याचितो ब्राह्मणैर्ब्रह्मा वरान्नो देहि चेप्सितान्। यथेप्सितं वरं तेषां तदाब्रह्माप्ययच्छत
Then Brahma, being requested by the brahmins, 'Grant us the boons we desire,' gave them whatever boons they wished.
तया देव्या च गायत्र्या दत्तं तच्चानुमोदितम्। सा तु यज्ञे स्थिता साध्वीदेवतानां समीपगा
And what was given by the goddess Gayatri was approved; she, the virtuous one, remained at the sacrifice, close to the deities.
दिव्यंवर्षशतं साग्रं स यज्ञो ववृधे तदा। यज्ञवाटं कपर्दीतु भिक्षार्थं समुपागतः
Then that sacrifice flourished for more than a hundred divine years; O Kapardin, you arrived at the sacrificial enclosure seeking alms.
बृहत्कपालं संगृह्य पञ्चमुण्डैरलंकृतः। ऋत्विग्भिश्च सदस्यैश्च दूरात्तिष्ठन्जुगुप्सितः
Holding a large skull, adorned with five heads, you stood at a distance from the officiating priests and participants, shunned by them.
कथं त्वमिह सम्प्राप्तो निन्दितो वेदवादिभिः। एवं प्रोत्सार्यमाणोपि निन्द्यमानः स तैर्द्विजैः
'How have you come here, you who are condemned by those versed in the Vedas?'—thus, though being driven away and reproached by those brahmins,
उवाच तान्द्विजान्सर्वान्स्मितं कृत्वा महेश्वरः। अत्र पैतामहे यज्ञे सर्वेषां तोषदायिनि
Maheshvara, smiling, spoke to all those brahmins: 'At this ancestral sacrifice, which brings satisfaction to all—'
कश्चिदुत्सार्य तेनैव ऋतेमां द्विजसत्तमाः। उक्तः स तैःकपर्दी तु भुक्त्वा चान्नंततो व्रज
Some tried to drive him away, but the best of brahmins said to Kapardin, 'After eating food, then depart.'
कपर्दिना च ते उक्ता भुक्त्वा यास्यामि भो द्विजाः। एवमुक्त्वा निषण्णः सकपालं न्यस्य चाग्रतः
Kapardin replied to them, 'O brahmins, after eating I shall depart.' Having spoken thus, he sat down, placing the skull before him.
तेषां निरीक्ष्य तत्कर्म चक्रे कौटिल्यमीश्वरः। मुक्त्वा कपालं भूमौ तु तान्द्विजानवलोकयन्
Observing his action, Ishvara acted with cunning; leaving the skull on the ground, he looked at those brahmins.
उवाच पुष्करं यामि स्नानार्थं द्विजसत्तमाः। तूर्णं गच्छेति तैरुक्तः स गतः परमेश्वरः
He said, 'I am going to Pushkara to bathe, O best of brahmins.' Urged by them to go quickly, the Supreme Lord departed.
वियत्स्थितः कौतुकेन मोहयित्वा दिवौकसः। स्नानार्थं पुष्करं याते कपर्दिनि द्विजातयः
Remaining in the sky out of curiosity, having bewildered the gods, when Kapardin went to Pushkara for bathing, the brahmins—
कथं होमोत्र क्रियते कपाले सदसि स्थिते। कपालान्तान्यशौचानि पुरा प्राह प्रजापतिः
'How is the oblation to be performed here, with a skull present in the assembly? Long ago, Prajapati declared that skulls are impure.'
विप्रोभ्यधात्सदस्येकः कपालमुत्क्षिपाम्यहं। उद्धृतं तु सदस्येन प्रक्षिप्तं पाणिना स्वयम्
One of the assembly, a brahmin, said, 'I shall remove the skull.' Lifted up by the assembly member, it was thrown away by his own hand.
तावदन्यत्स्थितं तत्र पुनरेव समुद्धृतम्। एवं द्वितीयं तृतीयं विंशतिस्त्रिंशदप्यहो
Yet another appeared there in its place, and again it was removed; thus a second, a third, twenty, thirty—indeed!
पञ्चाशच्च शतं चैव सहस्रमयुतं तथा। एवं नान्तः कपालानां प्राप्यते द्विजसत्तमैः
Fifty, a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand—thus, O best of brahmins, there was no end to the skulls.
