Śatarudra-saṃhitā

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] I bow to lord Śiva of great bliss and of endles divine sports, who is great and omnipresent, who is the beloved consort of Pārvatī, who is the progenitor of Kārttikeya and Gaṇeśa, and who is the primordial lord of the universe. 1. O Sūta, O great fortunate disciple of Vyāsa, O storehouse of wisdom and mercy; please narrate the incarnations of lord Śiva by means of which the lord enhanced the welfare of the good. 2. O sage Śaunaka, with great devotion I shall narrate the incarnations of Śiva to you a sage. Listen to it with attention and control over the senses. 3. O sage, formerly, Nandin, a form of Śiva and of the good, when asked by Sanatkumāra, told him the narrative with devotion to Siva. 4. The incarnations of the omnipresent lord Śiva are countless in the different aeons. Yet I shall narrate them as far as I know. 5. The nineteenth Kalpa is known as Śvetalohita. The first incarnation is glorified as the incarnation of Sadyojāta. 6. In that Kalpa, Śvetalohita, endowed with a tuft, was born as the son of Brahmā as he meditated upon the supreme Brahman. 7. On seeing that Being in the form of Brahman and realising that to be Īśvara, Brahmā meditated on in his heart and saluted him with palms joined in reverence. 8. Knowing that Sadyojāta to be Śiva, Brahmā, the lord of the worlds became delighted. With pure intelligence he pondered over that great Being again and again. 9. As he thus meditated, sons white in colour and famous for valour, were born to him. They were of great wisdom and had the form of the Supreme Brahman. 10. They were Sunanda, Nandana, Viśvananda and Upanandana. They were the disciples of that noble soul. By them the Brahman was encircled. 11. The delighted great lord, the Sadyojāta incarnation of Śiva, lovingly bestowed on Brahmā the perfect wisdom and the power of creation. 12. The next Kalpa, the twentieth one is named and glorified as Rakta (red) wherein Brahmā assumed a great splendour red in hue. 13. As Brahmā desirous of sons meditated, a son appeared in front of him wearing red garments and garlands. His eyes were red and his ornaments too were red. 14. On seeing that noble-souled son, he resorting to meditation knew him as the Vāmadeva incarnation of Śiva and so bowed to him with palms joined in reverence. 15. Your sons wearing red garments were born of him Viz. Virajas, Vivāha, Viśoka and Viśvabhāvana. 16. The delighted Parameśvara, the Vāmadeva incarnation of Śiva bestowed on Brahmā lovingly, the power of cation and perfect wisdom. 17. The twenty-first Kalpa is said to be Pītavāsas wherein Brahmā of great achievement became yellow -robed. 18. As Brahmā desirous of sons meditated, a son born unto him mature, of great arms and great splendour and wearing yellow garments. 19-20. On seeing him engrossed in meditation and realising that Being as Śiva, the Creator bowed to him after performing the Japa of Śiva- Gāyatrī, who is the great goddess, bowed to by all the worlds. The great god was delighted with the mind in contemplation. 21. Then from his sides sons of divine features issued forth. All of them had yellow garments and they were the instigators of the Yogic path. 22. When that Kalpa of yellow colour of the self-born lord elapsed, another Kalpa set in and it was named Śiva. 23. After a thousand divine years had elapsed and the entire universe had become one vast ocean, Brahmā desirous of creating subjects thought in sorrow. 24. That lord of great splendour saw a son coming into view. He was black in colour, possessed of great strength. He was shining in his own splendour. 25. He was clad in black clothes and a black turban. He wore a black sacred thread. He had a black coronet, black toilet and unguent articles. 26. On seeing that noble soul of terrible exploits, (named) Aghora (non-terrible), he worshipped him—the lord of god, of wonderful black and tawny colour. 27. Brahmā then contemplated on Aghora in the form of Brahman. He eulogised that unperishing Being favourably disposed towards his devotees, by means of pleasing words. 28. Then from his sides sprang up four noble-souled sons all of whom were black in colour and had black toilet and unguent articles. 29. These brilliant beings in the form of Śiva had the clear names Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇaśikḥa, Kṛṣṇāsya and Kṛṣṇakaṇṭha- dhṛk. 30. The noble-souled beings of this nature initiated the great and wonderful Yoga called Ghora for the purpose of Brahmā’s creation. 31. O great sages, then another extremely wonderful Kalpa of Brahmā, named Viśvarūpa began to function. 32. As Brahmā, desirous of sons, meditated on Śiva mentally, Sarasvatī (Goddess of speech ) of great sound manifested herself. She was Viśvarūpā (Universe-formed). 33. Īśāna of such renowned features, supreme lord of crystal-like pure brilliance and bedecked in all ornaments manifested himself. 34. On seeing Īśāna the unborn lord, all pervading, all-bestowing, the all-in-all, of good forms as well as formless, Brahmā bowed to him. 35. Lord Īśāna after instructing the path of the [good] to Brahmā, created four auspicious sons in collaboration with his Energy. 36. There were born Jaṭin, Muṇḍin, Sikhaṇḍin [ Śikhaṇḍin ?] and Ardhamuṇḍa. By means of Yoga they imparted good virtue and attained the goal of Yoga. 37. Thus I have succinctly narrated the origin of Sadyojāta and others, O Sanatkumāra, O omniscient one, being desirous of the welfare of all the worlds. 38. Then, O intelligent one, their dealings are beneficial to the three worlds and everything that is existent in the universe. 39. The five famous forms of Maheśa are thus named Īśāna, Puruṣa, Aghora, Vāma and Brahman. (also see Appendix on the five faces of Śiva ) 40. Īśāna form of Śiva is the first and the principal one. It directly occupies and presides over the individual soul, the enjoyer of Prakṛti. 41. Tatpuruṣa form of Śiva is the second. It occupies and presides over every object of enjoyment, the support of the attributes. 42. The third form of Śiva is Aghora that stands within, occupies.and presides over the principle of intelligence with all its ramifications for the sake of Dharma. 43. The fourth form of Śiva is Vāmadeva who presides over the ego and is engaged in many incessant activities. 44. The Īśāna form of Śiva is the permanent lord of the organ of hearing, speech and the all-pervading sky. 45. Intelligent and wise persons call Tatpuruṣa as the lord of Tvac (organ of touch perception ), hand, sense of touch and the wind element. 46. Intelligent persons call the form Aghora, the support of the physical body, the sense of taste, of colour and of fire as well. 47. Vāmadeva form of Śiva is remembered as the lord of the organ of taste, of the organ of excretion, of taste itself and of waters as well. 48. They know the form of Sadyojāta as the lord of the organ of smell, of smell itself, of the earth and of the generative organ. 49. These forms of Śiva, the source of all glory shall be honoured and bowed to strenuously by those who seek glory. 50. He who reads and listens to the origin of Sadyojāta and others, enjoys all desires and attains the ultimate goal.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O dear sage, listen to the great incarnations of lord Śiva that carry out all worldly activities and bestow happiness on all. 2. The universe consists of the eight forms of lord Śiva. Pervading that the universe subsists like the pearls in the string. 3. The eight presiding deities are Śarva, Bhava, Rudra, Ugra, Bhīma, Paśupati, Īśāna and Mahādeva. They are well known. 4. By these eight forms of Śiva, viz. Śarva etc, the earth, the waters, the fire, the wind, the sky, the individual soul, the sun and the moon are presided over. 5. The conclusion of all sacred lore is that the form of lord Śiva consisting of the earth that holds the entire universe of the mobile and immobile beings is called Śarva. 6. The form of the Supreme Soul, consisting of water that enlivens the entire world, is called Bhava. 7. The form of the great lord Śiva that holds the outer and inner universe and throbs by itself is called Ugra by the noble. 8. That form of lord Śiva consisting of the firmament that pervades everything and affords space to all is scaled Bhīma and it splits and differentiates the group of elements. 9. That form of Śiva shall be known as Paśupati which is the support of individual souls, and abiding therein splits the bondage that encircles them. 10. Brightening the entire universe in the form of the sun, the form of Śiva, Īśāna, moves about in the heaven. 11. The moon of nectarlike rays that strengthens and fattens the universe to satiety, is the form of lord Śiva called Mahādeva. 12. The eighth form of Śiva, the great soul, is the Ātman, more pervasive than the other forms. The universe is pervaded by that form. 13. By watering the root of a tree the branches of the tree blossom. Similarly the body of the universe develops by means of worshipping Śiva. 14. Just as a father is delighted at the pleasures of sons, grandsons and others, so also Śiva is delighted at the pleasures of the universe. 15. Should the slaughter or captivity of a person be carried out, undoubtedly it is an offence committed against the eight-formed lord Śiva. 16. Worship Śiva who presides over the universe in the eightfold forms with all devotion. Worship Rudra, the great cause. 17. O son of Brahmā, thus the well known eight forms have been explained to you. These forms engaged in helping everyone shall be resorted to by those who seek glory. (i) Śarva—earth (ii) Bhava—water (iii) Rudra—fire (iv) Ugra— wind (v) Bhīma—ether (vi) Paśupati—soul (vii) Īśāna—sun (viii) Mahādeva—moon. Article published on 23 October, 2018

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O dear one of great intellect, please listen to the description of Śiva ’s form half-male and half-female, than which there is nothing more excellent and which completes the work of the Creator. 2. When the subjects created by the Creator did not multiply, he was very much distressed and worried. 3. Then a celestial voice said—“Carry on the creation produced by couples.” On hearing it, Brahmā pondered over the creation produced by couples in order to carry it out. 4. Since no generation of women had formerly come out of Iśāna, the lotus-born deity (Brahmā) was unable to produce the creation by means of copulation. 5. Brahmā then began to perform penance thinking “Without the power of Śiva, the subjects will not be born.” 6. Within his heart he pondered lovingly over lord Śiva united with the great Śakti called Śivā. He then performed great penance. 7. Ere long Śiva became satisfied with the severe penance of the self-born lord Brahmā. 8. Then assuming the wish-yielding form of ISāna—the perfect consciousness, and in the guise of half-male and halffemale form Śiva approached Brahmā. 9. On seeing lord Śiva united with great Ś akti and bowing to him prostrate, Brahmā eulogised him with palms joined in revt:!"ence. 10. Then the delighted lord Śiva, the creator of the universe, spoke in words majestic in sound like that of rumbling cloud. 11. “O dear son of great fortune, O grandfather, I have understood correctly all that you have cherished in your mind. 12. It is for the increase of the subjects that this penance has been performed by you now. I am delighted by that penance. I shall confer on you what you desire.” 13. After saying these naturally sweet and magnanimous words, lord Ś iva detached Śivā from his body. 14. On seeing that great Śakti, detached separately from Śiva, Brahmā bowed to her politely and requested her. 15. “O Śivā, I was created at first by your husband the lord of gods. I was ordered by Śiva the great soul to create the- subjects. 16. O Śivā, the gods and others were mentally created by me. But they do not multiply themselves. Hence they are being created again and again. 17. Hereafter I wish to make all my subjects flourish by making the creation originate from pairs. 18. The unchanging generation of women has not come out of you before. Hence I do not have the power to create women. 19. All Śaktis spring up from you. Hence I request you the great Śakti, the goddess of all. 20. O Śivā, O mother, O beloved of Śiva, for the increase of the mobile and immobile beings of the universe, give me the power to create women. Obeisance be to you. 21. O goddess bestowing boons, I request for another boon from you. O mother of the universe, take pity on me and grant that too unto me. Obeisance be to you. 22. O omnipresent mother, be born as the daughter of Dakṣa, my son, for the increase of the mobile and immobile beings through only Īśa.” 23. Thus implored by the Creator, the Supreme goddess consented and bestowed that power upon the Creator. 24. Hence that goddess Śivā, the Śakti of Śiva constituting the universe, created a Śakti equal in lustre unto her self, from the middle of her eyebrows. 25. Śiva, the foremost among gods, the ocean of mercy, the great Īśāna indulging in divine sports saw that Śakti and laughingly spoke to her. 26. “O goddess, yon have been propitiated by Brahmā, through his penance. Lovingly become pleased with him and fulfil his desires.” 27. Receiving that behest of lord Śiva with her bent head, the goddess became the daughter of Dakṣa on the importunity of Brahmā. 28. O sage, after giving the unequalled power to Brahmā, the goddess śivā entered the body of Śiva. And lord Śiva vanished from the scene. 29. Ever since then, the section of women created in the world, Brahmā attained bliss. Creation became copulatory. 30. Thus O dear, the excellent form of Śiva, half-male and half-female that bestows auspiciousness upon the has been told. 31. He who reads or listens to this pious narrative enjoys all pleasures and attains to the greatest goal.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, the story of Śiva that ever confers happiness, was gladly and lovingly narrated by Śiva to Brahmā. 2-3. In the seventh Vārāha Kalpa, in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, the lord Kalpeśvara who illuminates all the worlds will be born as your great grandson and son of Vaivasvata Manu. O Creator, in that Manvantara all the four Yugas take place. 4. For the welfare of the worlds and for the benefit of the brahmins O Creator, whatever take place in the Yuga called Dvāpara, I foresee now. 5-6. In that first Yuga, towards the close of Dvāpara and the beginning of Kali when Vyāsa is Svayamprabhu I will be born as the great sage named Śveta, with a tuft, for the welfare of Brahmins. 7. Then O Brahmā, on the mountain Chāgala —the beautiful summit of Himavat, will be born my disciples endowed with tuft. 8. Those four disciples Śveta, Śvetaśikha, Śvetāśva, and Śvetalohita will come to my city by the Yoga of meditation. 9. Realising my unchanging real form, the devotees will become devoid of birth, death and old age and will meditate on the Supreme Brahman. 10. O dear Pitāmaha, except through meditation I can not be seen by men by resorting to charitable gifts and sacred rites that bring about the bondage of Karman. 11. In the second aeon of Dvāpara when the patriarch Satya becomes Vyāsa I will be born as Sutāra and continue to live in Kali age. 12. There too my disciples will be the four Brahmins well-versed in the Vedic lore viz. Dundubhi, Śatarūpa, Hṛṣīka and Ketumān. 13. By resorting to the Yoga of meditation all the four go to my city and then realising my unchanging real form they will become liberated. 14. In the third aeon of Dvāpara in the age of Bhārgava Vyāsa I will be born as Damana at the outskirts of the city. 15. Four sons be born of me there viz— Viśoka, Viśesa, Vipāpa and Pāpanāśana. 16. O four-faced deity, I will help Vyāsa and will propagate firmly the path of renunciation in the Kali age. 17. In the fourth aeon of Dvāpara in the age of Aṅgiras Vyāsa, I shall be born as Suhotra. 18. There also four sons will be born of me all aspiring after the Yogic path and noble-souled. O Brahmā, I shall mention their names. 19. They are Sumukha, Durmukha, Durdarbha and Duratikrama. O Brahmā, I shall then render help to Vyāsa through the disciples. 20. In the fifth aeon of Dvāpara there will be Savitṛ Vyāsa. I shall be born as a Yogin of great penance and called Kaṅka. 21. There also four sons will be born of me, all aspiring after the Yogic path and noble-souled. Please hear their names from me. 22. They are Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana and Sanatkumāra freed from sin and egotism. 23. There also O Brahmā, I, named Kaṅka, enhancing the path of renunciation shall render help to Vyāsa in the form of Savitṛ. 24. When the sixth aeon of Dvāpara takes place there will be Mṛtyu Vyāsa who will classify the Vedas. 25. Then I will be born as Lokākṣi, making the path of renunciation flourish and helping Vyāsa. 26. Four disciples of steady rites viz. Sudhāmā, Virajas, Sañjaya and Vijaya will be born then. 27. O Brahmā, in the seventh aeon of Śatakratu Vyāsa I shall be born as the lord Jaigīṣavya. 28. Seated on a Kuśa mat in a divine spot in the middle of a mountain-cavern in Kāśī I, an expert in the great Yoga, will stabilise the path of Yoga. 29. O Brahmā, I shall render help to Śatakratu Vyāsa I shall lift up the devotees from the fear of worldly existence. 30. There also in that aeon, four sons will be born of me viz. Sārasvata, Yogīśa, Meghavāha and Suvāhana. 31. In the eighth aeon there will be Vasiṣṭha Vedavyāsa —the excellent sage who will classify the Vedas. 32. There I will be born as Dadhivāhana by name. As the foremost among those who know Yoga I will render help to Vyāsa. 33. Four sons, all Yogins on a par with me, viz— Kapila, Āsuri, Śālvala and Pañcaśikha will be born of me. 34. O Brahmā, in the ninth aeon of the same Yuga, there will be Sārasvata Vyāsa, the excellent sage. 35. As Vyāsa sits in meditation for the flourish of the path of renunciation, I will be born as Ṛṣabha. 36. There, Parāśara, Garga, Bhārgava and Giriśa, all good Yogins, will be my four disciples. 37. O Patriarch, with them I will stabilise the path of Yoga. O good sage, I will render help to Vedavyāsa. 38. O Brahmā, in that form, I, the merciful, will cause the uplift of many distressed devotees, from the worldly existence. 39. O Brahmā, such is my incarnation named Ṛṣabha. It causes Yogic practice; it fulfils the desire of Vyāsa in the guise of Sārasvata and it consists of many divine sports. 40. Bhadrāyu a prince who had been abandoned by his father and who had died of poison infection, was resuscitated by me in that in carnation. 41. When that prince reached his sixteenth year I as Ṛṣabba, went to his mansion suddenly. 42. O patriarch, being duly worshipped by him, that sage, of good form, the store-house of mercy instructed him in virtues in connection with the administration of his kingdom. 43. Becoming excessively delighted, he gave him a divine conch and a lustruous sword that could destroy his enemies. 44. The lord, favourably disposed to the indigent, smeared his body with the ashes from his own body and gave him the strength of twelve thousand elephants. 45. After consoling Bhadrāyus and his mother very well, lord Ṛṣabha after being duly worshipped by them went as he pleased. 46. O Brahmā, the saintly king Bhadrāyus conquered all his enemies, married Kīrtimālinī and virtuously ruled the kingdom. 47. Thus the ninth Ṛṣabḥa incarnation of Śiva has been narrated to you. He is the goal of the good and kinsman of the indigent. 48. The story of Ṛṣabḥa is great, highly sacred, and conducive to heaven, fame and longevity. It shall be listened to with devoted attention.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. In the tenth aeon of Dvāpara there will be Tridhāmā Vyāsa on the excellent Bhṛgutuṅga peak of Himavat. 2. There my sons well-versed in the Vedic lore Bhṛṅga and others i.e. Balabandhu, Nara, Mitra and the sage Ketuśṛṅga. 3. In the eleventh aeon of Dvāpara when there will be Trivṛta Vyāsa I shall be born as Kali at Gaṅgādvāra. 4. There also the four sons of steady rites viz. Lambodara, Lambākṣa, Keśalamba and Pralambaka will be born. 5-6. In the twelfth aeon, there will be Śatatejas Vyāsa. I will be born in the Kali age at the end of Dvāpara adopting golden bodice. I shall be wandering for rendering help to Vyāsa as the reviver of the path of renunciation. 7. O great sage, these four sons of good yogic skill will be born as my sons viz. Sarvajña, Samabuddhi, Sādhya and Śarva. 8. In the thirteenth aeon, there will be Nārāyaṇa Vyāsa. Then I shall be born as the great sage Bali. 9. In the hermitage of Bālakhilyas on the excellent mountain of Gandhamādana, the auspicious sons will be Sudhāmā, Kāśyapa, Varṣiṣṭha and Virajas. 10. In the fourteenth aeon, there will be Rakṣa Vyāsa. I shall be born as Gautama, in the family of Aṅgiras. 11. In the Kali age my sons will be Atri, Devasada, Śravaṇa and Śraviṣkaṭa. 12-13. In the fifteenth aeon of Dvāpara, there will be Trayyāruṇi Vyāsa. I shall be born as Vedaśiras with a powerful weapon. Vedaśīrṣa is a mountain on the top of Himavat on the northern bank of Sarasvatī. 14. There the four viz. Kuṇi, Kuṇibāhu, Kuśarīra and Kunetraka will be my sturdy sons. 15. In the sixteenth aeon, there will be Deva Vyāsa; I shall be born as Gokarṇa for imparting instructions in Yoga. 16. It is there itself that the holy forest Gokarṇa exists. There also four Yogin sons will be born of me. 17. They are Kāśyapa, Uśanas, Cyavana and Bṛhaspati. They too will go to the abode of Śiva through the same path. 18-19. In the seventeenth aeon, there will be Devakṛtañjaya Vyāsa. I shall be born in the name of Guhāvāsin. There is a snow-covered Śiva temple on the lofty summit of Himavat. The sons are Utathya, Vāmadeva, Mahāyoga and Mahābala. 20. In the eighteenth aeon, there will be Ṛtañjaya Vyāsa. I will be born as Śikhaṇḍin on the auspicious summit of Himavat. 21. In the very sacred holy centre of achievements there is the mountain Śikhaṇḍin, where the forest is resorted to by the Siddhas. 22. These four will be born as the sons, the sages Vācaśśravas, Rucīka, Śyāvāsya and Yatīśvara. 23-24. In the nineteenth aeon, there will be Bharadvāja Vyāsa. Then I shall be born as Jaṭī and Mālin. On the summit of Himavat, my sons will be four in number named Hiraṇyanāmā, Kauśalya, Lokākṣin and Praghima. 25. In the twentieth aeon, there will be Vyāsa Gautama. My name will be Aṭṭahāsa. Men are fond of Aṭṭahāsa (loud boisterous laughter). 26. On the tops of Himavat, Aṭṭahāsa a great mountain which is resorted to by Gods, men, Yakṣas, Indra, Siddhas and Cāraṇas. 27. There will be born of me sons, who will be experts in Yoga and will be called Sumantu, Varvari, Kabandha and Kukṣikandhara. 28. In the twenty-first aeon when Vācaśśravas becomes Vyāsa, I shall be born as Dāruka. Hence the forest Dāruvana is auspicious. 29. There too, experts in Yoga, will be my sons viz. Plakṣa, Dārbhāyaṇi, Ketumān and Gautama. 30. In the twenty-second aeon, there will be Śuṣmāyaṇa Vyāsa. I shall be born as a great sage in Vārāṇasī. 31. I shall be known as Lāṅgali Bhīma (having ploughshare) where the gods including Indra will see me in the Kali age as Bhava and Halāyudha. 32. There too my sons will be virtuous viz. Bhallava, Madhu, Piṅga and Śvetaketu. 33. In the twenty-third aeon, there will be the Tṛṇabindu Vyāsa. I shall be born as Śveta in the auspicious Kālañjara mountain. 34. There too my sons will be the sages— Uśika, Bṛhadaśva, Devala and Kavi. 35. In the twenty-fourth aeon, there will be Yakṣa Vyāsa. I shall be born as Śūlin a great Yogin in the same Yuga in Naimiṣa. 36. There too my disciples will be the sages Śālihotra, Agniveśa, Yuvanāśva and Śaradvasu. 37. In the twenty-fifth aeon, there will be Śakti Vyāsa. I shall be the great Yogin, lord Muṇḍiśvara armed with a staff. 38. There too my disciples will be the sages Chāgala, Kuṇḍakarṇa, Kumbhāṇḍa and Pravāhaka. 39. In the twenty-sixth aeon, when Parāśara, becomes Vyāsa I will be born as Sahiṣṇu after reaching the city Bhadravaṭa. 40. There too my disciples will be the sages Ulūka, Vidyuta, Śambūka and Āśvalāyana. 41. In the twenty-seventh aeon, there will be Jātūkarṇya Vyāsa. I shall be born as Somaśarman after resorting to the holy centre Prabhāsa. 42. There too my disciples will be the sages Akṣapāda, Kumāra, Ulūka and Vatsa. 43-44. In the twenty-eighth aeon of Dvāpara, there will be Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, the son of Parāśara, and the most excellent of Puruṣas shall be born as Kṛṣṇa with his one sixth part, as the foremost of the sons of Vasudeva. 45. Then I too shall be born with the body of a Brahmacārin and the soul of a Yogin by means of Yogic Māyā to the great surprise of the worlds. 46-47. On seeing a dead body forsaken in the cremation ground I shall enter into it and make it free from ailments by means of Yogic Māyā for the welfare of the brahmins. Then I will enter the holy divine cavern of Meru along with you and Viṣṇu. O Brahmā, I shall then be known as Lakulin. 48. The physical incarnation thus and the holy Siddha centre will be greatly renowned as long as the earth lasts. 49. There too my disciples will be the sages Kuśika, Garga, Mitra and Taurusya. 50. The Yogic brahmins well-versed in the Vedas, and of sublimated power will attain the Yoga of Maheśvara and reach the auspicious city. 51. In the Vaivasvata manvantara, during all its recurring aeons, the Yogeśvara incarnations of the great Ātman of virtuous deeds have been explained to you. 52. O great lord, the Vyāsas in every recurring Dvāpara are twenty-eight in number. The Yogeśvara incarnations at the beginning of every recurring Kali age are also so many. 53. In each of the incarnations of Yogeśvara, there are four disciples who make the path of Yoga flourish and who are eternal as well as great devotees of Śiva. 54. These disciples of Śiva smear their bodies with holy ashes, use the necklaces of Rudrākṣa beads as their ornaments and mark their foreheads with Tripuṇḍra. 55. All the disciples are pious and well-versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas; they are devoted both externally and internally to the worship of the phallic image of Śiva. 56. By their devotion to me and by means of Yoga they are engaged in meditation; they have perfect control over the sense-organs. They are considered one hundred and twelve in number by the learned. 57. Thus I have mentioned the characteristic features of the incarnations from Manu to Kṛṣṇa in the twenty-eighth recurring cycles of the Yoga in order. 58. The classification of the Vedas was the characteristic sign of the Kalpa when Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana became the chief redactor. 59. After saying this and blessing Brahmā, the great lord of the gods glanced at again and vanished there itself.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O lord, how did you happen to be born of Mahādeva and gain access to Śiva I wish to hear. Please narrate everything in detail. 2. O sage Sanatkumāra, O omniscient one, listen with attention as to how I was born of Mahādeva and how I gained access to Śiva. 3-4. Urged eagerly by the manes who desired their uplift Śilāda piously thought of raising them up. He was therefore desirous of a progeny. For that he of great potentiality performed a penance with his drooping eyes. He the same activities as the sages. He went to Śivaloka. 5. That sage Śilāda performed a severe penance with Indra in view, for a long time. His mind was steady and he was stead-fast in his activities. 6. Indra was delighted at his penance. He, the lord of gods, went to him in order to grant him the boon. 7. Indra lovingly spoke to Śilāda—“O excellent sage, O sinless one, I am delighted with you. Therefore choose your boons.” 8. Bowing to the lord of the gods and eulogising him with holy hymns, Śilāda, the most excellent sage, told him with palms joined in reverence. 9. O lord of gods, O Indra, if you are pleased with me, I wish to have a son of holy rites free of death and not born of a womb. 10. O desirer of a son, I can give you only a son born of a womb and sure to die. I cannot give it to you otherwise. There are no persons who can escape death. 11. I shall not give you a son devoid of death and not born of a womb. O great sage, even lord Viṣṇu and Brahmā die. Not to speak of others then? 12. Even these two, born of Śiva, the destroyer of the Tripuras, die. The extent of their longevity has been mentioned separately in. the sacred lore. 13. Hence O great brahmin, abandon your desire of deathless son who is not born of a womb. Accept a son befitting your mortal nature. 14. But if Śiva, the lord of the gods, becomes delighted, even an immortal son not born of a womb, though hard to get, may be obtained. 15. Neither I, nor lord Viṣṇu, nor Brahmā, O, great sage, can give an immortal son not born of a womb. 16. Propitiate lord Śiva therefore, for tḥe fulfilment of your desire for such a son. The great lord of all is very powerful. He will give you a son. 17. O sage, after speaking thus to the great brahmin and blessing him, the compassionate lord of the gods returned to his region surrounded by the gods. 18. When the granter of boons, the thousand-eyed lord Indra had gone away, Śilāda propitiated lord Śiva. He delighted Śiva by means of his penance. 19. As the brahmin was engrossed in penance day and night, a thousand divine years elapsed like a moment. 20-21. His body was covered with anthill. He was surrounded by a hundred thousand worms, with pointed beaks, as hard as adamant and other types of blood-sucking insects all round. He remained in the cavity with his flesh and blood drained up. He was left with a bare skeleton. The excellent sage Śilāda was reduced to such a state. 22. The delighted lord showed him his divine body endowed with all divine qualities and inaccessible to people of crooked intellect. 23. As he continued the penance for a thousand divine years, the trident-bewaring lord of all the spoke to him “I am here, the granter of boons.” 24. The great sage Śilāda engrossed in the trance did not hear those words of Śiva who is subservient to the devotees. 25. Only when the great sage was touched by the slayer of the Tripuras did he leave off his penance. 26. O sage, on seeing Śiva accompanied by Pārvatī after opening his eyes, he immediately bowed to him and fell at his feet with joy. 27. The delighted Śilāda, drooping down his shoulders, with palms joined in reverence eulogised lord Śiva with words choked with pleasure. 28. Then the delighted lord of gods, the three-eyed deity told the great sage “I am the granter of boons.” 29. O intelligent one, what shall be done with this penance? I shall give you a son who will be omniscient and a master of all sacred lore. 30. On hearing that, the sage Śilāda bowed to the moon-crested lord and spoke in words choked with pleasure. 31. O lord Śiva, if you are delighted, if you are ready to grant boons, I wish for a son equal to you, devoid of death and not born of a womb. 32. When thus requested by him, the three-eyed lord Śiva delightedly replied to the excellent sage Śilāda. 33. O brahmin, O sage, formerly I have been propitiated by means of penance by Brahmā, by sages and by leading gods and urged to take an incarnation. 34. O sage, I shall become your son by the name of Nandin. I shall not be born of a womb. Thus you shall be my father, of me who am the father of the worlds. 35. After addressing these words to the sage who stood waiting after bowing, the merciful lord Śiva gave him his directions and vanished there itself along with Pārvatī. 36. After lord Śiva had disappeared, the great sage Śilāda returned to his hermitage and mentioned the tidings to the sages. 37. After a short while, my father, the foremost among those who knew the sacrificial rites, ordered for the construction of the sacrificial altar for the performance of sacrifice. 38. But before the beginning of sacrifice I was born as Śiva’s son at his bidding, with a lustre as brilliant as the fire at the end of a Yuga. 39. Then Puṣkarāvartaka and other clouds showered. When I was born as the son of Śilāda, the Kinnaras, Siddhas, Sādhyas and other beings walked through the sky and the great sages made showers of flowers all round. 40. Then Brahmā and other gods together with their wives, Viṣṇu, Śiva and Pārvatī came there lovingly. 41. There was great jubilation. The celestial damsels danced. After honouring me all of them delightedly eulogised my phallic image. 42. After praising Śilāda and eulogising Śiva and Pārvatī by reciting good hymn all of them returned to their respective abodes. Śiva and Śivā, the lord and goddess of all, went away too. 43-44. On seeing me the boy with three eyes, four arms and lustre like that of Yama, sun and fire and clad in matted hair and coronet, Śilāda was highly delighted. I was in the form of Rudra in every respect with the trident and other weapons. He bowed to me lovingly. 45. O lord of gods, since I have been delighted by you, you will be named Nandin. Hence I bow to you, bliss (incarnate), the lord of the universe. 46. My delighted father after bowing to the great lord returned to his hut with me, as pleased as an indigent person who had struck a treasure-trove. 47. O great sage, when I reached the hut I cast off my divine form and assumed the human one. 48. After seeing me assuming human form, my father, honoured by the world, was distressed and so lamented surrounded by his own people. 49. The son of Śālaṅkayana Śilāda fond of his son performed all the post-natal rites for me. 50. Within five years my father taught me all the Vedas with their Aṅgas and Upāṅgas as well as other sacred texts. 51. When I completed the age of seven, the two sages Mitra and Varuṇa came to the hermitage at the bidding of the lord in order to see me. 52. Duly welcomed by the sage and seated on their seats, the great sages of noble soul looked at me again and again and said. 53. O dear sage, although he has mastered the sacred lore, your son Nandin will be short-lived I do not see his life for more than a year from now. 54. When the brahmins said this, Śilāda fond of his son was much distressed. He lamented loudly after embracing me. 55. On seeing my father and grand-father fallen like a dead body I spoke after remembering the lotus-like feet of Śiva with a delightful mind. 56. “O father, what is your distress for which you tremble and cry? I wish to know correctly whence this misery has come to you?” 57. O son, I am much distressed at the thought of your early death. Who can remove my misery? I shall indeed seek refuge in him. 58-59. Even if the gods, demons, Yama or Kāla were to be with me or even if it be any other person, I will not be short-lived. Do not be grieved. O father, I speak the truth, I take a vow unto you. 60. What is your penance? What is your knowledge? What is your Yoga ? Who is your lord? Whereby O son, you propose to ward off my terrible misery? 61. O father, I shall deceive death by means of my penance, not learning. By worshipping great god, I will conquer death, not otherwise. 62. O sage, after saying this and bowing at his feet and circumambulating my father I went to the excellent forest.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O sage, after going there and staying in an isolated place with a steady mind I performed a severe penance very difficult even for good sages. 2-3. Meditating in the lotus-like cavity of the heart the lord Tryambaka, Sadāśiva wtih five faces, ten arms and three eyes and quiet in features I performed the repetition of Rudra Japa. I was in great meditation on the northern bank of the river. My mind was concentrated and I had pure thoughts. 4. Delighted with that Japa, lord Śiva, accompanied by Pārvatī and bedecked with the crescent moon, said:— 5. “O Śailādi (son of Śilāda ) I have been pleased by this penance of yours. O intelligent one, you have performed the penance very well. Tell me what you desire. I am here the granter of boons.” 6. When thus addressed by the lord I bowed to his feet with my head and eulogised lord Śiva, the destroyer of the sorrow of old age. 7-8. I was endowed with great devotion. My eyes were filled with tears. I fell prostrate at his feet with my head resting there. Lord Śiva, the destroyer of great distress, lifted me up and stroked me with his hands. The bull-bannered lord clasped me with his hands and stood face to face with me. 9. Glancing at the leaders of the Gaṇas and the goddess, the daughter of Himavat, the lord of the worlds, looked at me with sympathy and spoke. 10. “Dear Nandin, O intelligent one, wherefore can you be afraid of death? The two brahmins were sent by me alone. There is no doubt. You are equal to me. 11. You will be free from death and old age. You will not be unhappy. You will for ever be the leader of the Gaṇas. You will be unchanging and unwasting. You will be loved by all in the company of your father and friends. 