Varaha Purana

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,

द्वादशाब्दैर्गतवतः सीमाचारिगणैस्तथा

After twelve years had passed, along with the groups of boundary-guardians,

कपालमोचनं तीर्थं ततो जातमघापहम्

The holy site called Kapālamocana then arose, which removes sin.

रुद्रो विशुद्धिमापन्नो मुक्तः स ब्रह्महत्यया

Rudra attained purity there, freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin.

यत्राप्लुतो नरो भक्त्या ब्रह्महा तु विशुध्यति

Where a man, immersed with devotion, even if a Brahmin-slayer, becomes purified.

आगतो देवसहितो वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह भव रुद्र विशालाक्ष लोकमार्गव्यवस्थित

Having come together with the gods, he spoke these words: 'O Rudra, wide-eyed, established on the path of the world—'

(भव रुद्र विरूपाक्ष लोकमार्गे व्यास्थितः ) कपालं गृह्य यद्भ्रान्तं कपालव्यग्रपाणिना

'O Rudra, with uneven eyes, standing on the path of the world, having wandered with the skull in your hand, fierce with the skull-hand—'

यच्च ते बभ्रुता जाता हिमवत्यचलोत्तमे

'And that which became tawny for you on the highest peak of the Himalaya—'

यच्चेदानीं विशुद्धस्य तीर्थेऽस्मिन्देहशुद्धता 97.

'And now, having become pure at this holy site, bodily purity is attained.'

ये पुरस्कृत्य देवास्त्वां पूज्यं यद्विधिनान्विताः

'Those gods who, having placed you first, worship you according to the prescribed rites—'

व्रतानि कुरुते देव त्वत्कृतानि हि पुत्रक

'The vows they perform, O god, are indeed those you have established, O son.'