एकदा भगवान्देवो वृषभेश्वरवाहनः । विश्वेश्वरो वाराणस्यां दृष्टः स्पृष्टो नमस्कृतः
Once, the blessed god, Lord Viśveśvara, who rides the bull, was seen, touched, and saluted by me in Vārāṇasī.
तदाचिरेण कालेन पंचत्वमहमागतः । न दृष्टं तन्महाघोरं यमस्य सदनं मुने
Soon after that time, I reached death; I did not see that dreadful abode of Yama, O sage.
पिपासयाधुनाक्रांतो न जानामि हिताहितम् । यदि कंचित्समुद्धर्तुमुपायं पश्यसि प्रभो
Now, afflicted by thirst, I do not know what is beneficial or harmful; if you see any means to rescue me, O lord, please do so.
कुरुष्व तं नमस्तुभ्यं त्वामहं शरणं गतः । इत्युक्तः शंकुकर्णोऽथ पिशाचमिदमब्रवीत्
'Do that for me; I bow to you. I have taken refuge in you.' Thus addressed, Śaṃkukarṇa then spoke these words to the piśāca:
तादृशो नहि लोकेस्मिन्विद्यते पुण्यकृत्तमः । यत्त्वया भगवान्पूर्वं दृष्टो विश्वेश्वरः शिवः
There is truly no one in this world more meritorious than you, for you once saw the blessed Lord Viśveśvara, Śiva.
संस्पृष्टो वंदितो भूयः कोऽन्यस्त्वत्सदृशो भुवि । तेन कर्मविपाकेन देशमेतं समागतः
You touched him, saluted him—who else on earth is like you? By the result of that act, you have come to this place.
स्नानं कुरुष्व शीघ्रं त्वमस्मिन्कुंडे समाहितः । येनेमां कुत्सितां योनिं क्षिप्रमेव प्रहास्यसि
Bathe quickly in this pond with a concentrated mind, so that you may soon abandon this degraded birth.
स एवमुक्तो मुनिना पिशाचो दयालुना देववरं त्रिनेत्रम् । स्मृत्वा कपर्दीश्वरमीशितारं चक्रे समाधाय मनोवगाहम्
Thus addressed by the compassionate sage, the piśāca, remembering the three-eyed god, the lord with matted hair, fixed his mind and meditated upon the divine ruler.
तदावगाढो मुनिसन्निधाने ममार दिव्याभरणोपपन्नः । अदृश्यतार्कप्रतिमो विमाने शशांकचिह्नीकृतचारुमौलि
Immersed there in the presence of the sage, adorned with celestial ornaments, he died; and was seen, radiant as the sun, in a celestial chariot, with a beautiful crest marked by the moon.
विभाति रुद्रैः सहितो दिविष्ठैः समाभृतो योगिरिभरप्रमेयैः । स वालखिल्यादिभिरेष देवो यथोदये भानुरशेषदेवः
He shines, surrounded by Rudras and other divine beings, attended by incomparable yogis; this god, together with the Vālakhilyas and others, is like the sun at dawn, illuminating all the gods.
स्तुवंति सिद्धादि विदेवसंघा नृत्यंति दिव्याप्सरसोऽभिरामाः । मुंचंति वृष्टिं कुसुमांबुमिश्रां गंधर्वविद्याधरकिन्नराद्याः
Hosts of Siddhas and other gods praise him, delightful celestial nymphs dance, and Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Kinnaras and others shower a rain of flowers mixed with water.
संस्तूयमानोऽथ मुनींद्रसंघैरवाप्य बोधं भगवत्प्रसादात् । समाविशन्मंडलमेतदग्र्यं त्रयीमयं यत्र विभाति रुद्रः
Thus praised by assemblies of great sages, attaining knowledge through the grace of the Blessed Lord, he entered this supreme circle, composed of the three Vedas, where Rudra shines.
दृष्ट्वा विमुक्तं स पिशाचभूतं मुनिः प्रहृष्टो मनसा महेशम् । विचिंत्य रुद्रं कविमेकमग्निं प्रणम्य तुष्टाव कपर्दिनं तम्
Seeing the piśāca released from his state, the sage, his mind delighted, contemplated the great Lord, Rudra, the sole poet and fire, bowed and praised the matted-haired one.
शंकुकर्ण उवाच-। कपर्दिनं त्वां परतः परस्ताद्गोप्तारमेकं पुरुषं पुराणम् । व्रजामि योगेश्वरमीप्सितारमादित्यमग्निं कपिलाधिरूढम्
Śaṅkukarṇa said: I approach you, Kapardin, the supreme protector, the one ancient person, the Lord of Yoga, the desired one, the sun, the fire, mounted on the tawny one.
त्वां ब्रह्मसारं हृदि संनिविष्टं हिरण्मयं योगिनमादिमं तम् । व्रजामि रुद्रं शरणं दिविष्ठं महामुनिं ब्रह्ममयं पवित्रम्
You are the essence of Brahman, established in the heart, golden, the original yogi; I approach you, Rudra, the divine refuge, the great sage, Brahman itself, the pure one.