12. You will gain strength from me. You will always be at my sides. You will be for ever my favourite. Due to my favour you will have neither birth, nor death, nor old age. 13. After saying thus, the store-house of mercy took off his own lotus-garland round his head and tied it round my neck immediately. 14. O brahmin, as soon as that garland adorned my neck I became three-eyed and ten-armed like a second Śiva. 15. Then, taking me by the hand, lord Śiva said—“Tell me, what excellent boon shall I grant you?” 16. Then he took the water from his matted hair, water as pure as necklace, and said “Be Nandin.” Then the bull-bannered lord let off the water. 17. Then five auspicious rivers flowed. They had pure water. They were very rapid. They were beautiful and divine in form. 18. The five rivers are glorified thus—Jaṭodakā, Trisrotas, Vṛṣadhvani, Svarṇodakā and Jambunadī. 19. O sage, this basin called Pañcanada is a very auspicious spot of Śiva. It is near Japeśvara and is very holy. 20. He who goes to the holy centre of Pañcanada, takes his bath there, performs the Japa of the lord of lords and worships him, certainly attains the Sāyujya of Śiva. 31. Then Śiva said to Pārvatī “I am going to coronate Nandin and proclaim him as the lord of Gaṇas. O unchanging goddess, what do you think?” 22. O lord of gods, it behoves you to give that to Nandin. O lord, Śailādi is my most beloved son. 23. Then Śiva the independent lord, the Supreme deity, the bestower of everything and favourably disposed towards his devotees remembered his excellent leaders of Gaṇas. 24. Even as they were remembered, all the leading Gaṇas of Rudra came there. They were countless. They had the shape of Śiva. They were highly delighted. 25. Those leading Gaṇas bowed to lord Śiva and the goddess Pārvatī with joined palms and drooping shoulders. The powerful Gaṇas spoke. 26. O great lord, the destroyer of Tripuras, why are we called? Please command us, O bestower of wishes. We arc your servants and we have come here. 27. Shall we dry up the oceans? Shall we kill Yama with his servants? Shall we slay great death or the aged Brahmā especially? 28. Shall we bind Indra with all the gods or Viṣṇu with all his Pārṣadas and bring them here? Or the Daityas and Dānavas ? 29. To whom shall we cause great and terrible distress at your behest? O lord, who is to be extremely jubilant to-day for the increase of all cherished desires? 30. On hearing these heroic words of the Gaṇas the great lord spoke after praising them. 31. Nandīśvara is my son. He is the lord of lords. He is the favourite leader of my Gaṇas. Let my behest be carried out by you. 32. All of you, crown him lovingly as your leader and resort of all my Gaṇas. From today onwards, Nandīśvara is your lord. 33. Thus ordered by Siva, the leading Gaṇas said “Let it be so”; they brought all the requisite things (for his consecration) 34. Then Nārāyaṇa and other gods including Indra, and die sages came from all the worlds with pleased faces. 35. At the behest of Śiva, the holy Brahmā performed the coronation of Nandin with care and attention. 36. Then Viṣṇu, Indra, the guardians of the quarters, Brahmā and the sages eulogised me. 37. While they were eulogising, Viṣṇu, the lord of the universe, eulogised me with devotion with palms joined together over the head. 38. With palms joined in reverence he bowed to me and cried shouts of victory. Then all the leading Gaṇas, the gods and the Asuras did likewise in order. 39. O great brahmin, thus at the instance of the great lord, I, Nandīśvara was coronated and eulogised by the gods including Brahmā. 40. My nuptial ceremony was also conducted at the instance of Brahmā with great jubilation and pleasure by Viṣṇu, Brahmā and others. 41. The daughter of the Maruts, the gentle and beautiful lady Suyaśā became my divine wife pleasing to my eyes and mind. 42. A well-decorated umbrella shedding moonlike lustre was held above her in the company of women holding the chowries in their hands. 43. A fine throne was occupied by me along with her. I was bedecked by the illustrious Lakṣmī with various ornaments like crown and others. 44-45. A fine necklace worn by the goddess round her neck was given to me. I got a fine bull, a white elephant, a lion, the lion-banner, a chariot, gold necklace, like the disc of the moon and many other auspicious articles, O sage. 46. O great sage, the marriage having been celebrated thus I, in the company of my wife, saluted the feet of Śiva, Brahmā and Viṣṇu for the sake of welfare. 47. Siva, lord of the three worlds, favourably disposed towards his devotees spoke these words with great love and pleasure to me accompanied by my wife. 48. O dear son, listen. This Suyaśā is your beloved wife: Whatever is desired by you in your mind I shall grant you that boon. 49. O Nandīśa, O lord of Gaṇas, I am always pleased with you in the company of the goddess. O dear boy, listen to my weighty words. 50-51. You will be my favourite always. You will be endowed with all prosperity. You will be a great Yogin and a fine bowman along with your father and grandfather never to be defeated by anyone. You will be all-victorious and worthy of worship. You will be endowed with great strength. Wherever I am, you shall also be and wherever you are I shall also be. 52. O son, your father will be endowed with all prosperity. He will become a presiding officer of the Gaṇas, a great devotee of mine and very powerful. 53. O dear son, your grandfather too shall be like-wise. This is my rule that whoever approaches me is certainly endowed with a boon. 54. Then the goddess, the granter of the boon and of great fortune told me—“Speak out what your desire is. Tell me all your wishes.” 55. On hearing those words of the goddess, I spoke with palms joined in reverence “O goddess, let my excellent devotion be always towards your feet.” 56. On hearing my words the goddess said “Let it be so.” With great pleasure Śivā spoke to Suyaśā, the beloved wife of Nandin. 57. Dear daughter, as you desire I grant you the boon that you will be endowed with three eyes. You will be devoid of future births. You will have devotion to me along with your husband, sons and grandsons. 58. Then the delighted Brahmā, Viṣṇu, all the gods and the Gaṇas gave them boons with pleasure at the behest of Śiva. 59. Taking me along with all the members of the family, kinsmen and relatives, lord Śiva mounted his bull and went to the abode of the goddess. 60. Viṣṇu and all other gods praising these and eulogising Śiva and Śivā lovingly returned to their respective abodes. 61. O great sage, O dear one, thus my own incarnation has been narrated to you. It is always pleasing and heightening the power of Śiva. 62-63. He who listens to or narrates, reads or teaches the incarnation of Nandin, the granting of the boons, the coronation and the nuptial ceremony with faith and devotion enjoys all pleasures here and attains great goal hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O Sanatkumāra, O omniscient one, listen to the story of Bhairava by listening to which alone, devotion to Śiva becomes firm and steady. 2. Bhairava is the prior form of Siva, the great soul. Fools who are deluded by Śiva’s Māyā do not know about it. 3. O Sanatkumāra, neither Viṣṇu of four arms nor Brahmā of four faces knows the greatness of lord Śiva. 4. There is nothing to be surprised at in this. Siva’s Māyā is inscrutable. Deluded by it people do not even worship him, the great lord. 5. If any one knows him the supreme soul, he alone is lord Śiva. But then, none of these people know him out of their own will. 6. Although lord Śiva is omnipresent he is not seen by the people of deluded intellect. He is known as a mere lord, he who is beyond the reach of minds and words. 7. O great sage, in this connection I shall narrate an ancient legend. O dear one, listen to it with faith. It is the great cause of perfect knowledge. 8. As Brahmā was stationed on the wonderful and beautiful summit of Meru, all the celestial sages approached him with a desire to know the real truth. 9. All the great sages with palms joined in reverence and shoulders drooping down came there and bowed to Brahmā. They asked him respectfully. 10. O lord of gods, O lord of subjects, O Creator, O leader of the worlds, tell us the real fact. What is that sole unchanging entity? 11. Deluded by the Māyā of great lord and not knowing the great fact the lotus-born Brahmā replied haughtily. 12. O gods, O sages, all of you listen with attention and intelligence I shall describe the great unchanging entity as it really is. 13. I am the womb (material cause) of the universe, the creator, the self-born, the unborn, the lord, the primordial being, the Brahman, the sole unsullied soul. 14. O excellent gods, I am the instigator of the worlds, and the deterrent too. There is none greater than I or any other who causes their revolution. 15. While the Creator was saying thus, O sage, Viṣṇu who was there became angry as he too was deluded by Māyā. He spoke these words derisively. 16. O Brahmā, this is not proper. It is sheer foolishness on the part of a practiser of Yoga. Without knowing the great reality, this is being mentioned in vain. 17. I am the Creator of all the worlds, the great Śtman, the greatest Puruṣa, the sacrifice, the lord Nārāyaṇa, the master of Māyā and the greatest goal. 18. O Brahmā, it is at my behest that creation is carried on by you. Without regard for me, the lord, no life can exist in the worlds. 19. O sage, thus starting a mutual clash due to delusion and desiring to conquer each other they asked the Vedas about truth. 20. The Vedas were there in embodied form. They shall be specifically asked. With this idea in mind they asked the four Vedas about the truth. 21. Vedas are the authorities everywhere. They have been honoured everywhere. Hence you please say unreservedly. What is the sole unchanging entity? 22. On hearing their words, the Vedas spoke in reality after remembering the lord. 23. “If we are honoured, O deities as the causes of creation and maintenance, we shall cite authorities that will dispel your doubts. 24. On hearing the conditions mentioned by the Vedas the two deities told the Vedas—“What is mentioned by you is acceptable to us as authority. What is that entity? Please tell us that. 25. That in which the Bhūtas stay, that from which everything comes out, what they call as the greatest entity—that is Rudra alone. 26. The lord who is worshipped by means of all sacrifices and meditation, whereby we have an authority—that sole seer of all is Śiva. 27. That by which this universe whirls, that which is meditated upon by Yogins, the light whereby the universe Is illuminated—that Tryambaka alone is the greatest. 28. They call that sole being Śiva who is beyond all misery who is the lord of gods whom the people who have the blessing of devotion see. 29. After hearing what was thus said by the Vedas, Brahmā and Viṣṇu, deluded very much by the Māyā (and hence) crooked in consciousness smiled and said to the Vedas. 30. O Vedas, what is this that you all speak without sense? What has happened to you? All wisdom is utterly lost now. 31-32. The lord of Pramathas incessantly sports with Śivā. He is naked and of yellow colour and tawny due to dust. His dress and features are ugly. He has matted hair and moves about on his bull. He wear? serpents as his ornaments. How can he be the supreme Brahman? Where is that Brahman free from any attachment?” 33. On hearing their words, the all-pervasive Praṇava who though unembodied assumed an embodied, extensive form told them thus. 34. Lord Īśa, Rudra, Śiva indulging in sports and assuming various forms never sports about with the Śakti different from him. 35. The great lord, is self-luminous and eternal. Śivā is his Śakti in the form of Bliss, not a chance occurrence. 36. Even after this explanation the ignorance of Brahmā and Viṣṇu was not quelled. It was due to the Māyā of Śiva alone. 37. Then a great flame manifested itself in their midst. It filled the space between the heaven and the sarth by means of its splendour. 38. O sage, then Brahma and Viṣṇu saw a shape in the form of a man in the middle of the mass of flame. Its body was huge and wonderful. 39. The fifth head of Brahmā burnt with rage (as. though saying) “who is this bearing a man’s outline and features in our midst?” 40-41. By the time Brahmā could reflect properly, the great Being was seen immediately as the three-eyed Nīlalohita with the trident in his hand and an eye in the forehead. Serpents and crescent moon constituted his ornaments. The deluded Brahmā on seeing him said laughingly. 42-43. “O Nīlalohita, I know you. Do not be afraid; O moon-crested one. You, Rudra, came out formerly from my forehead. Since you cried, the name Rudra was also assigned to you by me formerly. O son, seek refuge in me alone. I shall save you.” 44. O sage, on hearing the haughty words of the lotus-born Brahmā, Śiva became angry as if out for destruction. 45. Angrily, he created a Puruṣa Bhairava blazing in great brilliance. Then he spoke lovingly. 4-6. O Kālabhairava, at the outset this lotus-born Brahmā shall be chastised by you. You shine like god of death, hence you are Kālarāja. 47. You are called Bhairava because you are of terrifying features and you are capable of supporting the universe. Since even Kāla is afraid of you, you are called Kālabhairava. 48. When you arc angry you will be suppressing the wicked souls. Hence you will be known everywhere as the suppressor of the wicked. 49. Since you will be devouring the sins of devotees in a trice your name will be famous as sin-eater. 50. O Kālarāja, you will have forever the suzerainty over my city Kāśī, the city of liberation, which is greater than all other cities. 51. You alone will be the chastiser of those who commit sins there. Citragupta will write down their auspicious and inauspicious activities. 52. After receiving all these boons. Kāla-Bhairava, in a trice, cut off Brahmā’s head with the tip of the nails of the fingers of his left hand. 53. The limb that commits offence shall be chestísed. Hence the fifth head that censured was cut off. 54. On seeing Brahma’s (Brahmā’s?) head cut off, Viṣṇu became terribly afraid. Devotedly he repeated the Śatarudriya mantras and eulogised Śiva. 55. The frightened golden-wombed Brahma (Brahmā?) too performed the Japa of Śatarudriya. O sage, thus, in an instant, both of them were divested of their pride. 56. But they realised that Śiva is the Supreme Brahman with Sat (Existence) Cit (knowledge) and Ānanda (Bliss) as the characteristics. He is the great Ātman and transcends the attributes. 57. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, listen to my extremely auspicious advice. As long as there is pride, perfect knowledge lies excessively hidden. 58. Eschewing false prestige and pride, a man realises lord Śiva. Lord Śiva quells the arrogant because he is the destroyer of arrogance. 59. Coming to know that Brahmā and Viṣṇu had been deprived of their pride, lord Śiva the great god became delighted and the lord assured them of his protection. 60. After consoling both of them, the delighted Śiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees, spoke to Bhairava—his own other form. 61. This Viṣṇu shall be honoured by you as well as by Brahmā, O Nīlalohita, hold the skull of Brahmā as an atonement. 62. Show to the world the rite of expiation for removing the sin of slaying brahmin. You beg for alms by resorting to “the rite of skull.” 63. After saying this and creating a virgin renowned as “Brahmahatyā” even as he was watching, Śiva, in the form of mass of flame, spoke thus. 64. Until she goes to the divine city of Vārāṇasī you too shall follow her for a terribly long period. 65. You will have free access to everywhere except the city of Vārāṇasī. When she goes to Vārāṇasī you can be freed of her in a trice. 66. Thus directing the Brahmahatyā, the wonderful lord Śiva, vanished from the scene.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, listen lovingly to another story of Bhairava that destroys all defects and enhances devotion. 2. Due to Brahmahatyā’s presence Bhairava began to calculate the time for release. At the words of the lord of gods, he kept on the rite of Kāpālika. 3. He, the soul of the universe, roamed over the three worlds with the skull in his hand. The terrible Brahmahatyā never left Bhairava. 4. Although he went to every holy centre, he was not left off by Brahmahatyā. Let the greatness of Śiva, the enemy of Kāma, be understood thereby. 5. Once, while sporting about, being attended upon by Pramathas, Bhairava went as he pleased, to the abode of Viṣṇu. 6-7. On seeing the three-eyed Bhairava of full size, born partially of lord Śiva, with serpents for his ear-rings the Garuḍa -bannered Viṣṇu fell prostrate on the ground like a staff. The gods, the sages and the womenfolk of the gods too did the same. 8. After bowing to him, pure in mind, and keeping the joined palms on his head, Viṣṇu, the consort of Lakṣmī, eulogised him with various hymns. 9. The delighted Viṣṇu being highly pleased in his mind, O great sage, joyously spoke to Lakṣmī, born at the time of the churning of the milky ocean and residing in the lotus. 10. “O lotus-eyed beloved, you are blessed, O comely sinless lady. O gentle lady of beautiful hips, I am blessed, since we both see the lord of the universe. 11. He is the creator, the maintainer and the lord of the worlds. He is the primordial being, the lord and the refuge of all. He is calm and higher than the twenty-six principles. 12. He is omniscient, the lord of all Yogins, the sole leader of all Beings, the inner Ātman of all living creatures and the bestower of everything to everyone always. 13. O Lakṣmī, see, he is that lord whom the quiet wakeful people, engrossed in breathless meditation, see in their heart of hearts through their mind. 14. Here he comes, the all-pervasive who is without form but has assumed a form (now) and whom only the Yogins of restrained mind, the knowers of the principles of the Vedas, understand. 15. Oh, wonderful indeed is the activity of the lord Śiva, for he who repeats his names is freed from the bondage of the body that he has taken then. 16. On seeing him men do not obtain a rebirth in the world. Such a lord the moon-crested Tryambaka comes here. 17. O Lakṣmī, blessed indeed are my eyes as wide as the petals of a lotus, since by them the great god lord Śiva is seen. 18. Fie upon the position of the gods where emancipation is not obtained, but on seeing Śiva it is obtained and it puts an end to all miseries. 19. There is nothing more inauspicious than the state of the gods in the heaven that here even after seeing the lord of the gods all of us do not obtain salvation. 20. After saying this, Viṣṇu bowed to the great lord with the thrill of delight through pleasure and spoke this to the bull-bannered deity? 21. O lord, O unchanging one, O queller of all sins, what is this being done by you the omniscient lord of the gods and the creator of the worlds? 22. O lord of the gods, O three-eyed intelligent one this is only your sport. O Virūpākṣa, O suppresser of Kāma, what is this activity of yours motivated by? 23. O lord Śiva, O lord of Śakti, why do you go a-begging? O lord of the universe, this is my doubt, O bestower of the kingdom of the three worlds! 24. Thus addressed by Viṣṇu, lord Śiva, the destroyer of the worlds of ferocious form of wonderful sports, laughingly said to Viṣṇu. 25. Brahma 's head was cut off with the top of the nail of my fingers. It is to remove that sin that I am observing this auspicious sacred rite. 26. Thus addressed by Śiva, Bhairava, the lord of Lakṣmī remembered something aod bent down his head. He spoke again. 27. “O great god, O remover of all obstacles, sport about as you please. But it dors not behove you to envelop me with your Māyā. 28. O lord, it is true that from within the lotus from my navel, crores of lotus-seated Brahmās have come out in the different Kalpas through the power of Yoga. 29. O lord, please eschew this Māyā very difficult to be crossed by those who have no control over themselves. Brahmā and others are deluded by your Māyā. 30. O Śiva, O lord of all, O goal of the good, O lord of Śivā, it is due to your own blessing that I am able to follow your activity. 31-32. When the time of dissolution comes, O destroyer of the world, you annihilate all the gods, sages and people of all castes and stages of life. O great god, then, the sin of slaying brahmins and others does not affect you. You are not bound by these and are quite independent. You sport as you please. 33. O Śiva, the garland of the bones of Brahmā shines around your neck. Similarly, O Śiva, O sinless one, the primordial Brahmahatyā has followed you. 34. Even after committing a great sin, if a person, remembers you who are the lord and support of the worlds, his sin is quelled. 35. Just as darkness does not stand in the presence of the sun, similarly the sin of your devotee does not stand but is wasted away. 36. If a pious soul contemplates on the lotus-like pair of your feet, even his sin of brahmin-slaughter becomes wasted away. 37. O lord of the universe, if a person is devoted to uttering your name, his sin as weighty as the peak of a mountain does not overwhelm him. 38. O great soul, O ultimate abode, O god that assumest a body at your own sweet will, this is only a fancy of yours, this miserliness anḍ dependence. 39. O lord of gods, I am blessed. I am seeing the eternal supreme god of cosmic form whom even Yogins do not see. 40. I have the greatest of gains today. I have the most auspicious of signs today. Even heaven and emancipation are as insignificant as a blade of grass to me who am contented with the nectar of seeing him.” 41. When Govinda was saying this, Padmā offered the desired alms into his begging bowl. 42. Lord Śiva, who had assumed the body of Lord Bhairava, left the place joyously for begging elsewhere. 43. On seeing Brahmahatyā following him, Viṣṇu called her and requested her “Please stop pursuing the Trident-bearing deity.” 44. Under this pretext, I am waiting upon the bull-bannered deity. Thus I shall sanctify myself for the annihilation of a rebirth. 45. Though urged by Viṣṇu she did not leave his side. The smiling Śiva of Bhairava form, spoke these words to Viṣṇu. 46. O lord of Lakṣmī, O bestower of honour, I am satisfied by drinking the nectar of your words. Whatever you say is natural to good-natured persons. 47. O Viṣṇu, choose your boon, O sinless one, I am the granter of boons. O Viṣṇu, you are free from aberrations and are the foremost among my devotees. 48. Mendicants suffering from the fever of begging alms do not turn mad with the good articles of alms so much as by the drinking in of the nectar of honour. 49. On hearing the words of high-souled Bhairava, Viṣṇu became delighted and spoke to him. 50. O lord of gods, this itself is a great favour that I see you who being the lord of the gods are inconceivable by mind and speech. 51. O Śiva, this is like a shower of nectar without clouds. I am jubilant over this; thy benign glance to the good is a treasure easily acquired by them. 52. O lord Śiva, let me never be detached from your feet; this is the favour I seek, nothing else. 53. “O dear, O intelligent one, let what you have said occur. You will be the granter of boons to all the gods.” 54. Blessing Viṣṇu moving in the central mountain Meru and the world, the lord went to the city of the liberated, Vārāṇasī. 55. As soon as Bhairava of terrible features entered the holy centre, Brahmahatyā felt aggrieved and entered the nether worlds. 56. The skull of Brahmā fell on the ground suddenly from the lotus-like hand of Bhairava. The holy centre then became Kapālamocana. 57. On seeing the skull of Brahmā falling from his hand, even as everyone was watching it, Rudra danced with great joy. 58. The unbearable skull of Brahmā did not leave his hand as he was roaming elsewhere but it fell down in a trice at Kāśī. 59. Brahmahatyā which did not leave Siva at any other place vanished in a moment at Kāśī. Hence Kāśī shall be resorted to for shedding off evil. 60. If a person remembers the excellent holy centre Kapālamocana at Kāśī, his sin committed here and elsewhere becomes quelled immediately. 61. After coming to the foremost of holy centres, performing the ablution in accordance with the rules and by making the water-offering to the manes one is rid of Brahmahatyā. 62. Bhairava stood facing the holy centre of Kapālamocana, devouring the series of sins of devotees. 63. It was on the eighth day in the dark half of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa that lord Śiva, the favourite of the good and indulging in auspicious sports, manifested himself in the form of Bhairava. 64. The person who observes fast on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa in front of Kālabhairava and also keeps awake at night is freed from great sins. 65. He who performs that rite with devotion even elsewhere and also keeps awake is rid of great sins and attains the goal of the good. 66. The sin committed by persons in the course of countless millions of births is quelled entirely on seeing Kālabhairava. 67. He who commits offence against the devotees of Kālabhairava is deluded and becomes miserable. He will attain the distress of the wicked people. 68. The devotees of lord Śiva, who do not show devotion for Kālabhairava, attain great sorrow and especially so at Kāśī. 69. The man who, while staying at Vārāṇasī, neglects the worship of Bhairava acquires sins that multiply like the moon in the bright half. 70. If a person neglects the worship of Kālarāja at Kāśī on every Tuesday and Bhūtāṣṭamī day, his merit decreases like the moon in the dark half. 71. A person is rid of all sins on hearing this narrative of “Bhairava’s nativity” which can quell even Brahmahatyā. 72. Even a person put in a prison, or involved in adversity is freed from distress on hearing of the narrative of Bhairava.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. The destroyer of Dakṣa ’s sacrifice Vīrabhadra shall be known as an incarnation of lord Śiva, the great soul. 2. His narrative has been mentioned in the episode of Satī. You too have heard it several times. Hence it is not mentioned in detail. 3. O excellent sage, now by my affection to you I shall narrate the Śārdūla incarnation of lord Śiva, Listen. 4. For the benefit of the gods, the wonderfully divine form of a Śarabha (the mythological animal with eight legs and capacity of killing lions) of blazing fire-like lustre was assumed by lord Śiva. 5. O excellent sages, Śiva’s incarnations are countless and conducive to the benefit of good devotees. Their number cannot be counted or specified. 6-7. The number of the stars in the sky, of the sand particles on the earth and of the bursting showers of heavy rain can be specified by intelligent persons at some time in the course of many births over many Kalpas; but not of the incarnations of Śiva; know my words to be true. 8. Still in accordance with my intelligence I shall mention, exactly as I had heard, the divine story of the Śarabha! portending great prosperity. 9. O sage, when Jaya and Vijaya were cursed by you, they became the sons of Diti and Kaśyapa. 10. Those, two attendants; the celestial sages were born as Diti’s sons. The elder was Hiraṇyakaśipu and the younger was Hiraṇyākṣa the very powerful. 11. Formerly lord Viṣṇu was requested by Brahmā to uplift the Earth. He assumed the form of a boar and slew Hiraṇyākṣa. 12. O sage, on hearing that his heroic brother, as dear to him as his very vital breath, was killed, Hiraṇyakaśipu became furious with Viṣṇu. 13. He performed penance for ten thousand years and propitiated Brahmā from whom he obtained the desired boon. “None of your creations shall kill me.” 14. He left for Śoṇita. He challenged the gods everywhere. He put the three worlds in his control and had an unrivalled rule over it. 15. O sage. Hiraṇyakaśipu harassed the gods and the sages. He violated all virtuous rites. He oppressed brahmins and became a sinner. 16. When the king of the Daityas hated his own son Prahlāda, Viṣṇu became his particular enemy. 17. O sage, Viṣṇu then came out from a pillar in the hall, at dusk in the body of a man-lion ( Nṛsiṃha ), with great fury. 18. O great sage, the body of the man-lion was very terrible in every respect. It blazed frighteningly and terrified the leading Daityas. 19. The Daityas were killed in a trice by the man-lion. Hiraṇyakaśipu fought a terrible battle. 20. O excellent sages, a great fight ensued between them for some time. It was terrifying, frightening and caused horripilation to every one. 21. The lord of gods, lord oí Lakṣmī, the man-lion dragged the leading Daitya to the threshold even as the gods were watching in the sky. 22. While the gods were watching he placed the daitya on his lap and immediately tore open his stomach with his claws and killed him. 23. When Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed by the man-lion Viṣṇu, the whole universe attained normalcy and peace. But the gods did not derive any special comfort. 24. The celestial drums were sounded. On seeing the wonderful form of Viṣṇu, Prahlāda was surprised, Lakṣmī was in a state of suspense. 25. Though the lord of daityas was killed, yet the gods did not derive any pleasure. The fiery fury of the man-lion (Nṛsiṃha) did not subside. 26-27. The entire universe was again excited by that fiery splendour. The gods were miserable. Saying “What will happen now?” they kept themselves at a safe distance from fear. The lotus-born deity and others were excited by the fiery fury of the man-lion. 28. They sent Prahlāda near Viṣṇu in order to subside his anger. At the behest of all in a body Prahlāda approached the man-lion. 29. The man-lion, the store-house of mercy, embraced him. The heart became cod, still the flame of fury did not subside. 30. When it did not subside, the afflicted and miserable gods sought refuge in Śiva. 31. Going there, Brahmā, other gods and the sages eulogised Śiva for the happiness of all the worlds. 32. O great lord of gods, favourably disposed cowards those who seek refuge, save us the gods who have sought refuge in you as well as all the worlds. 33. Obeisance be to you, O Sadāśiva. Whenever there had been misery formerly, it was you that saved us. 34. The ocean was churned and the gems were shared by the gods. Then O Śiva, poison was taken by you. 35. We were saved by you, O lord and you became famous as Nīlakaṇṭha (Blue-necked). If you had not drunk the poison then, every thing would have been reduced to ashes. 36. This is well known, O lord, that whenever a person is in misery, by repeating your very name the misery is quelled. 37. O Sadāśiva, we are now afflicted by the fiery fury of the man-lion (Nṛsiṃha); O lord, it is certain that you are competent to quell it. 38. Thus eulogised by the gods, lord Śiva, favourably disposed to the devotees, assured them of protection and spoke delightedly. 39. Śiva said:—O ye Brahmā and other gods, Return to your abodes fearlessly. My rite quells misery in every respect: 40. The misery of the person who seeks refuge in me vanishes. Undoubtedly the seeker of refuge is dearer to me than life. 41. On hearing this, the gods were delighted much. Remembering Śiva joyously they returned.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. Thus implored by the gods, lord Śiva, the abode of mercy, decided to quell that great fiery fury of man-lion ( Nṛsiṃha ). 2. Thereafter Rudra remembered the powerful Vīrabhadra, the cause of dissolution and addressed Bhairava, his own form. 3-5. Then suddenly there came the leader of the Gaṇas laughing loudly and accompanied by the leading Gaṇas laughing boisterously and jumping about here and there. He was surrounded by crores of fierce man-lion-formed Gaṇas, madly dancing heroes joyously leaping about. The warlike heroes Brahmā and others were playing about as if with balls; the leader of the Gaṇas was surrounded by others too who had remained unseen. He was respected by the heroes. 6. He had a fiery splendour as fierce as the fire at the end of Kalpa. His three eyes shone splendidly. He had no weapon. He had matted hair. He was bedecked by the refulgent crescent moon. 7. He had two sharp fangs curved like the crescent moon. His eyebrows were like the split pieces of Indra ’s bow. 8. With his fierce hissing whooping sound be deafened the faces of the quarters. He was as dark as the blue cloud and collyrium He was terrible and wondrous with full grown moustaches and beards. 9. He was whirling his trident of unsplit lustre like a piece of musical instrument over and over again. The lord Vīrabhadra arrived with his heroic strength fully expanded. 10. He said to Śiva—“O lord of the universe, why I have been remembered by you? Please do me a favour and command me.” 11. On hearing the words of Vīrabhadra, and glancing at his face respectfully lord Śiva, the chastiser of the wicked, said lovingly. 12. An untimely terrible fear has cropped up tor the gods. The fire of that man-lion is blazing You shall quell this inaccessible one. 13. At the outset convince him in a consoling manner, If he does not subside thereby, show my great terrible form. 14. O Vīrabhadra, at my behest, bring me his head and hide after quelling his subtle fury with your subtle one and his gross splendour with your gross one. 15. Urged thus, the leader of the Gaṇas, assumed a calm body and features and hastened to the place where the man-lion was sitting. 16. Then Vīrabhadra, the destroyer addressed Viṣṇu. Śiva, then spoke to him as a father speaks to his own son. 17. O lord Viṣṇu, you have taken the incarnation for the happiness of the universe. You, the great lord, have been entrusted with the task of maintaining the universe by Śiva. 18. Formerly, multitudes of creatures moving about in the one vast ocean have been split by your lordship in the form of a fish by binding them with your tail. 19. You support the earth in the form of a tortoise. You lifted it up in the form of a boar. In the form of a lion Hiraṇyakaśipu has been killed. 20. Again in the form of a dwarf, you had bound Bali. You are the origin of all living beings. You are the eternal lord. 21. Whenever any misery torments the world you incarnate yourself and make it free from distress and ailment. 22. O Viṣṇu, there is none else devoted to Śiva more than you or even equal to you. The Vedas and sacred rites have been established by you towards an auspicious goal. 23. That Dānava Hiraṇyakaśipu has been killed for which purpose you have taken this incarnation. Prahlāda too has been saved. 24. O lord Narasiṃha, O soul of the universe, subdue this extremely terrible body yourself in my presence. 25. Urged thus with quiet peaceful words of Vīrabhadra, the arrogant man-lion assumed a more terrible anger. 26. O sage, threatening the heroic Vīrabhadra with his curved fangs he spoke harsh and terrible words. 27. Go back the way you have come from. Do not speak offending words. I am now going to annihilate the universe of the mobile and immobile beings. 28. The annihilation is not the withdrawal of myself by myself or through others. I have my sway everywhere. There is none to rule over me. 29. Everything functions fearlessly by my favour, I am the instigator as well as the restrainer of all powers. 30. O leader of the Gaṇas, whatever is endowed with magnificence, whatever is glorious and powerful, know that to be my expanded splendour, 31. They know me, the knower of the reality of the divinity, as the greatest. Brahmā, Indra and other gods are powerful in as much as they are my own parts. 32. Brahmā, the creator of the universe who was formerly born of my umbilical lotus is greater than all, being independent, maker, remover and the lord of all. 33. This is my greatest glory. What else do you wish to hear again? Hence seek refuge in me and return to your abodes being freed from feverish ailment. 34. O lord of Gaṇas, know that the entire universe of this nature, is my own; this universe including the gods, Asuras and human beings is the manifestation of my greatness. 35. I am Kāla, the cause of destroying the worlds. I am engaged in annihilating the worlds. O Vīrabhadra, know me to be the Death of Death. These gods are alive by my very favour. 36. On hearing the arrogant words of Viṣṇu, Vīrabhadra of immeasurable exploits laughed and said contemptuously with throbbing lips. 37. Don’t you know the Pināka -bearing lord of the universe as the annihilator? Baseless argument and disputation will end in death for you. 38. What other incarnation of yours is left still to be taken with that whatever it may be you will remain alive only in the story. 39. Tell me the defect which has led you to this plight. With that lord capable of annihilation you will get the balance of Dakṣiṇā. 