Skandapurana 3.1.53.17

3.1.53.17

14 atha dakṣiṇodadhisthagandhamādanavartibrahmakuṇḍamāhātmyavarṇanam, tatprasaṃgenabrahmakuṇḍastha-bhasmanā tripuṇḍradhāraṇasya māhātmyam, brahmakuṇḍotpattivṛttāntaḥ, tatra brahmaviṣṇvo-rmadhye śraiṣṭhayaviṣaye parasparaṃ vivāde samutpanne tayormadhye bhagavato'nādyantaliṅga- prādurbhāvaḥ, tadūrdhvādho'ntaparyantaśodhanārthaṃ brahmaviṣṇvorhaṃsavarāharūpadhāraṇapūrvakaṃ gamanam, liṅgasyādhaḥparyantamadṛṣṭvā svapūrvasthānaṃ pratyāgatena viṣṇunā satyavācā liṅgaparyantādarśanakathanam, brahmaṇordhvaparyantamadṛṣṭvā pratyāgatenāpi cchadmanā mithyā liṅgaparyantadarśanakathanam, atha tanmithyābhāṣaṇaprakupitena śaṃkareṇa liṅgamadhyā-tprādurbhūya brahmaṇe'pūjyatvaprāptirūpaśāpapradānam, tato brahmaṇā stutena śaṅkareṇa brahmaṇe mithyādoṣapraśāṃtyartha dakṣiṇodadhisthagandhamādanaparvate yāgārthamājñākaraṇam, śaṃkarājñayā brahmaṇo gandhamādanaparvate śivamuddiśya yāgakaraṇam, tatra prādurbhūtene-śvareṇa brahmaṇe śrautasmārtakarmapūjyatvarūpavarapradānapūrvaka brahmakuṇḍābhidhatīrthāya vara-pradānam , brahmakuṇḍamāhātmyam..... 27 1

14. Now, description of the māhātmya of Brahmakuṇḍa situated on Gandhamādana by the southern ocean. In that connection, the māhātmya of bearing the tripuṇḍra mark with the ashes from Brahmakuṇḍa; the account of the origin of Brahmakuṇḍa: there, when a dispute arose between Brahmā and Viṣṇu concerning their superiority to each other, the manifestation between the two of the Lord's beginningless and endless liṅga; the going forth of Brahmā and Viṣṇu in the forms of a swan and a boar to explore the top and bottom extremities of it; Viṣṇu, returning to his former place without having seen the bottom extremity of the liṅga, speaking the truth that he did not see the end of the liṅga; Brahmā, though having returned without seeing the upper extremity, deceitfully and falsely claiming that he saw the end of the liṅga; then Śaṃkara, enraged by that falsehood, appearing from within the liṅga and pronouncing a curse upon Brahmā in the form of forfeiting eligibility for worship; then Śaṃkara, praised by Brahmā, instructing Brahmā to perform a sacrificial rite on Mount Gandhamādana situated by the southern ocean for the pacification of the sin of falsehood; by Śaṃkara's order, Brahmā's performing a sacrificial rite dedicated to Śiva on Mount Gandhamādana; Īśvara, manifesting there, granting Brahmā the boon of being worthy of worship in Vedic and Smārta rituals, and granting a boon to the sacred ford named Brahmakuṇḍa; the māhātmya of Brahmakuṇḍa... 27 1