तेषां मध्ये महाकाशमाकाशे निर्मलानलम् । तन्मध्ये च महेशानं ध्यायेद्दीप्तिमयं शुभम्
Among them is the great ether, and in the ether, the pure fire; in its midst, one should meditate on Maheśāna, radiant and auspicious.
अज्ञानसंयुतं भूतं शमलं सर्वसंगतम् । तद्देहमाकाशदीपे प्रदहेज्ज्ञानवह्निना
That being, joined with ignorance, impure and bound with all associations—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 covered by ether, then one should burn the ether itself; after burning ether, one should burn the air composed of ether and fire.
अब्भूतं च ततो दग्ध्वा पृथिवीभूतमेव च । तदाश्रितान्गुणान्दग्ध्वा ततो देहं प्रदाहयेत्
Then, having burned the water element, and likewise the earth element; having burned the qualities abiding in 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 one, filled with the bliss of perceiving Viṣṇu within the flame,
निष्पन्नचंद्रकिरणसंकाशकिरणं शिवम् । शिवांगोत्पन्नकिरणैरमृतद्रवसंयुतैः
Sees Śiva, whose rays resemble the light of the moon, whose rays arise from Śiva's own body, mingled with the nectar-fluid.
सुशीतला ततो ज्वाला प्रशांता चन्द्ररश्मिवत् । प्रसारितसुधारुग्भिः सांद्रीभूतश्च संप्लवः
Then the flame becomes very cool, peaceful like the rays of the moon; with streams of nectar flowing forth, it becomes a dense flood.
क्रमेण प्लावितं भूतग्रामं संचिंतयेत्परम्
One should contemplate that, in succession, the flood pervades the host of elements, up to the highest.
इत्थं कृत्वा भूतशुद्धिं क्रियार्हो मर्त्यः शुद्धो जायते एव शुद्धः । पूजां कर्तुं जाप्यकर्म्मापि पश्चाद्देवध्याने ब्रह्महत्यादि हानिः
Having thus performed purification of the elements, a mortal becomes fit for ritual, truly pure; afterwards, in worship or recitation, even the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa is destroyed through meditation on the deity.
एवं ध्यात्वा चंद्रदीप्तिप्रकाशं ध्यानेनारोप्याशु लिंगे शिवस्य । सदाशिवं दीपमध्ये विचिंत्य पंचाक्षरेणार्चनमव्ययं तु
Having meditated thus on the radiance of the moon, and swiftly established it in Śiva's liṅga through meditation, one should contemplate Sadāśiva within the lamp, and worship with the five-syllabled mantra, imperishable.
आवाहनादीनुपचारांस्तथापि कृत्वा स्नानं पूर्ववच्छंकरस्य । उदुंबरं राजतं स्वर्णपीठं वस्त्रादिछन्नं सर्वमेवेह पीठम्
Having performed the upacāras beginning with invocation, and bathing Śaṅkara as before, one should use a fig-wood, silver, or golden seat, all covered with cloth as the base here.
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, and on the upper seat, a pair of serpents—on the right and left, near the deity.
जपापुष्पं नागमध्ये निधाय मध्ये वस्त्रं द्वादश प्रातिगुण्ये । सुश्वेतेन तस्य मध्ये महेशं लिंगाकारं पीठयुक्तं प्रपूज्यम्
Placing a hibiscus flower in the midst of the serpents, and a cloth in the center, twelvefold in proportion, in the center with pure white, one should worship Maheśa in the form of a liṅga, set upon the seat.
एवं कृत्वा बाणमुख्या दितीशा दत्त्वा दत्त्वा पंचगंधाष्टगंधम् । पुष्पैः पत्रैः श्री तिलैरक्षतैश्च तिलोन्मिश्रैः केवलैश्च प्रपूज्य
Having done so, the chief among the Bāṇas, lord of the Dānavas, offered the fivefold and eightfold fragrances; worshipping with flowers, leaves, auspicious sesame, grains of rice mixed with sesame, and with pure grains.
धूपं दत्त्वा विधिवत्संप्रयुक्तं दीपं दत्त्वा चोक्तमेवोपहारम् । पूजाशेषं ते समाप्याथ सर्वे गीतं नृत्यं तत्रतत्रापि चक्रुः
After offering incense according to the proper rite, and then presenting a lamp and the prescribed offerings, when the worship was thus completed, all of them performed singing and dancing in various places.