40. You are Prakṛti and Rudra is Puruṣa. The semen is deposited in you. The five-faced Brahmā was born of your umbilical lotus. 41. Remaining in a severe penance, he contemplated on Śiva, the blue-necked, in his forehead for the creation of the three worlds. 42. Śiva came out of his forehead. I am the ornament of the lord of gods in the form of Bhairava in the matter of creation. 43. O Viṣṇu, I have been engaged in subduing you cither through humility or through force, by Rudra the lord of gods, the lord of all. 44. After tearing to pieces a single demon you roar by your arrogance. Actually you are free from slumber only because you are endowed with a digit of his power. 45. Help rendered to good men is accepted as conducive to happiness. Help rendered to bad men is conclusive to offence. 46. O Nrsiṃha, if you consider lord Śiva as a mere living being you are ignorant, very arrogant and full of aberrations in every respect. 47. O base Nṛsiṃha, you are neither creator, nor sustainer, nor annihilator. You are subservient and deluded in mind. You are not independent anywhere. 48. O Viṣṇu, like the potter’s wheel you are forcibly induced by Śiva when you take the different incarnations. You are always dependent on him. 49-50. Your skull, left by you in the midst of the necklace of Śiva, while you had assumed the form of a tortoise, is still there. None who is burnt is bound. Is it your partial forgetfulness that in your body as a Boar your fangs were felled by the slayer of Tāraka ? 51. You were burnt by the fire of the Trident, O Viṣvaksena. At the time of Dakṣa ’s sacrifice your head was cut off by me brilliant in form. 52, O Viṣṇu, the fifth head of Brahmā your son, which was cut, has not been set right even now. It is forgotten by you. 53. In a battle you were defeated by Dadhīca along with the gods. How can it be forgotten by you while scratching your head? 54. O discus-armed one, you are fond of your discus but you have forgotten whence you got it and by whom it was made. 55. Whatever worlds I have seized, in them, you lie down in the ocean, overcome by sleep. How can you then be a Sāttvika ? 56. From you to a blade of grass, every thing expands and develops only through Rudra’s power. Professing to possess power you have been deluded by the fire all round. 57. Ordinary man is incapable of seeing the greatness of his splendour. That is the greatest of the regions of Viṣṇu which only the people of subtle intellect can perceive. 58. Lord Śiva manifests himself in between heaven and earth, Indra and Agni, Yama and Varuṇa, in the heart of darkness and in the light of the moon. 59. You are Kāla but lord Śiva is Mahākāla and Kālakāla. Hence you will be death of death only through Śiva’s digit. 60. But the steady one today is the imperishable hero, the lord protector of the universe. He is the destroyer of fever, a dreadful beast, a golden bird. 61. You and the four-faced Brahmā are not the rulers of the world. Nor any one else is the ruler. Śiva is certainly the ruler of all. 62. Thus taking everything in consideration you subdue yourself by yourself. O Man-lion, O wise one, keep your-sélf safe. 63. Otherwise death will befall you like a thunderbolt on a stump due to the fury of the lord in the form of Bhairava. 64. After saying this and observing the view of the Man-lion, Vīrabhadra the furious form of Śiva, stopped. He was not afraid of anyone.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O Nandīśvara, O intelligent one, this is understood. Take pity on me and tell me now lovingly what happened thereafter. 2. Thus admonished by Vīrabhadra, the Man-lion ( Nṛsiṃha )be came furious. He roared and began to seize him with force. 3. In the meantime, the splendour of Śiva rose up unbearably enveloping the sky all around. It was terrible and cause for imminent fear. 4-5. Then in a trice the form of Vīrabhadra became invisible. The splendour of Lord Śiva was neither golden nor fiery, neither lunar nor solar. It resembled neither the lightning nor the moon. It was beyond comparison. The forms of brilliance were merged in Śiva. 6. That great splendour was not of the sky too. Thereafter its middle became clearly manifested in the form characteristic of Rudra of deformed shape. 7. Even as all the gods stood watching with the auspicious shouts of victory, Lord Śiva became manifest in the form the Annihilator. 8. He had a thousand hands and wore matted hair. His head was adorned by the crescent moon. He appeared like a bird with wings and beak. His body was fierce and fully developed. 9. His fangs were very sharp. Adamantine daws were his weapons. His neck was black in colour. He had huge arms and four legs. He was blazing like fire. 10. His voice was resonant and terrible like the rumbling sound of the clouds that gather at the end of a Yuga. His three eyes were as wide and blazing as the fire of the evil spirit of great fury. 11. His fangs and lips were clearly visible. He was producing a hissing sound of Huṃkāra. Śiva of such a form appeared in sight. 12. At his very vision Viṣṇu lost his strength and exploit. He assumed a lustre of the flickering glow-worm beneath the sun. 13-14. Fluttering with his wings, and tearing the navel and legs he bound the legs of the Man-lion with his tail and his hands with his own hands. He struck his chest, caught hold of Viṣṇu. It expanded in the sky along with the gods and the sages. 15-16. Like a vulture seizing a serpent he fearlessly caught hold of Viṣṇu, lifted him up and fell him to the ground. At the time of flight he was excessively oppressed, being hit with the wings. Then Lord Śiva took Viṣṇu and flew up. 17. All the gods followed him eulogising him with the words of obeisance. Brahmā and other sages bowed to him with reverence and love. 18. Being led thus Viṣṇu was helpless. His face was pallid and sorrowful. With palms joined in reverence he eulogised Lord Śiva with prayers of simple words. 19. After eulogising Mṛḍa with the hundred and eight names of the lord, Nṛsiṃha requested lord Śarabha again. 20. “O great lord, whenever my ignorant mind becomes defiled by arrogance, it shall be removed by you alone.” 21 Thus saying with love to Śiva, the Man-lion turned submissive and bowed to him. Viṣṇu was utterly defeated and came to the end of his life. 22. Within a trice Vīrabhadra made his powerful body powerless and dead. 23. Then Brahmā and other gods eulogised lord Śiva who had assumed the form of a Śarabha and who was the sole benefactor of all the worlds. 24. O lord Śiva, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra, the Moon, the gods, the sages, and the Daityas are born of you. 25. O lord of all, you alone create and protect Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Indra, the sun and others, the gods and Asuras and you alone devour them. 26. Since you annihilate the world, you are called Hara by the learned. Since Viṣṇu was curbed and caught hold of by you, you are called Hara by the learned. 274 Since you support and hold every thing after dividing your body into eight, O lord, protect us, the gods, by means of the desired gifts. 28. You are the great Puruṣa, Śiva, lord of all, leader of the gods, the soul of the indigent, of a mind without aberrations. You are the great Brahman, the goal of the good. 29. You are the kinsman of the distressed, the ocean of mercy, of wonderful sports, the vision of the great soul, the intelligent, the Immense Cosmic Being, the all-pervasive, the truth, the Existence, knowledge and Bliss as the characteristics. 30. On hearing these words of the gods, Śiva, the great God, spoke to the gods and the great ancient sages. 31. Just as water poured into water, or milk poured into milk, or ghee poured into ghee becomes one with those things, so also Viṣṇu is merged into Śiva, not otherwise. 32. It was Viṣṇu alone in the form of the Man-lion, haughty and strong, engaged in the activity of annihilating the universe. 33. He shall be prayed and bowed by my devotees aspiring achievements. He is the foremost of my devotees and the granter of boons. 34. After saying this, the lordly king of birds of great strength, vanished there itself even as all the gods were watching. 35. Lord Vīrabhadra, the leader of the Gaṇas, of great strength, peeled off the hide of the Man-lion and went to the mountain taking it with him. 36. From that time Śiva began to wear the hide of the Man-lion. His head was the leading bead in his necklace of skulls. 37. Then the gods freed from their distress began to sing the glory of this story. With their eyes blooming with wonder they returned the way they came. 38. He who reads or listens to the great narrative, which being sacred has the flavour of the Vedas, will realise all his desires 39. This narrative is conducive to wealth, fame, longevity and health. It increases prosperity, subdues obstacles and quells ailments. 40. It subdues misery, yields the fruits of desires and is the abode of auspicious features. It removes premature death, confers intelligence and destroys enemies. 41. This great form of Śiva in the form of Śarabha shall be made public only among the leading devotees of Śiva. 42. This shall be read and listened to only by them with their soul dedicated to Śiva. It then confers the ninefold devotion. It is divine. It purifies the inner mind and sense. 43. This shall be read during the festivals of Śiva, during the eighth and fourteenth Tithis, and at the installation of the idol. It then causes the presence of Śiva. 44-45. When there is danger from thieves, tigers, lions, one’s own or enemy kings, during commotions earthquakes and robberies, dust storms, when there is the fall of meteors, when there is draught or too much of raīn—during all these occasions he who reads this with purity becomes a great devotee of Śiva steady in his rites and very learned. 46. He who reads or listens to this without any specific desire and performs the rites of Śiva attains Rudra’s region and becomes a follower of Rudra. 47. O sage, after attaining Rudra’s region he rejoices with Rudra. Then he becomes one with Rudra by the mercy of Śiva. Article published on 24 October, 2018

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O son of Brahmā, listen lovingly to the narrative of the moon-crested lord Śiva how he was born willingly in the house of Viśvānara. 2. He was Gṛhapati by name. O sage, he became the lord of Agniloka. The great lord, the soul of all, was fiery in form and brilliant too. 3. On the beautiful banks of Narmadā in the city of Dharmapura, formerly there lived a devotee of Śiva, a soul, the sage Viśvānara. 4. While in the stage of celibacy, he was devoted to Brahmayajña rites. He belonged to the Śāṇḍilya lineage. He was pure, the storehouse of Brahminical splendour and had self-control. 5. He understood the real meaning of sacred lord. He followed the conduct of the virtuous. He was highly skilled in Śiva ethics. He was the foremost among the knowers of worldly conventions. 6. After pondering over the good qualities of an ideal housewife, Viśvānara married with due rites the daughter of Kāla who was really worthy of him. 7. He maintained the sacrificial fires. He was devoted to the performance of the five daily sacrifices. He practised the six sacred rites every day. He was fond of serving gods, manes and guests. 8. When a long time elapsed in that manner Śuciṣmatī the wife of that Brāhmaṇa who observed all rites spoke to her husband. 9. “O Lord, by your favour, all pleasures which women could expect have been enjoyed by me in your company. 10. O Lord, still a desire has been lurking in my heart for a long time. It is proper to all householders. You shall grant it to me. 11. O gentle lady of beautiful hips ever desirous of my welfare, what is there that cannot be granted to you? O lucky one, you may ask for it. I shall grant it to you without delay. 12. O good woman, by the favour of Lord Śiva, nothing is inaccessible to me either here or hereafter. Lord Śiva is the cause of all good. 13. On hearing these words of her husband she who thought her husband to be a deity was delighted. Joining her palms in reverence she humbly said. 14. O Lord, if I deserve a boon, if a boon is to be granted to me, please give me a son equal to Lord Śiva. I am not choosing any other boon. 15. On hearing her words that Brahmin of pure rites entered into mystic trance for a short while and thought in his heart thus. 16 “What is this? This lady has wished for an extremely inaccessible thing. It is beyond the reach of wishes. Let it be. Only He does everything. 17. It is by Śiva himself stationing himself in her mouth in the form of speech that this has been said. This alone is possible. Who else could have endeavoured to say so?” 18. After thinking like this, the sage Viśvānara of liberal heart who strictly adhered to the principle of monogamy spoke to her. 19. After consoling his wife, the sage set out for penance to the city of Vārāṇasī where Lord Śiva himself is stationed. 20. Reaching Vārāṇasī immediately and seeing Maṇikarṇikā, he was freed from three distresses acquired in the course of hundreds of births. 21. He saw Viśveśvara and other phallic images. He performed ablutions in all holy ditches, wells, tanks and lakes. 22. He bowed to all Vināyakas and Śarvā Gaurī. He worshipped Kālarāja Bhaīrava who devours sins. 23. Strenuously he eulogised Daṇḍanāyaka and other Gaṇas, Ādikeśava and others. He propitiated Keśava. 24. He bowed to Lolārka and other suns again and again. Without lethargy he offered balls of rice in all the holy centres. 25. He satiated sages and brahmins by means of “feeding thousand” and other rites. With devotion he propitiated the phallic images of Śiva by means of great worship and service. 26. He thought frequently—“What is that phallic image that yields the result quickly? Where can the penance due to the longing for a son find ultimate rest.” 27. Thinking thus for a moment, the intelligent sage Viśvānara praised the Vīreśa form of Śiva which confers the blessings of a son immediately. 28. Innumerable thousands of Siddhas have derived the fulfilment of their desire from the worship of Śiva. Hence Vīreśa is famous as the Fruit-yielding phallic image. 29. If any one worships the Vīreśvara phallic image for a year with great devotion he obtains longevity, cherished desires, sons and other things. 30. I too shall worship Vīreśa here thrice a day and shall ere long acquire a son as desired by my wife. 31. After thinking like this, the intelligent brahmin, the contented Viśvānara took a bath in the well Candrakūpa and took the vow of the sacred rite. 32-34. For a month he lived on a single meal a day. For another month he took only the night-meal. He spent another month taking only the food he got without begging. He spent another month without any food. For another month he took only milk. For another month he took only fruits and vegetables. For another month he ate only a handful of gingelly seeds. For another month he took liquid diet. For another month he took only Pañcagavya. For another month he performed the Cāndrāyaṇa rite. For another month he drank water from the tip of Kuśa grass and for another month he had air alone as his food. 35. Thus far a full year he performed the wonderful penance. He worshipped the excellent Vīreśa thrice a day. 36-37. On the thirteenth month while he was going to Vīreśa after taking bath in the Gaṅgā river very early in the morning, the sage saw a child of eight years smeared with ashes all over the body, in the middle of the phallic image. 38. The child had eyes as long as his ears. He had ruddy lips. He had matted hair of beautiful tawny colour. He was naked and had a smiling face. 39. He had all the dress and features proper to childhood. He seemed intelligent. He was reciting hymns from the Vedas. He was laughing sportively. 40. On seeing him he was joyous. He was thrilled all over the body. He uttered the formula to you over and over again. 41. The contented Vaiśvānara eulogised Śiva, the great bliss in the form of child by means of eight verses that gave expression to his desire. 42. The Brahman is alone without a second. It is true. Indeed there is no multitude of different things. There is only one Rudra. There is none second to him. Hence I seek refuge in you, the sole great lord. 43. O Śiva, you alone are the creator and annihilator of every thing. In the different forms you are of single form and formless. Just as the inner virtue is only one though it may seem to be many. Hence I do not resort to any one except you. 44. The snake in the rope, (he silver in the oyster shell, the water in the mirage—like that when he is known, the whole world vanishes and Sat alone remains. I resort to that great lord. 45. Coolness in the water, heat in the fire, the scorching nature in the sun and the pleasing gemleness in the moon, fragrance in the flower and the ghee in the milk—just, in that manner, O Śiva, you are the essense in the world. Hence I resort to you. 46. You the earless perceive sound; you the noseless perceive fragrance; you the footless come from far; you the eyeless see; you the tongueless perceive the taste. Who knows you really? Hence I seek refuge in you. 47. O lord, even the Vedas do not know you directly, nor Viṣṇu, nor the Creator of every thing, nor the leading Yogins, nor Indra and other gods. Only a devotee knows. Hence I seek refuge in you. 48. You have no spiritual lineage; you are unborn; you are immortal, formless without any prescribed conduct or native land. Still you are the lord of three worlds and you fulfil all our desires. I worship you. 49. Everything originates from you. You are all-in-all, O enemy of Kāma, you are the lord of Gaurī; you are naked and quiescent; you are old, youthful and the child. Whatever is, you are that. There is no source of your origin. I bow to you. 50. After eulogising thus, when the brahmin fell on the ground with the joined hands, the boy became the aged of the aged and spoke delightedly to the brahmin. 51. O Viśvānara, O excellent sage, O brahmin, propitiated by you I am very much delighted. Ask for the boon of your choice. 52. Then the delighted and contented sage Viśvānara stood up and replied to Śiva who had assumed the form of a boy. 53. O lord Śiva, what is it that is not known to you who are omniscient? You are lord Śarva the granter of everything and the immanent soul of all. 54. Why do you speak forcing me in the pity-provoking task of imploration? O lord Śiva, after knowing this, please do as you wish. 55. On hearing the upright words of Viśvānara of pure rites, the lord in the form of a child, spoke smilingly. 56. O pious one, the desire that you have cherished in your heart regarding Śuciṣmatī will be certainly realised ere long. 57. O intelligent one, I shall become your son in Śuciṣmatī. I shall be known as Gṛhapati, pure and loved by all gods. 58. The hymn of eight verses of desire—Abhilāṣāṣṭaka—that you recited now, when recited thrice a day for a year in the vicinity of Śiva will yield all desires. 59. The recitation of this hymn yields sons, grandsons and wealth. It is conducive to the mollification of everything and quells all mishaps. 60. It is the cause of acquisition of heaven, emancipation and prosperity. There is no doubt in this. This is on a par with all other hymns. It always yields every desire. 61. If an issueless man gets up early in the morning, takes his bath, worships Śiva’s phallic image, recites this hymn and continues the practice for a year, he will surely secure a son. 62. The Abhilāṣāṣṭaka hymn shall not be taught to common people. It shall be preserved carefully as a secret mantra. It makes the most barren lady deliver of a child. 63. This hymn recited by a woman or a man with due observances in the presence of a phallic image for a year undoubtedly yields the birth of a son. 64. After saying this, Śiva, the goal of the good and who assumed the form of a boy vanished. The brahmin Viśvānara returned to his house highly delighted.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. With great delight the brahmin returned home and told his beloved wife all those details. 2. On hearing it, Śuciṣmatī, the wife of the brahmin, rejoiced much and being full of love she praised her good fortune. 3. She became pregnant in due course. The brahmin performed the rite of impregnation duly. 4. Before the stir and throb of the child in the womb was felt, the learned Brahmin performed the holy rite of Puṃsavana in the manner prescribed in the Gṛhyasūtras for the growth of embryo’s manliness. 5. Then in the eighth month he performed the holy rite of Sīmanta which is conducive to the growth of the embryo and which facilitates easy delivery of the child. 6-9. Then at the conjunction of stars when Jupiter was in the centre, when the Lagna was auspicious, when the good planets stood in pairs, Śiva, the giver of happiness to all, was born as the son of Śuciṣmatī. His face resembled the moon. The lamps in the lying-in-chamber were dimmed by his bodily lustre. The lord, the destroyer of misfortunes and the bestower of happiness to the dwellers of the Earth, the nether worlds and the heaven was born as the son. The smoke exuding therefrom became the perfume to sweeten the breath of the quarters. The immense clouds showered flowers of pleasing fragrance. The divine drums were sounded and the quarters were brightened up. 10. The rivers became transparent as also the minds of living beings. The darkness of evil dwindled and the Rajas was stripped of its quality or of its dust. 11. The living creatures were endowed with Sattva quality. There was a shower of nectar. People began to talk sweet and pleasant words. 12-13. Rambhā and other celestial damsels arrived with auspicious articles in their hands. Thousands of Vidyādharīs, Kinnarīs, Goddesses, the womenfolk of Gandharvas, serpents and Yakṣas of sweet voice flocked singing auspicious songs. 14-20. The following sages came there— Marīci, Atri, Pulaha, Pulastya, Kratu, Aṅgiras, Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, Agastya, Vibhāṇḍa son of Māṇḍavī, Lomaśa, Romacaraṇa, Bharadvāja, Gautama, Bhṛgu, Gālava, Garga, Jātūkarṇa, Parāśara, Āpastamba, Yājñavalkya, Dakṣa, Vālmīki, Mudgala, Śātātapa Likhita, Śilāda, Śaṅkha, Uñcchabhuk, Jamadagni, Saṃvarta, Mataṅga, Bharata, Aṃśumān, Vyāsa Kātyāyana, Kutsa, Śaunaka, Suśruta, Śuka, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, Durvāsas, Śuci, Nārada, Tumburu, Uttaṅka, Vāmadeva, Pavana, Asīta, Devala, Sālaṅkāyana, Hārīta, Viśvāmitra, Bhārgava, Mṛkaṇḍu with his son, Parvata, Dāruka, Dhaumya, Upamanyu Vatsa and others came to the happy hermitage of Viśvānara for the auspicious Śānti ceremony. The daughters of the sages too came there. 21. Brahmā came there with Bṛhaspati. Lord Viṣṇu came riding on Garuḍa as vehicle. The bull-bannered lord came there with Gaurī, Nandin, Bhṛṅgī and others. 22. Mahendra and other gods, the Nāgas residing in the nether regions came there. Taking gems with them many great oceans and rivers came there. 23. Thousands of immobile beings came there in the forms of the mobile beings. During the great festivities then there was an untimely flood of moonlight. 24-25. Brahmā himself performed the postnatal rite after bowing to the infant. In consonance with his form and beauty he gave him the name of Gṛhapati on the eleventh day in accordance with injunctions, repeating the Vedic mantras. 26. After conferring blessings on everyone by reciting the mantras from the four Vedas, Brahmā left the place while riding on the swan. 27. After affording proper safeguards for the child in accordance with worldly conventions Śiva returned to his abode on his vehicle along with Viṣṇu. 28-30. The visitors praised the infant. They were at the height of their joy. They spoke in unison “O what a beauty! What a splendour! All the characteristic signs are there in all the limbs. How fortunate is Śuciṣmatī! Śiva himself is born. What is surprising in this? Śiva has incarnated in all devotees. Śiva has been worshipped by her.” Then they took leave of Viśvānara and departed. 31. The eternal Veda says—‘A person conquers the worlds through a son. Hence all householders wish for a son. 32. The house of a sonless person is a void. His earnings are futile. His penance is split. It is not holy due to the want of a son. 33. Both here and hereafter there is no better acquisition than a son; there is no better happiness than a son; there is no greater friend than a son. 34. In the fourth month the rite of “crossing the threshold” was performed by the father. At the end of six months the rite of Annaprāśana and at the end of a year the tonsure ceremony was performed. 35. The knower rites performed the Karṇavedha rite under the constellation of Sravaṇa. In order to enhance his brahminical splendour he made him perform an auspicious Vrata in his fifth year. 36. After celebrating the Upākarma rite, the intelligent sage taught him the Vedas. The boy learned the Vedas for a year with their ancillaries. He learnt the Padapāṭha and Kramapāṭha of the Vedas. 37. Evincing his humility and other qualities, the competent youth grasped the lore almost by himself but formally through the preceptor just as a medium. 38. In his ninth year, Nārada came there to see Gṛhapati, son of Viśvānara, and found him engaged in serving his parents. 39. The divine sage reached the hut of Viśvānara, received due hospitality and seated himself. Eagerly he enquired of his health. 40. He remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and mentioned to Viśvānara the future fortune and activities of his son. 41-42. Nārada said to the boy “O son of Viśvānara come on. Sit on my lap. I shall study your characteristics. Show me your right hand.” On being thus addressed, the boy bowed to Nārada after receiving the permission of his parents. With great devotion the glorious child sat there humbly. 43. Examining closely the palate, tongue etc. (of the boy) the intelligent Nārada spoke to Viśvānara, urged by Śiva. 44. “O sage Viśvānara, listen. I shall mention the detailed characteristic marks of your son. Your son bears good marks on every limb. He possesses all good signs. 45. But fate alone must guard this boy duly, this boy who has all good qualities, who is characterised by all good features and who is possessed of all pure digits in their entirety. 46. This child should be protected with all efforts. When the fate is adverse, even good qualities assume the state of defects. 47. In the twelfth month from now I suspect a great danger to him from lightning and fire.” After saying this Nārada returned to heaven the way he had come.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. On hearing the revelation of Nārada, Viśvānara and his wife considered it a terrible bolt from the blue. 2. He shouted “O I am doomed!” He beat his chest. Excited by the grief about his son he fell into a great swoon. 3. The grief-stricken Śuciṣmatī too lamented much. Her senses were benumbed and she. lamented aloud. 4. On hearing her loud lamentation, Viśvānara woke up from his swoon. He cried aloud “What is this? What is this? Where is Gṛhapati my vital breath who stands outside and who is the lord of all the senses lodged within me. 5. On seeing his parents excessively grieved, the boy Gṛhapati, a part of Śiva, smiled and said. 6. O Mother, O Father, what is the reason? Please tell me now. Why do both of you cry? What and whence is such a fright for you? 7. Time and pitiable fickle existence cannot affect me, whose body is guarded by the dust-particles of your feet. 8. O my parents, please listen to my vow. If I am your true son, I will do that whereby death itself will be terrified. 9. I shall propitiate lord Śiva, the conqueror of death, the omniscient and the bestower of all to the good. I shall perform the Japa of Mahākāla. O parents, I am telling you the truth. 10. On hearing his words the aged branmin couple were freed of their distress by the untimely showers of nectar. They then spoke. 11. Say again. Say again. What is it? What is it? Speak again. Time and pitiable fickle existence will not affect you? 12. A great means has been suggested by you to dispel our distress, that of the propitiation of lord Śiva, the conqueror of death. 13. The same is the result for those who seek refuge in Śiva who dispels sins and does everything beyond the path of our desire. There is nothing better than this. 14. O dear, haven’t you heard that the slayer of the Tripuras protected, in days of yore, Śvetaketu who was bound by the noose of Kāla ? 15. When Śilāda ’s son was threatened by death, when he was only eight, Śiva saved him and made him his own attendant as Nandin, the delighter of the whole universe. 16. He protected the three worlds by drinking off the terrible poison as fearful as the fire at the hour of dissolution, when it was produced at the churning of the milk-ocean. 17. With the wheel raised up by the line drawn with his beautiful toe he killed the haughty Jalandhara who had deprived the three worlds of their pleasure. 18. He burnt the Tripuras, who were haughty and deluded by their lordship of the three worlds, by means of the blazing fires emanating from the fall of a single arrow. 19. Even as Brahmā and others were watching, he reduced Kāma to ashes by a single glance, Kāma whose strength had been enhanced by his conquest of the three worlds. 20. O son, seek refuge in that Śiva, the amulet of protection of the universe, the sole creator of Indra, Acyuta, Brahmā and others. 21. Thus he secured the permission of his parents. He bowed at their feet and circumambulated them. He then pacified them and started. 22-25. He reached Kāśī inaccessible even to Brahmā, Viṣṇu and others. He reached Kāśī that dispels all recurring distress, that is protected by Viśveśa, that shines with the celestial river Gaṅgā as with a necklace round its neck, that shines splendidly by the presence of Pārvatī, the consort of Śiva and of wonderful qualities. After reaching Kāśī he went to Maṇikarṇikā at the outset. After taking bath in accordance with the injunctions of the Śāstras he saw Lord Viśveśvara with palms joined and head bent in reverence. The intelligent brahmin was greatly delighted. He bowed to lord Śiva who instils life into and protects the three worlds. 26. Seeing that phallic image of Śiva again and again he was delighted in his heart and thought—“Undoubtedly this is possessed of great bliss.” 27. Hā, there is none more blessed than I in the three worlds consisting of the mobile and immobile beings since today I have seen here the lord Viśveśvara. 28. It is only to enhance my good fortune that sage Nārada formerly came and told me that. I am therefore very much contented. 29-31. By the nectarine juice of bliss he concluded the sacred rite. Then on an auspicious day he installed the phallic image, the bestower of all benefits. He adopted austere rites difficult to be performed by those who have no control over themselves. He filled pots with the water of the Gaṅgā strained and purified by means of a cloth. Every day he bathed the phallic image with hundred and eight potfulls of water. Then he put a garland of blue lotus round the deity. 32. He wreathed the garlands with a thousand and eight flowers. He ate fruits, roots and bulbous roots once in a fortnight or a month. 33. The courageous devotee spent six months by eating withered leaves. The remaining six months he spent drinking drops of water or simply breathing. 34. O Brahmins, thus a year in the life of that noble soul passed by, performing the penance with the devoted mind resting only in Śiva. 35. In the twelfth year of his life, the thunderbolt, armed Indra approached him as if fulfilling the utterance of Nārada. 36. He said—“O brahmin, I am Indra, I am delighted at your holy rites. Ask for the boon you wish to have. I shall give you whatever desire you have in your mind. 37. On hearing the words of lord Indra, the son of the sage spoke these words boldly and sweetly. 38. “O Indra, O enemy of Vṛtra, I know you as armed with the thunderbolt. I do not want a boon from you. Śiva is the granter of boon to me.” 39. O child, Śiva is not separate from me. I am the lord of gods. Give up your foolhardiness and ask for a boon from me. Do not delay. 40. O Paramour of Ahalyā, O wicked one, O enemy of mountains, O chastiser of Pāka, it is quite clear that I shall not ask any other god except Śiva for a boon. 41. On hearing his words, lndra’s eyes turned red with fury. He raised his terrible thunderbolt and threatened the boy with dire consequences. 42. On seeing the thunderbolt with the flames of lightning, the boy remembered the words of Nārada. He became frightened and fell into a swoon. 43. Then Śiva, the lord of Pārvatī, the dīspeller of darkness appeared in front. As though enlivening him with gentle strokings he said:—“Stand up. Stand up. May good come up to you.” 44. Opening his eyes resembling the lotus that had gone to sleep at the end of the day and getting up, he saw Śiva shining more brilliantly than hundred suns. 45-49. Seeing the lord with the eyes in the fore-head, blue-necked, bull-bannered, moon-crested, with Pārvatī occupying the left side, shining with matted hair, armed with the trident and Ajagava bow, possessed of limbs shining white like camphor, clad in the elephant’s hide, he recognised the lord as the great God described in the Āgamas and statements of his preceptor. He was delighted and he evinced the thrill of hair. For a moment he stood motionless like the mountain Citrakūta. He forgot himself like a man suddenly becoming rich. He was unable to eulogise or bow down or plead for anything. Then Śiva smiled and said. 50. O child Gṛhapati, I know that you are frightened of Indra with the thunderbolt in his lifted hand. Don’t be afraid, I only wanted to know your nature. 51. Neither Indra, nor the thunderbolt, nor even the god of death is powerful to molest my devotee. You have been terrified by me alone in the form of Indra. 52. O gentle one, I shall grant you the boon. I confer the title of Agni on you. I authorise you to grant boons to whatever deity you think fit. 53. O Agni, you will be moving in the midst of all mortals. Acquire kingship as the guardian of the quarter in the south-east. 54. The phallic image installed by you will be known by your name. It will be known as Agnīśvara and it will be conducive to the enhancement of all splendour. 55. The devotees of Agnīśvara need not fear lightning and fire. They will never suffer from impaired digestion or premature death. 56. A person who worships Agnīśvara, the bestower of prosperity, at Vārāṇasī, is honoured in the region of fire even if, by chance, he dies elsewhere. 57. After saying this and fetching his kinsmen Śiva crowned him as the guardian of the quarter. Even as the parents watched it, Śiva entered his phallic image 58. Thus, O dear, the incarnation of Śiva as fire has been explained to you. This incarnation of Śiva, the great soul, is famous as Gṛhapati also. 59. The city of Citrahotra is beautiful, pleasant and finely lustrous. Those who are devotees of fire stay there. 60. People of steady Sāttvika quality and control over their sense-organs, who enter fire, or women endowed with Sattva quality become as lustrous as fire. 61. Brahmins performing Agnihotra regularly, Brahmacārins maintaining sacrificial fires, and those who stay amidst five fires become as splendrous as fire in the region of fire. 62. He who makes gifts of bundles of fuel during winter for alleviating chillness or he who makes fire-bricks (of cow-dung) stays with fire. 63. He who faithfully performs the rites of cremation for the unclaimed bodies or he who urges others to do so, himself being incapable, is honoured in the region of fire. 64. Fire alone is the greatest means of salvation for the brahmins. He is the preceptor, the lord, the sacred rite, the holy centre. Certainly everything is fire. 65. All unholy things become pure the moment they come into contact with fire. Therefore fire is called Purifier, 66. The fire is certainly the immanent soul of man. Even morsels of flesh it will digest in the stomach, but not the muscles of women. 67. The fiery form of Śiva is in the form of the fire visible. Excepting this what else is seen as creative, protective and destructive? 68. Fire is the eye of the lord of the three worlds. In this world of pitch darkness what else than this becomes the illuminator? 69. The incense, the lights, the food offerings, milk, curd, ghee and sugarcane juice—all these go unto the dwellers of heaven when offered into the fire here.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O great sage, listen to the Yakṣeśvara incarnation of Śiva, that dispels the arrogance of the arrogant and lets the devotion of the good flourish. 2. Formerly, the powerful gods and the Daityas motivated by the desire to gain their selfish ends churned the milk ocean for achieving nectar. 