मस्तके धारणं मुख्यं ब्रह्मणा च तथा कृतम् । विन्यस्य मुकुटस्यांते धारणं शुभमुच्यते
The chief placement is on the head, as done by Brahma; placing it at the end of the crown is considered auspicious.
ललाटे धारणं शस्तं यथा लक्ष्म्या धृतं शुभम् । बाणेन च धृतं मूर्ध्नि दक्षिणोरसि वा पुनः
Placement on the forehead is praised, as Lakshmi holds it auspiciously; and as Bāṇa holds it on the head or again on the right chest.
कर्णे च हरकर्णेन मुनिना परमर्षिणा । विनिर्भिद्य तथा गात्रं लोहस्थानं प्रकल्प्य च
On the ear, as worn by Hari's ear, by the sage and supreme seer; piercing the body likewise, and establishing a place of metal.
धारयंति तथा लिंगं राक्षसाः केचिदुत्तमाः । अनिकेतन मर्त्यानामशक्तानां शिरोधृतिः
Thus, some distinguished rākṣasas wear the liṅga; for homeless mortals and the powerless, wearing it on the head.
अधमाधममाख्यातं नीवीबंधादिधारणम् । तेषु तूच्छिष्टसंप्राप्तौ मस्तके धारणं भवेत्
The lowest of the low is said to be wearing it tied at the waist and similar places; for them, upon receiving remnants, it should be worn on the head.
अधमाधमवृत्तीनां सदा वै लिंगधारणम् । पापिनामपि चाश्चर्यं यमलोके न विद्यते
For those of the lowest conduct, always wearing the liṅga; even for sinners, it is remarkable that in Yama's realm it is not found.
श्रीराम उवाच- चित्रगुप्तेन लिखिता ललाटे या लिपिर्दृढा । तया तु लिप्या नियतं नरकं कथमन्यथा
Śrī Rāma said: The script written by Citragupta, firm on the forehead—by that script, how can hell be avoided?
करोति पूजनं शंभोः पापं नाशयते कथम् । शंभुरुवाच- पापं नाशयते कृत्स्नमपि जन्मशतार्जितम्
How does worship of Śambhu destroy sin? Śambhu said: It destroys all sin, even that accumulated over hundreds of births.
भर्त्सनात्सर्वपापानां स्मरणाच्च महेशितुः । भस्मेति पदमाख्यातं तस्य धारणमुत्तमम्
By rebuke of all sins and remembrance of the great Lord, the word 'bhasma' is declared; its wearing is supreme.
यथाविधि ललाटे वै वह्निवीर्यप्रधारणात् । नाशयेल्लिखितां यामीं पटस्थामिव हव्यभुक्
As prescribed, placing it on the forehead with the power of fire, destroys the written Yama-script, as the fire consumes the cloth.
कर्णोपरिकृतं पापं नष्टं स्यान्मुखधारणे । कंठे च धारणात्कंठभोगादिकृतपातकम्
Sin committed near the ear is destroyed by wearing it on the face; and by wearing it on the neck, sin arising from the enjoyment of the throat is removed.
बाह्वोर्बाहुकृतं पापं वक्षसि मनसा कृतम् । नाभ्यां शिश्नकृतं पापं पृष्ठे गुदकृतं तथा
Sin committed by the arms is removed by wearing it on the arms; sin committed by the mind is removed by wearing it on the chest; sin committed by the genitals is removed by wearing it on the navel, and sin committed by the anus is removed by wearing it on the back.
पार्श्वयोर्धारणाद्राम परस्त्र्यालिंगनादिजम् । तद्भस्मधारणं शस्तं सर्वत्रैव त्रिपुंड्रकम्
By wearing it on the sides, sin arising from embracing another's wife and similar acts is destroyed; thus, the wearing of the tripuṇḍra of ash is praised everywhere.
ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानां त्रय्यग्नीनां च धारणम् । गुप्त्यै लोकत्रयाणां च धारणं तेन वै कृतम्
The wearing of it is for the protection of the three worlds, as it is associated with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, and the three sacred fires.
धृतं पंचदशस्थाने शुद्धं भस्माभिमंत्रितम् । कोष्ठयुग्मे बाहुयुग्मे कोष्ठोपरि युगे तथा
When consecrated ash, properly empowered with mantras, is worn in fifteen places—on both sides of the abdomen, both arms, and above the abdomen, among others—it is pure.
