Skandapurana 3.2.41.15

3.2.41.15

14 atha śivaskandasaṃvādena dharmāraṇye hayagrīvasya viṣṇostapaścaryāyā vṛttāntavarṇanam, tatra pūrvaṃ dharātale devairyajña ārabdhe sati viṣṇorāhvānārthaṃ rudrādīnāṃ vaikuṇṭhaṃ prati gama-
nam, tasminkāle bhagavata ekāntasthāne haste dhanurdhṛtvā samādhiyogena tapaḥka-
raṇam, tatastasya prabodhārthaṃ bṛhaspatiproktopāyamācarituṃ vamryāḥ kīṭikāyāstena
bhagavatā haste dhṛtasya dhanuṣo guṇasya kartanāya yajñabhāgapradānacchaṃdanena devairājñāpa-
nam, atha vamryā dhanurguṇe bhakṣitamātra eva jyāghātena viṣṇoḥ śīrṣacchedaḥ,
tasya śīrṣṇaścākāśe gamanapūrvakaṃ nilayanam........... 128 2

14. Now, through the dialogue of Śiva and Skanda, the account of the performance of austerities by Hayagrīva Viṣṇu in Dharmāraṇya is described; therein, in the past, when a sacrifice was begun on the surface of the earth by the gods, the journey of Rudra and the others to Vaikuṇṭha to invite Viṣṇu; at that time, the Lord's performance of austerities through samādhi yoga holding a bow in his hand in a solitary place; then, in order to awaken him, the gods' commanding of a vamrī (ant), to practice the expedient spoken by Bṛhaspati, with the offer of a share of the sacrifice, to cut the string of the bow held in the Lord's hand; then, the moment the bowstring was chewed by the ant, the cutting off of Viṣṇu's head by the snap of the bowstring; and that head's vanishing after flying into the sky. 128 2