3. When the churning of the milk ocean started as the gods and demons wanted nectar, poison blazing as the fire of dissolution came out at first. 4. O dear, at the sight of it, the gods and the daityas were highly agitated and frightened. They fled from there immediately and sought refuge in Śiva. 5. After seeing Śiva, the crestjewel of all the gods, all of them including Viṣṇu devoutly bent their heads and bowed to Viṣṇu with devotion. 6. Then the delighted lord Śiva favourably disposed to the devotees, quaffed off the terrible poison afflicting gods and Asuras. 7. The lord retained obliquely the acute poison that he drank, in his neck. He shone much thereby and became Blue-necked. 8. Released from the burning sensation of the poison thanks to the blessings of Śiva, the gods and the Asuras began to churn again. 9. O sage, many gems came out of it, but O sage, it was the nectar that the gods and the Dānavas prized much. 10. Not the Asuras, but the gods drank the nectar, thanks to the favour of Viṣṇu. Then a great battle ensued between them inflicting pain on both. 11. A mutual clash occurred between the gods and the Dānavas, O sage. The moon was eclipsed by Rāhu and fled in terror of Rāhu. 12. He went to the abode of Śiva extremely agitated by fear and sought Śiva’s protection. Saying “Protect me O Lord, protect me” he bowed to the lord and eulogised him. 13. Lord Śiva, the bestower of protection to the good, and favourably disposed to his devotees, wore the moon on his head as the latter had sought refuge. 14. Then Rāhu too, came there. He bowed to and eulogised lord Śiva with reverence by means of sweet words. 15. Realising his desire, Śiva fixed on to his neck his head that had been formerly cut off by Viṣṇu, and that was known as Ketu. 16. Then the Asuras were defeated by the gods in the battle. By drinking nectar the gods had become powerful and gained victory. 17. Deluded by Śiva’s Māyā, Viṣṇu and others became very haughty. Their strength began to take root and sprout within them. 18. O sage, then Lord Śiva, the suppressor of arrogance, became a Yakṣa. He hastened to the place, O sage, where the gods were stationed. 19. On seeing Viṣṇu and all other gods arrogant in their minds, lord Śiva, the lord of Yakṣas and the suppressor of arrogance spoke. 20. O ye gods, why have you all assembled here. What is your goal? Tell me the reason as I ask unto you. 21. O lord, a terrible battle took place here wherein all the Asuras were killed. The few that remained fled away. 22. We are great heroes and powerful slayers of the Daityas. How insignificant in strength are those Daityas in front of us! 23. On hearing the arrogant words of those gods, lord Śiva, the suppressor of arrogance, in the form of Yakṣa said. 24. O ye gods, you listen to my words with attention. I shall tell you the truth that will dispel arrogance. 25. Do not be arrogant. There is another lord who is the creator and annihilator. You have forgotten the great lord. You boast too much but you are devoid of strength. 26. If you are proud and think that you know your strength to be great, O gods, split this blade of grass placed by me, with your own weapons. 27. Saying this, śiva in the form of Yakṣa, the goal of the good, placed a blade of grass before them and dispelled their arrogance. 28. Then Viṣṇu and other gods professing to be heroic exerted their manliness and hurled their respective weapons. 29. But the weapons of the gods, were rendered fruitless before the power of Śiva, the destroyer of the arrogance of the deluded. 30. Then a celestial voice arose that dispelled the surprise of the gods—“O gods this Yakṣa is Śiva who removes the arrogance of the arrogant. 31. The lord himself is the creator, sustainer and annihilator. The living beings are powerful thanks only to his power. Otherwise they are not powerful. 32. Deluded by the power of his illusion you have become arrogant and have not realised lord śiva, who is the very knowledge embodied. 33. O hearing the celestial voice they became divested of their arrogance. They had realised Yakṣeśvara. They bowed to and eulogised him. 34. O lord of the gods, the dispeller of arrogance, O Yakṣeśvara of great sports, O lord, your Māyā is wonderful. 35. Even now we are deluded by this Māyā of yours in the form of Yakṣa. Hence, separated from you we began to speak arrogantly before you. 36. O lord, thanks to your grace, alone, knowledge has dawned on us. O Śiva, you alone are the creator, sustainer and annihilator, none else. 37, You alone are the initiator and the withdrawer of all powers. You are lord of all, the great soul, the unchanging, the unrivalled. 38. In the form of Yakṣeśvara you have removed our arrogance. With sympathy and kindness we think we have been blessed by you. 39. Then the Yakṣanātha blessed the gods enlightened them with various instructions and vanished there itself. 40. Thus has been described the pleasant incarnation of Śiva called Yakṣeśvara that bestows pleasure, satisfaction and protection of the good. 41. The narrative is sacred; it dispels all arrogance; it bestows peace, worldly pleasure and salvation upon all good men. 42. The intelligent man who listens to or narrates this with devotion attains all desires. Then he attains salvation.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. Now listen to the first ten incarnations of Śiva beginning with that of Mahākāla. They are resorted to with devotion and explained in Upāsanākāṇḍa. 2. The first incarnation is that of Mahākāla, the bestower of worldly pleasures and liberation to the good. Śakti there, is Mahākālī who bestows the desired fruits on the devotees. 3. The second incarnation is called Tāra. Śakti there, is Tārā. Both of them confer worldly pleasures and salvation on their attendants. 4. The lord of worlds called Bāla is glorified as the third incarnation. Śakti there, is Śivā that bestows pleasure on the good. 5. Śrīvidyeśa Ṣoḍaśa is the fourth incarnation and Śrīvidyā, Śivā Ṣoḍaśī is the Śakti. They confer pleasure on the devotees and yield worldly pleasures as well as salvation. 6. The fifth incarnation is famous as Bhairava, who bestows desires on the devotees. Śakti there is Bhairavī who bestows desires on good worshippers. 7. The sixth incarnation of Śiva is glorified as Chinnamastaka who confers desires. Śakti there, is Dhūmāvatī who bestows all desires on the devotees. 8. The seventh incarnation of Śiva is Dhūmavān, the bestower of the fruits of all desires. Śaktit here, is Dhūmāvatī who bestows all desires on the good worshippers. 9. The eighth pleasant incarnation of Śiva is Bagalāmukha. Śakti there, is Bagalāmukhī who is also famous as Mahānandā. 10. The ninth incarnation of Śiva is glorified as Mātaṅga. Śakti there, is Mātaṅgī who bestows the fruits of all desires. 11. The tenth incarnation of Śiva is Kamala, the bestower of fruits of worldly pleasures and salvation. Śakti there, is Kamalā, the protectress of her own devotees. 12. The ten incarnations of Śiva are pleasing as they confer worldly pleasures and salvation. They bestow everything on good devotees. 13. These ten incarnations of Śiva the great soul bestow different kinds of pleasures on those who always resort to them without aberrations. 14. O sage, the glory of the ten incarnations of Śiva has thus been described. It bestows all desires as explained in the Tantraśāstra and other treatises. 15. O sage, the greatness of these Śaktis too is wonderful. It bestows all desires and shall be known as explained in Tantraśāstra and other treatises. 16. The different Śaktis are considered in such activities as destroying enemies etc. They punish the wicked and enhance brahminical splendour. 17. O Brahmin, thus I have explained to you the ten incarnations of Śiva along with his Śakti, beginning with Mahākāla. They are all auspicious. 18. He who reads this sacred narrative during the festivals of Śiva, with great devotion becomes a great favourite of Śiva. 19. A brahmin attains the sacred splendour of Brahman; Kṣatriya becomes victorious; a Vaiśya becomes lord of wealth and a Śūdra attains happiness. 20. The devotees of Śiva maintaining their respective duties and listening to this narrative become especially happy and devoted to Śiva.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. Listen to the eleven excellent incarnations of Śiva on hearing which obstacles due to intimate contact with worldly objects etc. do not torment. 2. Formerly Indra and other gods defeated by the Asuras left their capital Amarāvatī due to fear. 3. The gods harrassed by the Daityas went to Kaśyapa. Highly agitated, they bowed down to him with palms joined and shoulders drooping. 4. After eulogising well, the gods made the submission respectfully. They intimated to him their misery due to that defeat. 5. O dear, on hearing the misery of the gods their father Kaśyapa whose mind was attached to Śiva, was much distressed. 6. O sage, the sage consoled and encouraged them. With his mind regaining calmness he joyously went to Kāśī presided over by lord Viśveśvara. 7. Taking his ceremonial bath in the waters of the Gaṅgā and performing due rites, he worshipped Lord Viśveśvara, lord of the universe, accompanied by Pārvatī. 8. With the desire for the benefit of the gods he joyously installed Śivaliṅga and performed an elaborate penance with Śiva as the object of pursuit. 9. A long time elapsed, O sage, as he boldly performed penance with his mind attached to the lotus-like feet of Śiva 10. In order to grant the boon to that sage whose mind was devoted to his feet, Śiva, kinsman of the distressed and goal of the good, appeared in front of him. 11. The delighted Śiva who is favourably disposed towards his devotees said to Kaśyapa, the best of his devotees, to ask for the boon. 12. On seeing lord Śiva, the delighted Kaśyapa bowed to him with palms joined in reverence. Kaśyapa, the progenitor of the gods, eulogised him with contentment in his mind. 13. O lord Śiva, lord of the gods, favourably disposed towards those who seek refuge in you, you are the lord of all, the great soul, achievable only through meditation, the unequalled and unchanging. 14. O lord Śiva, you are the restrainer of evil forces. You are the goal of the good, kinsman of the distressed, ocean of mercy and intellectually efficient in protecting your devotees. 15. O lord, these gods are your own. They are especially devoted to you. Now they are defeated by the Asuras. Save them from distress. 16. Even Viṣṇu cannot move in this matter. He has frequently pressed you for this job. The gods have sought refuge in me intimating their misfortune. 17. O lord of the chiefs of the gods, O destroyer of the miseries of the godi, it is for this that I have performed this penance and resorted to you. My purpose has now been fulfilled by you since you are pleased. 18. O lord, I have sought refuge in you by all means O lord, please fulfill my desire. Please dispel the misery of the gods. 19. O lord of gods, I too am much distressed at the misfortune of my sons. O lord, make me happy. You are the source of succour to the heaven-dwellers. 20 O lord Śiva, the gods and the Yakṣas, born as my sons, have been defeated by the powerful Asuras. Be the bestower of bliss on the gods. 21. O lord Śiva, do help the gods always lest the harassment by the Asuras should afflict them. 22. On being thus requested, lord, Śiva said “So be it” and?ven as he was watching he vanished there. 23. Kaśyapa too was delighted. Immediately he returned to his abode. He eagerly intimated to the gods all the details. 24. Then, in order to keep his promise Śiva was born of Surabhi assuming eleven forms. 25. There was great jubilation then. Everything became auspicious. The gods and the sage Kaśyapa became delighted. 26-27. These are the eleven Rudras born of Surabhī (1) Kapālin (2) Piṅgala (3) Bhīma (4) Virūpākṣa (5) Vilohita (6) Śāstṛ (7) Ajapād (8) Ahirbudhnya (9) Śiva (10) Caṇḍa and (11) Bhava. They were born for the aid to the gods. They are identical with Śiva and the cause of happiness. 28. Those Rudras, born of Kaśyapa, rendering help to the gods, slew the Daityas in the battle. They were heroes of great strength and exploit. 29. By the grace of those Rudras, the gods conquered the Asuras and were rid of fear. Indra and other gods had peace of mind and ruled over their own kingdom. 30 Even today the great Rudras, identical with Śiva, shine always in the sky for the protection of the gods. 31. Those Rudras favourably disposed towards their devotees took up their residence in the north-eastern city of Īśāna. Experts in different kinds of sports they sport about there always. 32. The Rudras glorified as their followers and retainers are crores in number. They are stationed everywhere in the three worlds, undividedly. 33. O dear, thus the eleven Rudra incarnations of Śiva, pleasing to all the worlds have been described to you. 34. This narrative is pure, it destroys all sins. It is conducive to wealth, fame and longevity. It yields all desires. 35. He who listens to or reads this with pious heart enjoys all pleasures here and attains liberation hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O great sage, now listen lovingly to another story of Śiva, how Śiva was born as Durvāsas for the maintenance of virtue. 2. Atri, son of Brahmā, was a great sage. He was holy and a knower of Brahman. He was the husband of Anasūyā. He was intelligent and he strictly followed the orders of Brahmā. 3. At the direction of Brahmā he went to the mountain Ṛkṣakula accompanied by his wife in order to perform penance there, with the desire to get son. 4. On the banks of the river Nirvindhyā, the sage who had controlled his breath and had freed himself from mutually clashing emotions performed a great penance for a hundred years. 5. He decided in his mind thus—, “let that sole great lord, whoever he is, who is free from aberrations, grant me the boon of a son.” 6. A long time elapsed while he performed the holy penance. A holy flame of fire came out of him. 7. O great sage, the worlds were almost burnt by that flame. Indra and other gods and the celestial sages too were afflicted by it. 8. Then, highly distressed by that flame, O sage, Indra and other gods and the sages hastened to the abode of Brahmā. 9. After bowing to and eulogising Brahmā the gods mentioned to him their grief. O dear, Brahmā immediately went to Viṣṇu ’s region along with the god. 10. O sage, after reaching there along with the gods Brahmā bowed to and eulogised Viṣṇu and mentioned his endless grief to him. 11. Viṣṇu too, accompanied by Brahmā and the gods hastened to Rudra ’s abode. After reaching it he bowed to and eulogised lord Śiva. 12. After eulogising him Viṣṇu mentioned to Śiva his grief caused by the flame due to the penance of Atri. 13. O sage, thus gathering there, together, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva consulted one another about the welfare of the worlds. 14. The three deities Brahmā and others, foremost among the bestowers of boons, went to the hermitage of Atri immediately to grant him the boon. 15. On seeing them marked by their respective characteristic signs, the excellent sage Atri bowed to and eulogised them respectfully by uttering pleasing words. 16. The surprised brahmin, the humble son of Brahmā spoke to those deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, with palms joined in reverence. 17. O Brahmā, O Viṣṇu, O Śiva, you are worthy of being worshipped by the three worlds. You are lords and masters and the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation. 18. Accompanied by my wife, I meditated only on a single lord for obtaining a son, that lord whoever he may be, who is famous as Īśvara. 19. How is it that you three deities, the foremost among the bestowers of boons have come here? Please dispel my doubt and then grant me the desired boon. 20. On hearing his words, the three deities replied “O great sage, what has occurred is in accordance with what you have conceived. 21. We three are great lords and equally leading among the granters of boons. Hence three sons originating from our parts will be born to you. 22. They will be known in the world as enhancers of their parent’s reputation.” After saying this, the three deities returned to their abodes joyously. 23. After securing the boon, the sage joyously returned to his hermitage accompanied by Anasūyā. O sage, he was delighted and he experienced the bliss of the supreme Brahman. 24. Then Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śiva, the delighted exponents of different kinds of sports, took their incarnations as the sons of his wife. 25. The part of Brahmā was born as the moon in Anasūyā from the great sage. Hurled by the gods into the ocean he alone could come out of it. 26. O sage, the part of Viṣṇu was born of that lady, wife of Atri, as Datta by whom the great path of renunciation was expanded. 27. The part of Śiva was born of that wife of Atri as the excellent and leading sage Durvāsas who propagated excellent virtue. 28. Siva by becoming Durvāsas, the enhancer of Brahminical splendour, tested the piety of many people. He was merciful. 29. The king Ambarīṣa, a scion of the solar dynasty, was tested by him. O great sage, listen to that story. 30. The king Ambarīṣa was the lord of the earth consisting of seven continents. He observed the rite of Ekādaśī regularly with steady restraint. 31. The king had the firm resolve that he would perform the rite of breaking fast on the Dvādaśī day. 32. Coming to know of his regular observance the excellent sage Durvāsas, born of Śiva’s part approached him with many disciples. 33. The king was about to take his breakfast realising that very little of Dvādaśī was left on that day when the sage came there. The king invited him for food. 34. Then the sage Durvāsas went away for his ceremonial ablution, accompanied by his disciples In order to test the king, the sage purposely delayed there. 35. Realising that there would be violation of sacred injunction otherwise, the king took in a small quantity of water and waited for the arrival of the sage. 36-37. In the meantime the sage returned. Knowing that the king had already had his breakfast, the sage, born of Śiva’s part, who had assumed that form for the testing of piety, became very furious with the king. He spoke very harsh words for testing his piety. 38. O base king, after inviting but without feeding me you have taken in water. I shall show you the fruit thereof. For I am the chastiser of the wicked. 39-40. After saying this he stood up, his eyes turned red due to fury and attempted to burn him. Immediately, Sudarśana the discus of the lord blazed forth to protect the king anrd burn the sage unmindful of the fact that he was the part of Śiva. It had been deluded by the Māyā of Śiva. 41. In the meantime an unembodied celestial voice spoke to Ambarīṣa, the noble soul, the devotee of Brahmā and Viṣṇu. 42. O king, this discus had been given to Viṣṇu by Śiva. It is now blazing against Durvāsas. Quieten it. 43. This sage Durvāsas is Śiva himself whose discus had been given to Viṣṇu. O excelent king, do not take him for an ordinary sage. 44. It was to test your piety that this great sage came. Seek refuge in him. Otherwise there will be a great destruction. 45. O great sage, after saying thus, the celestial voice stopped. Ambarīṣa too eulogised the sage who was the part of Śiva himself. 46. If I possess the merit of charity and sacrifice, if my spiritual duty has been well performed by me, and if our family considers brahmins godly, let the weapon of Viṣṇu turn calm. 47. If our lord, favourably disposed to his devotees, is delighted with my devotion let this missile Sudarśana become quite calm. 48-49. While be eulogised in front of Durvāsas, the discus Sudarśana that originally belonged to Śiva became calm in all respects. Knowing him to be Śiva’s part, the king Ambarīṣa, who had regained the composure of mind bowed to the sage whom he realised as Śiva’s incarnation come there to test his vow. 50. The sage, born of Śiva’s part, was much delighted. He took his meals and granted him the desired boon. Then he returned to his abode. 51. O sage, I have narrated the story of Durvāsas in the course of his test of Ambarīṣa. O great sage, listen to another story of his. 52. O sage, through the condition stipulated by Kāla in the form of a sage he conducted the test of Rāma, son of Daśaratha. 53. At the very same time Lakṣmaṇa was obstinately sent in by Durvāsas. O sage, Rāma immediately forsook his brother in accordance with the earlier agreement. 54. The story has been diversely narrated and spread in the world by the sages. It is known by all means to the scholars. Hence it is not mentioned in detail by me. 55. Knowing his promise steady and resolute, the sage was highly delighted. The delighted sage Durvāsas granted him the desired boons. 56. He had tested the resoluteness of lord Kṛṣṇa too. O excellent sage, listen to that also. I shall tell you that story also. 57. At the request of Brahmā, Viṣṇu was born as the son of Vasudeva in order to ease the burden of the Earth as well as to protect the good. 58. Lord Kṛṣṇa slew the wicked, the great sinners, those who harassed the brahmins and the knaves. He protected all good men and brahmins. 59. Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, showed great devotion to Brahmins. Everyday he fed many brahmins with many juicy articles. 60. The fame that Kṛṣṇa was especially devoted to the brahmins spread everywhere. O sage, desirous of seeing him, the sage approached Kṛṣṇa. 61. He tied Kṛṣṇa and his consort Rukmiṇī to the chariot and sat himself in the chariot. Kṛṣṇa bore the chariot delightfully. 62. The sage descended the chariot. He was delighted at the steadfastness of Kṛṣṇa and blessed him with the boon that his body would become adamantine. 63. O sage, once the excellent sage Durvāsas was taking bath in the celestial river Gaṅgā when he became naked. He became a curious object of sight and was ashamed. 64. Draupadī who was taking bath there provided him with the cut-piece of her garment and thus saved him from dishonour. 65. As the piece of cloth reached him being carried by the current, the sage covered his private parts with it. He was therefore pleased with her. 66. He granted her the boon of ever increasing folds of cloth. Later, Draupadī made the Pāṇḍavas happy due to that boon. 67. That holy sage gave directive to Viṣṇu and destroyed two wicked kings who had insulted him in the form of two young ones of swans. 68. By his excellent brahminical splendour he established the path of renunciation in the world in accordance with the order and injunctions of the sacred lore. 69. By instructions and enlightenment he uplifted many. By imparting knowledge he made many liberated. 70. Thus the sage Durvasas had a variegated and wonderful life, conducive to wealth, fame and longevity. To the listeners it yields all desires. 71. He who hears or reads the story of Durvāsas with devotion and joy will be happy here and hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O sage, henceforth listen lovingly to the story of Hanūmat, how Śiva performed excellent sports in that form. 2. Out of love, Lord Śiva rendered great help to Rāma. O brahmin, listen to the whole of that story which is pleasing to all. 3. Once lord Śiva of wonderful sports saw Viṣṇu in the form of an enchantress with glittering qualities. 4. As if hit by the arrows of Cupid, Śiva let fall his semen dislodged from its seat, for Rāma’s work. 5. Eagerly urged by him mentally for Rāma’s work, the seven celestial sages retained that semen in a leaf. 6. For Rāma’s work that semen was poured through the ears of Añjanī, the daughter of Gautama, by those sages. 7. In due course Śiva was born of it in the form of a monkey named Hanūmat. He had great strength and exploit. 8. Even as a child the lord of monkeys, Hanūmat was very powerful. Early in the morning he took the disc of the sun for a small fruit and wanted to eat it. 9. At the request of the gods he left it. Knowing him to be an incarnation of Śiva of great power the gods and the sages granted him boons. 10. Highly delighted he approached his mother and eagerly told her everything in detail. 11. At her behest the bold monkey went to the sun every day and learnt all lore from the sun without any strain. 12. The excellent monkey, a part of Śiva approached Sugrīva, a part of the sun, at his behest, after getting the permission of his mother. 13. Sugrīva who had been exiled by his elder brother Bālī who enjoyed his (Sugrīva’s) wife, stayed on the mountain Ṛṣyamūka long with Hanūmat. 14. The intelligent monkey born of a part of Śiva became Sugrīva’s minister and did everything beneficial to him in every respect. 15. He made him enter into a pleasing alliance with Rāma who came there along with his brother and who was sad because his wife had been abducted by Rāvaṇa. 16. Rāma slew the powerful monkey Bālī who was a sinner as he enjoyed his brother’s wife and who professed to He a great hero. 17. Then at the behest of Rāma, O dear, the intelligent and leading monkey Hanūmat went out in search of Sītā along with many monkeys. 18. On knowing that she was in Laṅkā. the leading monkey quickly jumped across the ocean, never before crossed by any and reached Laṅkā. 19. There he performed wonderful exploits and handed over the excellent token of recognition of his lord Rāma to Sītā. 20. Narrating the endeavours of Rāma for the protection of her life, the heroic leader of monkeys dispelled the sorrow of Sītā. 21. Taking a token from her he turned back to go towards Rāma. On the way he broke Rāvaṇa’s park and killed many Rākṣasas. 22. At the same time he killed Rāvaṇa’s son also along with many Rākṣasas. That fearless monkey of great exploits wrought a havoc there. 23-24. O sage, when the powerful Rāvaṇa bound him with oil-dripping cloths and set fire to them, the monkey, a part of Śiva himself, jumped about and making that a pretext burnt the city of Laṅkā. 25. After burning Laṅkā except the mansion of Bibhīṣaṇa, the heroic leader of monkeys jumped into the ocean. 26. Thereby extinguishing the fire from his tail he reached the other shore. Not at all tired or grieved the monkey born of a part of Śiva approached Rāma. 27. The rapid and excellent monkey Hanūmat reached Rāma’s side without delay and handed over the crest-jewel of Sītā. 28. At his behest, the powerful hero, gathered many mountains through the hosts of monkeys and built a bridge in the ocean. 29. At the time when he was about to cross the ocean, Rāma installed a phallic image of Śiva and worshipped it with a desire to be victorious. 30. Securing his boon of victory, he crossed the ocean, surrounded Laṅkā with the monkeys and fought against the Rākṣasas. 31. The heroic Hanūmat slew many Asuras and pro tected Rāma’s army. He enlivened Lakṣmaṇa by the medicinal herb Sañjīvanī when he was wounded by Meghanāda ’s javelin. 32. The lordly son of Śiva made Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa happy in every respect. He protected the entire army. 33. The untiring monkey destroyed Rāvaṇa, his family and his followers. The monkey, the storehouse of great strength made the gods happy. 34. He slew the demon Mahīrāvaṇa and brought Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa from his place to their own after guarding them well. 35. The leading monkey quickly carried out the tasks of Rāma by all means, made the Asuras bow down and submit and performed various sports. 36. Himself a leader of devotees, he made Sītā and Rāma happy. He, the lord of monkeys, established the cult of devotion to Rāma in the world. 37. Indeed he was the Incarnation of Śiva the lord and uplifter of devotees. He was the life-saviour of Lakṣmaṇa and the destroyer of the arrogance of all Daityas. 38. He was the heroic Hanūmat who carried the tasks of Rāma always. In the world he is called Rāma’s messenger. He is favourably disposed to his devotees. He is the slayer of Daityas. 39. Thus O dear, the excellent story of Hanūmat has been narrated to you. It is conducive to wealth, fame and longevity. It yields the fruits of all desires. 40. He who listens to this or narrates this with devotion and purity of mind enjoys all desires here and attains liberation hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O sage, O son of the self-born Brahmā, listen to the great incarnation of lord Śiva, which yields all desires to the hearer. 2. O great sage, once the supreme god Śiva and the great goddess Pārvatī became desirous of indulging in sports. 3. Keeping Bhairava as the watch-man they went inside. Acting like human beings they were lovingly served by many attendants. 4. O sage, indulging in different sports of their choice for a long time, the lordly deities were highly delighted. 5. The independent goddess Pārvatī sportively assumed the form of a mad woman and with the permission of her lord came near to the door in that form itself. 6. Fascinated by her charming form Bhairava glanced at her as at a woman and prevented her from going out. 7. O sage, viewed at very closely by Bhairava, the goddess Pārvatī became furious and cursed him. 8. O base man, since you glanced at me as at a woman, O Bhairava, be born as a human being on the earth. 9. O sage, when Bhairava was thus cursed by her there was a hue and cry. He became very miserable due to the sport of the goddess. 10. O great sage, hastening to that place, Śiva consoled Bhairava. Indeed, the lord is very expert in the various forms of consolation. 11. Due to her curse, and as a result of Śiva’s will, O sage, Bhairava descended to the earth in human birth under the name of Vaitāla. 12. Urged by his friendship lord Śiva also incarnated on the earth along with Śivā. He indulged in good sports and followed worldly conventions. 13. O sage, Śiva was known as Maheśa and Pārvatī as Śāradā. Both of them experts in different sports indulged in fine sports. 14. O dear, thus the story of Maheśa has been narrated to you. It is excellent, conducive to wealth, fame and longevity and yields all desires. 15. He who listens to and narrates this story with devotion and purity of mind enjoys all pleasures here and attains salvation hereafter. Article published on 24 October, 2018

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] Summary: Harassment by Viṣṇu ’s sons and the story of Śiva ’s incarnation of the Bull. 1. O great sage, O intelligent son of Brahmā, listen to the excellent Vṛṣeśa incarnation of Śiva that performed good sports and that destroyed the arrogance of Viṣṇu. 2. Formerly all the gods and Asuras, distressed by the fear of old age and death made alliance with each other and became desirous of taking gems from the ocean. 3. O son of the sage, then the gods and the Asuras attempted to churn the excellent milky ocean. 4. “With what shall the churning be carried out lor the attainment of our object?” thus the gods and the Asuras were quite dismayed. 5. Then a celestial voice with the rumbling sound of clouds spoke to the gods and the daityas as a result of Śiva’s wish and consoled them. 6. O gods, O Asuras, churn the milk-ocean. Undoubtedly a factual test of your strength will take place. 7. Make Mandara your churning rod and Vāsuki your churning rope. Unitedly you carry on the churning with firm devotion. 8. O excellent sage, on hearing the celestial voice the gods and the Asuras exerted themselves in carrying out the plan. 9. Allying together they went straight to the excellent mountain Mandara of golden splendour and of diverse lustre. 10. After propitiating Śiva and after obtaining his consent they tried to uproot the Mandara in their desire to take it to the milk-ocean. 11. O sage, uprooting and lifting it by means of their arms they went to the milk-ocean. Their strength Tailing they became incapable of taking it up to the sea. 12. Slipping from their arms the Mandara became very heavy suddenly and fell over the gods and the Asuras. 13. Failing in their effort the gods and the Asuras broke down. After regaining consciousness they eulogised the lord of the universe. 14. At his wish in their next attempt they lifted up the mountain. They took it to the northern shore of the ocean and hurled it into the waters. 15. Then both the gods and the Asuras made Vāsuki the churning rope. Desirous of taking the excellent articles they churned the milk-ocean. 16. When the milk-ocean was churned the goddess of heaven sprang up from the ocean as the daughter of Bhṛgu who later became Viṣṇu’s beloved. 17-18. There also emerged— Dhanvantari, the moon, the Pārijāta tree, the horse Uccaiśśravas, the elephant Airāvata, wine, the bow of Viṣṇu, the conch, the cow Kāmadhenu, the jewel Kaustubha and the nectar. 19. When it was churned again, the great poison Kālakūṭa blazing like the fire at the dissolution of the Yugas and terrifying the gods and the Asuras, came out. 20. From the sprays and drops that sprang up at the outcome of nectar, many damsels of wonderful beauty were born. 21. Their faces resembled the full moon in the Autumn; their lustre was as glittering and dazzling as fire, lightning or the sun and they were bedecked in divine jewels, necklaces, bracelets and bangles. 22. Sprinkling the ten quarters by the water of nectarine beauty they seemed to madden the world by their beauteous glances. 23. They emerged in crores from the nectar sprays. Then the nectar that wards off old age and death came out. 24. Viṣṇu kept for himself Lakṣmī, the conch, Kaustubha and the sword; the Sun chose the divine horse Uccaiśśravas for himself. 25. With great eagerness the husband of Śacī, the lord of the gods, took Pārijāta the excellent tree and Airāvata the lordly elephant. 26. For the protection of the gods, Śiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees, voluntarily retained the Kālakūṭa in his neck and held the moon on his forehead. 27. O Vyāsa, deluded by the illusion of Śiva, the Daityas accepted Surā (wine) and the common people took Dhanvantari (the physician). 28. The great sages took the cow Kāmadhenu. The damsels, the enchantresses became common to all. 29. A great battle for the possession of Amṛta ensued between the gods and the Asuras who desired to conquer each other and who were agitated in their minds. 30. The Amṛta was forcibly taken by the Daityas Bali and others, O Vyāsa, of fine lustre resembling that of the fire and the sun at the dissolution of the Yugas. They defeated the gods. 31. Indra and other gods, O dear, overwhelmed by Śiva’s illusion and harassed by the Daityas sought refuge in Śiva. 32. O sage, then the Amṛta was strenuously snatched away from the Daityas by Viṣṇu at the behest of Śiva, after assuming the form of a woman. 33. Viṣṇu, the most excellent of those who wield Māyā assuming the form of a woman Mohinī deluded the Asuras and made the gods drink it. 34. The leading Daityas approached her and said—“Make us drink this nectar. Let there be no break in the lines.” 35. All those Daityas and Dānavas deluded by Śiva’s Māyā said thus and gave the nectar to Viṣṇu in disguise. 36. In the meantime on seeing the damsels born of Amṛta, the leading Dānavas took them to their abodes according to their convenience. 37. The cities built by the architect Maya for those women were divine, hundred times more beautiful than heaven. They were well fortified by terrible machines. 38. The daityas made those cities well guarded and set off for fighting after taking this pledge touching their chests. 39. “We will never touch these women if we were to be defeated by the gods.” After saying this, the heroic Daityas became eager to fight. 40. They roared like lions. Severally they blew their conches as if filling the sky and propitiating the clouds. 41. A terrible fight ensued between the gods and the Asuras. The unrivalled battle between the gods and Asuras is famous in the three worlds. 42. Protected by Viṣṇu, the gods gained victory. The Daityas fled and those who remained were killed by Viṣṇu and his associate gods. 43. The Daityas were deluded by the gods and Viṣṇu the great soul. Those that survived entered the nether regions. 44. The powerful Viṣṇu armed with his discus chased them even after they had gone to the ultimate end of Pātāla excessively frightened. 45. In the meantime Viṣṇu saw those damsels born of nectar sprays who were haughty due to their divine beauty and whose faces resembled the full moon. 46. Fascinated by the Cupid’s arrows Viṣṇu attained highest pleasure only there. He began to indulge in sexual dalliance with those women of exquisite beauty. 47. Viṣṇu begot of them sons of great exploits and valour, experts in various kinds of warfare, shaking the entire earth. 