प्राणानायम्य सन्यासं शुक्लध्यानसमन्वितः । प्रणम्य गुरुमीशानं जपन्नासीदतः परम्
Having controlled his breath, adopting renunciation, and accompanied by pure meditation, he bowed to his teacher and to Ishana, and sat reciting mantras.
अथ देवार्चनं कर्तुं यत्नमास्थितवानपि । पलाशपत्रपुटकद्वयानीत जलं शुचि
Then, intent on performing worship of the deity, he brought pure water in two cups made of palasha leaves.
शिरःकमंडलुगतं निधायाग्निं त्रिमंत्रितम् । आवाहनादि कृत्वाथ स्नानपर्यन्तमेव च
Placing water from his head vessel, and fire, consecrated with three mantras, he performed the invocation and all rites up to the bath.
अथ स्नापयितुं देवमादाय करसंपुटे । कृत्वा निरीक्षणं देवं पीठं नो दृष्टवान्कपिः
Then, to bathe the deity, he took it in the hollow of his hands; having looked at the deity, the monkey did not see the pedestal.
लिंगमात्रं करगतं दृष्ट्वा भीतिसमन्वितः । इदमाह महायोगी किं वा पापं मया कृतम्
Seeing only the linga in his hand, filled with fear, the great yogi said: What sin have I committed,
यदेतत्पीठरहितं शिवलिंगं करस्थितम् । ममाद्य मरणं सिद्धं पीठं चेन्नागमिष्यति
That this Shiva linga, lacking a pedestal, is in my hand; today my death is certain if the pedestal does not appear.
अथ रुद्रं जपिष्यामि तदायाति महेश्वरः । इति निश्चित्य मनसा जजाप शतरुद्रियम्
Then I shall recite Rudra; Maheshvara will come. Resolving thus in his mind, he recited the Shatarudriya.
अथापि न समायातो महेशोऽथ कपीश्वरः । रुद्रं न्यपातयद्भूम्यां वीरभद्रः समागतः
Yet even then Mahesha did not appear; then the lord of monkeys cast Rudra upon the ground, and Virabhadra arrived.
किमर्थं रुद्यते भक्त रुदिहेतुं वदस्व मे । हनूमानुवाच- पीठहीनमिदं लिंगं पश्य मे पापसंचयम्
For what reason do you weep, devotee? Tell me the cause of your weeping. Hanuman said: See, this linga is without a pedestal; behold my accumulation of sin.
वीरभद्र उवाच- यदि नायाति पीठं ते लिंगे मा साहसं कृथाः । दाहयिष्याम्यहं लोकं यदि नायाति पीठकम्
Virabhadra said: If the pedestal does not come to your linga, do not act rashly; I shall burn the world if the pedestal does not appear.
पश्य दर्शय मे लिंगं पीठं यद्यागतं न वा । अथ दृष्ट्वा वीरभद्रो लिंगं पीठमनागतम्
Show me the liṅga and the seat, whether it has arrived or not. Then, seeing that the liṅga seat had not arrived, Vīrabhadra—
दग्धुकामोऽखिलाँल्लोकान्वीरभद्रः प्रतापवान् । अनलं भुवि चिक्षेप क्षणाद्दग्धा मही तदा
Vīrabhadra, mighty in power, desiring to burn all worlds, cast fire upon the earth; in a moment, the earth was burned.
अथ सप्ततलान्दग्ध्वा पुनरूर्द्ध्वमवर्तत । पंचोर्द्ध्वलोकानदहज्जनलोकनिवासिनः
Then, after burning seven layers, he turned upwards again, and burned the inhabitants of the upper worlds.
ललाटनेत्रसंभूतं नखेनादाय चानलम् । जंबीरफलसंकाशं कृत्वा करतले विभुः
Taking fire born from the forehead eye with his nail, the Lord made it resemble a jambīra fruit and held it in his palm.
यदि नायाति पीठं ते दग्धा लोका न संशयः । अनायातमथो दृष्ट्वा वीरभद्रः प्रतापवान्
If your seat does not arrive, the worlds will be burned, without doubt. Seeing that it had not arrived, Vīrabhadra, mighty in power—
सनकादयो महात्मानो ज्ञात्वा योगेन चागमन् । गौतमस्याश्रमवरं समागम्य महेश्वरम्
The great souls, Sanaka and others, knowing through yoga the coming, gathered at Gautama’s excellent hermitage and approached Maheśvara.
