तदा कौतूहलाद्ब्रह्मा स्कन्धे तं जगृहे प्रभुः
Then, out of curiosity, Brahmā, the Lord, took him upon his shoulder.
जन्मतश्च शिरो यद्धि पंचमं तज्जगाद ह
And at birth, the fifth head spoke thus.
कपालिन् रुद्र बभ्रोऽथ भव कैरात सुव्रत
Kapālin, Rudra, Babhru, Bhava, Kairāta, Suvrata—
एवमुक्तस्तदा रुद्रो भविष्यैर्नामभिर्भवः
Thus addressed, Rudra then became known by these future names.
वामाङ्गुष्ठनखेनाद्यं प्राजापत्यं विचक्षणः
With the nail of his left thumb, the wise one struck the prājāpatya head.
तस्मिन्निकृत्ते शिरसि प्राजापत्यं त्रिलोचनः
When that prājāpatya head was severed, the three-eyed one stood there.
रुद्र उवाच नश्यते च कथं पापं ममैतद्वद सुव्रत
Rudra said: How will this sin of mine be destroyed? Tell me, O virtuous one.
ब्रह्मोवाच समयाचारसंयुक्तं कृत्वा स्वेनैव तेजसा ।।97.
Brahmā said: By performing the proper observance, joined with discipline, through your own power.
एवमुक्तस्तदा रुद्रो ब्रह्मणाऽव्यक्तमूर्त्तिना
Thus addressed, Rudra then, by Brahmā of the unmanifest form—
तत्र स्थित्वा महादेवस्तच्छिरो बिभिदे त्रिधा
There, having stood, Mahādeva split that head into three.
यज्ञोपवीतं केशं तु महास्थ्नाक्षमणींस्तथा
He made the sacred thread from hair, and the great bones into rosary beads.
अपरं खण्डशः कृत्वा जटाजूटे न्यवेशयत्
He broke another piece and placed it in his matted locks.
सप्तद्वीपवतीं पुण्यां मज्जंस्तीर्थेषु नित्यशः
He continually bathed in the holy fords of the blessed land with seven continents.
सरस्वतीं ततो गत्वा यमुनासङ्गमं ततः
Then, going to the Sarasvatī, and from there to the confluence with the Yamunā,
वितस्तां चन्द्रभागां च गोमतीं सिन्धुमेव च
He went to the Vitastā, the Candrabhāgā, the Gomatī, and also the Sindhu.
नेपालं च ततो गत्वा ततो रुद्रमहालयम्
Then he went to Nepāla, and from there to the great shrine of Rudra.
महेश्वरं ततो गत्वा गयां पुण्यामथागमत्
Then he went to Maheśvara, and after that he reached the holy Gayā.
एवं वेगेन सकलं ब्रह्माण्डं भूतधारिणि 97.
In this way, O bearer of beings, he swiftly traversed the entire universe.
परिधानं तु कौपीनं नग्नः कापालिकोऽभवत्
His only garment was a loincloth; naked, he became a skull-bearing ascetic.
तस्मिंस्तु पतिते देवि नग्नः कापालिकोऽभवत्
When it fell, O goddess, he became a naked skull-bearing ascetic.
पुनरब्दद्वयं भ्रान्तस्तीर्थे तीर्थे हरः स्वयम् ।। कपालं त्यक्तुकामः सन्तद्धस्तात्तत्तु नापतत्
For another two years, Hara himself wandered from ford to ford, wishing to cast off the skull, but it did not fall from his hand.
पुनरब्दद्वयं भ्रान्तो ब्रह्माण्डं तीर्थकारणात्
Again, for another two years, he wandered through the universe for the sake of the fords.
त्यजतोऽपि न तद्धस्ताच्च्यवते भूतधारिणि
Even as he tried to let it go, O bearer of beings, it would not fall from his hand.
ततोऽन्यद्वर्षमेकं तु वर्त्तते हिमवद्गिरौ
Then, for another year, he remained on the Himālaya mountain.
पुनरब्दद्वयं चान्यत्परमेष्ठी वृषाकपिः
Again, for another two years, the supreme lord Vṛṣākapi wandered.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य द्वादशेऽब्दे धराधरे
Then, after some time, in the twelfth year, on the mountain,
गङ्गायां देवदेवेशो यावन्मज्जति भामिनि
O beautiful one, as long as the lord of gods bathed in the Gaṅgā,
कपालमोचनं नाम ततस्तीर्थमनुत्तमम् 97.
Then, that ford became known as Kapālamocana, the unsurpassed holy place.
गत्वा हरिहरक्षेत्रं स्नात्वा देवाङ्गदे तथा
Having gone to the sacred place of Hari and Hara, and having bathed there at the divine ford,
तत्र स्नात्वा तथा नत्वा त्रिजलेश्वरसंज्ञितम्
There, after bathing and bowing at the place known as Trijaleśvara,