Skandapurana 5.275

Sūta said:
Likewise, eleven Rudras dwell here,
who were born out of a desire for the welfare of the sages, O best of brahmins.

By seeing them, or by worshiping them, by praising them, or by bowing down to them,
a mortal becomes free from sin and devoid of all defects.

The seers said:
Only one Rudra has been heard of, no second one by any means,
whose beloved wife is Gaurī and whose son is proclaimed to be Skanda.

Therefore we know of one Rudra, no other lord whatsoever.
Therefore, O highly fortunate one, speak of all these in full detail.

Sūta said:
This which was stated by you, O highly fortunate ones, is true:
Rudra exists as only one, not a second one by any means.

Yet how the eleven Rudras came to be here, O [sages],
that I shall proclaim; listen with one-pointed attention.

Formerly, sages of praised vows dwelling in Vārāṇasī
were eager for the darśana of the god Hāṭakeśvara.

Having made an agreement, vying with one another,
they set out [saying]: “I will see that lord first! I will see [him] first!”

“Going ahead of everyone, [we will see] Hāṭakeśvara in Pātāla;
and whoever goes there first and does not see that Hara,
the sin born of the toil of everyone will fall upon that one alone.”

Having spoken thus, all of them thereupon set out from Vārāṇasī,
running with great speed.

Meanwhile, the god named Hāṭakeśvara,
knowing their intention that arose from mutual rivalry,
for the sake of [granting] darśana of himself, accompanied by abundant devotion,

emerging from Pātāla that very moment through the serpent-opening
protected by the short [path], for all those great-souled ones,

assumed an elevenfold, captivating form,
bearing a trident, possessing three eyes, and adorned with matted locks,

bearing the crescent moon, and wearing a garland of skulls;
and Lord Śaṃkara stood before them simultaneously for darśana.

Then, seeing him whose banner bears a bull standing before them,
they fell to the earth on their knees and offered praise on all sides.

One thinks: “This god, the god of gods, Mahādeva,
who is fond of his devotees, has come first into my sight.”

Another thinks: “He has appeared to me first, O best of ascetics!”
And falling to the ground on their knees, the eminent brahmins offered praise.

The ascetics said:
“Salutations to the supreme God of gods, who consists of all gods!
Salutations to the peaceful one, to the subtle one, and salutations to the slayer of Andhaka!

Salutations be to all the Rudras who have always resorted to heaven,
and who sustain the world through various kinds of winds!

Salutations be to all the Rudras who abide in the western direction,
and who protect all the worlds from wicked piśācas!

Salutations be to all the Rudras who have taken refuge in the upward direction,
and who protect all the worlds from fear of spirits and jambhakas!

Salutations be to all the Rudras who have taken refuge below and above,
and who always protect all the worlds from the fear of kūṣmāṇḍas!”

The Rudras who are countless thousands and dwell upon the earth, / salutation also to all of them, who protect from diseases! 23

Praised in this way by the eleven ascetics, / the eleven Rudras spoke to those ascetics who were bowed in devotion: 24

The Rudras said: / "I, elevenfold, am pleased with you, O best of ascetics, / on account of your great excess of devotion. Choose a boon as desired!" 25

The ascetics said: / "If you are pleased with us, O God, if you grant our wish, / you should always dwell right here in eleven forms, 26

in the auspicious sacred field born of Hāṭakeśvara, composed of all sacred fords, / so that we may reside here, performing your worship." 27

The Blessed Lord said: / "The forms that have been fashioned by me in eleven ways, / with all of these very forms I shall indeed always remain here. 28

My primordial form, however, having resorted to Kailāsa, / always remains right there on Kailāsa, the best of mountains. 29

These forms of ours, however, shall always remain right here / for the benefit of all the worlds, O best of brahmins. 30

And directly under your names in due order, O brahmins: / bathing in the pool of Viśvāmitra, the mortals who worship / these forms of mine right here shall attain the supreme state. 31

What need is there of saying much again and again, O best of brahmins? / The worship that is performed for them shall bear elevenfold fruit. 32

Having spoken thus, the Three-eyed Lord vanished right there. / And they, having established their hermitage there, endowed with supreme faith, / worshiped those forms and attained the supreme abode. 33

Any other man also who worships them with faith / goes to the supreme abode where the god Maheśvara resides. 34

From then on, they became the eleven Rudras / in number, bearing the form of Maheśvara, the God of gods. 35

They were endowed with supreme splendor, three-eyed, with tridents in hand. / All this has been narrated to you about which I was asked, O best of brahmins, 36

concerning how Maheśvara became elevenfold. / In the month of Caitra, in the bright fortnight, when the fourteenth day arrives, 37

he who worships them with devotion goes to the supreme state. / One without wealth obtains wealth; indeed, the childless becomes endowed with sons. 38

The diseased becomes free of disease, and the defeated destroys his foes; / from worshiping them alone, he attains endless desired objects. 39

Moreover, he who is endowed with Śaiva initiation and devoted to bathing in ashes / should perform their worship—hear the fruit obtained even by him! 40

Whatever fruit another mortal would obtain arising from their worship, / that fruit [he attains] with a single flower by the six-syllable mantra. 41

One who bears Śaiva initiation obtains a hundredfold fruit; / a Pāśupata obtains a hundredfold more than that Śaiva; / a Kālamukha and one who observes the Mahāvrata obtain [a hundredfold] more than him. 42

And for all of them who bow and worship those forms with devotion, / the fruit shall be a hundredfold. 43

Thus ends the two hundred seventy-sixth chapter, named 'Description of the Origin of the Eleven Rudras', in the Hāṭakeśvarakṣetramāhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand [verses]. 276