Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.704

c7.704

2) In Purāṇic literature. The above story is told in Skanda Purāṇa with slight modifications as follows :- Once Brahmā and other Devatās conducted a test as to which one amongst them was the greatest, and when it became evident tha tMahāviṣṇu was, in every respect, superior to all the others Brahmā cursed that Viṣṇu should lose his head. Viṣṇu, who got thus bereft of his head attended a yajña conducted by the Devas with the head of a horse attached to his trunk. After the yajña was over he went to dharmāraṇya and did tapas there and by the blessings of Śiva got back his former head instead of that of the horse.