Skandapurana 1.3.6: adhyāyaḥ 8

Lomaśa said: / “Formerly there was also a thief, O brahmin, excluded from all duties; / he was a killer of a brahmin, a drinker of liquor, and a thief of gold,

lecherous, of great sin, ever [lusting] after noble women, / always a gambler, foolish, keeping company with rogues.

Once, as he was gambling, an astonishing game of dice was lost [by him]. / Oppressed by the gamblers, he said nothing at that time.

Although tormented, he fell silent. That foremost sinner was told by them: / ‘That money was lost by you in the gamble; will you pay it?

Or not? Say that quickly, in truth, O evil-minded one!’ / And he said: ‘What was lost, I will pay tonight.’

Released by them at that word, those gamblers and the rest departed. / Then at midnight he went to a temple of Śiva.

Having climbed onto the head of Śambhu, he was prepared to take the bell. / Just then, upon the peak of Kailāsa, Śambhu spoke to his attendants:

‘What has been done by this man today is greater than all on earth! / He is the foremost of all devotees and dear to me.’

Having spoken thus, he sent for him with the gaṇas headed by Vīrabhadra; / they all went swiftly from Kailāsa, beloved of Śiva.

The three worlds were made to resound by all with the sound of the ḍamaru. / Seeing them, quickly descending from the top of the liṅga, / that evil-minded thief immediately took to flight.

Seeing him fleeing, Vīrabhadra called out to him:

‘Why do you fear, O fool? The God of gods, Maheśvara, / has become pleased with you today, for he is of noble conduct!’

Having spoken thus and placing him in an aerial chariot, he came to Kailāsa. / Indeed, that thief was made an attendant by the Great-souled One.

Therefore, devotion to Śiva should be cultivated by all embodied beings; / even beasts would be worthy of worship, how much more so humans on earth?

Those logicians devoted to logic, and those who are Mīmāṃsakas, / others who debate with one another, and others who engage in idle speculation about the self—

they do not reach agreement, excluded from the worship of Śiva. / And those by whom logic is practiced, what are they all without Śiva?

So what is the use of speaking much? All moving and unmoving / living beings are born simply bearing the liṅga.

Just as a liṅga joined with a pedestal is established, / so men are joined with the liṅga, and likewise women constitute the pedestal.

This entire universe, moving and unmoving, is endowed with Śiva and Śakti. / The foolish who, having abandoned that Śiva out of stupidity, worship another,

seek a trivial, perishable duty, transient in a moment. / He who is Viṣṇu should be known as Śiva; he who is Śiva is Viṣṇu alone.

The pedestal is the form of Viṣṇu, [and] Maheśvara is in the form of the liṅga; / therefore the worship of the liṅga is the best for all, O twice-born!

Brahmā constantly worships an auspicious liṅga made of gems; / Indra, a liṅga made of jewels, and likewise Candra, one made of pearls.

The Sun constantly worships an auspicious liṅga made of copper; / Kubera, a golden liṅga; and the bearer of the noose, one of red [gem].

Yama [worships] a liṅga made of sapphire, and Nairṛta likewise one of silver; / Pavana constantly worships a liṅga of saffron for the Lord.

In this way all those world-protectors, together with Indra, are devoted to the liṅga; / likewise all those in Pātāla, the gandharvas together with kinnaras.

Among the daityas, some were Vaiṣṇavas, headed by Prahlāda, O twice-born; / and likewise among the rākṣasas, led by Vibhīṣaṇa.

Bali, Namuci, Hiraṇyakaśipu, / Vṛṣaparvan, Vṛṣa, Saṃhrāda, and Bāṇa—

these and many other disciples of the wise Śukra, / all those daityas and dānavas were thus devoted to the worship of Śiva.

All those rākṣasas were ever engaged in Śiva's worship: / Heti, Praheti, Saṃyāti, Vighasa, and Praghasa.