48. Those sons of Viṣṇu of great strength and valour wrought great havoc both in heaven and earth causing misery to all. 49. On seeing the great harm done to the worlds the gods and the sages approached Brahmā and informed him of this after bowing to him. 50. On hearing it Brahmā took them to the mountain Kailāsa. On seeing Śiva there he bowed to him again and again along with the gods. 51. Saying “O lord Śiva, be victorious, O Lord of all”, he eulogised him with various hymns with palms joined in reverence and shoulders drooping down. 52. O great God, O lord of the gods, save the worlds harassed by the passionate sons of Viṣṇu stationed in nether regions. 53. O lord, Viṣṇu is now enamoured of the damsels born of the nectar sprays. He is in nether regions indulging in passionate sexual dalliance with them. 54. For the protection of the worlds and for the redemption of Viṣṇu, Śiva was eulogised thus by Brahmā, the gods and the sages. 55. Then lord Śiva, the ocean of mercy, realising the havoc caused by the sons of Viṣṇu assumed the form of a bull.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. Then bellowing in the form of a Bull ( Vṛṣabha ), the Pināka -bearing lord entered the crevice and shouted terribly. 2. At his bellowing sound, cities and towns crumbled down and all the citizens trembled. 3. Then the bull attacked Viṣṇu ’s sons wielding their bows for fighting, deluded by Śiva ’s Māyā and proud of their great strength and exploit. 4. O excellent sage, the sons of Viṣṇu became furious. Those heroes roared loudly and rushed against Siva. 5. Rudra in that form of a bull (Vṛṣabha) was furious at those sons of Viṣṇu who rushed at him. He kicked them with his hoofs and tore them with his horns. 6. When their limbs were split by Rudra, they swooned and lost their lives. They were immediately destroyed. 7. When they were killed Viṣṇu the foremost of the strong came out shouting loudly and hastened towards Śiva. 8. On seeing Śiva in the form of the bull going along after killing his sons, Viṣṇu hit him with divine arrows and missiles. 9. Then the infuriated Śiva, the highly powerful one in the form of a bull stood like a mountain and caught hold of all those missiles of Viṣṇu. 10. O sage, shouting furiously, lord Śiva in the form of a bull shook the three worlds terribly. 11. The lord leaped up suddenly and kicked the infuriated Viṣṇu who was deluded and could not realise him. The lord then tore him with his horns. 12. Unable to bear the onslaught, Viṣṇu deluded by Māyā was exhausted and utterly shattered. 13. When his pride fell off, Viṣṇu was dejected, and dispirited. He then realised that Śiva was sporting about in the form of a bull. 14. Then on realising that Śiva himself had come in the form of a Bull, Viṣṇu spoke in a shrill voice with drooping shoulders and palms joined in reverence. 15. O lord of the gods, O ocean of mercy, O lord Śiva, I had been deluded by your Māyā and my mind had been confused. 16. O lord, I fought with you, Śiva. Taking pity on me, O lord, let this offence be excused. 17. O sage, on hearing those piteous words of Viṣṇu, lord Śiva favourably disposed to his devotees spoke to Viṣṇu. 18. O Viṣṇu, O intelligent one, how is it that you did not know me? Why did you fight? Your intellect has completely been depraved. 19. Why don’t you realise yourself as one whose exploit is dependent on me. You should not have indulged in sexual dalliance there. You should have refrained from all misdeeds. 20. Why should your intellect be subservient to lust? That you should indulge in dalliance with women does not behove you, O lord of gods. Remember the task of uplifting the universe. 21. On hearing those words of Śiva that imparted knowledge Viṣṇu was ashamed of himself and then he spoke to lord Śiva respectfully. 22. My discus is here. I shall take the discus and return to my region abiding by your order with reverence. 23. On hearing the words of Viṣṇu, lord Śiva the protector of virtue in the guise of a bull, replied to Viṣṇu again. 24. You shall go away quickly from this place. You shall not delay, O Viṣṇu, this is my behest. Let your discus stay in this world itself. 25. I shall give you a discus more terrible than the sun at the time of dissolution and more efficacious than the words of Śiva. 26. After saying this Śiva created another blazing discus, as lustrous as the Kāla fire, for the destruction of the wicked. 27. He gave the discus, as lustruous as ten thousand fierce suns, to Viṣṇu, the great Ātman, the protector of the gods and the leading sages. 28. After securing another Sudarśana discus of more brilliance, Viṣṇu the foremost of intelligent gods spoke to the gods. 29. “O ye gods, you listen to my statement eagerly. You must act accordingly and immediately. It will be to your advantage. 30. There are many youthful maidens in the nether regions exquisitely dressed. Any one of you can go and indulge in sexual dalliance with them,” 31. On hearing these words of Viṣṇu the valorous gods became desirous of entering the nether regions along with Viṣṇu. 32. Knowing their intention then, lord Śiva angrily cursed all the eight types of the gods. 33. “Excepting a quiescent sage and the Dānavas born of my parts whoever enters this place shall die in a trice.” 34. After hearing these terrible words which are conducive to the increase of the benefit of human beings, the gods thus restrained by Rudra returned to their own abodes. 35. Thus Viṣṇu who was excessively indulgent in women was chastised by Śiva. O Vyāsa, he returned to heaven. The world attained normalcy. 36. Lord Śiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees, returned to his mountain after carrying out the task of the gods in the guise of a bull. 37. Thus the bull incarnation of Śiva that dispelled Viṣṇu’s delusion and caused happiness to the three worlds, has been narrated. 38. This narrative is sacred. It dispels the harassment from enemies. It is conducive to the attainment of heaven, fame and longevity. It confers worldly pleasures and salvation to the good. 39. He who listens to this with devotion and narrates this with purity enjoys all pleasures here and attains salvation hereafter. So also is the case with him who reads or teaches this to intelligent men.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O intelligent one, listen with very great pleasure to the Pippalāda incarnation of Śiva that is excellent and that inspires devotion. 2. Formerly there was a great brahmin and an excellent sage Dadhīci. He was born of Cyavana of Bhṛgu family. He was a great devotee of Śiva and very powerful. 3. In the fight with Kṣuva, Viṣṇu and other gods were defeated by this sage who had the support of Śiva and they were cursed. 4. He had a fortunate wife Suvarcā, who was very noble and chaste. The gods were cursed by her. 5. The great lord, an expert in different kinds of sports and extremely brilliant was born of her in the name of Pippalāda. 6. On hearing these wonderful words of Nandīśvara, the excellent sage Sanatkumāra spoke with palms joined in reverence and shoulders drooping down. 7. O Nandīśvara, O intelligent one, you are blessed in that you have assumed the form of Rudra himself. O dear, you are my excellent preceptor. This wonderful story has been narrated by you. 8. O son of Śilāda, from my father Brahmā, the account of the battle with Kṣuva and the defeat of Viṣṇu has already been heard by me. So also the curse has been heard by me. 9. Now, I was to hear about the curse that Suvarcā pronounced on the gods. Afterwards, I wish to hear the auspicious story of Pippalāda. 10. On hearing these auspicious words of the son of Brahmā the delighted son of Śilāda remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and replied. 11. O great sage, once Indra and other gods were defeated by the Daityas who had the support of the demon Vṛtra. 12. All the gods had formerly kept their respective weapons in the hermitage of Dadhīca. Hence they were immediately defeated. 13. Then the harassed gods and the sages along with Indra immediately went to Brahmā’s region and narrated their distress to him. 14. On hearing the words of the gods Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, mentioned the details of what Tvaṣṭṛ was desirous of doing. 16. This Asura has been created by Tvaṣṭṛ by means of his penance in order to kill you. The name of that Asura is Vṛtra. He is of great brilliance and the leader of all Daityas. 16. You shall make such efforts as would ensure his death. O intelligent one, listen to the means thereof. For the sake of virtue I shall tell you the same. 17. There is a great sage Dadhīci of great penance and of full control of his sense-organs. After propitiating Śiva he secured the boon of adamantine bones formerly. 18. You all request for his bones. He will undoubtedly give them to you. Make the thunderbolt staff therewith and kill Vṛtra without hesitation. 19. On hearing the words of Brahmā, Indra accompanied by his preceptor and other gods went immediately to the excellent hermitage of Dadhīci. 20. There Indra saw the sage in the company of Suvarcā. Along with the preceptor and other gods he humbly and respectfully bowed to him with palms joined in reverence. 21. On realising his intention the sage, the most excellent of scholars sent his wife Suvarcā to the inner apartments of the hermitage. 22. Then the king of gods, accompanied by the gods bent upon achieving his own object, and most efficient in polity spoke to the great sage. 23. All of us, the gods and the sages are oppressed by Tvaṣṭṛ. We seek refuge in you, worthy of refuge, a great devotee of Śiva and a liberal donor. 24. O brahmin, give us your bones of adamantine strength. I shall make my thunderbolt with your love and kill the demon. 25. Thus requested, the sage fond of helping others meditated on lord Śiva and abandoned his body. 26. Immediately he reached Brahma ’s region with his bondage of actions quashed. There was a shower of flowers and the people were agreeably surprised. 27. Indra then called the divine cow Surabhi to lick up the marrow etc. He directed Viśvakarman to make the weapon with the bones. 28. At his behest Viśvakarman made all the weapons with the sage’s bones—very firm and adamantine—that had the brilliance of Śiva. 29. With his backbone he made the thunderbolt, arrow and the missile called Brahmaśiras. With the other bones he made many other weapons. 30. O sage, flourishing with Śiva’s brilliance, the infuriated Indra lifted the thunderbolt and rushed against Vṛtra like Rudra rushing against the god of death. 31. Indra who was well prepared, cut off the peaklike head of Vṛtra with the thunderbolt forcefully. 32. There was great jubilation among the heaven-dwellers. O dear, the gods eulogised Indra. Showers of flowers fell on him. 33. O dear, thus this story of Vṛtra’s slaughter is related to you as arising from the context. Now listen respectfully to the incarnation of Śiva as Pippalāda. 34. At the behest of her lord Suvarcā the chaste wife of the sage Dadhīci, the noble soul went to the inner apartments of the hermitage. 35. At the behest of her husband she finished her household duties and came there. The pitiable lady could not see her lord there. 36. After coming there and seeing the most inauspicious occurrence there, O excellent sage, the surprised Suvarcā spoke to the gods. 37. The chaste lady, on realising that all this was the action of the gods, became angry. The infuriated wife of the excellent sage, Suvarcā, cursed them. 38. “Ah! the gods are very wicked. They are covetous, stupid but very skifīil in manipulating their own affairs. Let them all, inclusive of Indra, become beasts from today.” 39. Suvarcā, a woman saint and the beloved wife of the sage cursed the gods inclusive of Indra thus. 40. That chaste lady desired to go to the worlds of her husband. With the sacred twigs, the noble lady prepared the funeral pyre. 41. Then a pleasant celestial voice urged by Śiva spoke to Suvarcā, consoling her. 42. O intelligent lady, do not carry out this calamitous task. Listen to my weighty words. The semen of the sage is in your womb. Develop it carefully. 43. O gentle lady, later on, you may do as you please. It is the command of Brahmā that a pregnant woman should not bum herself. 44. O great sage, after saying this the celestial voice stopped. On hearing that voice the wife of the sage was surprised for a moment. 45. That great chaste lady, Suvarcā, desirous of attaining the world of her husband sat down and broke open her belly with a stone. 46. The foetus of the child of the great sage! of brilliant divine body, came out of her belly illuminating all the ten quarters. 47. O dear, it was the incarnation of Rudra himself born of the sage Dadhīci. He was competent to perform his divine sports. He therefore manifested himself. 48-49. On seeing her son of divine form, the beloved wife of the sage Suvarcā realised in hef mind that it was the incarnation of Rudra himself. The great chaste lady became delighted, bowed to him and eulogised him. O great sage, that form of the child was impressed on her heart. 50. Suvarcā of pure vision, the mother, desirous of going to her husband’s region, smilingly and lovingly spoke to her son. 51. O dear, O lord Śiva, O fortunate one, stay near this holy fig tree for a long time. Be the bestower of happiness to all. 52. Out of affection allow me to go to the region of my husband. Staying there along with my husband I shall meditate on you in the form of Rudra. 53. After speaking thus to her son that chaste lady Suvarcā followed her husband by means of the great transcendental meditation. 54. O sage, thus the wife of Dadhīci was re-united with her husband. After reaching Śiva’s region she served Śiva devotedly. 55. In the meantime the delighted gods inclusive of Indra, hurriedly came there along with Ac sages as though invited there. 56. Viṣṇu and Brahmā too, accompanied by their attendants came over there to see Śiva who had taken incarnation in the world through Suvarcā and Dadhīci. 57. On seeing him there, incarnated as the sage’s son, they bowed to him with palms joined in reverence and made obeisances. 58. O excellent sage, there was great jubilation among the gods. The Dundubhis were sounded and dancing girls danced joyously. 59. The sons of Gandharvas sang. Kinnaras and other players played on instruments. The gods showered flowers. 60. After consecrating the refulgent child and the fig tree who became the father of Rudra, Viṣṇu and other gods eulogised him again. 61. The delighted Brahmā named him Pippalāda. Viṣṇu and the gods said “O lord of the gods be pleased”. 62. After saying this and making great jubilation, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and the gods went to their respective abodes. 63. Then Rudra, the great lord in the form of Pippalāda, performed a penance for a long time at the foot of the fig tree, with a desire to bestow benefit on the worlds. 64. As Pippalāda, following the convention of the world, performed the penance, a long time passed by. Article published on 25 October, 2018

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. After arranging and establishing Dharma with a desire for its good foundation, lord Śiva performed great sports. O good sage, listen to that. 2. Once while going to the river Puṣpabhadrā for his ablution, the great sage saw the beautiful youthful maiden Padmā, a part of Śivā herself. 3. Desirous of getting her, the sage traversing the world and an expert in following the established conventions went to the abode of king Anaraṇya, her father. 4. On seeing him, the awe-struck king of men bowed to him. Offering him Madhuparka he worshipped him devotedly. 5. The sage accepted everything with regard and requested for the hand of his daughter. Thereupon the king was unable to say anything. He was silent. 6. The sage repeated the request, saying “Give me your daughter devoutly. Otherwise I will reduce everything to ashes along with you.” 7. O great sage, then all the people of the king were enveloped by the brilliance of Pippalāda, son of Dadhīci. 8. Then the king was much frightened and he lamented again and again. He gave his daughter Padmā, fully bedecked in ornaments to the old sage. 9. After marrying Padmā, the daughter of the king and a part of Śivā, the sage Pippalāda joyously took her to his hermitage. 10. After going to the hermitage the aged excellent sage stayed there with that woman. The sage was not too indulgent. 11. Then the daughter of Anaraṇya served the sage with devotion, in mind, word and deed, like Lakṣmī serving Viṣṇu. 12. Then the excellent sage Pippalāda, a part of Śiva, became a young man by means of his divine sport and sported with that young lady. 13. Ten noble sons, all of them great sons, were born to the sage. They were equal to their father and increased the pleasure of Padmā. 14. This is the sportive incarnation of Śiva the great lord. The excellent sage Pippalāda was the lord indulgent in different kinds of divine sports. 15. On seeing the harassment by the planet Saturn of every one irremediably, the sympathetic lord lovingly granted a boon to all the world. 16. “For sixteen years from birth no man will have that affliction. Similarly to the devotees of Śiva too. This word of mine is true. 17. If Saturn were to disregard my instruction and harass men, he will undoubtedly be reduced to ashes.” 18. O dear, thus, afraid of him the excellent planet Saturn, though in aberration, does not afflict men at anytime. 19. Thus I have narrated to you the good story of the great sage Pippalāda who bad assumed the form of a human being in the course of his divine sports. The story yields the fruit of all desires. 20. These three— Gādhi, Kauśika and the great sage Pippalāda quell the affliction of Śani on being remembered. 21-22. For the dissolution of the affliction of Saturn, the man who reads or listens devoutly to the story of Pippalāda along with that of Padmā attains all desires in this world. 23. Blessed indeed is the great sage, who was wise and a great devotee of Śiva. He was a favourite of good men. Lord Śiva named Pippalāda was his noble son. 24. This pious narrative is conducive to the attainment of heaven. It quells the adverse effects of the evil planets. O dear, it yields all desires and enhances devotion to Śiva.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O dear sage, listen to me. I shall tell you about Vaiśyanātha, the incarnation of Śiva, the supreme soul that yields great bliss. 2. Formerly, in Nandigrāma there was a prostitute known as Mahānandā. She was very beautiful and a devotee of Śiva. 3. She was very prosperous, rich and brilliant. She was bedecked in gems of different kinds. She was voluptuous in love. 4. She was an adept in all lores of music. She was delightful to all. Queens and kings were delighted by her songs. 5. She always wonhipped Śiva and Pārvatī with great joy. She was interested in recounting the names of Śiva. She used to wear ashes and Rudrākṣa. 6. After worshipping Śiva, the lord of the universe she used to dance with great devotion and sing the great glory of Śiva. 7. She kept a monkey and a cock which she decorated with Rudrākṣas. She made them dance singing herself and clapping her hands. 8. On seeing them dance, she, engrossed in devotion to Śiva, used to laugh lovingly along with her friends and attendants. 9. The monkey, as a result of her instruction, danced before her, like a boy bedecked in Rudrākṣas as ear-rings, and shoulderlets. 10. The cock too was bedecked in Rudrākṣa tied round its tuft. It too danced along with the monkey delighting the onlookers. 11. Thus that prostitute indulging in these delightful pranks and pursuing devotional service to Śiva was very happy always. 12. O excellent sage, a long time thus elapsed when she was quite happy performing her devotional service to Śiva. 13. Once Śiva assumed the form of a merchant and visited her house to test her. He had assumed the auspicious form of a devotee. 14. His forehead was marked with Tripuṇḍra. He wore Rudrākṣa as ornaments. He was interested in recounting the names of Śiva. He was clad as a devotee of Śiva. He wore matted locks of hair. 15. He had smeared ashes all over his body. Round his wrist was tied an excellent bangle set with gems. 16. The beautiful prostitute worshipped and welcomed the visitor with great joy. She made him sit with great respect. 17. On seeing the excellent bangle round his wrist she coveted the same. In great surprise she said. 18. This bangle set with great gems around your arm captivates my mind. It is worthy of being an ornament of a celestial damsel. 19. On seeing that she wished for the bangle set with nine gems, the liberal-minded merchant spoke smilingly. 20. If your mind wishes for this excellent gemset ornament you can have it with pleasure. But what is the price you are willing to pay? 21. We are prostitutes flirting here and there and not chaste ladies. Undoubtedly the regular practice observed in our family is harlotry. 22. If I take the bangle from you I shall be your wife for three full days and nights. 23. O beloved harlot, if your words are true, let it be as you say. I shall give you the gemset bangle. Be my wife for three days and nights. 24. In this deal the witnesses are the moon and the sun. Repeat three times “True” and touch my heart, O beloved. 35. O lord, I shall be your wife for three days and carry out all wifely duties. This is true. This is undoubtedly true. 26. After repeating this for three times, with the moon and the sun as witnesses, Mahānandā touched his heart with pleasure. 27. After giving her the gemset bangle that merchant handed to her a gemset phallic image and spoke thus. 28. O my beloved, this gemset phallic image is very dear to me. It shall be well-preserved strenuously and in secret by you. 29. She said “Let it be so” and took the gemset phallic image. She kept it in the middle of the dancing platform and entered the house. 30. During the night she had her sexual union with the merchant who behaved like a libertine. She then went to sleep on the couch brilliant with a soft bed. 31. O sage, then at midnight, at the will of the lordly merchant, suddenly there arose a fire in the middle of the dancing platform. 32. The blazing fire helped by a forceful wind enveloped the dancing platform all of a sudden. 33. When the platform was burning the prostitute got up suddenly in her bewilderment and let the monkey free untying it. 34. Freed from the bondage the monkey in its fear ran here and there along with the cock and scattered sparks of fire. 35. On seeing the phallic image burnt along with the pillar and smashed utterly, the prostitute and the merchant felt endless distress. 36. On seeing the phallic image as it were his very soul burnt, the lordly merchant desired to end his life in order to know her mentality. 37. In great despair and sorrow the merchant told her in grief. Lord Śiva who had assumed a human body just for pleasure indulged in different sports. 38. “O my beloved, when the phallic image is smashed and burnt I do not desire to live. I am telling you the truth. There is no doubt in this. 39. O gentle lady, prepare a pyre for me immediately through your servants. With my mind fixed in Śiva, I shall enter the fire. 40. Even if Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu and others were to prevent me, O gentle lady, I shall enter the fire this moment and shall forsake my life. 41. On realising his tenacious decision the harlot was much distressed. Outside her house she caused the pyre to be made through her servants. 42. Then the merchant who was only Śiva himself went round the blazing fire. Desirous of knowing her intentions he entered the fire firmly. 43. O excellent sage, on seeing him enter the pyre, the harlot was dismayed. The youthful maiden sympathised with him. 44. The miserable harlot remembered the sacred vow and said piteously glancing at all her kinsmen. 45. Taking the gemset bangle I had taken the pledge that I shall be the avowed wife of this merchant for three days. 46 This merchant, the avowed Śaivite, died of my activities. Hence I shall enter fire along with him. 47. Truthfiil preceptors have ordained that a wife shall observe her duty. If I do likewise my truthfulness will not be marred. 48. Abiding by truth is a great virtue. Great goal can be attained through truth. Heaven and liberation can be achieved through truth. Everything is founded on truth. 49. Although prevented by her kinsmen the harlot was obstinate in her resolve. The woman eager in the attainment of Satyaloka decided on giving up her life. 50. She gifted away her property to leading brahmins. She meditated on Sadāśiva. She circumambulated the fire thrice and stood ready to enter it. 51. As she was going to jump in the fire with her mind fixed in his feet, Śiva, the soul of the universe, appeared in front and stopped her. 52. On seeing the three-eyed lord of the gods, decorated by the moon’s digit, and as brilliant as crores of moons, suns and fires she stood as If stunned and frightened. 53. The lord caught hold of the hands of the frightened and agitated lady, stunned, trembling and shedding (ears. He consoled her and spoke. 54. It is to test your truthfulness, piety, courage and steady devotion to me that I came near you assuming the form of a merchant. 55. With my magic I produced the blazing fire and burnt your dancing platform. After burning the gemset phallic image I entered fire myself. 56. But you remembered the promise and entered the fire along with me. Hence I shall give you such pleasures as are inaccessible to gods. 57. O beautiful lady of good hips, whatever you wish I shall give you. I am delighted by your devotion. There is nothing which cannot be given to you. 58. When Śiva, lord of Pārvatī, favourably disposed to his devotees said thus, the harlot Mahānandā replied to Śiva. 59. I have no desire for enjoyment on the earth, in the heaven or in the nether worlds. I do not desire anything except the touch of your lotus-like feet. 60. My servants, my maids and my kinsmen are interested in seeing you. They have dedicated everything to you. 61. Take them all along with me to your great region and quash the terrible fear of rebirth. Obeisance be to you. 62. Appreciating her words, the great Śiva took all of them to his great region. 63. Thus I have described to you the great incarnation of Vaiśyanātha. It was pleasing to Mahānandā. It yields great bliss to devotees. 64. This narrative is great holy and divine. It grants desires to good men immediately. This story of the incarnation of Śiva as the lordly merchant is the source of great happiness. It is wonderful. 65. He who listens to this story with devotion and narrates it with purity never swerves from his duties. He attains salvation hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] Note: This Chapter has a close resemblance with the second canto of Kālidāsa ’s Raghuvaṃśa. 1. O dear, listen, I shall expound to you the incarnation of Śiva the great soul as Dvijeśvara (a leading Brahmin) along with Śiva. It is pleasing to the good. 2-3. O dear, I have already described to you the excellent king Bhadrāyu whom Śiva blessed in the form of a bull. In order to test his steadfastness and piety the lord manifested himself again in the form of a leading brahmin. I shall mention that same story. 4. Conquering the enemies through the power of Ṛṣabha in battle, Bhadrāyu attained the throne, O dear. 5. O brahmin, the chaste lady Kīrtimālinī, daughter of Candrāṅgada and Sīmantinī, became his wife. 6. O sage, once after the advent of spring, the king Bhadrāyu entered a thick forest along with his beloved queen, for sport. 7. In that beautiful forest, the king sported about along with his beloved who protected those who sought refuge in her. 8. Then, in order to test his steadfastness and piety, lord Śiva carried out his sports there itself along with Śivā. 9. Śiva and Śivā in their own divine sports assumed the form of a brahmin couple and created an illusory tiger with their Māyā. 10. Not far from the place where the king stood, they began running in great fright on being pursued by the tiger. They cried and shouted too. 11. O dear, the king Bhadrāyu, the leading Kṣatriya worthy of being sought refuge in, saw both of them highly distressed and lamenting. 12. O leading sage, the illusory brahmin couple, extremely terrified, spoke to the king Bhadrāyu. 13. O great king, O foremost of the knowers of virtue save us both. O great lord, this tiger is rushing on in order to devour us. 14. This beast of prey is like the god of death. It is terrifying to all living beings. Knower of virtue that you are save us before it pounces on us and devours us. 15-16. After hearing the lamentation of the pair, the great king of great heroism immediately took up his bow, but the rushing tiger of Māyic origin, seized the brahmin’s wife. 17. The terrible tiger grasped the woman even as she was lamenting—“O lord, O husband, O Śiva, O, preceptor of the universe.” 18. The king struck the tiger with sharp arrows; but it was not at all affected by them. It stood like a lofty mountain, which is not affected by showers. 19. The powerful tiger, not at all pained by the missiles of the king, seized the woman forcibly and ran away in a hurry. 20. On seeing his wife seized by the tiger, the brahmin was much bewildered and following the way of the world cried again and again. 21. After crying for some time that brahmin who was lord Himself wielding his Māyā, spoke to the king Bhadrāyu dispelling his arrogance. 22. O king, where are your great weapons? Where is your great bow that professes to protect? Where is your strength of ten or twelve thousand great elephants? 23. Of what avail is your sword? Your conch? Of what avail is your learning in the lores of mantras and missiles? Of what avail is your might? Of what avail is the strength of your great missiles? 24. All these have become futile, for you are incompetent to meet the onslaught of wild animals. 25. The greatest duty of a Kṣatriya is the protection from injury. When that virtue hereditarily practised in your family is lost, of what avail is your life? 26. Kings protect the distressed people who seek refìige in them with their very lives and assets. They are the knowers of virtue. Without that they are like a dead body. 27. Better death than life that does not protect the distressed. A mendicant is better than a rich householder who does not possess charitable nature. 28. Better to swallow poison or enter fire than cease to protect the oppressed, the helpless and the poor. 29. On hearing his lamentation and the decrial of his prowess, the king thought within himself thus— 30. “Alas, my manliness is lost today due to the adverse fate. Today my fame has been quashed. Great sin has been acquired. 31. The hereditary virtue has been smothered. I am unfortunate and confused in mind. Certainly my riches, my kingdom, my longevity will dwindle. 32. By surrendering my own life,, lovable though it is, I shall make this brahmin free from grief, this brahmin whose wife has been seized by the tiger and who is pained extremely.” 33. Having decided thus in his mind that excellent king Bhadrāyu fell at his feet and spoke to him in conciliatory tone. 34. O Brahmin, I am a base Kṣatriya bereft of strength. You take pity on me. O intelligent one, do not grieve. I shall give you what you desire. 35. This kingdom, this queen, this body of mine, everything is subservient to you. What is the greatest thing that you desire? 36. What can a blind man do with a mirror? Of what avail is a house to him who lives on alms? What can a fool do with a book? Of what avail is wealth to him who is bereft of his wife? 37. Hence I who am not satiated with the enjoyment of pleasures but I whose wife is snatched away desire your crowned queen. Let her be given to me. 38. I can give all my assets to the extent of the earth, my kingdom, horses and elephants aiíd even my body to anyone but never can I give away my wife. 39 The sin that accrues by indulging in sexual intercourse with another man’s wife cannot be wiped off even by hundreds of expiatory rites. 40. Let it be the terrible sin of the slaughter of a brahmin; let it be the sin of sipping wine, I shall quell it with my power of penance. What then the sin of enjoying another man’s wife? 41. Hence give me your wife. I have no other desire. Certainly you will go to hell by your inability to protect the oppressed. 42. At the words or the brahmin, the frightened king thought to himself, “It is a aw to withhold protection. It Is proper under the circumstance to give away my wife.” 43. Hence I shall give my wife to this deserving brahmin and escape sin. Immediately thereafter I shall enter fire. My fame then shall be known.” 44. After deciding mentally like this, he kindled a blazing fire. He called the brahmin and gifted away his wife with water. 45. He took the ceremonial bath and became pure. He bowed to gods went round the fire thrice and meditated on Śiva with pure mind. 46. He was just to fall into the fire with his mind fixed at the feet of Śiva, the lord of the universe when Dvijeśvara revealed himself and stayed him. 47-49. The king saw in front of him the five-faced, the three-eyed lord with the Pināka in his hand, bedecked by the digit of the moon, with hanging matted hair shedding tawny lustre, having the brilliance of a crore of midday blazing suns, white as the lotus stalk fibre, wearing the hide of the elephant, with his head drenched by the waves of Gaṅgā, having the necklaces of great serpents, bedecked in coronet, waistband, shoulderlet and shining bangles, holding in his hands, the trident, the sword, the missile Khaṭvāṅga, the dagger, the shield, the deer, the mystic sign of protection, the eight articles of worship and the Pināka, seated on his bull and blue-necked. 50. Then from the sky divine showers of flowers fell. The divine instruments were played. The celestial damsels sang and danced. 51. Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Indra and other gods excluding Nārada and other sages too came there eulogising. 52. While the king was watching with palms joined in humility and devotion, there was great jubilation that enhanced devotional feelings. 53. The vision of the lord increased his pleasure. The incessant tear-drops smeared his body. He had horripilation and choked throat. With palms joined in reverence, he eulogised the lord. 54. The supreme lord, the storehouse of mercy and his consort Pārvatī were very much delighted. The lord then spoke to him thus. 55. “O king, I am satisfied with your devotion more than your piety. Mention the boon that you as well as your wife wish to choose. I shall undoubtedly give it to you. 56. It was to test your feeling? and emotions that I assumed the form of a brahmin and approached you. She who was seized by the tiger is the goddess Śivā herself. 57. It was an illusory tiger which could not be hit by your arrows. I wanted to test your courage by demanding your wife. 58. On hearing the words of the lord, the king Bhadrāyu eulogised and bowed to the lord with bent head. 59. O lord, this alone is a great boon that you became visible to me searched by the sun of worldly existence. 60. O lord, since out of pity you wish to accord me a boon, I choose it as a great devotee does from his lord, the granter of boons. 61-62. O great god, my father Vajrabāhu with his wife, O lord, I a servant at your feet, along with my wife, the Vaiśya Padmākara and his son Sanaya, O great lord, make all of us residents near you. 63. Then the queen, his wife, Kīrtimalinī propitiated Śiva with devotion and requested for an excellent boon. 64. O supreme God, Candrāṅgada my father and Sīmantinī my mother, I request the two to be joyously staying near you for ever. 65. The delighted lord of Gaurī, favourably disposed to his devotees said—“Let it be so” and granted them the boon they desired and then vanished in a moment. 66. Acquiring the grace of the trident-bearing lord, Bhadrāyu, enjoyed several pleasures lovingly in the company of Kīrtimālinī. 67. Unimpeded in the exercise of his power he ruled the kingdom for ten thousand years. Then he entrusted his son with the kingdom and went to Śiva’s presence. 68. The king Candrāṅgada and the queen Sīmantinī devoutly worshipped Śiva and attained his feet. 69. Thus the great incarnation of lord Śiva as Dvijeśvara has been described by me. It was the bestower of great bliss on Bhadrāyu. 70. He who reads or listens to this holy narrative of Dvijeśa incarnation of Śiva of pious fame, goes to Śiva’s region. 71. He who listens to this every day or narrates this with attentive mind does not swerve from his duty and attains salvation hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O intelligent sage, listen. I shall explain the incarnation of great bliss named Yatinātha, of Śiva the supreme soul. 2. O great sage, on the mountain Arbuda there lived a hunter Āhuka of Bhilla tribe. 