sattva-Guna, to the left that of Rajo-Guna and in front that of Tamo-Guna. He shall worship the goddess Ambika in the middle to the right he shall worship the the elements and the five Tanmatras. To the north he shall worship the five organs of action and live organs of sense in the six-sided figure he shall worship the two Atmans, viz., Atman and Antaratman a well as the cosmic intellect and ego along with the principle Mahat. He shall then attain the benefit of all Sacrifices. 

81. O leading brahmins thus the great prakruta Mandala the mystic diagram pertaining Prakruti, has been mentioned to you Henceforth I had mention the means of achieving all dessert objects. 

82-85. The devotee conversant with the mantras is shall sprinkle the ground duly with water and scrab it with cow-dung. He shall then makệ the mystic diagram in the form of a square in asking a go-charma (i.e., Hastas a side, He shall then decorate with Canopies, on charming?????

86-94. The devotee shall make an excellent lotus with fifty petals by means of powders of different colours of only with white powder the lotus shall extend to one Hasta in magnitude. He shall be made in accordance with the injunctions He shall not the lord Rudra, the lord of Devas along with the goddess in the pericarp. Beginning with the petal in the east and proceeding gradually he shall????? syllables in the petals along with the Rudras. On sages of good holy rites, the syllables to begin with the Pranava and end with Namas O excellent sages, after duly worshipping thus with scents and fragrant flowers, he shall feed fifty brahmins in accordance with the injunctions. He shall give those leading sages the charitable gifts of garlands of rosary, sacred thread, ear-rings, water-pots, seats, staff, turbans and clothes. He shall offer Mahacharu as Naivedya to Shambhu the lord of Devas and dedicate the black pair (i.e. a black cow and a black ox). In the end he shall offer the mystic diagram made of powders to the lord of Devas. He shall then offer materials of utility in a sacrifice to Shiva. The intelligent devotee shall perform the Japa of the letters one by one with Omkāra in the beginning. I shall briefly mention the benefit that a man attains after describing this excellent Mandala amongst all with devotion. 

95-98. By seeing the coloured Mandala and by worshipping it one attains the same benefit as a yogin attains in the following circumstances: -_When he has learned the Vedas duly along with their Angas (ancillar; subjects); when he has worshipped God by means of sacrifices, such as Jyotishtoma etc., ending with that of Vishvajit; when its at householder) he has procreated sons like himself; when he has adopted the stage of life of a forest-dweller with earnestness maintaining the sacrificial fire, and performing all rites such as Chândryana, etc., when he has renounced all holy rites, learned Brahmavidyā assiduously and attained perfect knowledge and when with perfect knowledge he has seen what should be seen. 

99-100. After scrubbing and cleaning the front yard of the shrine by any material, O excellent brahmins, if a devotee describes a mystic diagrain in the form of a square to the north or south or to the west of the shrine and embellishes it with the powders, flowers, raw rice grains etc., and then worships the deity with flowers, raw rice grains, etc., He is liberated from all sins. 

101-102. He, who devoutly scrubs and cleans the sanctum sanctorum all round, even once, scatters scented flowers all round, offers fragrant articles like sandal paste, Camphor, etc., makes the place sweet smelling with incense of four kind, and prays to the lord Ishäna, goess to the world of Shiva. 

103-104. The man enjoys pleasures for a hundred crores of kalpas. His body emits sweet fragrance like that of flowers with which he fills the temple of Shiva. Gradually he goes to the world of Gandharvas and is worshipped by the Gandharvas. He comes to this world in due course and becomes a powerful monarch. 

105-106. Mahadeva is the primordial lord. He is the cause of creation, dissolution and sustenance. Sadāśhiva is all pervasive and is the overlord of the worlds. The nectar of Shiva Brahman should be known as the excellent means of salvation. One shall always worship the lord, the manifest and the unmanifest being the lord beyond imagination.