मृदोः कोपि भवेत् प्रीतः कोपि तद्वद् दुरात्मनः तस्माद् अहं मूर्ध्नि शिलां पातयेयम् असंशयम्
Someone might be pleased with clay, or someone with a wicked person; therefore, without doubt, I should cast a stone upon my own head.
इत्य् उक्तवति वै वेदे विहस्येशो ऽब्रवीद् इदम्
When Veda had spoken thus, the Lord laughed and said this:
श्वः प्रतीक्षस्व पश्चान् मे शिलां पातय मूर्धनि
Wait until tomorrow, then cast the stone upon my head.
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा स वेदो ऽपि शिलां संत्यज्य बाहुना उपसंहृत्य तं कोपं श्वः करोमीत्य् उवाच ह
Saying 'so be it,' Veda too set aside the stone with his arm, restrained his anger, and said, 'I will do it tomorrow.'
ततः प्रातः समागत्य कृत्वा स्नानादिकर्म च वेदो ऽपि नित्यवत् पूजां कुर्वन् पश्यति मस्तके
Then, coming in the morning and performing his bathing and other rites, Veda, as usual, began worship and saw upon the head—
लिङ्गस्य सव्रणां भीमां धारां च रुधिरप्लुताम् वेदः स विस्मितो भूत्वा किम् इदं लिङ्गमूर्धनि
—a terrible, wounded stream, soaked with blood, on the head of the liṅga; Veda, astonished, wondered, 'What is this on the liṅga’s head?'
महोत्पातो भवेत् कस्य सूचयेद् इत्य् अचिन्तयत् मृद्भिश् च गोमयेनापि कुशैस् तं गाङ्गवारिभिः
He thought, 'For whom has such a great portent arisen? Whom does it indicate?' and washed it with clay, cow dung, kuśa grass, and Ganges water.
प्रक्षालयित्वा तां पूजां कृतवान् नित्यवत् तदा एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे प्रायाद् व्याधो विगतकल्मषः
Having washed it, he performed the worship as usual; at that moment, the hunter, freed from sin, arrived.
मूर्धानं व्रणसंयुक्तं सरक्तं लिङ्गमस्तके शंकरस्यादिकेशस्य ददृशे ऽन्तर्गतस् तदा
Then, within the liṅga, he saw the head, wounded and covered in blood, of Śaṅkara, the Lord with the first head.
दृष्ट्वैव किम् इदं चित्रम् इत्य् उक्त्वा निशितैः शरैः आत्मानं भेदयाम् आस शतधा च सहस्रधा
Seeing this strange sight, he said, 'What is this marvel?' and with sharp arrows, pierced himself a hundredfold and a thousandfold.
स्वामिनो वैकृतं दृष्ट्वा कः क्षमेतोत्तमाशयः मुहुर् निनिन्द चात्मानं मयि जीवत्य् अभूद् इदम्
Who, seeing the Lord’s disfigurement, could endure it with noble heart? Again and again he reproached himself, saying, 'This happened while I still live.'
कष्टम् आपतितं कीदृग् अहो दुर्विधिवैशसात् तत् कर्म तस्य संवीक्ष्य महादेवो ऽतिविस्मितः ततः प्रोवाच भगवान् वेदं वेदविदां वरम्
'Alas, what terrible fate has come upon me, oh, by cruel destiny!' Seeing that act of his, Mahādeva was greatly astonished; then the Lord spoke to Veda, best of those who know the Vedas:
पश्य व्याधं महाबुद्धे भक्तं भावेन संयुतम् त्वं तु मृद्भिः कुशैर् वार्भिर् मूर्धानं स्पृष्टवान् असि
'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.'
अनेन सहसा ब्रह्मन् ममात्मापि निवेदितः भक्तिः प्रेमाथवा शक्तिर् विचारो यत्र विद्यते तस्माद् अस्मै वरान् दास्ये पश्चात् तुभ्यं द्विजोत्तम
'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.'
वरेण च्छन्दयाम् आस व्याधं देवो महेश्वरः व्याधः प्रोवाच देवेशं निर्माल्यं तव यद् भवेत्
With a boon, the great Lord Maheśvara invited the hunter to choose; the hunter said to the Lord of gods, 'May I receive your nirmālya.'
तद् अस्माकं भवेन् नाथ मन्नाम्ना तीर्थम् उच्यताम् सर्वक्रतुफलं तीर्थं स्मरणाद् एव जायताम्
'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.'