3. His wife Āhukā observed some good rites. Both of them were great devotees of Śiva and worshipped Śiva. 4. O sage, once this Bhilla who was always devoted to Śiva went far into the forest for fetching food for his wife. 5. In. the meantime towards the evening, Śiva assumed the guise of an ascetic and came to his house to test him 6. The lord of the house that intelligent man too came back then and lovingly worshipped the leading ascetic. 7. In order to test his feelings, Śiva in the guise of an ascetic, indulging in great sports lovingly said to him in a piteous tone. 8. O Bhilla, give me some place here to stay today. I shall by all means leave in the next morning, you will be blessed for ever. 9. O lord, what you say is true. But please listen to me. The room is not spacious enough to hold us all together. 10. Thus addressed, the ascetic wanted to leave. By that time, considering the trend of thought of her husband the Bhillī said. 11. O lord, give him room to stay. Do not turn out a guest. Consider the duty of a householder or virtue will be affected. 12. You stay in the house along with the ascetic. I shall remain outside with immense weapons. 13. On hearing the virtuous and auspicious words of his wife, the Bhilla thought thus. 14. “How can I stay in the house after keeping my wife out. It will be sinful on my part if the ascetic goes elsewhere. 15. Neither of the two courses is proper for a householder. What is destined to happen will surely happen. I shall stay outside.” 16. After thinking thus and insisting on it, he kept both of them within the house joyously, himself stayed outside the house keeping all the weapons beside him. 17. During the night the cruel beasts of prey tormented him. He too strenuously withstood them to the extent of his ability. 18. Thus fighting strenuously and although very strong, the Bhilla was devoured by the beasts of prey which seized him forcibly, as though indeed by his own adverse fate. 19. Getting up in the morning the ascetic saw the Bhilla of the forest devoured by the beasts of prey. He felt much dejected at it. 20. Although the Bhilli too was distressed, she suppressed her sorrow on seeing the ascetic miserable and spoke thus. 21. O ascetic, why are you sorry? What has happened is for good. Blessed and contented is he since the death has happened in this manner. 22. O ascetic, reducing myself to ashes, I too shall follow him. Be pleased to arrange for the pyre. This is the eternal duty of women. 23. On hearing her words which he thought to be proper, the ascetic arranged the pyre. She entered the pyre dutifully. 24. In the meantime Śiva himself appeared before her and spoke praising her lovingly “O blessed lady, O blessed lady.” 25. O sinless lady, mention the boon you wish to have. I am pleased with your conduct. There is nothing which cannot be granted to you. I am utterly subservient to you. 26. On hearing the words of Śiva yielding the greatest bliss she felt the highest pleasure. She did not remember anything. 27. On seeing her in that state, Śiva was much delighted. He asked her again to mention the boon she wished to have. 28. This ascetic who is in my own form will assume the form of a swan in the next birth. He will lovingly unite both of you. 29. This Bhilla will be born as Nala, the son of Vīrasena, in the excellent city of Niṣadha. There is no doubt in this. 30. You will be born in the illustrious city of Vidarbha as the daughter of king Bhīma. You will be famous as Damayantī endowed with all good qualities. 31. After coming together you will enjoy royal pleasures. You will attain salvation too, inaccessible even to leading Yogins. 32. After saying this, Śiva assumed the form of phallic image. He became stationary. He is thereafter remembered as Acaleśa. 33. O dear, the Bhilla Āhuka was born as the son of Vīrasena in the city of Niṣadha. He was the great king Nala. 34. That great Bhillī, Āhukā was born as the daughter of king Bhīma in the city of Vidarbha. She became famous as Damayantī. 35. Śiva in the form of Yatinātha was born as a swan. He managed the marriage of Damayantī with Nala. 36. It was due to the merit accruing from hospitality that lord Śiva gave them pleasure after assuming the form of a swan. 37. The incarnation of Śiva as the swan adept in the art of intelligence, was the bestower of great bliss to Damayantī as well as to Nala. 38. This great and holy narrative of Śiva’s incarnation of illustrious fame as swan is wonderful and indeed the bestower of salvation 39. He who narrates or listens to the auspicious story of incarnation of Yatinatha haṃsa, attains the greatest goal. 40. The story is faultless, bestower of the fruits of all desires and very excellent. It is conducive to the attainment of heaven, fame and longevity. It enhances devotion. 41. After hearing this narrative of Śiva in the forms of an ascetic and a swan, the hearer enjoys all pleasures here and goes to Śiva’s abode hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O Sanatkumāra, listen to the description of the great incarnation of Śiva, the excellent Kṛṣṇadarśana who gave perfect wisdom to Nabhaga. 2. Ikṣvāku and others were the sons of Śrāddhadeva of whom Nabhaga, was the ninth. His son was Nābhaga. 3. Ambarīṣa was his son who was a devotee of Viṣṇu with whom the sage Durvāsas was much pleased due to his devotion for Brahmins. 4. O sage, the grandfather of Ambarīṣa was Nabhaga to whom Śiva imparted perfect knowledge. Listen to his story. 5. Nabhaga the son of Manu, highly intelligent, and with perfect control of his sense-organs stayed in the abode of his preceptors for studies for a long time. 6. During this interval Ikṣvāku and other sons had their due shares in the property without leaving any share for Nabhaga. 7. At the behest of their father, the shrewd sons took their shares and enjoyed the kingdom with out any misery. They were fortunate. 8. After learning the Vedas with their sections and sub-sections, in due course, the Brahmacārin Nabhga (Nabhaga?) returned. 9. O sage, on seeing his brothers Ikṣvāku and others having taken their shares, Nabhaga desirous of his share told them affectionately. 10. O my brothers you have taken your shares duly without leaving anything for me. I have now come for my share. Please give me mine. 11. Then we had forgotten to allow your share. We shall certainly do it now. Our father is your share. Take him. 12. On bearing the words of his brothers Nabhaga was surprised. He approached his father and said. 13. O father, my brothers have taken their shares leaving me out. I had been to the preceptor’s abode for study as a student. 14. When I returned I asked them to allot my share; they replied that you are my share. I have now come for that purpose. 15. O sage, on hearing his words, his father Śrāddhadeva was surprised. He consoled his son who was devoted to truth and virtue. 16. O dear, do not pay heed to what they said. It was only to deceive you. I am not a share by any means, an instrument of enjoyment. 17. Still since I have been given as a share by the deceitful persons I shall tell you the means of livelihood. Hear attentively. 18. The intelligent Āṅgirasa. brahmins are performing a sacrifice. Every sixth day the rites are marred. 19. O wise Nabhaga, you go there and praise them. Recite two Vaiśvadeva sūkatas there. That sacrifice will then become perfect. 20. As soon as the sacrifice is concluded those Brahmins going heavenwards will give you delightedly the wealth left over in the sacrifice. 21. On hearing the words of his father, Nabhaga who considered truth as virtue went eagerly where the excellent sacrifice was on. 22. O sage, in that sacrifice during the diurnal rites the intelligent son of Manu recited two Vaiśvadeva sūktas clearly. 23. When the sacrifice was concluded the Āṅgirasa brahmins gave him the wealth left after the sacrifice. 24. Realising that he was taking the wealth left after the sacrifice, Śiva of divine sports manifested himself all of a sudden. 25. He was beautiful in every limb, a glorious Puruṣa Kṛṣṇadarśana. It was to survey his emotional reaction and to bestow on him the perfect knowledge as his share that the lord manifested himself. 26. Lord Śiva desirous of testing Nabhaga the son of Manu approached from north and said. 27. O man, who are you that take away my assets and wealth? Who has sent you here? Tell me the whole truth. 28. On heaving his words, O dear, the poet Nabhaga, son of Manu humbly replied to the Puruṣa Kṛṣṇadarśana. 29. This wealth of the sacrifice has been given to me by the sages. Why do you, O Kṛṣṇadarśana prevent me from taking it. 30. On hearing these truthful words uttered by Nabhaga, the delighted puruṣa Kṛṣṇadarśana spoke. 31. O dear, in our dispute the ultimate authority is your father. Go to him and ask him. What he says will be true and final. 32. On hearing his words, the wise Nabhaga son of Manu, approached his father anxiously, O sage, and asked him about what he said. 33. On hearing what his son said, Manu Śrāddhadeva remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and after recollecting spoke to him. 34. O dear, listen to my words: that Puruṣa is lord Śiva. Every object is his and particularly what is obtained from the sacrifice. 35. That what is left over after the sacrifice is Śiva’s share. This argument is current among some intelligent people due to his will. 36. Undoubtedly lord Śiva deserves everything. What then of the wealth left over in a sacrifice? More depends on the lord’s wish. 37. O Nabhaga, the lord has come in that form in order to bless you. Go there. Propitiate him properly. 38. Request him to forgive your fault. Bow to him well and eulogise him. That Śiva alone is the lord of all, the lord of sacrifice, the lord of everything. 39. Viṣṇu, Brahmā and other gods, Siddhas and the sages, O dear, are competent in their respective duties only due to his blessings. 40. O foremost of my sons, go there quickly. Do not delay. Propitiate the great god, the lord of all by every means. 41-42. After saying this, Manu Śrāddhadeva, sent his son immediately to Śiva. After approaching him and bowing to him with palms joined in reverence and head bent down, the delighted Nabhaga of great intellect spoke to him humbly. 43. O lord, my father says that whatever there is in the three worlds is yours to be sure. What then about the wealth left over in a sacrifice? 44. O lord, what I said before was done in error and ignorance. Please forgive the same. I propitiate you with my head bent down. 45. After saying this, Nabhaga of dejected mind, eulogised lord Śiva Kṛṣṇadarśana with palms joined in reverence and with his head bent down. 46. The pure-souled Śrāddhadeva too with head bent and palms joined eulogised the lord and requested him to forgive his fault. 47. In the meantime, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Indra and the gods, Siddhas and the sages came there. 48. They were jubilant. They joined their palms in reverence. With great devotion they severally bowed down and eulogised. 49. Then the delighted Rudra, Kṛṣṇadarśana glanced at them with sympathetic eyes and smilingly spoke to Nabhaga. 50. What your father said is virtuous and true. You too spoke the truth. Hence you are good. There is no doubt in this. 51. Hence I am delighted with your holy rites. Sympathetically I am conferring on you the eternal Brahman, the perfect knowledge. 52. Be great and wise, O Nabhaga, along with the brahmins immediately. Take all this wealth granted by me out of compassion. 53. O intelligent one, enjoy all pleasures without any aberration. By my grace you will attain the good goal along with the brahmin sacrifices. 54. O dear, after saying this, lord Śiva, favourably disposed to truth, vanished them itself even as all were watching. 55. Viṣṇu, Brahmā, the gods and all others, O excellent sage, went to their respective abodes after joyously bowing to that direction. 56. Śrāddhadeva too, accompanied by his son, went joyously to his abode. After enjoying extensive pleasures he went to Śiva’s city in the end. 57. Thus, O Brahmin, the incarnation of Śiva, named Kṛṣṇadarśana, bestower of bliss on Nabhaga, has been narrated to you. 58. This narrative is holy and conducive to worldly enjoyment. It grants salvation to the good. It yields the fruits of desires to those who read and listen to it. 59. The intelligent man who remembers this narrative both in the morning and in the evening becomes wise and knower of mantras. He attains the greatest goal in the end.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O son of Brahmā, listen to the first incarnation of the great lord, named Avadhūteśvara, who dispelled the arrogance of Indra. 2. O sage, formerly Indra accompanied by Bṛhaspati and the other gods went to Kailāsa in order to see Śiva. 3-4. On knowing that Bṛhaspati and Indra were coming and in order to test their mind in their eagerness to see him, the lord indulging in different kinds of sports assumed the form of an Avadhūta. He was naked. He looked fierce and had the lustre of blazing fire. 5. The Avadhūta, the goal of the good, blocked their way. He stood there with matted hair hanging loosely. and the whole feature shining brilliantly. 6. Passing that way towards Śiva, Bṛhaspati and Indra saw the gigantic figure of wonderful features on the way. 7. Without Knowing mat the Puruṣa was Śiva himself, O sage, Indra who was arrogant due to his authority asked him as he stood in his way. 8. Who are you? Whence have you come in this form of a naked Avadhūta? What is your true name? Tell me quīckly and factually. 9. Is Śiva in his abode? Or has he gone out? I am now going to see him along with my preceptor and the gods. 10. When asked by Indra that Puruṣa who was lord Śiva himself who had taken that body sportively in order to quell his arrogance did not say anything. 11. Indra asked him again; but Śiva whose ways are unknown, who was in the naked form and who was the creator of fanciful things did not say anything. 12. Again Indra, the lord of heaven and the master of the three worlds, asked him. The great Yogin of great sports remained silent. 13. Though asked by Indra again and again thus, lord Śiva remained silent desirous of quelling the arrogance of Indra. 14. Then the lord of the gods proud of his suzerainty over the three worlds became furious and said rebuking the lord having matted hair. 15. O you fool, even though I am asking, you are not giving me any answer. Hence I am going so kill you with my thunderbolt. O wicked fellow, who is there to protect you? 16. After saying this and staring at him in fury Indra raised his thunderbolt in order to kill the naked person. 17. On seeing Indra lifting up the thunderbolt, Śiva made his hand stunned. 18. Then that Puruṣa, furious and terrific, with terrible eyes, blazed with his brilliance as though he would burn everything. 19. The lord of Śacī burnt within himself due to the anger resulting from the benumbed state of his hand like a serpent whose fury had been curbed by a magical formula. 20. On seeing the Puruṣa blazing thus in his own brilliance Bṛhaspati knew him to be Śiva and bowed to him soon. 21. Bṛhaspati of liberal mind kept his palms joined together and prostrated on the ground like a staff and eulogised him with devotion. 22. O great god, lord of the gods, favourably disposed towards those who seek refuge in you, O lord of Gaurī, be pleased. O lord of all, obeisance be to you. 23. Even Brahmā, Viṣṇu and others are all deluded by your Māyā. They do not know you really. If at all they know, it is only by your blessings. 24. After eulogising lord Śiva, Bṛhaspati made Indra fell at his feet. 25. O dear, then the liberal-minded preceptor of the gods, Bṛhaspati, the intelligent one, bowed humbly and spoke thus. 26. O great god, lord of the distressed, please raise me up, who have fallen at your feet. Do not be furious. Be kind and loving. 27. O great god, be satisfied. Save Indra who has sought refuge in you. Fire originating from your eye in the forehead is coming out. 28. On hearing the words of Bṛhaspati, the lord in the form of Avadhūta, the ocean of mercy, indulging in good sports, laughingly said. 29. How can I withhold the fire that has come out of my eye due to anger? How can a serpent take up a slough that has been cast off. 30. On hearing these words of Śiva, Bṛhaspati with his mind agitated due to fright spoke again with palms joined in revercncc. 31. O lord, devotees are always to be pitied. O Śiva, thus make your name Bhaktavatsala true. 32. O lord of the gods, it behoves you to cast off this fire elsewhere. Please lift up Indra since you are the up-lifter of all devotees. 33. Thus requested by Bṛhaspati, Śiva who bore the name of Bhaktavatsala, the delighted soul and the dispeller of the distress of those who bow down, replied. 34. O preceptor of the gods, I am pleased with you. I shall grant you excellent boon. You will be famous as ‘ Jīva ’ because you have gifted life to Indra. 35. I shall cast off this fire which has come out of the eye in my forehead, and which is unbearable to the gods, so that it will not afflict Indra. 36. After saying this he took the wonderful fire, originating from his eye in the forehead in his hand and cast it off into the briny sea. 37. Then that fire originating from the eye in the forehead of Śiva and cast off into the briny sea became a boy immediately. 38. He became the lord of Asuras known as Jalandhara and Sindhuputra (Son of the Sea). At the request of the gods, lord Śiva slew him. 39. After carrying out this task Śiva, the benefactor of the worlds in the form of Avadhūta, vanished from there. 40. The gods became happy and fearless. Bṛhaspati and Indra became free from terror and attained supreme happiness. 41. After seeing the lord for which they had come there, Bṛhaspati and Indra returned to their respective abodes joyous and contented. 42. Thus the incarnation Avadhūteśvara of lord Śiva has been narrated by me. It yields the highest bliss and punishes the wicked. 43. This narrative is faultless and conducive to heaven and fame. It yields worldly pleasures and salvation. It is divine and it gives the fruits of all desires. 44. He who listens to this or narrates this with attentive mind enjoys all pleasures and attains the goal of Śiva in the end.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O excellent sage, I shall now narrate the incarnation of Śiva in which he dispelled the suspicion of a brahmin woman. 2. There was a king in the land of Vidarbha, named Satyaratha. He was virtuous, regularly observing truthfulness and a favourite of great devotees of Śiva. 3. O sage, as the king ruled over the kingdom virtuously observing piety to Śiva, a long time elapsed very happily. 4. Once a great fight ensued between that king and the Śālvas who laid siege to his city with many armies puffed up with their strength. 5. The king of Vidarbha had a terrible fight with them. But his armies were destroyed and he was killed by Śālvas due to adverse fate. 6. When the king was. killed in the battle by the Śālvas, the terrified soldiers who survived death fled along with the ministers. 7. His crowned queen who was pregnant and who had been imprisoned by the enemies escaped from the city, O sage, during the night, 8. Coming out of the city the grief-stricken crowned queen slowly went very far in the eastern direction with her heart set on the lotus-like feet of Śiva. 9. Early in the morning next day after she had traversed a long way, the queen saw a pure lake, thanks to the mercy of Siva. 10. After reaching the banks of the lake the distressed beloved of the king, of tender body, resorted to a shady tree for rest and stay. 11. Fortunately in an auspicious and meritorious hour the queen gave birth to a son endowed with all divine characteristics. 12. The thirsty mother, the wife of the king, entered the lake for drinking water but as willed by fate she was devoured by a crocodile in the water. 13. The son bereft of father and mother, distressed by hunger and thirst at the time of birth, cried out. 14. O sage, when the new born babe was weeping and wailing in the forest, lord Śiva, the immanent soul and protector, was moved to pity. 15. A wandering beggar woman came there accidentally, urged mentally by Śiva, the dispeller of fear. 16. She was a widow and was herself carrying her one year old son. She saw an orphaned child weeping there. 17. O sage, on seeing an infant boy in the desolate forest that brahmin woman was surprised and pondered over the situation in diverse ways. 18. “An extremely wonderful thing has been seen by me now. It cannot be conceived by the mind or explained in words. 19. This infant whose umbilical cord has not been cut lies on the bare ground. He has no mother. He is weeping but he is very brilliant 20. He has no parents or persons to help him. What might have caused this? Alas, how strong is power of fate l 21. I do not know his parentage. There is none who knows him. Whom can I enquire about the details of his birth? But I feel drawn towards him. 22. Without knowing his birth and parentage I shall not touch him although I wish to nourish him and bring him up as a child born of me.” 23. While the excellent brahmin lady was musing thus, Śiva favourably disposed to his devotees, took pity. 24. Lord Śiva of great sports, bestower of happiness on devotees in every respect, unconditionally for ever, by himself assumed the form of a mendicant. 25. The mendicant who was lord Śiva himself suddenly came to the place where the doubting brahmin lady, desirous of knowing the details, was standing. 26. The lord whose ways are unscrutable, who is the storehouse of mercy and who assumed the form of the leading mendicant, laughed and told the brahmin lady. 27. O brahmin lady, do not entertain any doubt in your mind. Do not be sorry. Protect this pure boy, your adopted son, lovingly. 28. Ere long you will attain a great glory through this infant. Nourish this extremely brilliant infant by all means. 29. That brahmin lady respectfully and lovingly asked Śiva, the storehouse of mercy, in the form of a mendicant who spoke thus. 30. At your behest I shall nourish and bring up this boy as though he is my own son. There shall be no; doubt in this. You have come here by my good fortune. 31. Still I wish to know the particular details and facts about him. Whose son is he? Who are you, that have come here? 32. O lord, O excellent mendicant, again and again the thought occurs to me that you are Śiva, the ocean of mercy and this infant had been your devotee formerly. 33. Through some defect in his past actions he has attained this plight. After experiencing it he will surely attain glory, thanks to your bliss. 34. It is by your Māyā that I have been deluded. I had lost my way. In order to protect him I have been urged by you to come over here. 35. Śiva in the guise of a mendicant spoke to the brahmin lady who had attained perfect knowledge by seeing him and who evinced the desire to know the details. 36. O brahmin lady, listen with pleasure to the antecedents of this boy. O sinless one, I shall mention all the details to you. 37. This boy is the son of Satyaratha, king of Vidarbha a great devotee of Śiva and devoted to his duty. 38. Listen, the king Satyaratha was killed by his enemies in the battle. His excited and distressed wife set out from the palace at night. 39. She came here in the morning and gave birth to this boy. Due to thirst she got into the lake and as fate would have it, was seized by the crocodile. 40. Thus he narrated to her all the details, the manner of his birth, the death of his father in the battle and that of his mother due to the crocodile. 41. O great sage, then the brahmin lady who was surprised asked the mendicant of perfect knowledge in the form of a Siddha, again. 42. O mendicant, how was his father, the king, killed in the midst of his enjoyment of excellent pleasures, by his enemies the Śālvas in a few days? 43. How was the mother of this infant devoured by the crocodile so suddenly? How did he happen to be orphaned and helpless ever since his birth? 44. How is it that my son too is very poor and a beggar? O mendicant, how will these two sons attain happiness? Please tell me. 45. On hearing these words of the brahmin wife, the delighted mendicant, lord Śiva himself, said laughingly. 46. O brahmin lady, I shall answer all questions in detail. Listen with attention to this excellent narrative. 47. The father of this boy, the king of Vidarbha, was the excellent king Pāṇḍya in his previous birth. 48. That king was a devotee of Śiva. He ruled over the entire earth virtuously. Quelling all disturbances he made all the subjects happy and contented. 49. Observing fast and other rites in the day and night on a Trayodaśī (thirteenth) day, once he worshipped Śiva, the lord of all, at dusk. 50. As he was worshipping Śiva at dusk in the course of his holy rites there arose a great noise, in the city, hideous in every respect. 51. On hearing that noise, the king left the worship of Śiva unfinished and went out of his palace suspecting the arrival of enemies. 52. In the meantime his powerful minister came near the king catching hold of the enemy king. 53. On seeing the enemy king, he was extremely agitated by anger. Disregardful of the right course he caused him to be beheaded. 54. Without concluding the worship of Śiva, the defiled king, confused in mind and bereft of auspiciousness, took his food at night with pleasure. 55. He was born as the king of Vidarbha. He observed holy rites of Śiva during this birth also, since there was a hindrance to his worship of Śiva (during the previous birth) he was now killed in the midst of his enjoyment. 56. His son in the previous birth was born as his son in this birth too but he was bereft of riches due to the break in the worship of Śiva. 57. The mother of this boy had killed her co-wife in the previous birth. Hence due to that sin, she was devoured by the crocodile in this birth. 58. Thus their activities have been narrated to you. People having no devotion to Śiva and not worshipping him attain poverty. 59. This son of yours was an excellent brahmin in his previous birth. He spent his life in accepting gifts but he did not perform holy rites, like sacrifice etc. 60. O brahmin lady, hence your son has incurred poverty. Seek refuge in Śiva in order to ward off that sin. 61. Let the worship of Śiva be performed by these two sons. Only after the investiture with the sacred thread will Śiva bestow glory. 62. After instructing her thus, Śiva in the form of a mendicant, favourably disposed towards his devotees revealed his real self to her. 63. On coming to know that he was lord Śiva the brahmin lady bowed to and eulogised him with choking words full of devotion. 64. Even as the brahmin lady stood watching, Śiva who had taken the form of a mendicant vanished there itself. 65. When the mendicant disappeared, the care-free brahmin woman took that boy and her son home. 66. She took up residence in the beautiful city Ekacakrā and nourished the prince and her own son with excellent food. 67. Their sacred rites and the investiture with the sacred thread were performed by the brahmins. They grew up thus devoted to the worship of Śiva in their own house. 68. O dear, at the behest of the sage Śāṇḍilya they observed vows and restraints and performed the worship of Śiva during dusk. 69. Once when the prince went to the river for his bath without the brahmin boy, he found an excellent pot of treasure. 70. Thus four months elapsed as the two boys continued their worship of Śiva. 71. As they continued the worship of Śiva again with great joy, a year elapsed in the very same house. 72-73. O sage, after a year had elapsed, the prince once went to a forest along with the brahmin boy. There a Gandharva came by chance and gave his daughter in marriage to the prince. The prince ruled over the kingdom without any check or hindrance. 74. He considered the brahman lady who brought him up as his mother and the brahmin boy as his brother. 75. In name of Dharmagupta he continued to propitiate the lord of gods and enjoyed pleasures along with the princess in the kingdom of Vidarbha. 76. Thus the incarnation of Śiva as the Bhikṣuvarya bestowing happiness on the prince Dharmagupta has been narrated by me now. 77. This narrative is pious, extremely sanctifying and holy. It is an instrument for attaining virtue, wealth, love and liberation. It yields all pleasures. 78. He who listens to this tale or narrates this to others with pure mind enjoys all pleasures here and goes to the region of Śiva hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O dear, listen, I shall narrate the incarnation of śiva, the great soul, as Indra in which he was beneficial to Dhaumya ’s elder brother. 2. The intelligent son of Vyāghrapāda, Upamanyu, the beloved of the good, became the son of a sage in another birth. He achieved great attainments then. 3. Upamanyu, the son of Vyāghrapāda, while yet a small child stayed in his uncle’s house along with his mother. Due to adverse fate he was very poor. 4. Once he tasted a little milk in his uncle’s hermitage. Approaching his mother he implored for milk, yearning for it. 5. On hearing the words of her son the pitiable mother went in and thought of a proper means to satisfy the child. 6. She ground some seeds and grains she got by gleaning, into a paste with water. She gave this artificial milk to her son after fondling and coaxing him. 7. After drinking the artificial milk given by his mother the boy said “O, this is not milk” and cried again. 8. On hearing the cry of her son, she wiped off his lotus-like eyes and said in grief. 9. How can we the dwellers of the forest for ever have milk? Without the grace of Śiva we can never have milk. 10. O son, only that can be attained what we had dedicated to Śiva in our previous birth. We need not worry in this matter. 11. On hearing the words of his mother, the son of Vyāghrapāda excessively fond of his mother, freed of his grief, replied to her, 12. “O blessed mother, do not grieve. Cast off this sorrow. If Śiva is the benefactor, everything will result in welfare. 13. O mother, listen to me. If there is lord Śiva anywhere, sooner or later I shall achieve, the ocean of milk”. 14. After saying thus with pleasure and repeating “Let there be a welfare”, he bowed to his mother and left her. He began to perform penance. 15-16. It was on the mountain Himavat that he went to perform his penance with pure mind taking nothing in except air. He installed Śiva’s phallic image of clay after making a pedestal for it with eight bricks. He invoked Śiva along with Pārvatī into the phallic image with devotion. He repeated the five-syllabled mantra. The boy worshipped Śiva with leaves, flowers and other things. 17. He meditated on Śiva along with Pārvatī repeating the five-syllabled mantra. Worshipping thus he performed great penance for a long time. 18. O sage, due to the penance of the boy Upamanyu, the great soul, the whole world consisting of the mobile and immobile beings blazed as it were. 19. In the meantime, requested by Viṣṇu aud others, Śiva assumed the form of Indra in order to test his devotion. 20. Pārvatī took the form of Śacī. The Gaṇas became the gods, Nandin became the elephant Airāvata. Everything belonging to Śiva became that of Indra. 21. Then Śiva accompanied by Pārvatī and the Gaṇas, and assuming the form of Indra went to the hermitage of Upamanyu in order to bless him. 22. O great sage, in order to test his devotion, Śiva in the form of Indra, spoke to the boy in a grave tone. Note: The dialogue between Indra and Upamanyu is reminiscent of the talk between Pārvatī and the student ascetic. Cp. Kālidāsa ’s Kumāra. Canto V. 23. “O boy of good rites, I am pleased with you and your penance. Mention the boon you wish to have. I shall give you whatever you desire. There is no doubt about this.” 24. Thus addressed by Śiva in the form of Indra, the boy replied with palms joined in reverence, “I choose devotion into Śiva.” 25. On hearing it Indra said—“You do not know me the lord of the gods, the lord of the three worlds, Indra, bowed to by all the gods. 26. O brahmin sage, be my devotee. Worship me alone on every occasion. I shall grant you every benefit. Leave off Rudra devoid of attributes. 27. Enough of Rudra devoid of attributes. What purpose of yours can be achieved by his worship? He is out of the caste of the gods. He has become a Piśāca. 28. On hearing these words, the son of the sage considered them an obstacle to his austerities. Repeating the five-syllabled mantra he told him who had come to create obstacles. 29. All this has been mentioned by you indulging in insult of Śiva. Incidentally you have mentioned that Śiva, the lord of the gods, is attributeless as well as Piśāca. 30. You do not know Śiva, lord of the chiefs of gods, the father and progenitor of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśa and greater than Prakṛti. 31. I choose the boon from that deity, whom the philosophers call eternal, the single, the multitude, separate from the existent and non-existent and the unmanifest. 32. I choose the boon from that deity whom the knowers of reality consider free from causations, disputes and the bestower of the principles of Sāṅkhya and Yoga. 33. There is no greater entity than lord Śiva who is beyond the attributes. He is the cause of all causes. He is the most excellent of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and other gods. 34. I do not wish to take a boon from you or Brahma or Viṣṇu. Nor do I want any boon from any other god. Let Śiva be the bestower of boons on me. 35. Of what avail is speaking much? I tell you the truth and my decision. I do not request any other god except Śiva. 36-37. O enemy of mountains, listen to my feeling in this matter. I infer that I have committed sins in the previous birth since I am forced to hear the insult to Śiva, on hearing which one shall shed his own mortal body at the very same moment. He goes to Śiva’s region thereby. 38. O base god, let it be that I had yearned for milk. I shall kill you by Śiva’s missile and then leave off my mortal frame. 39. After saying thus, Upamanyu who was prepared to die, cast off his desire for milk and got ready to kill Indra. 40. He took some ashes from the receptacle and invoked it with the mantra Aghorāstra. The sage, thereafter discharged it against Indra and roared. 41. Remembering the feet of Śiva, his favourite deity, he got ready to burn himself. He stood there bearing the fiery pose. 42. When the brahmin was engaged thus, the lord in the form of Indra warded off the fiery pose of the Yogin by gentle means. 43. At the behest of Śiva, Nandin the favourite of Śiva delightedly caught hold of the Aghorāstra discharged by him, in the middle. 44. Assuming his own form with the moon for his crest, lord Śiva revealed it to the brahmin. 45. The lord then showed him a thousand milk oceans, the ocean of curds and the ocean of different foodstuffs. 46. Thus Śiva was seen seated on his bull accompained by the goddess. He was surrounded by the leading Gaṇas and the divine weapons, the trident and others. 47. The drums were sounded in the heaven. There was a shower of flowers. AH the ten quarters were covered by Brahmā, Viṣṇu and other gods. 48. Then Upamanyu was swept by the waves of the ocean of delight and he prostrated on the ground like a staff, with his mind humble with devotion. 49. In the meantime the smiling lord Śiva called him saying “Come on, Come on” and kissed him on the head. He granted him boons. 50. “Dear Upamanyu, I am pleased with your excellent behaviour. O brahmin sage, you are very firm in your devotion. I just desired to know you thoroughly. 51. Enjoy the pleasure of eating sumptuously forever along with your kinsmen. Be ever happy and free from misery. Be devoted to me. 52. O fortunate Upamanyu, you have been made eternally my son today. Pārvatī, here, is your mother. 53-54. O great sage, thousands of oceans of milk, card, ghee and honey, and of different foodstuffs I grant you lovingly. Accept them. I confer on you the state of a god and the eternal chieftainship of Gaṇas. 55. I, Śiva, am your father and she, Pārvatī, is your mother. Choose your boons whatever you desire. 56. Be unaging and undying and free from misery. You will be famous, brilliant and endowed with divine knowledge. You will be a great lord.” 57-58. Then considering his great penance, the delighted Śiva gave ten boons to the sage Upamanyu. He bestowed on him the knowledge of Śiva and his rites. He instructed him in the vows of Śiva. He gave him fluency of speech and efficiency. He bestowed his own region on him. 59. After granting him the boons, lord Śiva took him with both the hands, sniffed at his head and showed him to the goddess saying: “This is your son.” 60. Listening with pleasure and placing her hands on his head she granted him the everlasting status of a son. 61-62. She gave him undecaying, compressed ocean of milk, the prosperity and power of yoga, the undying knowledge of Brahman and the great assets. 