क्रीडंति नकुला यत्र सार्धं सर्पैःप्रहर्षिताः। पञ्चाननाश्च मातंगैर्वृषदंशास्तथाखुभिः। काकाः कौशिकसंघैश्च वैरभावविवर्जिताः॥६.१.
There, mongooses play joyfully with snakes; five-faced monkeys with elephants, and Vṛṣadaṃśas with mice; crows with flocks of herons, all free from enmity.
ततश्च भगवान्रुद्रो दृष्ट्वाश्रमपदं तदा। नग्नः कपालमादाय भिक्षार्थं प्रविवेश सः॥६.१.
Then the blessed Rudra, seeing that hermitage, naked and carrying a skull, entered for the sake of alms.
अथ तस्य समालोक्य रूपं गात्रसमुद्भवम्। अदृष्टपूर्वं तापस्यः सर्वाः कामवशं गताः॥६.१.
Upon beholding his form, emerging from his body, never seen before, all the ascetic women became subject to desire.
गृहकर्म परित्यज्य गुरुशुश्रूषणानि च। मिथः संभाषणं चक्रुः स्थानेस्थाने च ताः स्थिताः॥६.१.
Abandoning their household duties and service to their elders, they stood in various places, conversing among themselves.
एका सा कापि धन्या या चक्रे तस्यावगूहनम्। विश्रब्धा सर्वगात्रेषु तापसस्य महात्मनः॥६.१.
One among them, truly fortunate, embraced him, the great-souled ascetic, confidently with all her limbs.
तथान्याः कौतुकाविष्टा धावंत्यः सर्वतोदिशम्। दृश्यंते तं समुद्दिश्य विस्तारितविलोचनाः॥६.१.
Others, seized by curiosity, ran in all directions, gazing at him with wide-open eyes.
काश्चिदर्द्धानुलिप्तांग्यः काश्चिदेकांजितेक्षणाः। अर्धसंयमितैः कैशैस्तथान्यास्त्यक्तबालकाः॥६.१.
Some women had their bodies half-anointed, some had only one eye adorned, and others, with their hair half-arranged, had abandoned their children.
एवमालोक्यमानः स कामिनीभिर्महेश्वरः। बभ्राम राजमार्गेण भिक्षां देहीति कीर्तयन्॥६.१.
Thus, as Maheshvara was observed by the desirous women, he wandered along the royal road, proclaiming, 'Give alms to this body.'
अथ ते मुनयो दृष्ट्वा तं तथा विगतांबरम्। कामोद्भवकरंस्त्रीणां प्रोचुः कोपारुणेक्षणाः॥६.१.
Then, the sages, seeing him in such a state, devoid of clothing and causing desire to arise in women, spoke with eyes reddened by anger.
यस्मात्पाप त्वयास्माकमाश्रमोऽयं विडंबितः। तस्माल्लिंगं पतत्वाशु तवैव वसुधातले॥६.१.
Because you, sinner, have defiled our hermitage, therefore let your linga fall swiftly to the earth.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे भूमौ लिंगं तस्य पपात तत्। भित्त्वाथ धरणीपृष्ठं पातालं प्रविवेश ह॥६.१.
At that very moment, his linga fell to the ground, pierced the surface of the earth, and entered the netherworld.
सोऽपि लिंगपरित्यक्तो लज्जायुक्तो महेश्वरः। गर्तां गुर्वीं समाश्रित्य भ्रूणरूपः समाविशत्॥६.१.
Maheshvara, now bereft of his linga and filled with shame, took refuge in a deep pit, assuming the form of an embryo.
अथ लिंगस्य पातेन त्रैलोक्यभयशंसिनः। उत्पाता दारुणास्तस्थुः सर्वत्र द्विजसत्तमाः॥६.१.
Then, with the fall of the linga, ominous disturbances foretelling terror in the three worlds arose everywhere, O best of twice-born.
शीर्यते गिरिशृङ्गाणि पतंत्युल्का दिवापि च। त्यजंति सागराः सर्वे मर्यादां च शनैः शनैः॥६.१.
Mountain peaks crumbled, meteors fell even during the day, and all the oceans gradually abandoned their boundaries.
अथ देवगणाः सर्वे भयसंत्रस्तमानसाः। शक्रविष्णुमुखा जग्मुर्यत्र देवः पितामहः॥६.१.
Then, all the hosts of gods, their minds shaken by fear, led by Shakra and Vishnu, went to where the god Pitamaha was.
