अपरं हि गजं शुक्रः प्रह्लादो रथमुत्तमम् । वृषपर्वा रथवरं बलिस्तुरगमुत्तमम्
Śukra mounted another elephant, Prahlāda rode an excellent chariot, Vṛṣaparvan took a splendid chariot, and Bali rode the best horse.
आगतानथ तान्सर्वानाज्ञाय स तु गौतमः । सशिष्यो निर्जगामाथ ह्यादायार्घ्यादिकं त्वरा
Then Gautama, seeing that all had arrived, went out with his disciples, quickly bringing water and other offerings.
गौतमं चापि ते वीक्ष्यावरुह्य च गजादिकात् । नमश्चक्रुरथो दैत्यास्तं नमस्कृत्य भार्गवम्
Seeing Gautama, they descended from their elephants and other mounts; the Daityas offered their salutations, and after bowing to Bhārgava, too.
आलिंग्य राक्षसान्सर्वान्पूजयित्वा यथाविधि । सेनायाः सन्निवेशं च चकार मुनिपुंगवः
Embracing all the Rākṣasas and honoring them according to custom, the eminent sage arranged the army's encampment.
पादौ प्रक्षाल्य शुक्रस्य जलं मूर्ध्नि धृतं तथा । विचित्रफलसंयुक्तं दत्तवानर्हणं मुनिः
After washing Śukra's feet and placing water upon his head, the sage gave him a respectful offering adorned with various fruits.
वापीतडागसरसी स्नानपूर्वकृत क्रियाः । संगमे वर्तमाने तु गौतमस्याश्रमे शुभे
Having performed the prescribed rites after bathing in ponds, tanks, and lakes, they gathered at the auspicious hermitage of Gautama.
तद्गेहं तु प्रविश्याथ राक्षसास्सपुरोहिताः । देवपूजाप्रपत्तिं च चक्रुः सर्वे द्विजालये
Then, entering that house, the Rākṣasas with their priests all engaged in worship of the gods within the abode of the twice-born.
सद्यः प्रकल्पितायां च वेद्यां शुक्रोऽयजच्छिवम् । तस्यैव वामभागे तु प्रह्लादोयजदच्युतम्
On the altar prepared at once, Śukra offered sacrifice to Śiva; and to the left of it, Prahlāda sacrificed to Acyuta.
सोमं च बलिरप्येवमन्ये चासुरपुंगवाः । अथ बाणोऽयजद्देवमेकमेव त्रियंबकम्
Bali offered to Soma, and likewise other leaders of the Asuras; then Bāṇa sacrificed to the single god Triambaka.
शुक्रोपि भगवन्तन्तमुमानाथमपूजयत् । गौतमोप्यथ मध्याह्ने पूजयामास शंकरम्
Śukra also worshipped the blessed Lord Umānātha; and Gautama, at midday, worshipped Śaṃkara.
सर्वे शुक्लांबरधरा भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहाः । सितेन भस्मना कृत्वा सर्वस्थाने त्रिपुंड्रकम्
All wore white garments, their bodies smeared with ash; in every place, they marked themselves with three lines of white ash.
नत्वा तु भार्गवं सर्वे भूतशुद्धिं प्रचक्रमुः । हृत्पद्ममध्ये सुषिरं तत्रैव भूतपंचकम्
After bowing to Bhārgava, all performed purification of the elements; in the lotus of the heart, there is a cavity containing the five elements.
तेषां मध्ये महाकाशमाकाशे निर्मलानलम् । तन्मध्ये च महेशानं ध्यायेद्दीप्तिमयं शुभम्
Among them, there is the great ether, and within the ether, pure fire; in its midst, one should meditate on Maheśāna, radiant and auspicious.
अज्ञानसंयुतं भूतं शमलं सर्वसंगतम् । तद्देहमाकाशदीपे प्रदहेज्ज्ञानवह्निना
The element, joined with ignorance and impurity, associated with all, one should burn that body in the lamp of ether with the fire of knowledge.
आकाशस्यावृतं चाहं दग्ध्वाऽऽकाशमथो दहेत् । दग्ध्वाकाशमयो वायुमग्निभूतं तदा दहेत्
Having burned what is enveloped by ether, one should then burn the ether; after burning the ether, one should burn the air composed of ether and fire.
अब्भूतं च ततो दग्ध्वा पृथिवीभूतमेव च । तदाश्रितान्गुणान्दग्ध्वा ततो देहं प्रदाहयेत्
Then, after burning the element of water and likewise the element of earth, having burned the qualities attached to them, one should then burn the body.
एवं दहित्वा भूतानि देही तज्ज्ञानवह्निना । शिखामध्यस्थितं विष्णुमानंदरसनिर्भरम्
Thus, having burned the elements with the fire of knowledge, the embodied soul, filled with the bliss of seeing Viṣṇu situated in the midst of the flame.