63. After receiving from Śiva and Śivā the excellent boons, and the eternal status of their son, he rejoiced much. 64. Then the delighted sage requested the lord of the gods after bowing to him with palms joined in reverence. 65. O lord of gods, be pleased. O supreme lord, be pleased. Grant me the greatest devotion unto you, divine and unswerving. 66. O great god, give roe great faith in persons devoted to you, the state of being your servant, your great affection and your constant presence. 67. After saying this, the delighted excellent brahmin Upamanyu eulogised great lord with words choked in delight. 68. Thus requested, Śiva, the lord of all, replied to Upamanyu, delightedly while everyone listened. 69. O dear Upamanyu, O sinless one, you are blessed. You are especially my devotee. Whatever has been chosen by you has been given to you. 70. Be unaging and undying and free from misery. Be respectable to all, free from aberrations and the foremost among devotees. 71. O excellent brahmin, yon will have undwindling kinsmen, family and race. Your devotion to me will be permanent. 72. O sage, I shall be ever present in your hermitage. Stay at ease. Do not be anxious. 73. After saying this and granting him all excellent boons, the lord vanished from there, accompanied by Pārvatī and the Gaṇas. 74. After receiving excellent boons, the delighted Upamanyu went to the abode of his mother and described everything to her, 75. On hearing it, his mother was highly delighted. He became worthy of honour and respect of all. He attained great happiness. 76. O dear, thus, the incarnation of Śiva the great soul, as Indra has been explained to you. It bestows happiness to the good always. 77. This story is pious and it yields the fruits of all desires. It is conducive to heaven, fame and longevity. It yields worldly pleasures and salvation to the good. 78. He who listens to this with devotion and narrates this with purity of mind enjoys all pleasures here and attains Śiva’s goal hereafter.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] Nandīśvara said:— 1. O Sanatkumāra, listen to the incarnation of Śiva the great soul. It is named Jaṭila and is very sanctifying. 2. After abandoning her body when she was insulted by her own father in the sacrificial hall, Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa, was born of Menā and the mountain Himavat. 3. Desiring to attain Śiva as her husband, she went to the dense forest and performed a pure penance. She was attended upon by two of her friends. 4. In order to test her penance, Śiva an expert in various kinds of sports sent the seven sages to the penance grove of Pārvatī. 5. The sages went there and thoroughly tested her. As she was strenuous in her effort they could not dissuade her from her penance. 6. They returned and bowed to Śiva. After mentioning all the details to him and obtaining his permission they returned to heaven eagerly. 7. When they had gone to their abodes, lord Śiva, the cause of excellent sports, desired to test Śiva’s activity himself. 8. Then the lord assumed the pleasant, self-controlled and wonderful form of a student-ascetic. 9. He looked very old and had assumed the body of a brahmin. He was shining with brilliance. He had a staff and an umbrella. He was mentally delighted. 10. Assuming this form of a Jaṭila (one with matted hair), the delighted Śiva, favourably disposed to his devotees went to the penance-grove of Pārvatī. 11. There he saw the goddess Pārvatī, seated on the dais surrounded by her friends. She appeared like the pure digit of the moon. 12. On seeing the goddess, Śiva who is favourably disposed to his devotees and who had assumed the form of a student-ascetic approached her eagerly and lovingly. 13-14. On seeing the brahmin visitor of wonderful splendour, quiet with hairy limbs, bearing the staff and hide of deer, the aged bachelor with matted hair and the water-pot, she welcomed and worshipped him with all the articles of worship. 15. The goddess Pārvatī enquired after the health of that aged bachelor respectfully after worshipping him with great joy. 16. “O most excellent one among the knowers of the Vedas, who are you, please, in the guise of a student-ascetic and whence have you come illuminating this forest? 17. On being asked thus by Pārvatī, that brahmin replied immediately with great pleasure in order to test the feelings of Śivā. 18. I am a brahmin bachelor going about here and there as I please. I am a saint pleasing and helping others undoubtedly. 19. After saying this, the bachelor Śiva, who is favourably disposed to his devotees, stood near her concealing his real form. 20. What shall I say, O great lady? There is nothing to be mentioned. A great calamity seems to have happened, extremely confusing. 21. In your fresh youth, the means of good enjoyment and the cause of happiness through all requisite articles of pleasure, you are performing this penance in vain. 22. Who are you? Whose daughter are you? Why are you performing a penance in this desolate forest? Your penance is such as cannot be outdone even by sages of elevated souls. 23. On hearing his words, Pārvatī laughed and spoke to the excellent student ascetic with reverence. 24. O sage, O brahmin bachelor, listen to the details of my wife. I am born in Bhārata in the house of Himavat. 25. Formerly my birth was in the house of Dakṣa. I was then Satī, the wife of Śiva. On account of my father’s insulting my husband I cast off my body by means of Yoga. 26. O brahmin, in this birth too, Śiva came my way due to merit but he reduced Kāma to ashes, abandoned me and went away. 27. When Śiva went away I was overwhelmed with grief. A bit ashamed, I came away from my house to this place for performing penance after being initiated by the statement of my preceptor. 28. Mentally, verbally and through activities too, Śiva has been chosen by me as my husband. I am telling you the truth and not falsehood. 29. I know that this is an extremely inaccessible object. How can I achieve it? Still, thanks to the great zeal, this penance is being pursued by me now. 30. Leaving off Indra and other gods, Viṣṇu and Brahmā I wish to obtain Śiva as my husband really. 31. O sage, on hearing these firm words of Pārvatī that Jaṭila Rudra laughingly spoke again. 32. O gentle lady, O daughter of Himavat, what is this idea that has struck you? You are performing this great penance for obtaining Śiva after leaving off all the gods. 33. I know that Śiva. Listen. I shall tell you that bull-bannered Śiva wears matted hair and is ill-mannered. 34. He is an isolationist for ever. Particularly he is a detached fellow. Hence it does not behove you to get mentally entangled with him. 35. O gentle lady, your features etc. and those of Śiva are ill-matched. I do not like this. But do as you please. 36. After saying this, Śiva in the guise of a student-ascetic rebuked himself in her presence in order to test her. 37. On hearing his intolerable words, Pārvatī replied extremely infuriated at him who was engrossed in insulting Śiva. 38. Till now I thought that you would be some one fit to be killed. But now it is quite clear that you are not to be killed. 39. You are some foolish knave in the guise of a student-ascetic. O fool, Śiva has been insulted by you. Hence, I am infuriated. 40. You do not know Śiva. You arc averse to Śiva. Since I had already welcomed and honoured you I am now distressed. 41. The accumulated merits of the person who insults Śiva without knowing reality are reduced to ashes. 42. One should perform expiation after touching a Śiva-hater. 43. O wicked fellow, you said I know Śiva. Certainly he is not known to you. Śiva alone is the great lord. 44. Assuming many guises through his Māyā, Rudra may appear in any form. But the beloved of the good, having no aberrations, lavishly bestows all desired things on me. 45. After saying this, Pārvatī expatiated on Śiva’s principle, where Śiva was explained as attributeless and unchanging performing the penance of Brahman. 46-47. On hearing her words, the brahmin began to say something; but by that time, Pārvatī whose mind was attached to Śiva and who was averse to Śiva being insulted, immediately spoke to her friend Vijayā. 48. Friend, this base brahmin must be prevented. He is going to speak again. He is sure to insult Śiva. 49. It is not only the censurer of Śiva who becomes sinful but also he who listens to such insults. 50. A rebuker of Śiva shall be slain by all means by Śiva’s attendants. If he happens to be a brahmin he shall be abandoned. He shall go away from that place immediately. 51. This wicked fellow will insult Śiva again. Being a brahmin he cannot be killed. He shall be abandoned. He should not even be looked at. 52. Let us leave this place and go elsewhere. Do not delay, lest there should be any further talk with this ignorant man. 53. O sage, after saying this Pārvatī was just to walk away when Śiva revealed himself and caught hold of her cloth. 54. After assuming that divine form which Pārvatī was meditating upon, Śiva spoke to her as she stood face downwards. 55. “O Pārvatī, where are you going, leaving me? You cannot be forsaken by me. You have been tested by me O faultless one, you are really steady in your devotion to me. 56. Desirous of knowing your feelings I have approached you in the guise of a student-asectic and spoke these diverse words. 57. O Pārvatī, I am delighted at your steady devotion. Mention the boon that you have cherished in your mind. There is nothing that cannot be given to you. 58. O loving lady, I have been made your slave from now onwards by means of your penance. Due to your beauty, even a moment seems to expand into a Yoga. 59. Leave off your bashfulness. You are my eternal wife. O beloved, come on, I shall go to my hilly abode along with you.” 60. When the lord of gods said thus, Pārvatī rejoiced much. Whatever misery she experienced in performing the penance, she cast off immediately. 61. On seeing that divine form of Śiva, Pārvatī replied to the lord with face lowered due to bashfulness. 62-63. O lord of gods, if you are delighted, if you have pity on me, be my lord and husband.” Thus requested by Pārvatī Śiva took her hand duly and went to Kailāsa along with her. On getting him as her lord, she carried out the task of the gods. 64. O dear, thus the incarnation of Śiva in the form of a student-ascctic wherein he tested the feelings of Pārvatī has been narrated to you. 64. This narrative explained by me is faultless and magnificent. He who listens to this with pleasure becomes happy and attains salvation.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] I. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, listen to the incarnation of lord Śiva, the great soul, as Sunartaka naṭa. 2-3. O sage, when goddess Pārvatī, daughter of Himavat, performed the pious penance in order to attain Śiva, after going to the forest, Śiva was much delighted at her austerity. He approached to test her conduct and out of pleasure to grant her the desired boon. 4. O sage, the delighted Śiva revealed his real form to her and told Pārvatī, “Mention the boon you wish to have.” 5. On hearing the words of Śiva and on seeing his excellent form, Pārvatī was delighted. She spoke to him after paying her homage. 6. O lord of gods, if you are delighted, if a boon shall be granted to me, O Śiva, you be my lord and husband. Please take pity on me. 7. With your permission I shall go to my father’s abode. O lord, you shall approach my father. 8. In the form of a mendicant and making your spotless fame known, beg me of my father and make the householder’s life fruitful. 0. O lord Śiva, it behoves to marry me with due rites for the fulfilment of the task of the gods. 10. O lord, you are without aberrations. Please fulfil my desires. You are favourably disposed to the devotees. I am always your devotee. 11. Thus requested by her, Śiva who is favourably disposed towards his devotees said “So be it” and vanished from there. He returned to his mountainous abode. 12. After making her beauty fruitful, Pārvatī returned to her father’s abode jealously in the company of her female friends. 13. On hearing Pārvatī’s return, Himavat accompanied by his attendants and his wife Menā joyously came to see his daughter. 14. On seeing her delighted, both of them received her suitably within the house and glad at heart celebrated the event with pleasure. 15. Menā and the lord of mountains made gifts to brahmins and others* The auspicious mantras of the Vedas were chanted. 16. Then Menā joyously stayed for a while in the yard with her daughter and Himavat went to the Ganges for a bath. 17. In the meantime Śiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees and indulging in good sports, assumed the form of a dancer and approached Menakā. 18. He held the horn in his left hand and the small drum in his right. He carried a bundle of patched garments on his back. He wore a red cloth. He appeared to be an expert in dance and music. 19. Then the lord in the form of a dancer performed various dances joyously in the yard of Menakā and sang sweetly. 20. He blew on the horn and played on Ḍamaru producing sweet notes. With great pleasure he exhibited a variety of splendid sports. 21. The citizens including men, women, children and old women gathered there suddenly to see him. 22. O sage, hearing the sweet song and witnessing the splendid dance, the people were fascinated and Menā too was highly delighted. 23. Immediately Menā whose mind was in exultation, thanks to his clever feats, went to give him potfuls of gems and jewels. 24. He did not accept those gems. He wished to have Pārvatī for his alms. Eagerly he began to dance and sing again. 25. On hearing bis words Menā was surprised. She became furious as well. She rebuked the mendicant and wanted to drive him out. 26. In the meantime the lord of the mountains returned from the Ganges. He saw the mendicant in the form of a man standing before him in the yard. 27. On hearing from Menā all the details he too was infuriated. He ordered his attendants to drive out the mendicant. 28. O excellent sage, no one could drive him out. He was blazing and brilliant like a big fire and could not be touched. 29. O dear, then that mendicant, an expert in different sports, exhibited his infinite power to the mountain. 30. Immediately the mountain saw him assuming the form of Viṣṇu, then the form of Brahmā and in a trice that of the sun. 31. O dear, then he saw him in the excessively wonderful form of Śiva accompanied by Pārvatī. He was exquisitely handsome and brilliant. He was laughing. 32. Thus he saw him in various forms. He was much surprised and extremely delighted. 38. Then the leading mendicant of good sports begged for Durgā as his alms, of her (Menā) and of him (the mountain). He did not accept anything else. 34. Then lord Śiva in the form of the mendicant, urged by Durgā’s words vanished and went away to his abode suddenly. 35. Perfect knowledge then dawned on Menā and the lord of mountains. They thought: “The lord Śiva has deceived us and returned to his abode. 36. Our Pārvatī who has performed a hard penance shall be given to him”, thinking thus they became extremely devoted to Śiva. 37. Thence after performing great sports, Śiva performed the marriage rites duly with Pārvatī delighting all devotees. 38. O dear, thus the incarnation of Śiva as Sunartaka naṭa in which the desire of Pārvatī was fulfilled has been explained to you by me. 39. Thus the pious narrative of great value has been explained by me. He who listens to this with pleasures becomes happy and attains salvation. Article published on 27 October, 2018

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, listen to the incarnation of Śiva, the supreme soul, as Brahmin in the garb of a saint. 2. On realising the excellent devotion of Menā and Himavat towards Śiva, the gods became worried and they consulted one another eagerly. 3. If the mountain were to give his daughter to Śiva with undiluted devotion, certainly he will attain salvation immediately. 4. He is the receptacle of infinite gems. If he attains liberation, the name of the earth, Ratnagarbhā (having gems within) will certainly be meaningless. 5. He will cast off the stationary state of a mountain and assume a divine form. After giving his daughter in marriage to the trident-bearing lord he will go to Śiva’s region. 6. With the blessings of Śiva he will attain identity in form with the great god. He will enjoy all great pleasures there and then attain liberation, 7. O sage, after discussing like this, the gods went to the abode of their preceptor. In order to achieve their self-interest they submitted to the preceptor thus. 8. O preceptor, please go to the abode of Himavat for the accomplishment of our task. Reproach lord Śiva and try to prevent the mountain’s excessive devotion to him. 9. O preceptor, if the mountain gives his daughter to Śiva with great faith he will attain salvation. Let him stay on the Earth itself. 10. On hearing the words of the gods, he thought over that and spoke to them. 11. O gods, one of you shall go to the mountain for achieving the end. I am incapable of doing it. 12. Or you all, including Indra, go to Brahmā ’s region. Tell him all your details. He will carry out your work. 13. On hearing these words and reflecting thereon, the gods went to Brahmā’s assembly. They submitted all the details to Brahmā. 14. On hearing their words and reflecting deeply Brahmā told them—“I shall not censure him, for that will yield misery to us and dispel out happiness for ever. 15. O gods, you go to Kailāsa and propitiate Śiva. Request that lord to go to the abode of Himavat. 16. Let him approach the lord of mountains and censure himself. Censuring others is conducive to destruction and censuring oneself is conducive to glory. 17. Then the gods hastened to Kailāsa and bowed to Śiva with great devotion. They mentioned everything in detail to him. 18. On hearing the words of the gods, lord Śiva accepted their proposal. He laughingly consoled the gods and made them return without worry. 19. Then lord Śiva, who is favourably disposed towards his devotees, who is the wielder of Māyā and who is free from aberrations, desired to approach Himavat. 20-21. He assumed the form of a brahmin Saint. He held a staff and an umbrella. He wore divine garments. A brilliant caste mark shone on his forehead. He had tied a Śālagrāma stone round his neck and held a string of crystal beads in his hand. He frequently repeated the names of Viṣṇu with devotion. He approached Himavat who was accompanied by his kinsmen. 22. On seeing him, Himavat and his attendants stood up and then prostrated before him. They performed Aṣṭāṅga salvation on the ground. 23. Then the lord of mountains asked him “Who are you please?” The brahmin Yogin replied immediately with reverence. 24. O mountain, I am a devotee of Viṣṇu known as Sādhudvija. I possess true vision. I am omniscient and I assist others. By the power of the preceptor I can go everywhere. 25. O excellent mountain, by my divine knowledge, I have known something while I was in my abode. Listen. I shall mention the same with pleasure to you without any arrogance. 26. You wish to give your daughter who is as comely as Lakṣmī to Śiva whose family and conduct are unknown. 27. O lord of mountains, this idea of yours is not conducive to auspiciousness. O most excellent one among the wise, born of Viṣṇu’s race, you should know this. 28. O lord of mountains, see for yourself. He has no single relative. You can verify your relatives and your beloved. 29. Ask Menā and others excluding Pārvatī. O mountain, the patient never likes the medicine but relishes undesirable diet. 30. In the matter of gifting away Pārvatī, he is not the deserving person. As soon as this alliance is announced, the public will smile derisively. 31-32. He is without support. He is unattached. He is ugly, devoid of attributes and unchanging. He is hideous. He resides in the cremation ground. He is naked and handles serpents He smears ashes as decoration. Serpents twine round his head. He has fallen from all stages of life. His ways are ever unknown. 33. After saying these factual statements insulting to Śiva, Śiva of diverse sports, quickly returned to his abode. 34. On hearing the words of the brahmin, they thought thus—“What can we do with regard to him who is engrossed in adverse things?” 35. Then Śiva performed great sports delighting the devotees. He married Pārvatī aud carried out the task of the gods. 36. O dear, thus the incarnation of lord Śiva as Sādhuveṣadvija, that carried out the task of the gods has been narrated to you. 37. He who reads or listens to this pious narrative, conducive to heaven and longevity, becomes happy and attains salvation.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, listen to the incarnation of lord Śiva, the great soul Aśvatthāman. 2. O sage, though a part of the celestial sage of great intellect Bṛhaspati, the self-possessed and prudent Droṇa was born of Bharadvāja but not of any womb. 3. He was the foremost among the archers, heroes, a brahminical sage, well-versed in all lore, of great fame and brilliance and the most excellent of all the wielders of weapons and missiles. 4. Learned men knew Droṇa as the most excellent, skilful in the lore of archery as well as the Vedas, of variegated activities, and as one who made his race flourish. 5. O brahmin, thanks to his strength, he was the instructor of the Kauravas. He was the most well known among the six Mahārathas among the Kauravas. 6. The most excellent brahmin Droṇa performed an elaborate penance with Śiva in view for obtaining a son in order to help the Kauravas. 7. O excellent sage, then the delighted lord Śiva, favourably disposed to his devotees, appeared in front of Droṇa. 8. On seeing him, the brahmin Drona whose heart was highly delighted bowed to him with palms joined in reverence and eulogised him. 9. Satisfied and pleased with his eulogy and penance, lord Śiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees told Droṇa—“Mention the boon you wish to choose”. 10. On hearing the words of Śiva, Droṇa bowed low and said—“Please give me a son born of your part who will be invincible to every one and who will be very powerful. 11. On hearing the words of Droṇa, Śiva said, “So be it.” O dear sage, the lord who bestows happiness, then vanished. 12. Droṇa returned to his abode highly delighted and free from illusion. He joyously narrated all the details to his wife. 13. Taking the due opportunity, lord Śiva, the annihilator of all and very powerful was born as Droṇa’s son through a part of himself. 14. O sage, he became well known as Aśvatthāman on the earth. He was heroic, had lotus-like eyes and he could reduce the strength of his enemy. 15. Securing the permission and behest of his father that famous hero helped the Kauravas in the Mahābhārata war. 16. By resorting to that powerful hero, Bhīsma and other Kauravas became invincible even to the gods. 17. Fearing him, the Pāṇḍavas, though they were great heroes and very skilful, became incapable of conquering the Kauravas. 18. At the instance of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, performed the severe penance of Śiva and obtained a divne missile duo to Śiva’s boon. He then conquered the Kauravas. 19. O sage, although the great hero Aśvatthāman was born of a part of lord Śiva. Still due to his devotion to the Kauravas, he exhibited his full vigour. 20. He destroyed the sons of Pāṇḍavas though they were trained in warfare by Kṛṣṇa and other great heroes. He had the strength that could not be withstood bv the enemy. 21. On seeing Arjuna dejected by the death of his son but rushing on him along with Kṛṣṇa he fled away from the battle-field. 22. He discharged the divine missile Brahmaśiras on Arjuna. Then a fierce splendour enveloping all the quarters manifested itself. 23. Sensing danger to his own life Arjuna was much distressed. Losing all his brilliance and highly frightened he spoke to Kṛṣṇa becoming utterly exhausted. 24. O Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, what is this? Whence it has arisen I do not know. This unbearable fiery splendour comes from all sides. 25 On hearing the words of Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa the most excellent among the devotees of Śiva meditated on Śiva and Pārvatī and then spoke to Arjuna. 26. Know this to be the most powerful Brāhma missile of Aśvatthāman. There is no other missile to counteract this. 27. Immediately think of Śiva, your lord, the protector of the devotees who had given you a weapon capable of every action. 28. Counteract the fiery splendour of the Brāhma missile with your Śaiva missile. After saying this Kṛṣṇa himself meditated on Śiva for that purpose. 29. O sage, on hearing the words of Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna remembered Śiva, touched water, bowed to Śiva and discharged the Śaiva missile. 30. O great sage, although the Brahmaśiras missile never goes futile and cannot be counteracted, it subsided before the splendour of the Śaiva missile. 31. Do not consider this very surprising in Śiva who is full of wondrous things and who, the unborn, creates, protects and annihilates the entire universe by his own power. 32. O sage, knowing that this happened by the influence of Śiva, Aśvatthāman, born of Śiva’s part and delighted in heart at Śiva’s wish, was not at all sorry. 33. Then the son of Droṇa wishing the world to be rid of Pāṇḍava lineage desired to kill the child in the womb of Uttarā. 34. The powerful Aśvatthāman hurled the excessively lustrous Brāhma-missile that could not be countermanded by any other missile, aiming it at the womb of Uttarā. 35. Then Uttarā the daughter-in-law of Arjuna, burning within due to that missile and agitated in the mind eulogised Kṛṣṇa, the lord of Lakṣmī. 36. Then meditating on Śiva mentally, bowing to and eulogising him, Kṛṣṇa understood that to be the missile of the son of Droṇa. 37. By means of his missile—the brilliant Sudarśana, bestowed on him by Śiva for his protection, he saved her at the behest of Śiva. 38. Aśvatthāman then knew that Kṛṣṇa had assumed his form at the behest of śiva and did it as he was the foremost among the devotees of Śiva, slowly refrained from the thought of destroying Uttarā. 39. Then the leading devotee of Śiva, the delighted Kṛṣṇa, made all the Pāṇḍavas fall at the feet of Aśvatthāman for pleasing him. 40. Then Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa, highly delighted in the mind, blessed the Pāṇḍavas and Kṛṣṇa with various boons. 41. O excellent sage, incarnating thus on the earth in the form of Droṇa’s son, lord Śiva performed various sports. 42. The incarnation of Śiva Aśvatthāman of great strength and exploit is even now alive on the banks of the river Gaṅgā bestowing happiness on the three worlds. 43. The incarnation in the form of Aśvatthāman of lord Śiva has been explained to you. It is the cause of all Siddhis and it fulfils all desires of the devotees. 44. He who listens to this with devotion or narrates it with pure mind attains all Siddhis here and attains Śiya’s abode hereafter. Article published on 27 October, 2018

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O intelligent one, listen to the incarnation of the Pināka -bearing lord Śiva as Kirāta who killed Mūka and delightedly granted the boon to Arjuna. 2. Defeated by Suyodhana, the excellent Pāṇḍavas went to the forest Dvaita accompanied by their chaste wife Draupadī. 3. Depending upon the cooking-pot given by the sun, the Pāṇḍavas spent their time happily. 4. O leading brahmin, Durvāsas the leading sage was induced by Suyodhana to go to the Pāṇḍavas in order to deceive them. 5. Accompanied by his ten thousand disciples he approached them and asked for foodstuffs and other things for his disciples. 6. After accepting it, Durvāsas and other sages and saints were sent by the Pāṇḍavas for their ablution. 7. O great sage, by want of food, all the Pāṇḍavas were sad and resolved to cast off their lives. 8. Kṛṣṇa appeared on being remembered by Draupadī Draupadī. After eating a bit of vegetable he made them satiated at the very moment. 9. On coming to know that the disciples were fully satisfied Durvāsas went away. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, the Pāṇḍavas were freed from a difficult situation. 10. Then they asked Kṛṣṇa “O lord, what will happen now? A very powerful enemy has arisen. What shall be done at this moment.” 11. O sage, on being asked thus by the Pāṇḍavas, lord Kṛṣṇa remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and spoke to them. 12. O excellent Pāṇḍavas, now listen to the details of my experience involving service to Śiva. After hearing you shall act accordingly. 13-14. I went to Dvārakā to conquer my enemies. After obeying the instructions of noble Upamanyu I propitiated lord Śiva. I propitiated him for seven months in the excellent mountain Baṭuka. Thus Śiva was pleased with me. 15. Standing there himself he fulfilled all my desires. By his power I acquired excellent efficiency in everything. 16. The lord, the bestower of worldly pleasures and salvation is propitiated by me even now. You too serve Śiva who is the bestower of happiness to all. 17. After saying thus and cheering the Pāṇḍavas, Kṛṣna vanished from there and remembering the lotus feet of Śiva he hastened to Dvārakā. 18. Pāṇḍavas then sent a Bhilla to test the virtues and the strength of Duryodhana. 19. He understood the prosperity, rise and the virtues of Duryodhana and returned to the Pāṇḍavas again. 20. On hearing what he had said, O great sāge, the Pāṇḍavas were very sad and in their distress spoke to one another. 21. What shall be done now? Where shall we go? Though we can fight now we have been restrained by the bonds of truth. 22. In the meantime Vyāsa came there with the ashes decorating his forehead, with Rudrākṣa as an ornament and well bedecked in matted hair. 23. He was repeating the five-syllabled mantra. He was fully engrossed in the love of Śiva. He was a heap of lustrous brilliance, a manifestation of virtue itself. 24. When they saw him they were delighted and they stood up to welcome him. Offering him a seat of deer-hide brightened by Kuśa grass they waited in front of him. 25. When he was duly seated they honoured him with great delight after eulogising him in various ways and saying “Ah! we are blessed”. 26. “O holy lord, by seeing you, we are all satisfied. We have attained the fruits of our austerities and our diverse charitable gifts. 27. O grandfather, by seeing you, all our misery has disappeared, the misery that had been inflicted on us by the wicked people of ruthless activities. 28. Misery disappears at your sight. Was there ever a time when it did not disappear? We know it truly. 29. When a person reaches the hermitage of a sage efficient in all activities, if misery is not dispelled, fate alone is the cause there. 30. Poverty, the cause of misery, will surely be dispelled. Such is the nature of great men. In the fulfilment of desires they are equal to the wish-yielding Kalpa tree. 31. Thus the qualities of the great shall be observed objectively. A person becomes famous by merely resorting to them. 32. The difference between the small and the great shall not be thought of. This is the nature of the great that they will always protect the distressed. 33. The characteristics of the wretched and the miserable are conducive to his glory, for there lies before him an opportunity for strenuous efforts and for serving the good people. 34. Thereafter it is one’s own destiny. No one is to blame for it. Hence O lord, when you are seen, everything auspicious takes place. 35. By your mere arrival our minds are satisfied. Give us instructions whereby our misery can be dispelled. 36. On hearing the words of the Pāṇḍavas the great sage Vyāsa was delighted in the mind and said thus. 37. O Pāṇḍavas, you need not be over-anxious. You are all blessed and contented. You have not let truth slip by. 38. The noble nature of the good remains unchanged even at death. They do not forsake virtue. They fruitfully resort to Truth. 39. As far as we are concerned, you and the Kauravas ought to be equal. Still our partiality is towards the virtuous. This partiality is approved by the learned. 40. Virtue was at the outset abandoned by the wicked and blind Dhṛtarāṣṭra due to greed. Your kingdom was seized. 41. Undoubtedly you and they are his sons when your real father is dead. You are noble souls and hence you deserve to be viewed sympathetically. 42. Afterwards his son was never dissuaded by him. If only he had done so, this calamity would not have occurred. 43. Whatever has happened cannot be otherwise. He is wicked while all of you are virtuous and truthful. 44. Hence evil will befall only him in the end, to be sure. The seed that has been sown will germinate into a sprout. 45. Hence you need not feel distressed at all. Welfare will dawn on you. You need not entertain any doubt. 46. Thus the Pāṇḍavas were consoled and cheered by Vyāsa. Yudhiṣṭhira and others then spoke these words. 47. O lord, I have mentioned the truth. Even in the forest misery is being inflicted on us incessantly by the wicked and the evil-minded Kauravas again and again. 48. O holy lord, please dispel our distress. Something auspicious shall be bestowed upon us. We have been advised by Kṛṣṇa that Śiva shall be propitiated always. 49. We have committed a blunder in not following his advice. May divine lead be given to us again now. 50. On hearing these words, the delighted Vyāsa, remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and spoke to the Pāṇḍavas with pleasure. 51. O Pāṇḍavas, of virtuous mind, listen to my words. It has been truly stated by Kṛṣṇa. Śiva is being served by me too. 52. Let him be served by you with pleasure. Unequalled happiness shall always follow. It is only by not serving Śiva that miseries crop up. 53-54. After considering everything, the great sage Vyāsa pronounced Arjuna the most deserving among the five brothers in the worship of Śiva. Then pondering over the place worthy of the penance, the excellent sage spoke again to the Pāṇḍavas who were firmly established in virtuous rites. 55-56. O Pāṇḍavas, all of you hear. I shall tell you, what is ever good and wholesome. Śiva shall be viewed as the great Brahman and the goal of the good. Beginning with Brahmā and ending with infinity whatever is seen in the universe is Śiva’s form. It shall be honoured and meditated upon. 57. Śiva, the dispeller of all misery shall be served by all. Due to devotion, Śiva becomes pleased in a short time. 58. It is certain that the delighted Śiva bestows everything on his devotees. He gives worldly pleasures here and salvation hereafter. 59. Hence Śiva shall be always served by those who desire the fruits of worldly pleasures here and salvation hereafter. Śiva, the divine Puruṣa himself, is the slayer of the wicked and the goal of the good. 60. But one shall repeat the lore of Indra at the outset with steady mind. For a Kṣatriya of great lustre this alone is conducive to welfare. 61. Hence let Arjuna repeat the lore of Indra at first, steadily. In the beginning the lord will test him and will like to be satisfied with the test. 62. If he is delighted he will remove all obstacles. The lore will yield the granting of the boon by Śiva. 63. After saying this he called Arjuna and instructed him in the lore of Indra. Arjuna had his ceremonial bath and facing the east, he, of powerful intellect, received the lore. 64. The great sage gave him the rules of procedure for a king. The liberal-minded Vyāsa thus spoke to Arjuna. 65. O Arjuna, start from here and go this way to the beautiful mountain Indrakīla. There standing beside the river Gaṅgā perform the penance well. 66. The invisible lore will be beneficial to you. He gave him the blessings thus. The sage then spoke to all. 67. May all the excellent kings stand by virtue. The result will be excellent in every respect. No doubt need be entertained in this respect. 68. Blessing the Pāṇḍavas thus and remembering the lotus-like feet of Śiva, the great sage Vyāsa vanished in a moment.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. Arjuna then appeared very brilliant and lustrous assuming unequalled splendour by means of Śiva mantra. 2. On seeing Arjuna the Pāṇḍavas were convinced. “Surely success will be ours, since Arjuna has achieved an extensive splendour. 3. The task can be achieved only by you and not by anyone else. It appears so through the words of Vyāsa. Make your life fruitful.” 4. After saying this, all of them, dejected by the impending separation, reluctantly bade farewell to Arjuna. 5. The grief-stricken, chaste Draupadī, controlling her tears, bade farewell to Arjuna and said. 6. O king, you shall strenuously act according to the instructions of Vyāsa. May your path be auspicious. May Śiva be the benefactor. 