महादेव नमस्ते ऽस्तु महेश्वर नमो ऽस्तु ते
O Mahadeva, salutations to you; O Maheshvara, salutations to you.
नमस्कारं प्रकुर्वाणाः शङ्कराय महात्मने
Offering salutations to Shankara, the great-souled one.
कामांश्च लभते सर्वान् पापेभ्यश्च प्रमुच्यते
He attains all desires and is freed from all sins.
एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं मया माहेश्वरं बलम्
I have told you all this, the mighty power of Maheśvara.
महादेवस्य माहात्म्यं श्रोतुं कौतूहलं च नः
We have a curiosity to hear the greatness of Mahādeva.
चकार वेषं विकृतं येन बुद्धा महर्षयः
He assumed a strange form by which the great sages became bewildered.
आराधयन्प्रसादार्थं नैषां तुष्टः पुनर्भवः
They worshipped him to obtain his favor, but he was not pleased with them.
तत्सर्वं कथयस्वेह त्वं नो बुद्धिमतां वरः
Tell us all this here, you who are foremost among the wise.
निर्म्मितं देवदेवेन भक्तानामनुकंपया
Created by the Lord of gods out of compassion for his devotees.
देवदारुवनं रम्यं नानाद्रुमलताकुलम्
The delightful Devadāru forest, crowded with various trees and creepers.
शैवाल भोजनाः केचित्केचिदन्तर्जलेशयाः
Some ate algae for food, some lived within the water.
दन्तोलूखलिनश्चान्ये त्वश्मकुट्टास्तथा परे
Others used their teeth as mortars, and some crushed with stones.
कालं नयन्ति तपसा तीव्रेण च महाधियः
The great-minded ones spent their time in intense austerity.
भस्मपाण्डुरदिग्धाङ्गो नग्नो विकृतलक्षणः
His body was smeared with pale ash, naked, bearing strange marks.
उल्मुकव्यग्रहस्तश्च रक्तपिङ्गललोचनः
He held a flaming torch in his hand, his eyes were red and tawny.
मुखमङ्गारवर्णेन शुक्लेन च विभूषितम्
His face was adorned with both coal-black and white colors.
क्वचिन्नृत्यति शृङ्गारी क्वचिद्रौति मुहुर्मुहुः
Sometimes he danced amorously, sometimes he cried out again and again.
आश्रमे ऽभ्यागतो ऽभीक्ष्णं या चते च पुनः पुनः
He repeatedly came to the hermitage and begged again and again.
वृषनादं प्रगर्जन्वै खरनादं ननाद च
He roared like a bull and made loud noises like a donkey.
ततस्ते मुनयः क्रुद्धाः क्रोधेन कलुषीकृताः
Then the sages, angered, became tainted by wrath.
करवद्गायसे यस्मात्खरस्तस्माद्भविष्यसि
Because you sang with your hands, you shall become a donkey.
यथा वैच्छंस्तथा सर्वे क्रुद्धास्ते मुनयः समम्
Just as you wished, all those sages became angry together.
तपांसि तेषां सर्वेषां प्रत्याहन्यन्त शङ्करे
All their austerities were obstructed, O Shankara.
न द्योतन्ते प्रकाशेन तद्वत्तेजांसि शङ्करे
Their radiance no longer shone brightly, O Shankara.
समृद्धः श्रेयसां यौनिर्यज्ञो वै नाशमाप्तवान्
The sacrifice, which was the source of great prosperity, was destroyed.
प्रादुर्भावान्दश प्राप्तो दुःखितश्च सदा कृतः
He experienced ten manifestations and was always made sorrowful.
ऋषिणा गौतमेनोर्व्यां क्रुद्धेन विनिपातितम्
He was cast down to the earth by the angry sage Gautama.
ऋषीणां चैव शापेन नहुषः सर्पतां गतः
By the curse of the sages, Nahusha became a serpent.
धर्मश्चात्र प्रशप्तो वै माण्डव्येन महात्मना
Here, Dharma himself was cursed by the great-souled Mandavya.
वर्जयित्वा विरूपाक्षं देवदेवं महेश्वरम्
Except for Virupaksha, the god of gods, Maheshvara,