अस्थिचर्म पिनद्धांगं निश्वसंतं मुहुर्मुहुः । तं दृष्ट्वा स मुनिश्रेष्ठः कृपया परया युतः
Its body was bound with bones and skin, breathing heavily again and again; seeing him, the best of sages was filled with great compassion.
प्रोवाच को भवान्कस्माद्देशाद्देशमिमं श्रितः । तस्मै पिशाचः क्षुधया पीड्यमानोऽब्रवीद्वचः
He spoke: 'Who are you? From what place have you come to this land?' To him, the piśāca, tormented by hunger, replied these words:
पूर्वजन्मन्यहं विप्रो धनधान्यसमन्वितः । पुत्रपौत्रादिभिर्युक्तः कुटुंबभरणोत्सुकः
'In a former birth I was a brāhmaṇa, endowed with wealth and grain, surrounded by sons, grandsons, and others, eager to support my family.'
न पूजिता महादेवा गावोऽप्यतिथयस्तथा । न कदाचित्कृतं पुण्यमल्पं वानल्पमेव च
'I did not worship the great god, nor cows, nor guests; never did I perform any meritorious deed, whether small or great.'
एकदा भगवान्देवो वृषभेश्वरवाहनः । विश्वेश्वरो वाराणस्यां दृष्टः स्पृष्टो नमस्कृतः
'Once, the blessed god, Lord of the Bull, Lord of all, was seen, touched, and saluted by me in Vārāṇasī.'
तदाचिरेण कालेन पंचत्वमहमागतः । न दृष्टं तन्महाघोरं यमस्य सदनं मुने
'Soon after that time, I met my end; I did not see that dreadful abode of Yama, O sage.'
पिपासयाधुनाक्रांतो न जानामि हिताहितम् । यदि कंचित्समुद्धर्तुमुपायं पश्यसि प्रभो
'Now I am seized by thirst, I do not know what is good or harmful; if you see any means to rescue me, O lord, please show it.'
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 to the piśāca:
तादृशो नहि लोकेस्मिन्विद्यते पुण्यकृत्तमः । यत्त्वया भगवान्पूर्वं दृष्टो विश्वेश्वरः शिवः
'There is no one in this world more meritorious than you, for you once saw the blessed Lord Śiva, Lord of all.'
संस्पृष्टो वंदितो भूयः कोऽन्यस्त्वत्सदृशो भुवि । तेन कर्मविपाकेन देशमेतं समागतः
'Touched and saluted again, 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, with your mind focused, in this pond; by this, you will soon cast off this wretched birth.'
स एवमुक्तो मुनिना पिशाचो दयालुना देववरं त्रिनेत्रम् । स्मृत्वा कपर्दीश्वरमीशितारं चक्रे समाधाय मनोवगाहम्
Thus addressed by the compassionate sage, the piśāca, remembering the divine three-eyed lord, the ruler with matted hair, fixed his mind in meditation.
तदावगाढो मुनिसन्निधाने ममार दिव्याभरणोपपन्नः । अदृश्यतार्कप्रतिमो विमाने शशांकचिह्नीकृतचारुमौलि
Immersed there in the presence of the sage, he died, adorned with divine ornaments; he was seen, like 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 shone, surrounded by Rudras and celestial beings, attended by incomparable yogis; this god, with the Vālakhilyas and others, was like the sun at its rising, illuminating all the gods.
स्तुवंति सिद्धादि विदेवसंघा नृत्यंति दिव्याप्सरसोऽभिरामाः । मुंचंति वृष्टिं कुसुमांबुमिश्रां गंधर्वविद्याधरकिन्नराद्याः
The hosts of Siddhas and other gods praised him, the lovely celestial nymphs danced, and Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Kinnaras, and others showered a rain of flowers mixed with water.
संस्तूयमानोऽथ मुनींद्रसंघैरवाप्य बोधं भगवत्प्रसादात् । समाविशन्मंडलमेतदग्र्यं त्रयीमयं यत्र विभाति रुद्रः
Thus praised by the assemblies of great sages, attaining knowledge by the grace of the Lord, he entered that 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 demon and spirit released, the sage, his mind elated, contemplated the great Lord Shiva, and, bowing to Rudra, the sole poet and fire, praised that matted-haired one.
