Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2017

c9.2017

Śiva took a pinch of bhasma from his breast and chanting the Gāyatrī and pañcākṣara (Om namaśśivāya) mantras sprinkled it all over the body of Viṣṇu. He also said to Viṣṇu, “You live, you meditate, now what do you feel in your mind?” Viṣṇu meditated whereupon he saw a very bright light in his heart. When he told Śiva that a light was being seen by him the latter said that his knowledge was not mature enough and asked him to eat some bhasma so that it might become perfect. Viṣṇu accordingly consumed the bhasma, and lo! he, who was till then red-blue in colour became as white as pearl. He began to be called Śuklavarṇa (white in colour) from that day onwards.