तथेत्य् उवाच देवेशस् ततस् तत् तीर्थम् उत्तमम् भिल्लतीर्थं समस्ताघसंघविच्छेदकारणम्
The Lord of the gods replied, 'So be it.' Then that most excellent sacred place, Bhillatirtha, became the cause for the destruction of all accumulated sins.
श्रीमहादेवचरणमहाभक्तिविधायकम् अभवत् स्नानदानाद्यैर् भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् वेदस्यापि वरान् प्रादाच् छिवो नानाविधान् बहून्
It became the bestower of great devotion at the feet of the glorious Mahadeva, granting both enjoyment and liberation through bathing, giving, and other acts. Shiva also granted many various boons there, even to the Vedas.
चक्षुस्तीर्थम् इति ख्यातं रूपसौभाग्यदायकम् यत्र योगेश्वरो देवो गौतम्या दक्षिणे तटे
It is known as Cakshus-tirtha, the sacred place that bestows beauty and good fortune, where the Lord of Yogis resides on the southern bank of the Gautami.
पुरं भौवनम् आख्यातं गिरिमूर्ध्न्य् अभिधीयते यत्रासौ भौवनो राजा क्षत्रधर्मपरायणः
The city called Bhauvana is said to be on the summit of a mountain, where King Bhauvana, devoted to the duties of a warrior, once ruled.
तस्मिन् पुरवरे कश्चिद् ब्राह्मणो वृद्धकौशिकः तत्पुत्रो गौतम इति ख्यातो वेदविदुत्तमः
In that excellent city lived a certain Brahmin named Vriddhakaushika; his son, renowned as Gautama, was the foremost knower of the Vedas.
तस्य मातुर् मनोदोषाद् विपरीतो ऽभवद् द्विजः सखा तस्य वणिक् कश्चिन् मणिकुण्डल उच्यते
Because of his mother's mental fault, that twice-born became contrary in nature. He had a friend, a merchant named Manikuṇḍala.
तेन सख्यं द्विजस्यासीद् विषमं द्विजवैश्ययोः श्रीमद्दरिद्रयोर् नित्यं परस्परहितैषिणोः
There was an uneven friendship between the Brahmin and the merchant, one wealthy and one poor, yet always seeking each other's welfare.
कदाचिद् गौतमो वैश्यं वित्तेशं मणिकुण्डलम् प्राहेदं वचनं प्रीत्या रहः स्थित्वा पुनः पुनः
Once, Gautama privately and repeatedly spoke these words with affection to the wealthy merchant Manikuṇḍala:
गच्छामो धनम् आदातुं पर्वतान् उदधीन् अपि यौवनं तद् वृथा ज्ञेयं विना सौख्यानुकूल्यतः धनं विना तत् कथं स्याद् अहो धिङ् निर्धनं नरम्
'Let us go to obtain wealth, even to mountains and oceans. Youth is wasted without the means for happiness; how can there be happiness without wealth? Alas, shame on the man who is poor.'
कुण्डलो द्विजम् आहेदं मत्पित्रोपार्जितं धनम् बह्व् अस्ति किं धनेनाद्य करिष्ये द्विजसत्तम द्विजः पुनर् उवाचेदं मणिकुण्डलम् ओजसा
Kuṇḍala said to the Brahmin, 'I have much wealth earned by my father. What need do I have for more wealth today, O best of Brahmins?' But the Brahmin replied to Manikuṇḍala with vigor:
धर्मार्थज्ञानकामानां को नु तृप्तः प्रशस्यते उत्कर्षप्राप्तिर् एवैषां सखे श्लाघ्या शरीरिणाम्
'Who among those who know righteousness, wealth, knowledge, and desire is ever truly satisfied? For embodied beings, only the attainment of excellence is praiseworthy, my friend.'
स्वेनैव व्यवसायेन धन्या जीवन्ति जन्तवः परदत्तार्थसंतुष्टाः कष्टजीविन एव ते
'Creatures who live by their own effort are truly fortunate; those content with what is given by others live a wretched life.'
स पुत्रः शस्यते लोके पितृभिश् चाभिनन्द्यते यः पैत्र्यम् अभिलिप्सेत न वाचापि तु कुण्डल
'That son is praised in the world and honored by his fathers who desires his ancestral wealth—not even in speech, O Kuṇḍala.'
स्वबाहुबलम् आश्रित्य यो ऽर्थान् अर्जयते सुतः स कृतार्थो भवेल् लोके पैत्र्यं वित्तं न तु स्पृशेत्
'The son who, relying on his own strength, acquires wealth, is accomplished in the world; he should not touch his father's wealth.'