नत्वा कपर्दिनं देवं शरणं समुपागताः। पुष्करारण्यमासाद्य जप्यैश्च वैदिकैर्भृशम्
Having bowed to Kapardin, the god, they sought refuge in him; reaching the Pushkara forest, they earnestly recited Vedic prayers.
तुष्टुवुः सहिताः सर्वे तावत्तुष्टो हरः स्वयम्। ततः सदर्शनं प्रादाद्द्विजानां भक्तितः शिवः
All of them together offered praise, and then Hara himself was pleased; out of devotion, Śiva granted the brāhmaṇas a vision of himself.
उवाच तांस्ततो देवो भक्तिनम्रान्द्विजोत्तमान्। पुरोडाशस्य निष्पत्तिः कपालं न विना भवेत्
Then the god spoke to those foremost brāhmaṇas, who were bowed in devotion: 'The completion of the puroḍāśa offering cannot be without the skull.'
कुरुध्वं वचनं विप्राः भागः स्विष्टकृतो मम। एवं कृते कृतं सर्वं मदीयं शासनं भवेत्
'Follow my instruction, O brāhmaṇas; the share of the sviṣṭakṛt belongs to me. If this is done, all my command will be fulfilled.'
तथेत्यूचुर्द्विजाश्शम्भुं कुर्मो वै तव शासनम्। कपालपाणिराहेशो भगवन्तं पितामहम्
The brāhmaṇas replied to Śambhu, 'So be it; we will carry out your command.' Then the Lord, holding the skull in his hand, approached the blessed Pitāmaha.
वरं वरय भो ब्रह्मन्हृदि यत्ते प्रियं स्थितम्। सर्वं तव प्रदास्यामि अदेयं नास्ति मे प्रभो।५० 1.17.
'Choose a boon, O brāhmaṇa, whatever dear wish abides in your heart. I will grant you everything; nothing is withheld from me, O Lord.'
"ब्रह्मोवाच। न ते वरं ग्रहीष्यामि दीक्षितोहं सदःस्थितः। सर्वकामप्रदश्चाहं यो मां प्रार्थयते त्विह
Brahmā said: 'I will not accept a boon from you; I am initiated and seated in the assembly. I am the fulfiller of all desires for anyone who seeks me here.'
एवं वदन्तं वरदं क्रतौ तस्मिन्पितामहम्। तथेति चोक्त्वा रुद्रः स वरमस्मादयाचत
As the bestower of boons spoke thus at the sacrifice, Pitāmaha, Rudra replied, 'So be it,' and then asked him for a boon.
ततो मन्वन्तरेतीते पुनरेव प्रभुः स्वयम्। ब्रह्मोत्तरं कृतं स्थानं स्वयं देवेन शंभुना
Then, when that manvantara had passed, the Lord himself again established a higher place for Brahmā, by his own power as Śambhu.
चतुर्ष्वपि हि वेदेषु परिनिष्ठां गतो हि यः। तस्मिन्काले तदा देवो नगरस्यावलोकने
He who had attained perfection in all four Vedas—at that time, the god was observing the city.
सम्भाषणे द्विजानां तु कौतुकेन सदो गतः। तेनैवोन्मत्तवेषेण हुतशेषे महेश्वरः
Out of curiosity, he entered the assembly where the brāhmaṇas were conversing, and Maheśvara, in that same madman's guise, remained at the sacrificial fire.
प्रविष्टो ब्रह्मणः सद्म दृष्टो देवैर्द्विजोत्तमैः। प्रहसन्ति च केप्येनं केचिन्निर्भर्त्सयंति च
He entered Brahmā's residence and was seen by the gods and foremost brāhmaṇas; some laughed at him, while others rebuked him.
अपरे पान्सुभिः सिञ्चन्त्युन्मत्तं तं तथा द्विजाः। लोष्टैश्च लगुडैश्चान्ये शुष्मिणो बलगर्विताः
Some other brāhmaṇas threw dust at that madman, while others, proud of their strength, struck him with clods and sticks.
प्रहरन्ति स्मोपहासं कुर्वाणा हस्तसंविदम्। ततोन्ये वटवस्तत्र जटास्वागृह्य चान्तिकम्
They struck him, making a mockery, using their hands; then some ascetics there, grabbing his matted locks, brought him near.
पृच्छन्ति व्रतचर्यां तां केनैषा ते निदर्शिता। अत्र वामास्त्रियः संति तासामर्थे त्वमागतः
They questioned him about his observance: 'By whom was this practice shown to you? Here are women of the left-hand path; you have come for their sake.'