Skandapurana 6.2.8

The glorious Rudra said:

Know the eighth [liṅga], O Pārvatī, as named Kapāleśvara,

by the mere sight of which the sin of killing a brahmin is destroyed.

Formerly, in the Vaivasvata kalpa, when the Tretā age had arrived,

at the sacrifice of Brahmā in the divine forest of Mahākāla, O dear one,

when the brahmins were seated and the sacrificial fire was being offered into,

I went there to that assembly, having assumed the guise of a Kāpālika.

Covered in ragged cloth, O goddess, shaven-headed, bearing a skull-topped staff,

with limbs smeared with funeral ashes, grotesque and of distorted countenance,

holding a skull in hand, and adorned with skull-ornaments.

Then the brahmins, seeing me in the form of a rogue, became enraged;

seeing the bearer of a skull, they all reviled me with shouts of "Fie!"

Repeatedly saying, "Sinner, sinner! Go away, go away, base deceiver!

How can an oblation be made when a Kāpālika has arrived in front?

It is sung in the Vedas: 'Skull-bearers are impure.' [or: 'Ritual purities are free of skulls.']

The sacrificial altar is indeed not for you, a bearer of human bones!"

Those brahmins were then addressed by me: "Listen, O best of the twice-born!

You are all compassionate, pained by the suffering of others.

Compassion should always be shown by the good toward all embodied beings.

A brahmin is said to be the friend of all living beings.

I am a Kāpālika brahmin, my body adorned with ashes.

Having undertaken the skull-vow, I wander upon the surface of the earth.

I constantly worship Mahādeva, the Lord of the universe.

For the destruction of [the sin of] killing a brahmin, this twelve-year vow,

renowned in the world as destroying sin, has indeed been commenced by me, O twice-born ones.

For the purpose of expiation, once purified, I shall attain the good destination."

Having heard my speech, it was spoken by those best of the twice-born:

"You are exceedingly sinful, O vile one, who speaks in this manner!

Adorned with skulls, you are contemptible, especially as a killer of a brahmin.

Mahādeva was not invited to the great festival of Dakṣa's sacrifice,

to which sacrifice arrived the Ādityas as well as the Vasus,

and the Viśvedevas, the Maruts, the Gandharvas, and the Kinnaras,

Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the thousand-eyed [Indra], Varuṇa, and Vāyu,

the Bestower of Wealth [Kubera], the oceans, rivers, and all lakes,

the eagles, mountains, and serpent deities—all were invited to the rite,

along with their followers and wives, as well as brahmins who had mastered the Vedas,

great-souled brahmin-seers, and spotless celestial seers.

Having thus regarded Mahādeva as adorned with human bones

and impure—how do you dare to say:

'Let entrance be granted to me'? Especially since you are a slayer of a brahmin!"

When I was thus addressed by the brahmins, these words were spoken by me then:

"Let me wait for just a moment; having eaten, I shall go away again."

When these words were spoken, O goddess, I was violently struck then

with clods of earth, with sticks, with feet, and repeatedly with fists.

Then, laughing, having thrown that [skull] upon the altar strewn with darbha grass,

I disappeared like the lamp of a skull [being snuffed out], unnoticed by the best of the twice-born.

When I had vanished, that skull was thrown outside the sacrificial pavilion.

Then another of the same form arose there, O glorious one!

Thus hundreds of thousands, millions, and tens of millions

were thrown away and yet appeared there; thereupon they were filled with amazement.

Then all the wise ones said: "This is not the doing of anyone else,

except the god Mahādeva, who bears the Gaṅgā and the crescent moon upon his crest!"

Then I was praised by the brahmins individually with various hymns of praise,

and they made oblations into the fire with the mantras of the Śatarudrīya.

I was pleased then, O goddess, out of compassion for the twice-born [and said]:

"Choose, O all brahmins, whatever boon is desired in your heart!"

Then those brahmins said: "Because of our ignorance, violence was done

against you; thereby the sin of killing a brahmin was incurred by us, O Lord of the universe!

For the destruction of that sin of killing a brahmin, grant us your favor, O Lord!"

We choose indeed this boon, no other desired boon." // 29

And then he spoke this before those twice-born:

"Where the heap of skulls was placed on earth by you, // 30

there was a beginningless liṅga hidden by the turning of time.

Let the brahmins behold that liṅga, which brings deliverance from the killing of a brahmin! // 31

Even by me, O best of brahmins, the killing of a brahmin was committed myself formerly,

severing the fifth head of Brahmā, which was fierce with radiance. // 32

Thereupon the sin of killing a brahmin arose, extremely unbearable to me,

and the skull adhered to my hand, likewise most unbearable. // 33

Then, burning and enveloped indeed by the killing of a brahmin,

I went quickly on a journey for my own purpose to destroy it. // 34

I went to all the sacred fords, yet was not freed from the murder;

then, sorrowful and sorely tormented, I found no happiness anywhere. // 35

In the meantime, a divine bodiless voice said:

'Go to Avantī yourself, O Lord; why grieve in vain? // 36

The holy Mahākālavana was created by you, O Lord,

the station of the skull-handed one, Rudra, wondrous to behold;

how do you not know the sacred field that destroys great sins? // 37

In that sacred field there is a great liṅga near Gajarūpa;

behold it, O Lord of the gods, [and] the killing of a brahmin will vanish.' // 38

Then I came swiftly, having heard that excellent speech;

the great liṅga was beheld by me, situated with a skull in hand. // 39

Then, O brahmins, the skull fell to the ground from my hand;

'This is the god Kapāleśvara'—thus was the name given by me. // 40

Let the brahmins behold that god named Kapāleśvara,

by the mere sight of whom you will become free from stain." // 41

Then the liṅga was beheld by them, surrounded by many skulls;

they became fulfilled in their purpose from the sight of that liṅga. // 42

Therefore it became famous on earth by the name Kapāleśvara.

Those who worship the one named Kapāleśvara, O great goddess, // 43

those men having acquired merit, O goddess, go to the supreme abode.

Even having committed a terrible sin, the killing of a brahmin and the like, a man— // 44

that sin dissolves through the sight of this liṅga.

Whatever sin has been amassed by deed, mind, or speech,

this god destroys it when worshipped on the fourteenth [tithi]. // 45

Those who perform worship even incidentally, O fair-faced lady,

they too will attain whatever desires, even those very hard to obtain:

incomparable lordship and virtue, long life, freedom from disease, // 46

unmatched freedom from rivals, and whatever else [they wish], one will obtain.

And men who are exceedingly sinful and engaged in cruel acts // 47

will become free from sin and leaders of my gaṇas, O dear one.

Those who regularly behold the god for a year, O dear one,

leaving their body, behold my beloved abode. // 48

This power of the god Kapāleśvara that destroys sin has been declared to you, O goddess;

now hear of Svargadvāreśvara. // 49

Thus ends the eighth chapter, titled 'Description of the Glory of Kapāleśvara' in the Eighty-Four Liṅgas Praise in the fifth section, Avantīkhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skandapurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. // 8