अथास्मिन्नंतरे गौतमस्यप्राप्तः शिष्यः शंकरात्मेति नाम्ना
Meanwhile, a disciple of Gautama named Shankaratma arrived.
उन्मत्तवेशो दिग्वासा अनेकावृतिमाश्रितः । क्वचिद्द्विजातिप्रवरः क्वचिच्चंडालसन्निभः
He appeared in a madman's guise, clothed with the directions, wrapped in many layers; at times resembling a distinguished twice-born, at times appearing like a Chandala.
क्वचिच्छूद्र समो योगी तापसः क्वचिदप्युत । गर्जत्युत्पतते चैव नृत्यति स्तौति गायति
Sometimes he was like a Shudra, sometimes an ascetic yogi; he would roar, leap up, dance, praise, and sing.
रोदिति शृणुते व्यक्तं पतत्युत्तिष्ठति क्वचित् । शिवज्ञानैकसंपन्नः परमानंदनिर्भरः
He would weep, listen intently, fall down, and rise up at times; endowed with the knowledge of Shiva alone, he was filled with supreme bliss.
संप्राप्तो भोज्यवेलायां गौतमस्यांतिकं ययौ । बुभुजे गुरुणा साकं क्वचिदुच्छिष्टमेव च
Arriving at the time for eating, he went to Gautama; he ate together with his teacher, and sometimes even the teacher's leftovers.
क्वचिल्लेहति तत्पात्रं तूष्णीमेवाभ्यगात्क्वचित् । हस्तं गृहीत्वैव गुरोः स्वयमेवाभुनक्क्वचित्
Sometimes he would lick the teacher's bowl, sometimes he would silently approach; sometimes he would take the teacher's hand and eat by himself.
क्वचिद्गृहांतरे मूत्रं क्वचित्कर्दमलेपनम् । सर्वदा तं गुरुर्दृष्ट्वा करमालंब्य मंदिरम्
Sometimes in another house he would urinate, sometimes smear himself with mud; but the teacher always, seeing him, would take his hand and lead him to the hermitage.
प्रवेश्य स्वीयपीठे तमुपवेश्याभ्यभोजयत् । स्वयं तदस्य पात्रेण बुभुजे गौतमो मुनिः
He would seat him on his own seat and feed him; and Gautama the sage himself would eat from his bowl.
तस्य चित्तं परिज्ञातुं कदाचिदथ सुंदरी । अहल्या शिष्यमाहूय भुंक्ष्वेत्युक्त्वाथ सा शुभा
Once, wishing to know his mind, the beautiful Ahalya summoned the disciple and said, 'Eat,' and that virtuous lady—
सौवर्णे भाजने चान्नं निधाय चषकांतरे । पानादिकमथो दत्वा एकस्मिन्पावकं पुनः
—placing food in a golden dish and drink in a separate cup, gave him beverages, and in another vessel placed fire again.
निधायांगारनिचयं कंटकानां चयं परे । निधाय भुंक्ष्व भुंक्ष्वेति स चापि बुभुजे मुनिः
She placed a heap of coals and a pile of thorns in another; saying, 'Eat, eat,' and the sage ate them as well.
यथा पपौ हि पानीयं तथा वह्निमपि द्विजः । कंटकानपि भुक्त्वा स यथापूर्वमतिष्ठत
Just as he drank water, so too did the twice-born one drink fire; having eaten the thorns, he remained as before.
पुरा हि मुनिकन्याभिराहूतो भोजनाय च । दिनेदिने तत्प्रदत्तं लोष्ठमंबु च गोमयम्
Previously, when called to eat by the sage's daughters, each day they gave him a lump of clay, water, and cow dung.
कर्दमं काष्ठदंडं च भुक्त्वा प्रीत्याथ हर्षितः । एतादृशो मुनिरसौ चंडालसदृशाकृतिः
He would gladly eat mud and a wooden stick, rejoicing; such was this sage, with an appearance like a Chandala.
सुजीर्णोपानहौ हस्ते गृहीत्वा तु तथा करे । अंत्यजोचितभाषाभिर्वृषपर्वाणमभ्यगात्
Holding well-worn sandals in his hand, just so in his grasp, he approached the festival of Vrishaparvan, speaking in the language of outcastes.