प्रोचुश्च प्रणताः स्तुत्वा स्तोत्रैः सुश्रुतिसंभवैः। त्रैलोक्ये सृष्टिरूपं यत्कमलासनसंस्थितम्॥६.१.
Having bowed and praised him with hymns drawn from well-known scriptures, they spoke to the lotus-seated creator, the origin of creation in the three worlds.
किमिदं किमिदं देव वर्तते ह्यधरोत्तरम्। त्रैलोक्यं सकलं येन व्याकुलत्वमुपागतम्॥६.१.
What is this, O god, what is happening here, above and below? By what cause has the entire three worlds come to such distress?
प्रलयस्येव चिह्नानि दृश्यंते पद्मसंभव। किं सांप्रतमकालेऽपि भविष्यति परिक्षयः॥६.१.
Signs of dissolution are appearing, O lotus-born; will destruction occur even at this time?
सर्वेषां सुरमर्त्यानां दैत्यानां मन्त्रकोविदः। गतिर्भयार्तदेहानां सर्वलोकपितामहः॥६.१.
For all gods, mortals, and demons, you are the master of mantras, the refuge for those afflicted by fear, and the grandfather of all worlds.
तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा देवानां चतुराननः। उवाच सुचिरं ध्यात्वा ज्ञात्वा दिव्येन चक्षुषा॥६.१.
Hearing these words of the gods, the four-faced one, after long contemplation and perceiving with divine sight, spoke.
प्रलयस्य न कालोऽयं सांप्रतं सुरसत्तमाः। शृणुध्वं यन्निमित्तोत्था महोत्पाता भवन्त्यमी॥६.१.
This is not the time of dissolution, O best of gods; listen to the cause for which these great disturbances have arisen.
ऋषिभिः पातितं लिंगं देवदेवस्य शूलिनः। शापेनानर्तके देशे कलत्रार्थे महात्मभिः॥६.१.
The linga of the god of gods, the wielder of the trident, was cast down by the sages, through a curse, in a place unfit, for the sake of their wives.
तेनैतद्व्याकुलीभूतं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्। तस्माद्गच्छामहे तत्र यत्र देवो महेश्वरः॥६.१.
Because of this, the entire three worlds, with all their moving and unmoving beings, have become agitated; therefore, let us go to where the god Maheshvara is.
येनास्मद्वचनाच्छीघ्रं तल्लिंगं निदधाति सः। नो चेद्भविष्यति व्यक्तमकाले चापि संक्षयः। त्रैलोक्यस्यापि कृत्स्नस्य सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्॥६.१.
By our command, let him quickly restore his linga; otherwise, destruction will certainly occur prematurely for the entire three worlds. This I declare to you as truth.
अथ देवगणाः सर्वे ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरःसराः। आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा विश्वेदेवास्तथाश्विनौ॥६.१.
Then all the hosts of gods, led by Brahma and Vishnu—the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Visvedevas, and the Ashvins—
प्रजग्मुस्त्वरितास्तत्र यत्र देवो महेश्वरः। गर्तामध्यगतः सुप्तो लज्जया परया वृतः॥६.१.
hurried there to the place where the great god Maheshvara lay, asleep in the midst of a pit, covered in utmost shame.
देवा ऊचुः। नमस्ते देवदेवेश भक्तानामभयप्रद। नमस्ते जगदाधार शशिराजितशेखर॥६.१.
The gods said: 'Salutations to you, Lord of gods, giver of fearlessness to devotees; salutations to you, support of the universe, whose crest is adorned by the moon.'
त्वं यज्ञस्त्वं वषट्कारस्त्वमापस्त्वं मही विभो। त्वया सृष्टमिदं सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्॥६.१.
You are the sacrifice, you are the sacred exclamation, you are the waters, you are the earth, O mighty one; by you this entire threefold world, with all that moves and does not move, has been created.
त्वं पासि च सुरश्रेष्ठ तथा नाशं नयिष्यसि। त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं चतुर्वक्त्रस्त्वं चंद्रस्त्वं दिवाकरः॥६.१.
You protect, O best of gods, and you will also bring about destruction; you are Vishnu, you are the four-faced one, you are the moon, you are the sun.
त्वया विना महादेव न किंचिदिह विद्यते। अपि कृत्वा महत्पापं नरो देव धरातले॥६.१.
Without you, O Mahadeva, nothing exists here; even if a man commits great sin on earth, O god,