7. After bidding farewell to Arjuna lovingly all those five, remained there, highly distressed. 8. O excellent sage, remaining there they spoke to one another. Listen. “Even in misery, if there is a meeting with beloved persons it lessens sorrow. 9. In separation, misery is doubled. Even the boldest cannot retain his courage.” 10. O great sage, while the Pāṇḍavas were thus in grief, the excellent sage Vyāsa, the ocean of mercy, arrived there. 11. The Pāṇḍavas honoured and bowed to him with respect after offering him a seat. In their misery they joined their palms in reverence and spoke. 12. O holy lord, O excellent sage, we are burning in grief but on seeing you we derive consolation and pleasure. 13. O lord, O brahmin sage, please stay here for sometime and dispel our grief. By your very sight our miseries are dispelled. 14. Thus requested, the excellent sage stayed there for their happiness, dispelling their grief by narrating various legends. 15. O good sage, in the course of conversation pursued with Vyāsa, Yudhiṣṭhira bowed to him humbly and spoke. 16. O excellent sage, listen. I seek for the alleviation of our grief. O intelligent one, I am putting this humble question. O lord, you shall kindly explain. 17. Has anyone formerly suffered this sort of grief? Verily we alone have had it. None else. 18. Formerly, Nala, the king of Niṣadha, the noble soul, had experienced a misery more than yours. 19. A great calamity and distress befell king Hariścandra. It cannot be adequately described. It makes others too distressed. 20. O Pāṇḍavas, even Rāma had to suffer that misery on hearing which men and women would be greatly affected. 21. Hence it is very difficult to explain this misery. The body is a heap of miseries. Considering this, you shall eschew all miseries. 22. By this misery alone is the body held and pervaded. There is no doubt in this. At the outset, the very birth in the mother’s womb is a cause of misery. 23. Even in infancy and childhood there is great misery in child’s sports. In youth man experiences misery even while enjoying pleasures. 24. When days come and go, when burdens of tasks are born in plenty, the life nears its end everyday. But man does not realize it. 25. In the end there is death. There is greater misery thereafter. There are different sorts of hellish trouble. All these are experienced by ignorant men. 26. Hence this world is untrue. You shall follow truth always. Man shall do such things as will statisfy Śiva. 27. Thus the brothers spent their time by various talks, discussions and schemes of all sorts. 28-30. Arjuna went over impassable mountains for the practice of his steady rites. He met a Yakṣa on the way and through him he slew many robbers. He was delighted in his mind and reached the excellent mountain. Near Gaṅgā he saw a beautiful spot with Aśoka groves. It was excellent like the heaven. He halted there, took his bath and bowed to his venerable preceptor. 31. He assumed dress and features according to his instructions. He curbed his sense organs and the mind and stood steady. 32. He made a clay idol of Śiva even and beautiful. In front of it he stood in meditation on the excellent heap of splendour. 33. He took baths thrice a day. He performed various sorts of worship. He performed the Upāsti form of worship of Śiva again and again. 34-35. Indra ’s spies saw the splendour-column coming out of his head. They were frightened by it. They thought within themselves—“When did he come in? Indra must be informed.” Saying so they went to Indra. 36. O lord of gods, we do not know who it is. Some one is performing a penance in the forest, a god, a sage, the sun or the fire. 37. We are scorched by his splendour and have come near you. We have told you the details. Please do what is proper. 38. Thus informed by the spies, Indra, the enemy of mountains, understood whatever his son Arjuna desired to do. He dismissed them and decided to go there to test him. 39. O leading brahmin, Indra, the lord of Śacī, assumed the form of an elderly brahmin bachelor and went there to test him. 40. On seeing him come, Arjuna worshipped him. After eulogising him he stood in front of him and said—“Whence do you come now? Please tell me” 41. The lord of gods thus requested by him spoke with a hint at testing his courage, out of love. 42. O dear, why do you perform the penance in your prime of youth? Is it for salvation or for victory? In every respect this penance of yours is useless. 43. Thus questioned by him he informed him of everything. On hearing that the brahmin spoke again. 44. This is not proper on your part to pursue this penance for achieving happiness or for salvation by means of Kṣatraic rites, O excellent scion of the Kurus. 45. Indra is the bestower of happiness and not of salvation. O excellent one, it behoves you therefore to perform a more excellent penance. 46. On hearing his words Arjuna was angry. Slighting it but humbly, Arjuna of good rites replied. 47. It is not for kingdom nor for salvation that this penance is resorted to. Why do you speak like this? I am performing this penance on the advice of Vyāsa. 48. O bachelor, go hence. Do you wish to cause my downfall? Of what use is this to you a bachelor? 49. On being addressed thus he was delighted. He revealed his wonderfully beautiful form with all paraphernalia to him. 50. On seeing the form of Indra, Arjuna was ashamed. Indra spoke to him again after consoling him. 51. “O dear, O Arjuna of great intellect, choose your boon, whatever you wish in your mind. There is nothing which cannot be given to you.” 52. On hearing the words of Indra, Arjuna replied “O father, bless me with victory. I am afflicted by enemies in every respect.” 53. Your enemies, Duryodhana and others are very powerful. Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Karṇa and others are certainly invincible. 54. Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa and a part of Rudra, is extremely invincible. But they can be withstood through me. Listen to what is wholesome to you. 55. O hero, none is capable of performing this Japa. Śiva is the greatest of all. Hence perform the Japa of Śiva now. 56. Śiva is the lord of worlds, the mobile and immobile beings. He is the lord of heaven. He can do everything. He is the bestower of worldly pleasures and salvation. 57. I, Brahmā and others, Viṣṇu the bestower of boons and those who crave for victory are the devotees of Śiva. 58. Now onwards leave that mantra and worship Śiva with devotion through the rules laid down for the worship of his day phallic image and by contemplating on him. 59. O Bhārata, by your devotional feelings and modes of service, you worship Śiva. Your achievement will be unshakable. No doubt need be entertained in this respect. 60. After saying this he called out his spies and said—“All of you shall be cautious and attentive in protecting him always.” 61. Thus alerting his spies for the protection to be accorded to Arjuna, Indra spoke again to Arjuna with his heart full of fondness and affection. 62. O Gentle one, O terrifier of enemies, you shall not commit blunders in the administration of your kingdom. This mantra will be conducive to your glory. 63. Always courage shall be maintained by an aspirant. Śiva the protector will give you riches and the fruits of your desire. This is undoubtedly true. 64. After giving the boon to Arjuna, the lord of gods remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and went to his abode. 65. The heroic Arjuna bowing to the lord of gods, performed the penance with controlled mind with Śiva as his goal.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. He performed the ablution duly, and the Nyāsa (the mystic placing of fingers etc.) in accordance with the Śāstric injunctions. He performed the meditation of Śiva with great devotion in the manner explained by Vyāsa. 2. Like a great sage, he stood on the sole of a single foot. He fixed one of his eyes at the sun and stood repeating the mantra. 3. Repeating the five-syllabled mantra of Śiva the most excellent of all the mantras and mentally remembering Śiva with pleasure he performed the penance. 4. The splendour of the penance was such that the gods were surprised. They went to Śiva again and told him sincerely. 5. O lord of all, a penance is being performed by a man for your propiation. O lord, why don’t you grant him what he desires. 6. After saying this the gods eulogised him in different ways. Fixing their eyes to his feet they stood there in agony. 7. On hearing their words the lord of benevolent mind, the delighted Śiva laughingly spoke thus to the gods, 8. O gods, you go to your abodes. Undoubtedly I shall carry out your task in every respect. 9. On hearing those words of Śīva, they became assured. They therefore returned to their abodes. 10-13. In the meantime there came the demon Mūka, instigated by the wicked Duryodhana, wielding Māyā against Arjuna. O great brahmin, he had assumed the form of a boar. He came along the path where Arjuna was staying. He was digging up the peaks of mountains and trees in plenty. He was roaring and grunting in diverse ways and was rushing at a great speed. On seeing the demon Mūka, Arjuna remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and began to think. 14. Who is this? Where does he come from? He seems to be very ruthless in actions. Certainly he is coming here to harm me. 15. It occurs to me that he is my enemy, to be sure. Formerly many Daityas and Dānavas had been killed by me. 16. He may be one of those come here to wreak vengeance. Or he may be some friend of Duryodhana acting for his welfare. 17. Verily he is a benefactor on seeing whom the mind becomes pleased. If on seeing anyone the mind is agitated he is surely an enemy. 18. The conduct declares the family, the body declares the diet, the mode of speech declares the amount of learning and the eye indicates the affection. 19. The concealed mind is revealed by the general mien, the mode of walking, the activities, the speech, the features of the eyes and the face. 20. The eye is of four sorts—the resplendent, the impassioned the squinted and the ruddy. The features are likewise different, O scholars. 21. It is resplendent, when friends meet. It is impassioned at the sight of the son. It is squinted in contact with the beloved and it is ruddy at the sight of the enemy. 22. In regard to him my sense-organs are excited. He must be an enemy. Undoubtedly he shall be killed. 23. I remember the words of my preceptor now—“O king, a person causing misery shall be killed by you by all means. No doubt need be entertained in this respect. 24. It is only for this purpose that I hold the weapons. There is no doubt in this.” After thinking thus he placed the arrow ready there and stood up. 25-26. In the meantime, Śiva, favourably disposed to his devotees, assumed the wonderful form of an efficient hunter and came there along with his Gaṇas in order to slay that Daitya, to protect Arjuna as well as to test his devotion. 27. The hunter had tucked up his lion-cloth and folded up Śiva’s banner. His body was lined with the white ash. He held a bow and arrows. 28. He carried the quiver suspended over his back. The Gaṇas too assumed the form of hunters. Śiva too became the chief of Bhillas. 29. The Commander-in-Chief started various sounds. The grunting sound of the boar too spread over the quarters. 30. Arjuna was excited by the sound that spread in the forest. Even the mountains were agitated by these sounds. 31. “Oh, can this be Śiva the benefactor? I have heard about this as mentioned by Kṛṣṇa. 32. Vyāsa too has mentioned and the gods too. Śiva is mentioned as the benefactor. Śiva is the cause of happiness. 33. He is called “the bestower of salvation” because he bestows salvation upon his devotees. Undoubtedly welfare befalls those who remember his names. 34. Even in dreams, misery does not befall those who worship him with devotion. If it happens at all, it is due to their previous activities. 35. That must happen whether big or small. The fault is particularly that of the action that has begun to fructify. 36. Or Śiva may dispel the misery by his will, after one has experienced the fruits of one’s action big or small. 37. He can convert poison into nectar and nectar into poison. Whatever he wishes he certainly does. How can an efficient man be thwarted? 38-40. Devotees of yore and future devotees must keep their mind steady after considering all those aspects, whether one is in affluent circumstances or not, whether death is imminent or not or whether people praise or censure. Misery is quelled. Śiva is always the bestower of happiness through the merit and sin of individuals. Sometimes Śiva makes us miserable in order to test us. 41. Since he is compassionate he is said to be the bestower of happiness ultimately. A gold piece can become pure only when it is put into the fire and purified. 42. This has been heard by me from the Sage. Hence I shall attain blessed happiness through his worship alone.” 43. While he was musing thus, the boar came within the range of his arrow-discharge. 44-45. In order to protect Arjuna, Śiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees, came there closely pursuing the boar. Between the two the animal rushed on and then halted. A wonderful horn was seen. 46. Then both of them discharged the arrow. Śiva’s arrow hit the tail, Arjuna’s arrow hit the snout. 47-48. Śiva’s arrow hit the tail and stopped at the snout. It struck the ground and entered it. Arjuna’s arrow pierced through the body. It came out of the tail and fell at its side. The boar who was a Daitya fell dead on the ground. 49. The gods were much delighted. They showered flowers. Bowing down and eulogising they cried shouts of victory. 50. On seeing the cruel form of the Daitya, Śiva was glad and Arjuna was happy. 51-52. With an excessively happy mind Arjuna said—“O this is a huge Daitya. He had assumed this wonderful form and had come here to kill me. But I have been saved by śiva. Lord Śiva has given me keen intelligence. There is no doubt in this.” 53. After thinking thus Arjuna repeated Śiva’s name. He bowed to Śiva and eulogised him again and again.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O omniscient Sanatkumāra, listen to the sport of the great soul Śiva full of affection for the devotee and to the test of its stability. 2. Śiva immediately sent his attendant to fetch the arrow. The Arjuna too came there. 3. The Gaṇa and Arjuna reached the place simultaneously for the arrow. Arjuna rebuked him and took up his arrow. 4. The Gaṇa said—“O excellent sage, why do you take this arrow? The arrow is mine. Leave it off.” 5. O excellent sage, thus addressed by the Gaṇa of the Bhilla, Arjuna remembered Śiva and spoke. 6. O forest-roamer, what do you say without understanding? You are a fool. This arrow had been discharged by me just now. How can it be yours? 7. It is engraved with my name in many lines. The feathers are mine. How does it become yours? You insist according to your wild nature. 8. On hearing his words, the leader of the Gaṇas laughed and spoke to Arjuna who was in the garb of a sage. 9. O sage, listen. You are a sage in disguise. You are not a true sage. You do not perform penance. People are being deceived by you. 10. How can a saint utter a lie? Do not take me to be single-handed. Know me to be the commander-in-chief. 11. My master is sitting there with many hunters. In every respect, he is capable of destroying or blessing you. 12. It is his arrow that has been taken by you now. This arrow will never remain with you. 13-14. O sage, why do you wish to lose the fruit of your penance? Truly have I heard that penance is marred and wasted by theft, pride afflicted by deceit and the breaking of promise. Hence O sage, whence will you derive the fruit of penance? 15. If you do not give up this arrow you will be an ungrateful fellow. It was certainly to save you that my master discharged this arrow. 16. Your enemy has been killed by him and you have kept the arrow to yourself. Very ungrateful indeed are you. You are making your own penance fruitless. 17. You do not speak the truth. What you wish to gain thereby? If you have any need for the arrow, you may approach my master and request him. 18. He can give you many similar arrows. My master is here. Why don’t you request him? 19. Unmindful of his help to you, you wish him harm. This does not behove you. Eschew this fickleness; 20. On hearing his words, Arjuna, son of Pṛthā, was angry. After remembering Śiva, he spoke these measured words. 21. O hunter, listen. I shall explain. Your words are not true. O forest-wanderer, I know you. You are true to the caste in which you are born. 22. I am a king. You are a thief. How can a war be pursued? I must fight with people equal in strength to me, never with base people. 23. Your master will be only like you. We are the benevolent donors and you the forest-dwellers, thieves. 24. How can the king of foresters be requested by me now? O forest-wanderer, why don’t you beg the arrow of me? 25. I shall readily give you the arrows. Certainly I have many. If a king docs not give what is taken, your objection may come up. 26 Then O forester, how can I simply give away the arrow, if what I am desirous of doing is not being understood? 27-28. Why should there be a long talk? Let your master come and fight with me. Defeating me in the battle, let him take the arrow and return to his abode. Why should there be any delay? 29. On hearing these words of Arjuna who derived his strength from the mercy of lord Śiva, the forester spoke these words. 30. You are ignorant. You are not a sage. Why do you invite death? Give up the arrow and stay here happily or you will come to grief. 31. Thus challenged by the forester who derived his strength from Śiva and who was a Gaṇa, Arjuna, son of Pāṇḍu remembered Śiva and said. 32. O forester, listen attentively to my words. If your master comes here I shall show my strength. 33. It does not behove me to fight with you. I shall fight with your master. The fight between a lion and a jackal is very ridiculous. 34. You have heard my words. You shall see my strength now. O Bhilla, return to your master. Do as you please. 35. O sage, thus addressed by Arjuna, the Bhilla returned to the place where the general Kirāta, the incarnation of Śiva, stood. 36. He mentioned Arjuna’s talk in detail to lord Śiva, the great soul in the form of Bhilla. 37. On hearing his words, lord Kirāta was much delighted. It was Śiva dressed as a Bhilla who had come there with his army. 38. On seeing Kirāta with his army, Arjuna, son of Pāṇdu, took up his bow and arrows and faced him. 39. Then Kirāta sent the messenger again and through him delivered the message to Arjuna, the great soul. 40. O sage, see this army coming. Give up the arrow and go away. Why do you seek death for a trifle. 41. Your brothers are in distress. Your wife is grief-stricken. I think your kingdom will slip off your hands, I am sure. 42. It was just to test the firmness of Arjuna that the great lord said this, the great lord Śiva who had assumed that form to protect Arjuna by all means. 43. What the lord said, the Gaṇa of Śiva mentioned that to Arjuna in detail after approaching him. 44. On hearing that, Arjuna replied to the messenger “You shall tell your general that the reverse of what he says will happen to him. 45. If I were to give up the arrow that belongs to me I shall be the cause of ignominy to my family. 46. Well may my brothers be distressed. Let all my knowledge be fruitless. So, come on to fight with me. 47. No lion is ever frightened of a jackal. A king is never afraid of a forester.” 48. Thus replied by Arjuna the Bhilla returned to his master and conveyed all that Arjuna had said. 49. Lord Śiva, a Kirāta, heard the message and approached Arjuna along with his army. Article published on 27 October, 2018

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. On seeing him come, Arjuna meditated on Śiva and fought with him a terrible battle. 2. He was severely afflicted by the Gaṇas with many sharp weapons. Thus tortured by them Arjuna remembered lord Śiva. 3. Arjuna split the arrows discharged by Kirāta and his gaṇas. Then he thought upon Śiva. 4. When distressed by him, the Gaṇas fled to the quarters. Then Śiva summoned the chief Gaṇas. But they did not respond to his call. 5. Śiva and Arjuna of great strength and exploit fought each other with various weapons of war. 6. Taking pity on him Śiva approached Arjuna, but Arjuna hit him heavily. 7. Śiva split the weapons of Arjuna as well as his armour. Arjuna stood in his bare body. 8. Although afflicted by fear, Arjuna remembered Śiva and fought a duel with the general spiritedly. 9. The earth along with the oceans shook due to their fight. “What will happen now?” Thinking thus, the gods were distressed. 10. In the meantime, lord Śiva stood in mid-air and fought. Arjuna too did likewise. 11. Flying at each other, lord Śiva and the earthly king Arjuna fought with each other. On seeing that wonderful battle the gods were surprised. 12. Then Arjuna came to the ground, remembered the lotus-like feet of Śiva and caught hold of his feet deriving sufficient strength, thanks to his meditation on Śiva. 13. Catching hold of his feet, Arjuna whirled him. Lord Śiva, favourably disposed towards his disciples, laughed indulging in divine sports. 14. O sage, it was surely done by Śiva himself who is subservient to his devotees. It could not be otherwise as this was just to grant him his devotion. 15. Then Śiva smiled and revealed his wonderful auspicious form as he is always well disposed to his devotees. 16-17. On seeing that beautiful form, the form of the excellent supreme being as mentioned in the Vedas, Śāstras and Purāṇas, the form which Vyāsa had advised him to meditate upon, the form which bestows alt Siddhis, the form of Śiva, Arjuna was abashed and surprised much. 18. “Hā, this is Śiva, this is Śiva who has been chosen by me as my lord, the lord of the three worlds himself. O what a thing have I committed now! 19. Powerful indeed is the Māyā of the lord. It deludes even the wielders of Māyā. Why have I been deceived by the lord who concealed his own form.” 20. After thinking thus within himself he joined his palms in reverence and bending his head he bowed to the lord with pleasure. Then he spoke in a delighted manner. 21. O great god, O lord of gods, O Śiva the merciful, O lord of all, my fault shall be forgiven by you. 22. What you have done? By concealing your own form you have deceived me now. Fie on me who fought with you, my master, O lord. 23. Thus Arjuna, son of Pāṇḍu, repented. He fell at the feet of lord Śiva. 24. Cheering up in various ways the delighted lord Śiva, favourably disposed to his devotees, replied to Arjuna. 25. O Arjuna, do not worry yourself. You are a great devotee of mine. I have done this just to test you. Give up your sorrow. 26. After saying this and lifting Arjuna with his own hands, the lord rid him of his bashfulness through his own lordly qualities. 27. Delighting Arjuna, son of Pāṇḍu, honoured by heroes, Śiva, favourably disposed towards his devotees, spoke to him with pleasure. 28. O Arjuna, foremost among the sons of Pāṇḍu, I am delighted. Choose your boon. By your hits and blows I have been worshipped by you. I consider it so. 29. This has been done by my own will. The fault is not yours. There is nothing which cannot be given to you. Choose whatever you desire. 30. In order to establish the rule of your fame among your enemies what you have done is auspicious. You shall not be struck with grief. Eschew all your feebleness. 31. Thus addressed by lord Śiva, Arjuna stood carefully and spoke to Śiva with devotion. 32. O good lord, O Sadāśiva, is your desire, is your compassion to be described by me? You are the favourite of your devotees, you are Śiva, the bestower of welfare. 33. After saying this, the son of Pāṇḍu eulogised Śiva the great lord, devotedly, in the manner approved of by the Vedas. 34. “Obeisance to you the lord of gods. Obeisance to you the resident of Kailāsa. O Sadāśiva, obeisance to you. Obeisance to you, the five-faced one. 35. Obeisance to Kapardin (one with matted hair), obeisance to you, the three-eyed. Obeisance to the delighted one, obeisance to the thousand-faced. 36. O blue-necked one, obeisance to you. Obeisance to Sadyojāta. O bull-bannered one, obeisance to you with Pārvatī as your left half. 37. O ten-armed one, Obeisance to you the great soul. Obeisance to you holding the drum and the skull in your hands. Obeisance to you, the one wearing a garland of skulls. 38. Obeisance to you with the body refulgent like pure crystal and pure camphor, obeisance to you with the Pināka in your hand, obeisance to the bearer of the excellent Trident. 39. Obeisance to the one with the tiger hide as the upper cloth; obeisance to the wearer of elephant’s hide. Obeisance to you with your body encircled by the serpents. Obeisance to you the supporter of Gaṅgā. 40. Obeisance to you of splendid, reddish feet, worthy to be served by Nandin and other Gaṇas. Obeisance to you, the chief of Gaṇas. 41. Obeisance to one in the form of Gaṇeśa, followed by Kārttikeya. Obeisance to the bestower of devotion and salvation to the devotees. 42. Obeisance to you devoid of attributes. Obeisance to you possessed of attributes. Obeisance to one with and without forms, having digits and devoid of digits. 43. Obeisance to the one who blessed me in the form of Kirāta. Obeisance to the one who is fond of fighting with heroes, obeisance to the one performing various sports. 44. Whatever splendid form is seen, its splendour is yours. You are in the form of pure consciousness. You sport about inṣṭhe three worlds in different guises. 45. There is no limit to your excellences as that of the dust particles, or stars in the sky or rain-drops. 46. Even the Vedas cannot enumerate your good qualities. O lord, how can I, deficient in intellect, describe any? 47. Whatever be your nature, obeisance be to you. It behoves you to take pity. O lord, I am your slave, O lord Śiva, you arc my master. 48. On hearing his words, lord Śiva, who was highly delighted spoke to Arjuna delightedly. 49. Of what avail is a long talk? Listen to my words. O son, choose your boon quickly. I shall give you everything. 50. Thus urged by him, Arjuna bowed to Sadāśiva with palms joined in reverence and with head bending down. He spoke with words choked with devotion 51. What shall I say? You are the immanent Soul of all. Still let my detailed explanation be heard by you, O lord. 52. Whatever danger I had from enemies has vanished at your sight. Please do that which may confer worldly Siddhis on me. 53. After saying this and bowing to Śiva who is favourably disposed to his devotees, Arjuna stood by with shoulder drooping down and palms joined in reverence. 54. Seeing Arjuna, son of Pāṇḍu, the foremost of his devotees, lord Śiva was extremely glad and satisfied. 55. Lord Śiva gave him Pāśupata missile that could not be thwarted by anyone at any time and spoke thus. 56. I have given you my own great missile. You will become invincible thereby. You will reap success over your enemies through this. 57. I shall tell Kṛṣṇa also. He will help you. He is my own soul, my devotee and he carries out my task. 58. O Bharata, due to my power, you will rule over your kingdom unhindered. You shall perform righteous deeds of various kinds always along with your brother. 59. After saying this and placing his hand over his head, Śiva vanished after being duly worshipped by Arjuna. 60. The delighted Arjuna, after obtaining the excellent missile from the lord, returned to his hermitage remembering devotedly his chief preceptor and Śiva. 61. When he arrived, his brother felt fully revived as the body with vital airs. They felt happy at his sight. Draupadī of good rites was also delighted. 62. The delighted Pāṇḍavas were not satiated by hearing the details from Arjuna and knowing that Śiva was satisfied. 63. There was a shower of flowers and the sandal paste in the hermitage for honouring Arjuna the enemy of the boar and the Pāṇḍavas. 64. By bowing to Śiva joyously and realising that the time-limit had arrived, they knew that success was at hand. 65. In the meantime, on hearing that Arjuna had returned, Kṛṣṇa came there to see him. He was very happy, 66. Therefore I say that Śiva is the dispeller of all miseries. He is always served by me. Let him be served by you. 67. Thus the incarnation of Śiva as Kirāta has been explained to you. He who hears and narrates this obtains all desires.

[ Sanskrit text for this chapter is available ] 1. O sage, now listen to the twelve incarnations of the lord in the form of jyotirliṅgas, the cause of diverse sports. 2-4. The jyotirliṅgas are— Somanātha in the Saurāṣṭra territory; Mallikārjuna on the mountain Śrīśaila; Mahākāla in Ujjayinī; Amareśvara in Oṃkāra Māndhatā; Kedāra on the Himalaya; Bhīmaśaṅkara in the city of Dākinī; Viśveśvara in the city of Vārāṇasī; Tryambaka on the banks of Gautamī; Vaidyanātha in the cremation ground; Nāgeśa in the forest of Dārukā; Rāmeśvara in the Setubandha Ghuśmeśvara in the Śiva temple. 5. O sage, the twelve incarnations of the supreme soul are wholly delightful to all men for seeing and touching. 6. There, the first one, Somanātha, annihilated the distress of the moon. O sage, by worshipping, it dispels the ailments of consumption, leprosy etc. 7. This incarnation of Śiva, Someśa, is stationed in the auspicious land of Saurāṣṭra, in the form of a phallic image. It was worshipped by the moon formerly. 8. Candarakuṇḍa (the pond of the Moon) is there itself and it destroys all sins. By bathing there a man becomes intelligent and gets rid of his ailments. 9. On seeing Someśvara, the great phallic image of Śīva, people are freed from sin. They attain worldly pleasures and salvation. 10. O dear, the second incarnation of Śiva Mallikārjuna, on the mountain, Śrīśaila, is the bestower of the desires of devotees. 11. O sage, Śiva went there from his mountain, with great pleasure in order to see his son Kārttikeya. It is stationed there in the form of the phallic image. 12. It is the second Jyotirliṅga. O sage, it, is very pleasing. By seeing and worshipping it one derives salvation hereafter. There is no doubt in this. 13. O dear, Śiva incarnated himself as Mahākāla in the city of Ujjayinī for the protection of his devotees. 14-15. The demon Dūṣaṇa, a resident of Ratnamāla, was a defiler of Vedic rites, a hater of brahmins and destroyer of everyone. When he reached Ujjayinī, the lord was meditated upon by the sons of the Vedic brahmins. He reduced the demon to ashes by a mere Huṃkāra. 16. After killing him, on being requested by the gods; lord Mahākāla stayed there in the form of a Jyotirliṅga. He continues to protect his devotees. 17. By seeing and strenuously worshipping the phallic image of Mahākāla, the devotee attains his desires and the greatest goal. 18. The fourth incarnation of Śiva the supreme soul, the great lord in Oṃkāra Māndhātā is a bestower of the desires of his devotees. 19. O sage, lord Śiva manifested himself from his earthen phallic image devoutly installed by Brahmā and he fulfilled the desires of the mountain. 20. On being requested by the gods the lord in the form of his phallic image stayed there two-fold, bestowing worldly pleasures and salvation and being favourably disposed towards his devotees. 21. The excellent phallic image abides in the syllable Oṃkāra. O great sage, it also abides in the earthen phallic image in Oṃkāra Māndhātā. 22. O sage, O great sage, whatever is seen or worshipped ill the extremely divine phallic image described to you is the bestower of the desires of all devotees. 23. The fifth great incarnation of Śiva is the Kedāreśā. He is stationed in Kedāra in the form of Jyotirliṅga. 24. It was at the request of the twofold incarnations of Viṣṇu, named Nara and Nārāyaṇa that Śiva stayed in Kedāra on the mountain Himavat, O sage. 25. Śiva named Kedāreśvara was worshipped everyday by them. He is the bestower of the desires of the devotees, by his sight and worship. 26. Although he is the lord of all, he is the particular reigning deity of this territory. O dear that incarnation of Śiva is the bestower of all desires. 27. The sixth incarnation of Śiva, the great lord named Bhīmaśaṅkara, performed great sports. He destroyed the demon Bhīma. 28. After killing this wonderfully lusty demon who caused misery to the devotees, the lord saved the devotee Sudakṣiṇa who was the king of Kāmarūpa. 29. Requested by him Śiva himself in the name of Bhimaśaṅkara stayed in Ḍākinī in the form of Jyotirliṅga. 30. O sage, the seventh incarnation as Viśveśvara at Kāśī is in the form of the entire cosmic egg. It yields worldly pleasures and salvation. 31. He is always worshipped by Viṣṇu and all other gods as well as Kubera and Bhairava. 32. He is stationed there in the form of Jyotirliṅga. In his own city the lord is in the form of Siddha and he confers salvation. 33. Those who repeat the names of Kāśī and Viśvśa and perform their Japa with devotion become unaffected by actions and reach the state of Kaivalya. 34. The eighth incarnation Tryambaka of the moon-crested lord Śiva made its appearance on the banks of the river Gautamī on being requested by the sage Gautama. 35. At the request of Gautama and with a desire to delight that sage, the lord stood there motionless in the form of Jyotirliṅga. 36. All desires fructify at the sight and touch of the great lord. Thereafter salvation too is attained. 37. With the blessings of Śiva, and pleased with Gautama, the holy river Gaṅgā, the beloved of Śiva, stayed there in the name of Gautamī. 38. The ninth incarnation is glorified as Vaidyanātha. The lord indulging in many sports manifested himself for the sake of Rāvaṇa. 39. Under the pretext of fetching him, lord Śiva was installed in the cremation ground in the form of Jyotirliṅga. 40. The lord in the name of Vaidyanātha became famous in the three worlds. Seeing and worshipping him with devotion yields worldly pleasures and salvation. 41. O sage, this benedictory passage referring to the greatness of Śiva in the name of Vaidyanātheśvara yields worldly pleasures and salvation to those who read and listen. 42. The incarnation of Nāgeśvara is glorified as the tenth one. The lord manifested himself as the chastiser of the wicked for his devotees. 43. He killed the Rākṣasa Dāruka, a violator of virtue. He saved his devotee Supriya who was a merchant king. 44. In order to help all the worlds, Śiva, the great indulgent in sports, remained there assuming the form of Jyotirliṅga, accompanied by Pārvatī. 45. O sage, at the sight of Śiva’s phallic image named Nāgeśvara and thanks to its worship, heaps of great sins perish immediately. 46. O sage, the incarnation of Śiva is the eleventh one. It was pleasing to Rāma and it was installed by him. 47. Duly propitiated by Rāma, Śiva who is favourably disposed towards his devotees manifested himself in the phallic image and granted the boon of victory to him. 48. O sage, the lord, implored ardently by Rāma and propitiated by Rāma stayed at Setubandha in the form of Jyotirliṅga. 49. The grandeur of Rāmeśvara in the world was wonderful and incomparable, yielding worldly pleasures and salvation and bestowing the desires of the devotees ever. 50. The man who performs the ablution of Rāmeśvara is really a living liberated soul. 51. After enjoying all worldly pleasures here, and then getting perfect knowledge, he shall obtain salvation hereafter. 52. The incarnation of Śiva as Ghuśmeśvara is the twelfth wherein the lord indulged in different sports and conferred bliss on Ghuśmā. He is favourably disposed towards his devotees. 53. O sage, the lord manifested himself in a lake near the Devaśaila in the southern quarter acting favourably to Ghuśmā. 54. O sage, Śiva who is favourably disposed towards his devotees entirely revived the son of Ghuśmā who was killed by Sudehya. He was so pleased with her devotion. 55. At her request, Śiva stayed in the lake in the form of Jyotirliṅga Ghuśmeśvara conferring desires to the devotees. 56. The man who secs that phallic image and worships it with devotion enjoys happiness here and attains salvation hereafter. 57. Thus I have explained to you the series of divine Jyotirliṅgas twelve in number yielding both worldly pleasures and salvation. 58. He who reads or listens to this narrative of Jyotirliṅgas becomes freed of all sins and derives worldly pleasures and salvation. 59. Thus I have described the compendium Śatarudra by name which glorifies the hundred incarnations of Śiva and yields the fruits of desires. 60. He who reads this always or listens to it devotedly attains all desires and then becomes liberated, to be sure.