Skandapurana 7.4.52_38.28

7.4.52_38.28

tattehaṃ1 saṃpravakṣyāmi namaskṛtya2 vṛṣadhvajam . . 1 . .
pūrvameva mahāsatvo dharmo3 yajña4 sahāyavān .
tatāpa vipulaṃ nyāsatapaḥ paramaduścaram .. 2 ..
himavantaṃ giriṃ prāpya vāyvāhārau babhūvatuḥ .
varṣāṇāntu sahasrāṇi daśa dvādaśa caiva tau5 .. 3. .
mānuṣāṇi tato bhūyaḥ śākāhārau babhūvatuḥ .
tatocirāt6 taryordevo7 gaṇaissaha mahādyutiḥ . .4. .
savaissamānarūpaistairdarśanaṃ pradadau haraḥ .
tām̐stau maheśvarān dṛṣṭavā bahūn vai sadṛśaprabhān . .5..
parasparamamanyetāṃ konveṣāmīśvaro bhavet .
tau tadā vīkṣya saṃmantrya smṛtvā caiva punaḥ punaḥ ..6 ..
madhye maheśvaraṃ teṣāṃ menāte tejasāṃ nidhim .
tau taṃ madhye bhavaṃ8 devaṃ praṇamya bahumānataḥ .
śirasorañjalī9 kṛtvā tuṣṭuvāte10 mitaujasau ..7. .
dharmayajñau ūcatuḥ
namastrailokyanāthāya digvāsāyāmṛtātmate .
catuṣpathanivāsāya catuṣpatharatāya ca11 . .8 . .
caturvyūhāya devāya trinetrāya12 bhavāya13 ca .
caturmukhāya śuddhāya jālāntara14 vicāriṇe15 ..9..
indrānugrahakartre ca16 brahmānugrahakāriṇe .
ūrdhvaliṅgāya devāya17 madanāyāmadāya ca18 ..8.33.1 0 ..
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that I shall fully declare to you, bowing to the bull-bannered [god]. // 1
Long ago, the noble Dharma, accompanied by Yajña, / performed vast, ultimate, and most difficult austerity with renunciation. // 2
Reaching the mountain Himavat, the two subsisted on air / for ten thousand and twelve years, // 3
human years; then, moreover, they subsisted on herbs. / Soon thereafter, the god Hara of great splendor, accompanied by his Gaṇas, // 4
all of them identical in form to him, granted his darśana. / Seeing those many Maheśvaras, truly of equal radiance, // 5
they thought mutually: "Which of these could be the Lord?" / Then, observing them, deliberating, and reflecting again and again, // 6
the two recognized Maheśvara, the treasure of radiances, in their midst. / Bowing out of great reverence to that god Bhava in the center, / placing their cupped hands upon their heads, the two of immeasurable splendor praised him: // 7
Dharma and Yajña said: / "Obeisance to the Lord of the three worlds, sky-clad, immortal in nature, / who dwells at crossroads and delights in crossroads! // 8
To the god of fourfold manifestations, three-eyed, and to Bhava; / to the pure four-faced one who moves within the lattice [of rays]; // 9
to the bestower of grace on Indra and the bestower of grace on Brahmā; / to the god whose liṅga is erect, to Madana and to the passionless! // 10