धारणं सर्वदेहानां पूजायै धर्मसंमतम् । भस्माशना भस्मशय्या भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहाः
The wearing of ash on the whole body is considered proper for worship according to dharma; eating ash, sleeping on ash, and having the body dusted with ash are also approved.
भस्मस्नानाः सदापापैर्मुच्यंते नात्र संशयः । आदौ ब्राह्मणदीक्षायां त्रियायुषमिति स्मृतम्
Those who bathe in ash are always freed from sins—there is no doubt of this; at the beginning of the initiation of a brāhmaṇa, it is said to grant a threefold lifespan.
प्रसवे च मनुष्याणां भूतावेशेऽपि रक्षकम् । सर्पादिविषहान्यर्थं सर्वेषां साधनं त्विदम्
It is a protector at the birth of humans and even during possession by spirits; it is a means for all to counteract poison from snakes and the like.
अपि वा वैष्णवो मर्त्य अथवापीतरो जनः । भस्मस्नायी भस्मयुक्तः कर्मस्वधिकरोति वै
Whether a person is a Vaiṣṇava or of another lineage, one who bathes in ash and is adorned with ash is indeed entitled to perform rituals.
श्रीराम उवाच- भस्ममाहात्म्यमादौ मे भस्मायुष्यं हि कस्य वै । कथं हि रक्षते ह्येतत्सर्वमेतद्वदस्व मे
Śrī Rāma said: In the beginning, tell me about the greatness of ash—whose lifespan does it extend, and how does it protect everything? Please explain all this to me.
शंभुरुवाच- आयुष्यवर्द्धने हेतुस्त्रिविधस्यापि देहिनः । पापघ्नं शीतमुष्णं च स्पर्शाच्छिवपदप्रदम्
Śaṃbhu said: The reason for increasing the lifespan of embodied beings of all three types is that, by touch, it destroys sin, is cooling and heating, and grants the state of Śiva.
अत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि चेतिहासं पुरातनम् । आसीद्वासिष्ठवंश्यस्तु धनंजय इति द्विजः
Here, I will recount to you an ancient story: There was a brāhmaṇa named Dhanaṃjaya, descended from the line of Vasiṣṭha.
तस्य भार्याशतं चासीद्रूपलावण्यसंयुतम् । तासामेका तु सुषुवे शामाकाकरुणं मुने
He had a hundred wives endowed with beauty and charm; among them, one gave birth to a son named Karuṇa, O sage.
भार्याणां संख्यया राम सुताश्चासंस्तपस्विनः । पित्रा विभागस्तेषां च विषमः परिकल्पितः
Rāma, his wives were numerous, and his sons were ascetics; their father made an unequal division among them.
भ्रातॄणां च तदा ह्येव वैरबंधो महानभूत् । नराणामेकजातीनां वैरं नियतमेव तु
Then, a great enmity arose among the brothers; indeed, enmity is certain among men born of different mothers.
अथासौ करुणो गत्वा भवनाशिनिका तटे । नानामुनिगणैः सार्द्धं नरसिंहदिदृक्षया
Then Karuṇa went to the bank of the Bhavanāśinī river, together with various groups of sages, desiring to see Narasiṃha.
नृसिंहदर्शनार्थं तु ब्राह्मणेन तु केनचित् । उत्कृष्टफलितंवीरमानीतं रूपगंधवत्
For the purpose of seeing Narasiṃha, a certain brāhmaṇa brought a fruit, excellent and fragrant, to the hero.
करुणस्तु तदादाय व्यजिघ्रत्फलमुत्तमम् । तत्रस्थिता द्विजगणाः शापेन तमयोजयन्
Karuṇa took that fruit and smelled the excellent fruit; the brāhmaṇas present there cursed him.
मक्षिका भव पापात्मन्वर्षाणां शतमप्यतः । शापावसानं भविता दधीचेन महात्मना
Become a fly, O wicked-souled one, for a hundred years; the curse will end by the great-souled Dadhichi.
अथ मक्षिकतां प्राप्तो भार्यामिदमभाषत । मक्षिकात्वमहं प्राप्तो मां शुभे पालयस्व भोः
Then, having become a fly, he spoke this to his wife: 'I have attained the state of a fly; O good lady, please protect me.'