न दृष्टवंतो देवादिं विद्यमानमपि द्विजाः । अस्तुवन्नथ च स्तोत्रैः सर्ववेदसमुद्भवैः
The twice-born did not see the gods, though they were present; then they praised him with hymns arising from all the Vedas.
ॐनमो देवदेवाय तस्मै शुद्धप्रभाचिंत्यरूपाय तस्मै । नमः सुराणामधीशाय तस्मै नमो वेदगुह्याय शुद्धाय तस्मै
Om, homage to the God of gods, to him of pure radiance and inconceivable form; homage to the lord of the gods, homage to the pure one, secret in the Vedas.
नमः शिवायादिदेवाय तस्मै नमो व्यालयज्ञोपवीताय तस्मै । नमः सुरानंदसंदोह वर्षत्रयी बिंदुविश्वंभराय तस्मै
Homage to Śiva, the primordial god; homage to him with the serpent as sacred thread; homage to him who is the source of divine joy, the essence of the three Vedas, the bindu, the sustainer of the universe.
पृथिव्यथो वायुराकाशमापः पुनः शशी वह्निसूर्य्यौ तथात्मा । यस्याष्टैता मूर्तयः शंकरस्य तस्मै नमो ज्ञानगम्याय शश्वत्
Earth, air, space, water, moon, fire, sun, and self—these eight forms of Śaṅkara; homage to him, attainable through knowledge, eternal.
एतां स्तुतिमथाकर्ण्य भगनेत्रप्रदः शिवः । विष्णुमाह च गच्छ त्वं समानय च तान्द्विजान्
Hearing this praise, Śiva, the giver of Bhaga’s eyes, spoke to Viṣṇu: 'Go, bring those twice-born.'
आनीतास्तेन हरिणा देवाय प्रणतास्तु ते । तानाह शंकरो वाक्यं किमर्थं यूयमागताः
Brought by Hari, they bowed to the god; Śaṅkara addressed them: 'For what purpose have you come?'
मुनय ऊचुः - देव द्वादशलोकानां दृश्यंते भस्मराशयः । स्थितमेकं वनमिदं पश्य त्वं लोकसंक्षयम्
The sages said: 'O god, in the twelve worlds heaps of ashes are seen; only this forest remains. Behold the destruction of the worlds.'
सदाशिव उवाच- ऊर्द्ध्वस्थपंचलोकानां दाहे संदेह एव नः । कथमंगारवृष्टिश्च कथं नो वा महाध्वनिः
Sadāśiva said: 'We have no doubt about the burning of the five upper worlds; but how did the rain of embers occur, and why this great roar?'
मुनय ऊचुः - भीतिरस्माकमधुना वर्तते वीरभद्रतः । स एवांगारवृष्टिं च पिपासुरिव तामपात्
The sages said: 'We are now afraid of Vīrabhadra; he alone, desiring a rain of embers, has cast it down as if thirsty.'
देवोथ वीरमाहूय किं वीरेत्यब्रवीद्भवः । वीरो हनूमतो लिंगपीठाभावादिदं कृतम्
Then the god, summoning the hero, said: 'Why, O hero?' Bhava replied: 'This was done because of the absence of the liṅga seat for Hanuman.'
कपेश्चित्तं परिज्ञातुं मया कृतमिदं बृहत् । कृपानिधिरथो देवो यथापूर्वमकल्पयत्
'I did this to discern the mind of the monkey. Then the compassionate god arranged things as before.'
दग्धानप्यखिलाँल्लोकान्पूर्वतः शोभनान्विभुः । कल्पयामास विश्वात्मा वीरभद्रमथाब्रवीत्
Though all worlds had been burned, the Lord, radiant as before, the soul of the universe, arranged them anew and spoke to Vīrabhadra.
आलिंग्याघ्राय शिरसि तांबूलं दत्तवान्हरः । अथासौ हनुमानीश पूजनं कृतवानथ
Embracing and smelling her head, Hara gave her betel leaf; then Hanuman, O Lord, performed worship.
एकं वनचरं तत्र गंधर्वं सविपंचिकम् । इदमाह महावीणा मम वै दीयतामिति
There, to a forest-dwelling Gandharva with a vīṇā and a five-stringed instrument, he said: 'Give me this great vīṇā.'