Vidyujjihva, Tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭra, Dhūmrākṣa of dreadful prowess, / and Mālī, Sumālī, and the very terrifying Mālyavān; 8.30

Vidyutkeśa, Taḍijjihva, and the mighty Rāvaṇa, / Kumbhakarṇa, difficult to overcome, Vegadarśin, and Pratāpavān— 8.31

these foremost rākṣasas were ever devoted to worshipping Śiva. / By continually worshipping the liṅga in ancient times, they attained perfection. 8.32

Rāvaṇa performed austerity that brought sorrow even to all. / Then Mahādeva, the lord of austerities, was exceedingly pleased. 8.33

He then granted boons that were difficult for anyone to obtain. / Knowledge accompanied by realization was received by him from Sadāśiva, 8.34

as well as invincibility in battle and a doubling of his heads: / Mahādeva having five faces, Rāvaṇa then had ten faces. 8.35

Having vanquished the gods, seers, and ancestors through his austerity, the powerful one, / by the grace of Maheśa, surpassed all beings. 8.36

The great king, lord of Trikūṭa, was made [such] by Maheśa, / and he took the supreme throne over all the rākṣasas. 8.37

The tormenting of seers that was done by that ascetic Rāvaṇa / was done to test the ascetics, O brahmins! 8.38

For Rāvaṇa, who made the world weep, became invincible and great; / a different creation was made by him through the grace of Śaṃkara. 8.39

The guardians of the worlds were conquered by that ascetic through his splendor; / even Brahmā was conquered by his supreme austerity. 8.40

Having become one whose rays hold nectar, the moon was conquered by him, O twice-born; / fire was conquered in burning power, and Īśa by lifting Kailāsa. 8.41

Indra was conquered in sovereignty, and likewise the all-pervading Viṣṇu; / and through the grace born of worshipping the liṅga, the three worlds were brought under his control. 8.42

Then all the hosts of gods, led by Brahmā and Viṣṇu, / gathered upon the ridge of Meru and held good counsel: 8.43

"We are afflicted by Rāvaṇa through his austerity that is hard to perform. / On the mountain called Gokarṇa, O gods, hear of the supreme wonder! 8.44

Direct worship of the liṅga has been performed by that great-souled one. / Whatever supreme marvel is to be known by knowledge and attained by knowledge, / that was done by Rāvaṇa alone, unsurpassable by all. 8.45

Resorting to supreme detachment, and beyond that to generosity, / by that great-souled Rāvaṇa alone was possessiveness abandoned. 8.46

After a thousand years, the mighty-armed one severed his own head / with his hand and offered it for the worship of the liṅga. 8.47

And the headless trunk of Rāvaṇa, standing near it before it, / was engaged in yogic concentration through supreme meditation. 8.48

Having fixed absorption in the liṅga, it remained through some subtle part. / Cutting off another head in this manner, he performed the worship of Śiva— / not done by any other sage or anyone else. 8.49

Thus many heads were offered by him for the sake of worshipping Śiva; / he became a headless trunk again and again, and that Śiva became the granter of boons: 8.50

'Without me, the demon there became a solidified mass in the past. / Choose boons, O descendant of Pulastya; I shall grant whatever you desire.' 8.51

Then Rāvaṇa spoke to Śiva, the supreme auspiciousness: / 'If you are pleased, O Blessed One, an excellent boon must be given to me. 8.52

I desire no other boon; I take refuge in your lotus feet. / Let it be granted in any way, if there is compassion toward me.' 8.53

Then Sadāśiva said to Rāvaṇa, who made the world weep: / 'By my grace you shall attain everything desired by your mind.' 8.54

Thus everything was obtained from Śiva by Rāvaṇa, O lords of gods! / Therefore, by all of you, through supreme austerity, 8.55

this Rāvaṇa must be conquered; this is what is in my mind." / Having heard the words of Cyuta, the hosts of deities led by Brahmā 8.56

all fell into anxiety for a long time, being attached to sense objects. / Even Brahmā, seized by the senses, was intent on enjoying his daughter. 8.57

Indra was disqualified by his adultery, and the moon by defiling his guru's bed; / Yama because of his miserliness, and the wind because of his fickleness; 8.58

the fire-god because of consuming everything; and likewise the other hosts of deities / were powerless to conquer Rāvaṇa, who had grown formidable through austerity. 8.59

Then Śailāda of great splendor, the foremost and ancient of the gaṇas, / wise, skilled in conduct, endowed with great strength and valor, 8.60

dear to Śiva, having the form of Rudra, the great soul, spoke to all of them, headed by Indra: / "Why have you come in confusion? Let all this be told at length." 8.61

Then, being questioned by Nandin, all of them spoke in haste. 8.62

The gods said: / "We, along with the sages, have all been conquered by Rāvaṇa. / We have come to propitiate Śiva, the lord of the lords of the world." 8.63

Laughing, the blessed Nandin indeed said to Brahmā: / "Where are you, and where is Śiva Śambhu? Through supreme austerity / he is to be seen residing in the middle of the heart; he cannot be seen today. 8.64

