Rudra and Agni (Fire-god) have been identified in Vedic times. Linga worship is not Phallus-worship but the Purāņic transformation of Vedic fire worship. The origin of or manifestation of the Linga of Shiva is told in different Purānas, e.g. Linga 17, KP II. 38, Bd. P. 2.26.
The Sages enquired:
1. O eloquent one, who is the greatest in regard to attributes, activities and power? We wish to hear clearly the description of his good, wonderful qualities in detail.
Suta said:
2. In this connection they cite this ancient anecdote about the greatness and omnipotence of the great Atman, Mahadeva.
3. Formerly this was narrated by Vishnu when he had conquered the three worlds after binding Bali. The deity of great prowess became the lord of the three worlds formerly.
4-6. When the Daityas were destroyed, when the Lord of Shachī was delighted, all the Devas including Indra came to see the Lord. They came near the ocean of milk where Vişhnu, the Ātman of cosmic form, stayed. After approaching the noble-souled, the Puruşha, Vişhnu, all the Siddhas, Brāhmaṇas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Apsaras-s, Nāgas, celestial sages, rivers and mountains eulogised him.
7. “O Lord, you are the creator and sustainer of the worlds. By your grace the three worlds attain imperishable welfare. The Asuras have been conquered and Bali has been bound by you”.
8. On being thus addressed by Devas, Siddhas and the sages, Vişhnu, the excellent of Puruşhas, replied to them.
9-10. “May this be heard, O excellent Devas, I shall mention the cause; the achievement has come at the very outset, thanks to the grace of that Lord alone who is the creator of all living beings, who is Time (Kala), the creator of Time, and by whom the worlds have been created along with Brahma by means of his Máyä power.
11. Formerly, when the three worlds were plunged in unmanifest darkness and when the living beings had been retained inside my belly, I lay myself down.
12. Assuming the form of the thousand-headed, thousand eyed thousand-legged deity, holding the conch, discus and mace in the hands, I lay down in the pure limpid waters.
13-14. In the meantime, from a distance I espied a person of unmeasured splendour who blazed with his brilliance resembling a hundred suns.
The person, endowed with great Yogic power, had four faces and was of golden lustre (complexion). He wore a deer-skin and was embellished with a water-pot (Kamandelu). Within a moment that excellent person came near.
15-16. Then he who was Brahma, who was bowed to by the worlds, spoke to me- “O lord, who arc you? Whence have you come? Why do you stay here? Tell me. I am the maker of the worlds. I am self-born. I have faces all round”. Thus addressed by Brahmā, I spoke to him.
17. “I am the creator and destroyer of the worlds again and again”. While we were talking like this with a desire to over-power each other, a well established flame was seen on the northern side.
18. On seeing that flame we two were surprised. By that splendour all the waters sparkled.
19. When that excessively surprising and mysterious flame began to increase in size, Brahma and I hastened towards that flame.
20-22. The massive column of flame stood touching heaven and earth. In the midst of it we saw the unmanifest Linga of excessive brilliance, highly illuminated and of the size of Pradeśha (the distance between the thumb and the little finger). The Linga shone in the middle. It was neither made of gold nor of silver nor of stone. It could not be specified. It was in conceivable. It was sometimes perceptible and sometimes imperceptible. It had great splendour and was very terrible. It increased in size excessively at that time. It appeared extensive through the series of fames and appeared terrific (to all beings).
1. The identity of Rudra and Fire-god is stated in RV.II.1.7; Shatapatha Br. III. 3.1.10, VI.1.3.10; Tait. Br. 1.1.5,8-9; Tåndya Brāhmaņa XII.4.24.
23. Who can reach the limits of this terrible looking Linga, the cause of Mantra (Vedas), which was piercing through the heaven and the earth?
24. Then Brahmä told me, “You go down cautiously. Let us know the limits of this Linga, the great Ātman.
25. I shall go up as far as the limit is reached”. Thus we came to an agreement and went up and down.
26. I went downwards for a thousand years. But I did not see the limit. Undoubtedly I was frightened.
27. Similarly Brahma too was exhausted. He could not see the limit. There itself in that great expanse of water, Brahma met me again.
28. Both of us were surprised. We were deluded by the Māyā of that great Ātman. We stood there (as if) we had lost our consciousness.
29. We bowed to the Lord engaged in meditation-the Lord who is the source of origin and the cause of (destruction) of all the worlds.
30. With palms joined in reverence Brahma (and I) paid obeisance to the trident-bearing Sharva (Shiva), the unmanifest, the mighty god of terrible roar and a frightening form having curved fangs.
31. “O lord of the worlds and Devas, obeisance be to you. O great lord of Bhūtas, obeisance be to you. Hail to you, O external one, the cause of origin of the Siddhas. O lord, the support of the universe, obeisance be to you.
32. You are the great Brahman, the Supreme Lord and the imperishable. You are the great region and the excellent Vāmadeva. You are Lord Rudra, Shiva and Skanda.
33. You are Yajña (Sacrifice), Vaşhatkāra, Omkāra, the great goal. You are Svähäkära and Namaskāra. You are the purifier of all sacred rites.
34. You alone are Svadhākāra. You are the Mantra for repetition. You are the sacred rites, observances, the Vedas, the worlds and all the Devas.
