परं विश्वेश्वरं ख्यातं विश्वेषु भुवनेष्वपि
The supreme Lord of the universe, renowned in all the worlds—
बभूव नृपतिः पूर्वं विदर्भायां विदूरथः
There was once a king named Vidūratha in Vidarbha.
जघान तापसं सोऽथ प्रमादान्मृगया गतः
He killed an ascetic, having gone hunting out of carelessness.
मृगं मत्वा महारण्ये ब्राह्मणं देवमोहितः
Deluded by the gods, he mistook a brāhmaṇa for a deer in the great forest.
तत्रासौ यातना घोरां अनुभूयात्मकालतः
There, as a result, he experienced terrible torment at the appointed time.
अदशत्सोऽपि कोपेन ब्राह्मणं चरणे प्रिये
Even in anger, he bit the brāhmaṇa on the foot, O beloved.
च्युतस्तु नरकात्सिंहो द्वितीयेऽभूत्सुदारुणः
Fallen from hell, he became a lion in his next, very dreadful, birth.
पुनर्व्याघ्रो बभूवासौ तृतीयेऽपि भवांतरे
Again, in his third existence, he became a tiger.
तेनापि वैश्यो निधनं नीतः कश्चिद्वनांतरे
By that, a certain merchant too was led to his death in the depths of the forest.
चतुर्थे ऽपि गजो जातः सिंहाद्वधमवाप्तवान् । 5.2.53.
In the fourth birth, he became an elephant and met his end at the hands of a lion.
स्नातुकामामथो रामामाजघानातिपापकृत्
Then, desiring to bathe, he struck Rāma, having committed a most grievous sin.
पुनः षष्ठे भवे जातः पिशाचः पिशिताशनः
Again, in the sixth existence, he was born as a flesh-eating piśāca.
मंत्री मंत्रविदां श्रेष्ठो ब्राह्मणस्तं जघान ह
A brāhmaṇa, the best among those skilled in mantras, killed him.
तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रः करालास्यो मांसशोणितभोजनः
He had sharp fangs, a terrifying mouth, and fed on meat and blood.
आक्रम्य निमिराजेन राज्ञा राक्षसशत्रुणा
He was subdued by King Nimi, the enemy of the rākṣasas.
दारुणः सारमेयोऽभूदतिकृष्णोऽष्टमे भवे
In the eighth birth, he became a fierce, jet-black dog.
नवमे जंबुको जातः श्मशाने स च मांसभुक्
In the ninth, he was born as a jackal in a cremation ground, feeding on flesh.
दशमे त्वभवद्गृध्रस्तीक्ष्णतुंडो भयावहः
But in the tenth, he became a vulture with a sharp beak, terrifying to behold.
एकादशे ऽपि चंडालो गतोऽवंत्यां वरानने
Even in the eleventh, O beautiful one, he was born as a caṇḍāla in Avanti.
स दंडपाशिकेनैव प्राप्तो बद्धश्च तत्क्षणात् 5.2.53.
There, he was immediately seized and bound by the keeper of the rod and noose.
तत्रैव लिंगमासन्नं साध्वि शूलेश्वरोत्तरे
Right there, near the liṅga of Śūleśvara, O virtuous one,
क्षणेन निधनं प्राप्तः स गतस्त्रिदशालयम्
In a moment, he met his death and went to the abode of the gods.
जातः ख्यातो विदर्भायां विश्वेशोनाम पार्थिवः
He was born, renowned in Vidarbha, as a king named Viśveśa.
दुर्लभान्बुभुजे भोगान्प्राप्तं राज्यं चकार सः संस्मरन्पूर्ववृत्तांतं जगामावंतिकां पुरीम्
He enjoyed rare pleasures and attained a kingdom; remembering his former deeds, he went to the city of Avanti.
तत्र दृष्ट्वा महल्लिंगं दुर्दर्शमतितेजसा
There, he saw the great liṅga, difficult to behold and of immense brilliance.
लिंगमध्ये स्थिताः सर्वे सागराः सरितस्तथा
Within the liṅga, all the oceans and rivers are present.
चंद्रमाः सह नक्षत्रैरादित्यश्चाग्निना सह
The moon together with the stars, and the sun along with fire,
मरुतो देवगंधर्वा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
The Maruts, the divine Gandharvas, and the sages rich in austerity,
ब्रह्माद्या देवताश्चान्याः स्कंदो लंबोदरस्तथा
Brahma and other deities, as well as Skanda and Lambodara,
प्रभावं तस्य लिंगस्य ज्ञात्वा सम्यङ्महीपतिः 5.2.53.
Having fully understood the power of that linga, the king,