Skandapurana 1.3.34.7

1.3.34.7

6 śaunakādibhiḥ śaṃkarasya mūrtiṃ vihāya liṃgapūjāpravṛttiviṣayake praśne kṛte sati lomaśena sūtena-liṃgapūjāpravṛttivṛttāntanirūpaṇam. tatra dāruvane śaṃkarasya nagnatayā bhikṣārthamaṭamānasya digaṃbaraṃ sundaraṃ svarūpaṃ nirīkṣya mohitānāṃ samastamunipatnīnāṃ śaṃkarapṛṣṭhato'nugamanama, tāsāṃ tamanugamanena svāśramāñchūnyānnirīkṣya kupitānāṃ teṣāmṛṣīṇāṃ śāpena śivasya liṃgapatanam, patitena tena liṃgena carācarasamastabrahmāṃḍaṃ vyāpyaikarūpeṇāvasthānam, taddṛṣṭvā cakitaiḥ surādibhirviṣṇubrahmaṇoḥ prārthanā, devaprārthanayā liṃgaparyaṃtaśodhanāya pātāle viṣṇorgamanama, svarge ca brahmaṇo gamanam, brahmaṇo merupṛṣṭhe surabhīdarśanam, ketakīdarśanaṃ ca, brahmaprārthanayā surabhīketakībhyāṃ 'brahmaṇā liṃgamastakaṃ dṛṣṭam iti mṛṣā sākṣyapradānapratijñānānantaraṃ brahmaṇaḥ pratyāvṛtya punaḥ pūrvasthānaṃ pratyāgamanam, devāgre ca surabhīketakībhyāṃ mṛṣāsākṣyapradānapūrvakaṃ 'mayā liṅgamastakaṃ dṛṣṭam, iti mithyāprauḍhivādakathanam, bhṛgvādibhiśca tadanumodanam, viṣṇunā ca pātālātpratyāvṛtya sarvadevāgre 'mayā liṅgānto na dṛṣṭaḥ' iti satyabhāṣaṇakathanam, surabhīketakyormṛṣoktimākarṇya kupitena bhagavatā-ākāśavāṇyā-apavitramukhatveta surabhyāḥ, śivapūjānarhatvena ketakyāḥ, apūjyatvena brahmaṇaḥ, kleśādibhāgitvena tadanumodakānāṃ bhṛgvādibrāhmaṇānāṃ ca śāpapradānam, evamākāśavāṇyā śaptānāṃ brahmādīnāṃ liṅgaṃ prati śaraṇagamanam.. ............. 10 1

6. When Śaunaka and the others asked about the origin of worshipping the liṅga rather than Śaṃkara's anthropomorphic form, Lomaśa Sūta set forth the account of the origin of liṅga worship: There, while Śaṃkara was wandering naked in the Dāruvana forest to beg for alms, all the wives of the sages were infatuated upon seeing his sky-clad, handsome form and followed after Śaṃkara. Seeing their hermitages deserted because of the women following him, the enraged ṛṣis cursed Śiva, causing his liṅga to fall off. The fallen liṅga expanded uniformly, pervading the entire universe of moving and unmoving beings. Seeing this, the gods and others were astonished and prayed to Viṣṇu and Brahmā. At the prayer of the gods, Viṣṇu went to Pātāla and Brahmā went to heaven to find the liṅga's ends. Brahmā saw Surabhi and Ketakī on the ridge of Mount Meru. At Brahmā's request, Surabhi and Ketakī promised to give false testimony that "the top of the liṅga was seen by Brahmā," after which Brahmā returned to his former place. Before the gods, through the false testimony of Surabhi and Ketakī, he boastfully made the false claim, "I have seen the top of the liṅga," and Bhṛgu and others confirmed it. Viṣṇu, having returned from Pātāla, spoke truthfully before all the gods: "I did not see the end of the liṅga." Hearing the false words of Surabhi and Ketakī, the Lord was angered and, through a disembodied voice, cursed Surabhi with having an impure mouth, Ketakī with being unfit for Śiva's worship, Brahmā with being unworthy of worship, and Bhṛgu and the other brahmins who had concurred with it with experiencing suffering and adversity. Thus, cursed by the disembodied voice, Brahmā and the others took refuge in the liṅga. 10 1