सहस्रपादाक्षिशिरोभियुक्तं सहस्ररूपं तमसः परस्तात् । तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणमामि शंभुं हिरण्यगर्भाधिपतिं त्रिनेत्रम्
I bow to that Śambhu, endowed with a thousand feet, eyes, and heads, of a thousand forms, beyond darkness, the supreme Brahman, the lord of Hiraṇyagarbha, the three-eyed one.
यत्र प्रसूतिर्जगतो विनाशो येनावृतं सर्वमिदं शिवेन । तं ब्रह्मपारं भगवंतमीशं प्रणम्य नित्यं शरणं प्रपद्ये
In whom the creation and dissolution of the world take place, by whom all this is pervaded with auspiciousness—I ever bow to that supreme Lord, the Blessed One, and take refuge.
अलिंगमालोकविहीनरूपं स्वयंप्रभुं चित्पतिमेकरूपम् । तं ब्रह्मपारं परमेश्वरं त्वां नमस्करिष्ये न यतोऽन्यदस्ति
To you, the formless, beyond all visible forms, self-existent, the sole lord of consciousness, the one without a second, the supreme Lord—I bow, for there is nothing else besides you.
यं योगिनस्त्यक्तसबीजयोगा लब्ध्वा समाधिं परमात्मभूताः । पश्यंति देवं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यं तं ब्रह्मपारं परमस्वरूपम्
Those yogis who, having abandoned seed-based yoga, attain samādhi and become identical with the supreme self, see that god; I ever bow to that supreme Brahman, the highest reality.
न यत्र नामादिविशेष कॢप्तिर्न संदृशे तिष्ठति यत्स्वरूपम् । तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यं स्वयंभुवं त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये
Where there is no distinction of name or form, where the true nature does not appear in any visible way—to that supreme Brahman I ever bow; to you, the self-born, I take refuge.
यद्वेदवादाभिरता विदेहं सब्रह्मविज्ञानमभेदमेकम् । पश्यंत्यनेकं भवतः स्वरूपं तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यम्
Those devoted to the teachings of the Vedas, possessing knowledge of Brahman, see your manifold forms as one undivided reality; I ever bow to that supreme Brahman.
यतः प्रधानं पुरुषः पुराणो बिभर्ति तेजः प्रणमंति देवाः । नमामि तं ज्योतिषि सन्निविष्टं कालं बृहंतं भवतः स्वरूपम्
From whom the primordial nature and the ancient person arise, who bears the radiance to whom the gods bow—I bow to that form of yours, vast as time, abiding in light.
व्रजामि नित्यं शरणं गुहेशं स्थाणुं प्रपद्ये गिरिशं पुराणम् । शिवं प्रपद्ये हरिमिंदुमौलिं पिनाकिनं त्वां शरणं व्रजामि
I ever take refuge in Guheśa, the ancient Lord of the mountain, the steadfast one; I take refuge in Śiva, the remover, the moon-crested, the wielder of Pināka—I seek you as refuge.
स्तुत्वैवं शंकुकर्णोऽपि भगवंतं कपर्दिनम् । पपात दंडवद्भूमौ प्रोच्चरन्प्रणवं परम्
Having thus praised the Blessed Kapardin, Śaṅkukarṇa fell to the ground like a staff, reciting the supreme praṇava.
तत्क्षणात्परमं लिंगं प्रादुर्भूतं शिवात्मकम् । ज्ञानमानंदमत्यंतं कोटिज्वालाग्निसन्निभम्
At that very moment, the supreme liṅga appeared, embodying Śiva—knowledge, bliss, and infinity, resembling the blaze of millions of flames.
शंकुकर्णोऽथ मुक्तात्मा तदात्मा सर्वगोऽमलः । निलिल्ये विमले लिंगे तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Then Śaṅkukarṇa, liberated, his self pure and all-pervading, merged into the spotless liṅga; it was a wondrous sight.
एतद्रहस्यमाख्यातं माहात्म्यं ते कपर्द्दिनः । न कश्चिद्वेत्ति तमसा विद्वानप्यत्र मुह्यति
This secret, this greatness of Kapardin, has been revealed to you; no one knows it—deluded even are the learned, veiled by darkness.
य इमां शृणुयान्नित्यं कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् । त्यक्तपापविशुद्धात्मा रुद्रसामीप्यमाप्नुयात्
Whoever listens daily to this story, which destroys sin, becomes purified from wrongdoing and attains nearness to Rudra.
पठेच्च सततं शुद्धो ब्रह्मपारं महास्तवम् । प्रातर्मध्याह्नसमये स योगं प्राप्नुयात्परम्
And whoever, always pure, recites this great hymn to the Supreme Brahman—morning, noon, and at midday—attains the highest yoga.
नारद उवाच- वाराणस्यां महाराज मध्यमेशं परात्परम् । तस्मिन्स्थाने महादेवो देव्या सह महेश्वरः
Nārada said: O King, in Vārāṇasī is the supreme Madhyameśa; in that place, the great Lord abides with the Goddess.