As long as there are various feelings and likewise objects of the senses, / and as long as there is the feeling of 'mine', so long is the Lord hard to attain. 8.65

For great souls who have conquered their senses, are calm, and are devoted to Him, / He whose form is the liṅga is easily attained, but for you He is exceedingly hard to attain." 8.66

Then the gods led by Brahmā and the wise seers, / having bowed to Nandin, said: "Why do you have the face of a monkey? / Tell all that, and also of the power of Rāvaṇa's austerity." 8.67

Nandīśvara said: / "Kubera was appointed by that great-souled Śaṃkara / to the sovereignty over riches. In order to see him here, Rāvaṇa 8.68

came in haste, having mounted his vehicle. / Seeing me, he angrily said: 'Has Kubera come here? 8.69

Has he been seen by you here or not? Let it be told without delay.' / When he was questioned by me: 'What business is there with the giver of wealth today?' 8.70

then Rāvaṇa of great splendor, who made the world weep, / having become devoid of faith in me, sensual, and exceedingly arrogant, spoke: 8.71

"He began to instruct [me], O lord: 'This must not be done!
As I am endowed with fortune, wealthy, and strong,
so should you become, you fool; do not foster foolishness!'

I was called a fool by that great-souled Kubera.
Spurned by me in anger, that Guhyaka performed tapas.

Did that Kubera come to your abode, Nandikā?
Let Kubera be handed over today; no hesitation should be made here!'

Hearing the words of Rāvaṇa, I too replied swiftly:
'O fortunate one, you are a devotee of the liṅga, and so am I.

Knowing our equality, you prattle in vain, you wicked-minded one!'
Thus spoken to, he, arrogant with strength, spoke to me regarding [my] face:

'Just as I was questioned by you great-souled ones regarding [my] face,
so the ancient occurrence was spoken by me, the fruit of the rite of worshipping Śiva.
Conformity of form [with himself] was given by Śiva, [but] was not accepted by me then.

And the face of a monkey was requested by me from Śambhu;
out of grace it was given to me by Śiva, who is full of compassion.

Those who are devoid of pride, devoid of hypocrisy, and free from possessions,
they should be known as dear to Śambhu; others are cast out from Śiva.'

So spoke Rāvaṇa with me through the power of his tapas:
'And ten faces were requested by me, the wise one!'

Hearing that mocking speech of the son of Pulastya, O gods,
then indeed that Rāvaṇa, who makes the worlds weep, was cursed by me:

'When a certain foremost of men of great tapas,
united with those who indeed have faces just like this,
advances with me at the front, he will kill [you] swiftly—there is no doubt!'

Thus, O brahmin, was Rāvaṇa, who makes the worlds weep, cursed by me.
Only the bare liṅga without [the pedestal] was worshipped by that great-souled one;

without that [pedestal] which stands in the form of the pedestal, O best of gods,
for it is Viṣṇu, O fortunate ones; therefore he will accomplish everything.

Maheśvara, the god of gods, Mahādeva, has the form of Viṣṇu.
All of you should pray to Viṣṇu, who dwells in the cave of every [heart].

For I shall march at the head of all the gods.'
Hearing the words of Nandin, all of them, their minds gladdened,
went to Vaikuṇṭha and began to praise Viṣṇu with hymns:

The gods said:
'Homage to you, the Blessed One, O god of gods, lord of the world!
Supported by you is this entire world, both moving and unmoving.

This liṅga was borne by you, O Viṣṇu, in the form of the pedestal.
In the form of Mahāviṣṇu, Madhu and Kaiṭabha were slain [by you].

Likewise, in the form of a tortoise, Mount Mandara was supported.
Assuming the form of a boar, Hiraṇyākṣa was slain by you.

The Daitya Hiraṇyakaśipu was slain in the form of the man-lion,
and the Daitya Bali was bound by you in the form of the dwarf.

Born in the lineage of the Bhṛgus, the son of Kṛtavīrya was slain.
Now also protect us likewise from this, O Mahāviṣṇu!

You ought to swiftly save [us] again from this fear of Rāvaṇa!'

Thus implored by the gods, the Blessed One, the creator of beings,
Vāsudeva, who comprises the universe, spoke to all the gods:

'O gods, hear [my] great speech, suited to this occasion:
Placing the son of Śilāda at the front, all of you, endowed with haste,
should make descents, resorting to monkey bodies.

Having become a mortal, covered by ignorance,
I shall be born in Ayodhyā, in the house of Daśaratha.
I have Brahmavidyā as my companion for the accomplishment of your purpose.

