अणोरणीयान्महतो मही यान्महानुभावो भुवनाधिपो महान् ६.
Smaller than the smallest, greater than the great, of immense glory, the mighty lord of the worlds,
मध्याह्न ऋषयो विप्रास्तीर्थं जग्मुः स्वकाश्रमात् ६.
At midday, the sages and Brahmins went from their hermitage to the sacred place.
विलोकयंत्यः शंभुं तमाचख्युश्च परस्परम् ६.
Seeing Shambhu, they spoke of him among themselves.
अस्मै भिक्षां प्रयच्छामो वयं च सखिभिः सह ६.
Let us give him alms, together with our companions.
भिक्षान्नं विविधं श्लक्ष्णं सोपचारं च शक्तितः ६.
Various fine alms-food, with proper offerings, as much as possible,
काचित्प्रियतमं शंभुं बभाषे विस्मयान्विता ६.
One woman, filled with wonder, addressed her beloved Shambhu.
ऋषीणामाश्रमं शुद्धं किमर्थं नो निषीदसि ६.
Why do you sit in the pure hermitage of the sages?
ईश्वरोहं सुकेशांते पावनं प्राप्तवानिमम् ६.
I am the Lord, O beautiful-haired one, I have come to this holy place.
ईश्वरोऽसि महाभाग कैलासपतिरेव च ६.
You are the Lord, O greatly fortunate one, and the very master of Kailasa.
एवमुक्तस्तया शंभुः पुनस्तामब्रवीद्वचः ६.
Thus addressed by her, Shambhu again spoke these words to her.
भिक्षाटनार्थं सुश्रोणि संकल्परहितः सदा न रोचते विशालाक्षि सत्यं प्रतिवदामि ते॥ ६.
For the sake of begging alms, O lovely-hipped one, always free from resolve, it does not please me, O wide-eyed one; I speak the truth to you.
तस्योक्तं वचनं श्रुत्वा उवाच कमलेक्षणा ६.
Hearing his words, the lotus-eyed woman replied.
तास्स्त्रियो वर्जिताः शंभो त्वादृशेन विपश्चिता॥ ६.
Those women were abandoned by Śambhu, who is wise like you.
इति च प्रमदाः सर्वा मिलिता यत्र शंकरः ६.
And so, all the women gathered where Śaṃkara was.
अन्नैश्चतुर्विधैः षड्भी रसैश्च परिपूरितम् तदा सर्वा विप्रपत्न्यो ह्यन्गच्छन्मुदान्विताः॥ ६.
Filled with four kinds of food and six flavors, all the wives of the sages went there joyfully.
गृहकार्यं परित्यज्य चेरुस्तद्गतमानसाः ६.
Leaving aside their household duties, their minds absorbed in him, they wandered there.
यावदाश्रममभ्येत्य तावच्छून्यं व्यलोकयन् ६.
When they reached the hermitage, they saw it empty.
न विदामोऽथ वै सर्वाः केन नष्टेन चाहृताः ६.
Then all of them said, 'We do not know by whom or how we have been taken away.'
समपश्यंस्ततः सर्वे शिवस्यानुगताश्च ताः ६.
Then they all saw that those women had followed Śiva.
शिवस्याथाग्रतो भूत्वा ऊचुः सर्वे त्वरान्विताः परदारापहर्त्तासि त्वमृषीणां न संशयः॥ ६.
Standing before Śiva, they all spoke quickly: 'You are indeed the abductor of others' wives, O sage, there is no doubt.'
एवं क्षिप्तः शिवो मौनी गच्छमानोऽपि पर्वतम् यस्मात्कलत्रहर्ता त्वं तस्मात्षंढो भव त्वरम्॥ ६.
Thus rebuked, Śiva remained silent and, even as he was going to the mountain, they said, 'Because you are a stealer of wives, therefore become impotent at once!'
एवं शप्तः स मुनिभिर्लिंगं तस्यापतद्भुवि ६.
Thus cursed by the sages, his liṅga fell to the ground.
आवृत्य सप्त पातालान्क्षणाल्लिंगमदोर्ध्वतः ६.
In an instant, the liṅga, rising upward, covered the seven netherworlds.
स्वर्गाः समावृताः सर्वे स्वर्गातीतमथाभवत् ६.
All the heavens were enveloped, and it surpassed even heaven.
न च वायुर्न वाकाशं नाहंकारो न वा महत् ६.
There was no wind, no space, no ego, nor the great principle.
नासीद्द्ववैतविभागं च सर्वं लीनं च तत्क्षणात् ६.
There was no duality or distinction; everything was dissolved in that instant.
लयनाल्लिंगमित्येवं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः ६.
Because of this dissolution, the wise call it the liṅga.
ब्रह्मेंद्रविष्णुवाय्यग्निलोकपालाः सपन्नगाः ६.
Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, Vāyu, Agni, the guardians of the worlds, and the serpents,
किमायामं च विस्तारं क्व चांतः क्व च पीठिका ६.
What is its length, what is its breadth, where is its end, and where is its base?
अस्य मूलं त्वया विष्णो पद्मोद्भव च मस्तकम् ६.
O Viṣṇu, you are to find its base, and O Padma-born, you are to find its summit.