35. You are the sound (the quality) of Ākāśha; you are the eternal source of living beings. You are the attribute of smell in the earth, of taste in the waters and of colour in the fire, O Maheśhvara.
36. You are the attribute of touch in vāyu. You are the lord Moon in the embodied form. You are the perfect knowledge in Budha. O lord of Devas, you are the seed in the Prakruti.
37. O lord, you are the maker of living beings. You are Kāla, Mrutyu, Yama, the destroyer. You support the three worlds. You alone create them.
38. By means of your eastern face, you manifest Indra-hood. O lord, by means of your southern face you annihilate the worlds (as Yama).
39. By means of the western face you exhibit your Varuna- hood. Your Moon-hood is established by means of your northern face.
40-42a. O Lord, you shine in various forms. You are the eternal source of all the worlds. O Lord of Devas, the Adityas, the Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, the two sons of Ashvinī, Sadhyas, Vidyadharas, Nägas, Charañas, the noble-souled Välakhilyas and all those persons accomplished and those others who perform rites regularly, are also born of you.
42b-43. Umä, Sitā, Sinīvāli, Kuhū, Gāyatrī, Lakşhmī, Kirti, Dhruti, Medha, Lajja, Kşhanti, Vapus, Svadha, Puşhti, Kriya, Sarasvati, the goddess of speech, Sandhya and Rātri too are born of you, O Lord of Devas.
44. O Lord having the lustre of ten thousand suns, obeisance be to you. Bow to you, O Lord having the lustre of thousand moons. Hail to you, O Lord assuming the form of a mountain. Obeisance to you, O reservoir of all good qualities.
45. Obeisance be to you, O Lord holding a spear with a sharp edge. Obeisance to you, O Lord applying ashes to the skin. O Rudra, bow to you having the Pināka in your hand and bearing a discus and an arrow.
46. Obeisance be to you, O Lord, whose body is embellished (besmeared) with ashes. Obeisance be to you, O Lord, who destroyed Kāma. O Lord, hail to you, wearing golden apparel. Obeisance be to you, O Lord, having golden arms.
47. Obeisance be to you, O gold-formed lord. Bow to you, O gold-naveled Lord. Bow to you of wonderful form with a thousand eyes. Obeisance be to you, O Lord of golden semen.
48. Obeisance be to you, O gold-complexioned Lord. Hail to you, O gold-wombed Lord. Obeisance be to you, O Lord with gold bark-garments. Obeisance be to you, O lord, the bestower of gold.
49. Obeisance be to you, O Lord with golden necklace. Obeisance be to you, O Lord roaring terrifically.
50. Obeisance be to you, O Lord of terrific speed. Bow to you, O Shankara, O blue-throated one. Obeisance be to you, O Lord with a thousand arms. Hail to you, O Lord, fond of dance and playing on instruments.”
51. On being eulogised thus, the lord, the great Yogin of great intellect, became manifest. He had the lustre equal to that of a crore suns.
52-55. Then the delighted Mahadeva, appeared worthy of being addressed. He seemed to be devouring the sky with his thousands and crores of mouths, though he had only a single neck and a single mass of hair. He was bedecked in different kinds of ornaments. His body looked wonderful and variegated. He wore different (kinds of) garlands and (besmeared himself) with unguents. He held Pināka bow in his hand. The Lord wielding a spear was seated on a bull. He wore the hide of a black antelope. He assumed a terrible form with a skull in his hand. Wearing a serpent for the sacred thread, he offered protection to Devas. He laughed boisterously producing sound like a kettle-drum and the rumbling cloud wherewith the sky was reverberated.
56. At that loud sound of the great Ātman, we became frightened. Then the great Yogin said: “O excellent Devas, I am greatly delighted.
57. Both of you, see this Māyā. Give up fear. Both of you are born of my body. You are ancient and former beings.
58. This Brahma, grandfather of the worlds, is my right arm. Vişhnu is my left arm. He always stands by me in times of war. I am delighted with you. I shall grant whatever you desire.”
59. Then both of us were delighted in the mind. We fell at his feet again. Then we, the pious great souls, spoke again.
60. “If you are pleased and if boons are to be bestowed on us, O Lord of Devas, let there be devotion in us for you.”
61. “O blessed ones, may it be thus. Both of you create different kinds of subjects”. After saying thus, the Lord vanished there itself
62. Thus the great power of that Yogin has been narrated to you. All this has been created by him. We are only nominal causes.
63. This form termed ‘Shiva’ is unknown and unmanifest. It is incomprehensible and unperceivable. Persons with intellectual vision alone can perceive it.
64. Perform obeisance to that Lord of Devas by whose grace persons with intellectual vision can perceive subtle and incomprehensible things.
65. O Mahadeva, obeisance be to you. O Maheśhvara, obeisance be to you. O most excellent one among Devas and Asuras, O swan of the mind, obeisance be to you.”
Sūta said:
66. On hearing this, Devas paid homage to the great Ātman, Shiva and went to their abodes.
67. He who recites this hymn of Ishvara, the great Ātman, obtains all desires and becomes free from sins.
68. All this in respect to the ancient Brahman was mentioned by the mighty Vişhnu only due to the grace of Mahadeva. Everything in respect of the power of Maheśhvara has been thus recounted to you.