निष्पन्नचंद्रकिरणसंकाशकिरणं शिवम् । शिवांगोत्पन्नकिरणैरमृतद्रवसंयुतैः
Śiva, whose rays resemble moonbeams, appears; with rays arising from Śiva's body, mingled with the nectar-fluid.
सुशीतला ततो ज्वाला प्रशांता चन्द्ररश्मिवत् । प्रसारितसुधारुग्भिः सांद्रीभूतश्च संप्लवः
Then the flame becomes very cool, tranquil like moonlight; with streams of nectar flowing forth, the flood becomes dense.
क्रमेण प्लावितं भूतग्रामं संचिंतयेत्परम्
Gradually, one should contemplate the group of elements being flooded, and then the supreme.
इत्थं कृत्वा भूतशुद्धिं क्रियार्हो मर्त्यः शुद्धो जायते एव शुद्धः । पूजां कर्तुं जाप्यकर्म्मापि पश्चाद्देवध्याने ब्रह्महत्यादि हानिः
Thus, having performed the purification of the elements, a mortal becomes fit for ritual, and is truly purified; only then, after this purity, is he able to perform worship or recitation, and through meditation on the deity, the sin of killing a Brahmin and other such faults are destroyed.
एवं ध्यात्वा चंद्रदीप्तिप्रकाशं ध्यानेनारोप्याशु लिंगे शिवस्य । सदाशिवं दीपमध्ये विचिंत्य पंचाक्षरेणार्चनमव्ययं तु
Meditating in this way on the radiance of the moon, and swiftly establishing it through meditation in the liṅga of Śiva, one should contemplate Sadāśiva in the center of the light, and worship the imperishable with the five-syllable mantra.
आवाहनादीनुपचारांस्तथापि कृत्वा स्नानं पूर्ववच्छंकरस्य । उदुंबरं राजतं स्वर्णपीठं वस्त्रादिछन्नं सर्वमेवेह पीठम्
Then, performing the offerings such as invocation and the rest, as before, one should bathe Śaṅkara; the seat should be made of udumbara wood, silver, or gold, covered with cloth and the like—indeed, the seat here should be thus prepared.
अंते कृत्वा बुद्बुदानां च वृष्टिं पीठे पीठे नागमेकं पुरस्तात् । कुर्यात्पीठे चोर्ध्वके नागयुग्मं देवाभ्याशे दक्षिणे वामतश्च
At the end, having made a shower of bubbles on each seat, one should place a single serpent in front of each seat; on the upper seat, a pair of serpents should be placed—one to the right and one to the left near the deities.
जपापुष्पं नागमध्ये निधाय मध्ये वस्त्रं द्वादश प्रातिगुण्ये । सुश्वेतेन तस्य मध्ये महेशं लिंगाकारं पीठयुक्तं प्रपूज्यम्
Placing a hibiscus flower between the serpents, and a cloth in the middle, twelve times in proportion, in the center with a very white one, one should worship Maheśa in the form of a liṅga, established on a seat.
एवं कृत्वा बाणमुख्या दितीशा दत्त्वा दत्त्वा पंचगंधाष्टगंधम् । पुष्पैः पत्रैः श्री तिलैरक्षतैश्च तिलोन्मिश्रैः केवलैश्च प्रपूज्य
Having done so, offering the foremost of arrows to the goddess Diti, and giving the fivefold and eightfold fragrances, one should worship with flowers, leaves, auspicious sesame seeds, and unbroken rice, both mixed with sesame and pure.
धूपं दत्त्वा विधिवत्संप्रयुक्तं दीपं दत्त्वा चोक्तमेवोपहारम् । पूजाशेषं ते समाप्याथ सर्वे गीतं नृत्यं तत्रतत्रापि चक्रुः
Offering incense according to the proper method, and then a lamp, and the prescribed gifts, having completed all the remaining acts of worship, they all performed singing and dancing here and there.
अथास्मिन्नंतरे गौतमस्यप्राप्तः शिष्यः शंकरात्मेति नाम्ना
Meanwhile, at that moment, Gautama's disciple named Śaṅkarātman arrived.
उन्मत्तवेशो दिग्वासा अनेकावृतिमाश्रितः । क्वचिद्द्विजातिप्रवरः क्वचिच्चंडालसन्निभः
He appeared as if mad, clad only with the directions, wrapped many times over; at times he seemed a foremost twice-born, at times resembling a caṇḍāla.
क्वचिच्छूद्र समो योगी तापसः क्वचिदप्युत । गर्जत्युत्पतते चैव नृत्यति स्तौति गायति
Sometimes he was like a śūdra, sometimes a yogi or ascetic; he would roar, leap up, dance, praise, and sing.