Skandapurana 2.2.13.13

2.2.13.13

The sages said: / "And how did the site of Kapoteśa become renowned, O great sage? / Who indeed was the pigeon, and who was the Lord? You ought to tell us this." / Jaimini said: / "Formerly, it was Kuśasthalī, unfit for resort by any living beings, / covered all around with thorns having the sharp edges of kuśa grass, / devoid of trees, without any reservoir of water, like an abode of piśācas. / When formerly no other god was worshipped besides the Blessed Lord, / Dhūrjaṭi [Śiva] then had a rivalry, [thinking:] 'May I also be worthy of worship!' / Reflecting thus, he fixed his mind on devotion to that very Viṣṇu: / 'Having stayed in a place free from all sensory objects, without possessions, / undertaking very great austerity, I shall please that Hari. / What should I say to the Lord of Ramā? What is the praise of the husband of Śāradā? / Or what else would cause satisfaction to the Lord of the entire universe? / Therefore, no other external object is indeed of use to him; / undertaking internal sacrifice with an guileless mind, / I shall worship Hari, the teacher of moving and unmoving beings, who gives himself to his devotees; / by his grace, may I become worthy of worship by all.' / Then, having formed this resolve, free from all dualities, / he went to holy Kuśasthalī near the blue mountain. / Then Maheśvara performed severe austerity, subsisting on air; / though the Lord has eight forms, he became minute like a pigeon. / Then the Blessed Lord, pleased, bestowed sovereignty upon him at that time, / by which he became equal to himself in worship, honor, and the like. / By the power of his austerity, the site became like Vṛndāvana, / its interior adorned with lakes, ponds, pools, and rivers, / with various trees and creepers bearing fruits and flowers in all seasons, / resounding with the humming of bees intoxicated with honey,