Every day, a humble hunter would come to the sacred spot where Lord Shiva was worshipped. After bathing Shiva and honoring him with simple leaves, he would offer flesh, praying, “May Shiva be pleased with me.” Yet, lacking auspicious devotion and deeper understanding, the hunter knew nothing of the proper rites; so, after his offering, he would return home, taking back the flesh he had brought. This he did, day after day—coming and going, faithfully performing his worship. Despite the simplicity and impurity of his offerings, the Lord was satisfied with him; such is the wondrous and mysterious nature of Shiva’s ways. Indeed, as long as the hunter did not arrive, Shiva himself found no happiness. Who can fathom the boundless compassion that Shambhu, the Lord, shows to his devotees? The hunter worshipped Shiva, the Primeval Lord, together with Uma, every day. Time passed in this manner, until Veda, a wise and learned devotee, grew angry. Veda reflected, “Whoever destroys a worship adorned with mantras and devotion to Shiva is truly sinful and deserves to be slain by me. One who betrays a teacher, deity, twice-born, or master is fit for death, even by a sage; and above all, a man who is hostile to Shiva deserves to be slain.” He wondered, along with his brother Sindhu, “Whose wicked deed is this, belonging to such an utterly evil soul?” Veda continued his thoughts: “He who destroys a worship performed with flowers from the forest, divine bulbs, roots, and auspicious fruits, and then performs another worship—with flesh and tree leaves—he too is fit for death by me.” Thus resolved, Veda concealed himself, wishing to see the sinner who performed such worship for the Lord. Meanwhile, the hunter approached Shiva as he always did. Seeing the hunter’s daily worship, the Primeval Lord spoke to him: “O hunter of great wisdom, you seem weary again and again. Why have you come after so long? Without you, dear one, I find no happiness at all. Take comfort, my son.” Veda witnessed this exchange, overcome with amazement and anger, yet remained silent. The hunter, as always, performed his worship and returned home. But Veda, now enraged, approached Shiva and spoke: “This hunter is devoted to sin, lacking knowledge of proper rites, cruel, intent on harming living beings, and merciless to all creatures. He is of low birth, ignorant, without a teacher’s guidance, always acting improperly, and has never subdued even a single cow. He has revealed himself to you, but will you not say anything to me? O Lord, I perform worship with proper mantras and vows. The hunter, who has taken refuge in you alone, always without wife or child, performs your worship with impure meat. It is truly astonishing that the Lord is pleased with him and not with me; I shall punish this Bhilla, who has done wrong. Someone might be pleased with clay, or someone with a wicked person; therefore, without doubt, I should cast a stone upon my own head.” When Veda had spoken thus, Shiva laughed and said, “Wait until tomorrow, then cast the stone upon my head.” Veda replied, “So be it,” restrained his anger, and set aside the stone, deciding to do so the next day. In the morning, Veda returned, performed his bathing and rites, and began his worship. To his astonishment, he saw upon the head of the liṅga a terrible wound, soaked with blood. Wondering at this sight, Veda thought, “What is this on the liṅga’s head? For whom has such a great portent arisen? Whom does it indicate?” He washed the wound with clay, cow dung, kuśa grass, and Ganges water, then performed the worship as usual. At that moment, the hunter, freed from sin, arrived. Within the liṅga, he saw the wounded, blood-covered head of Shankara, the Lord with the first head. Seeing this marvel, the hunter was overcome; with sharp arrows, he pierced himself a hundredfold and a thousandfold, unable to bear the Lord’s disfigurement. Again and again, he reproached himself, saying, “This happened while I still live. Alas, what terrible fate has come upon me, oh, by cruel destiny!” Witnessing this act, Mahādeva was greatly astonished. Then Shiva spoke to Veda, the best among those who know the Vedas: “See the hunter, O great-minded one, endowed with devotion and sincerity; but you have only touched the head with clay, kuśa grass, or water. By this act, O Brahman, even my own self has been offered. Wherever there is devotion, love, or power, or discernment, therefore I shall grant boons to him first, and afterwards to you, best of twice-born.” With a boon, the great Lord Maheśvara invited the hunter to choose. The hunter said, “May I receive your nirmālya. May that become ours, O Lord; let a holy place be named after me; may that holy place grant the fruit of all sacrifices merely by remembrance.” Shiva replied, “So be it.” Thus, that most excellent sacred place, Bhillatirtha, became the cause for the destruction of all accumulated sins. It became the bestower of great devotion at the feet of glorious Mahadeva, granting both enjoyment and liberation through bathing, giving, and other acts. Shiva also granted many various boons there, even to the Vedas. This sacred place is known as Cakshus-tirtha, bestowing beauty and good fortune, where the Lord of Yogis resides on the southern bank of the Gautami. Nearby, on the summit of a mountain, lies the city called Bhauvana, where once King Bhauvana, devoted to the duties of a warrior, ruled.