Directly in the house of Janaka, Brahmavidyā will be born.
Rāvaṇa is indeed a devotee, wholly intent on meditating upon Śiva.

Endowed with great tapas, when he desires Brahmavidyā,
then that man, overcome by righteousness, becomes easily subdued.'

Having spoken thus, the Blessed One, Viṣṇu, supremely auspicious—
Vālin was born from a portion of Indra; Sugrīva was the son of the Sun.

Likewise, Jāmbavat, the best of bears, was born from a portion of Brahmā.
Nandin, the son of Śilāda, is the beloved attendant of Śiva;

and the great monkey Hanūmat is indeed the eleventh Rudra,
who descended to assist Viṣṇu of boundless splendor.

Mainda and other monkeys were all the foremost of the gods.
Thus all the hosts of gods descended in their respective forms.

Likewise Viṣṇu was born, increasing the joy of Kauśalyā;
and because he brings delight to the universe, he is called Rāma by the wise.

Śeṣa also descended to earth through devotion to Viṣṇu and through tapas.

The two mighty arms of Viṣṇu also descended,
named Śatrughna and Bharata, renowned throughout the three worlds.

The daughter of the ruler of Mithilā, who is spoken of by the knowers of Brahman,
she, Brahmavidyā, descended for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose.
She was born as Sītā from the furrows made by a plow dragging the earth.

Therefore, renowned as Sītā, she was then the science of inquiry;
born in Mithilā, she is called Maithilī.

Born in the family of Janaka, celebrated as the daughter of Janaka,
formerly known as Vedavatī, Brahmavidyā that destroys sins.

She was given by Janaka himself to Viṣṇu, the Supreme Self.

Together with that Vidyā, the god of gods, the lord of the world,
that Viṣṇu, engaged in fierce and exceedingly difficult tapas.

Desiring to conquer Rāvaṇa, the lotus-eyed Rāma
dwelt in the forest for the accomplishment of the purpose of the gods.

The great incarnation of Śeṣa also, for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose,
performed exceedingly difficult tapas with supreme power.

Śatrughna and Bharata also performed supreme tapas.

Then, endowed with tapas, together with those hosts of deities,
Rāma killed Rāvaṇa along with his host within six months.
Slain by Viṣṇu with weapons, he attained conformity of form with Śiva.

He departed at once together with his kinsmen, O you of noble vows!

By the grace of Śiva, he attained all duality and non-duality. / Even seers are bewildered concerning the discernment between duality and non-duality; / men devoted to the worship of Śiva attain all that here.

Those who constantly worship Śiva specifically in the form of a liṅga, / whether women, Śūdras, or outcastes dwelling on the fringes, / attain that very Śiva who destroys all suffering.

Even beasts have attained the supreme, what then of human beings and others?

Those twice-born who, through celibacy, engaged in supreme austerity, / even they, through sacrifices over many years, became intent on heaven.

The Jyotiṣṭoma, Vājapeya, and Atirātra sacrifices— / these rituals bestow heaven upon the sacrificers; of this there is no doubt.

Having enjoyed the great bliss of heaven there, which causes the exhaustion of merit, / upon the exhaustion of their merit, the sacrificers indeed fall back to the mortal world.

And when they have fallen into the cycle of worldly existence, an intellect arises by fate / composed of the three qualities, O brahmins, in those diverse wombs here.

According as goodness arises, men are born endowed with goodness; / those characterized by passion and those characterized by darkness are to be known likewise, O twice-born.

Thus, many people wander in this wheel of worldly existence; / by chance, through the course of fate, a man serves Śiva.

And for men intent on meditating upon Śiva, whose minds are restrained, / the dispelling of illusion will occur immediately; it cannot be otherwise.

From the dispelling of illusion, the three qualities are destroyed at once; / when one transcends the three qualities, he becomes a possessor of liberation.

Therefore, worship of the liṅga should be performed by all embodied beings; / having assumed the form of a liṅga, Śiva protects the moving and the unmoving.

Formerly you asked me how Śiva came to have the form of a liṅga; / all that has now been related faithfully, O brahmins.

How Śiva, the Great Lord of the world, consumed the poison— / hear all that, O brahmins; I will relate it to you as it truly happened.

Thus ends the eighth chapter, entitled 'The Description of the Story of the Incarnation of Śrī Rāma' in the recounting of the greatness of worshipping the Śivaliṅga, in the Śiva treatise of the Kedārakhaṇḍa, in the first section, the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, of the venerable Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.