शंकुकर्ण उवाच-। कपर्दिनं त्वां परतः परस्ताद्गोप्तारमेकं पुरुषं पुराणम् । व्रजामि योगेश्वरमीप्सितारमादित्यमग्निं कपिलाधिरूढम्
Shankukarṇa said: O matted-haired one, you are beyond the beyond, the sole protector, the ancient person. I approach you, Lord of Yoga, the desired one, the sun, the fire, mounted upon 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 primordial yogi. I approach Rudra, the refuge, dwelling in heaven, the great sage, composed of Brahman, the pure one.
सहस्रपादाक्षिशिरोभियुक्तं सहस्ररूपं तमसः परस्तात् । तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणमामि शंभुं हिरण्यगर्भाधिपतिं त्रिनेत्रम्
Endowed with a thousand feet, eyes, and heads, of a thousand forms, beyond darkness—him, the limit of Brahman, I bow to Shambhu, the lord of the golden womb, the three-eyed one.
यत्र प्रसूतिर्जगतो विनाशो येनावृतं सर्वमिदं शिवेन । तं ब्रह्मपारं भगवंतमीशं प्रणम्य नित्यं शरणं प्रपद्ये
Where the origin and dissolution of the world occur, by whom all this is enveloped with auspiciousness—him, the limit of Brahman, the blessed Lord, I ever bow to and take refuge in.
अलिंगमालोकविहीनरूपं स्वयंप्रभुं चित्पतिमेकरूपम् । तं ब्रह्मपारं परमेश्वरं त्वां नमस्करिष्ये न यतोऽन्यदस्ति
Formless, devoid of visible appearance, self-existent, lord of consciousness, of single form—him, the limit of Brahman, supreme Lord, I will bow to you, for there is nothing else.
यं योगिनस्त्यक्तसबीजयोगा लब्ध्वा समाधिं परमात्मभूताः । पश्यंति देवं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यं तं ब्रह्मपारं परमस्वरूपम्
Whom yogis, having abandoned seed-bearing yoga, attaining samadhi, become one with the supreme self—seeing that god, I always bow to him, the limit of Brahman, the supreme form.
न यत्र नामादिविशेष कॢप्तिर्न संदृशे तिष्ठति यत्स्वरूपम् । तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यं स्वयंभुवं त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये
Where there is no distinction of name or other attributes, whose true form does not stand in view—him, the limit of Brahman, I always bow to; to you, self-born, I take refuge.
यद्वेदवादाभिरता विदेहं सब्रह्मविज्ञानमभेदमेकम् । पश्यंत्यनेकं भवतः स्वरूपं तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यम्
Those devoted to the teachings of the Vedas, having realized the bodiless, the one undivided with Brahman-knowledge, see your manifold true forms—him, the limit of Brahman, I always bow to.
यतः प्रधानं पुरुषः पुराणो बिभर्ति तेजः प्रणमंति देवाः । नमामि तं ज्योतिषि सन्निविष्टं कालं बृहंतं भवतः स्वरूपम्
From whom primordial matter and the ancient person arise, who bears the radiance worshipped by the gods—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 seek refuge in the Lord of the cave, the steadfast one; I take refuge in the ancient Lord of the mountain. I take refuge in Shiva, the remover, the moon-crested, the wielder of the bow; I seek refuge in you.
स्तुत्वैवं शंकुकर्णोऽपि भगवंतं कपर्दिनम् । पपात दंडवद्भूमौ प्रोच्चरन्प्रणवं परम्
Thus having praised the blessed matted-haired Lord, Shankukarṇa fell prostrate on the ground, reciting the supreme syllable.
तत्क्षणात्परमं लिंगं प्रादुर्भूतं शिवात्मकम् । ज्ञानमानंदमत्यंतं कोटिज्वालाग्निसन्निभम्
At that moment, the supreme linga appeared, of the nature of Shiva, knowledge and bliss absolute, resembling the blaze of millions of fires.
शंकुकर्णोऽथ मुक्तात्मा तदात्मा सर्वगोऽमलः । निलिल्ये विमले लिंगे तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Then Shankukarṇa, his soul liberated, pure, all-pervading, entered the spotless linga, and it became wondrous.