The Origin of Acaleshwara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.388.1)

सूत उवाच । स कृत्वा स्वाश्रमं तत्र वसिष्ठो भगवान्मुनिः । तत्र शंभोर्निवासाय तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम्

sūta uvāca | sa kṛtvā svāśramaṁ tatra vasiṣṭho bhagavānmuniḥ | tatra śambhornivāsāya tapastepe sudāruṇam

Suta said: Having established his hermitage there, the revered sage Vasishtha performed most severe austerities there, for the sake of Shambhu's dwelling.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.388.2)

स बभूव मुनिः सम्यक्फलाहारसमन्वितः । शीर्णपर्णाशनः पश्चाद्द्वे शते समपद्यत

sa babhūva muniḥ samyakphalāhārasamanvitaḥ | śīrṇaparṇāśanaḥ paścāddve śate samapadyata

The sage subsisted entirely on fruit, and this continued for two hundred years; thereafter he lived on withered leaves alone.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.388.3)

जलाहारः पञ्चशतवर्षाणि संबभूव ह । वर्षाणां वायुभक्षोऽभूत्ततो दशशतानि च

jalāhāraḥ pañcaśatavarṣāṇi saṁbabhūva ha | varṣāṇāṁ vāyubhakṣo'bhūttato daśaśatāni ca

For five hundred years he subsisted on water alone. Then for a thousand years he lived on air alone.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.388.4)

पञ्चाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे हेमन्ते सलिलाशयः । वर्षास्वाकाशवासी च सहस्रं च ततोऽभवत्

pañcāgnisādhako grīṣme hemante salilāśayaḥ | varṣāsvākāśavāsī ca sahasraṁ ca tato'bhavat

Practicing the five-fire austerity in summer, dwelling in water in winter, and abiding under the open sky in the rains, a further thousand years then passed.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.388.5)

ततस्तुष्टो महादेवस्तस्यर्षेः सुमहात्मनः । भित्त्वा तं पर्वतं सद्यस्तत्पुरो लिंगमुत्थितम् । तं दृष्ट्वा विस्मयाविष्टो मुनिः स्तोत्रमुदैरयत्

tatastuṣṭo mahādevastasyarṣeḥ sumahātmanaḥ | bhittvā taṁ parvataṁ sadyastatpuro liṅgamutthitam | taṁ dṛṣṭvā vismayāviṣṭo muniḥ stotramudairayat

Then Mahadeva, pleased with that great-souled sage, split open that mountain and at once a linga arose before him. Beholding it, the astonished sage recited a hymn of praise.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.388.6)

नमः शिवाय शुद्धाय सर्वगायाऽमृताय च । कपर्द्दिने नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तस्मै त्रिमूर्त्तये

namaḥ śivāya śuddhāya sarvagāyā'mṛtāya ca | kaparddine namastubhyaṁ namastasmai trimūrttaye

Salutation to Shiva, the pure, the all-pervading, the immortal one; salutation to you, matted-haired one; salutation to him of the triple form.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.388.7)

नमः स्थूलाय सूक्ष्माय व्यापकाय महात्मने । निषंगिणे नमस्तुभ्यं त्रिनेत्राय नमोनमः

namaḥ sthūlāya sūkṣmāya vyāpakāya mahātmane | niṣaṅgiṇe namastubhyaṁ trinetrāya namonamaḥ

Salutation to the gross, to the subtle, to the pervading, the great-souled one; salutation to you, the quiver-bearer; salutation, salutation to the three-eyed one.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.388.8)

नमश्चन्द्रकलाधार नमो दिग्वसनाय च । पिनाकपाणये तुभ्यमष्टमूर्ते नमोनमः

namaścandrakalādhāra namo digvasanāya ca | pinākapāṇaye tubhyamaṣṭamūrte namonamaḥ

Salutation to the bearer of the crescent moon, salutation to him whose garment is the directions themselves; salutation, salutation to you, bearer of the Pinaka bow, of eightfold form.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.388.9)

नमस्ते ज्ञानरूपाय ज्ञानगम्याय ते नमः । नमस्ते ज्ञानदेहाय सर्वज्ञानमयाय च

namaste jñānarūpāya jñānagamyāya te namaḥ | namaste jñānadehāya sarvajñānamayāya ca

Salutation to you of the form of knowledge, salutation to you attainable only through knowledge; salutation to you whose body is knowledge, and who consists of all knowledge.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.388.10)

काशीपते नमस्तुभ्यं गिरिशाय नमोनमः । जगत्कारणरूपाय महादेवाय ते नमः

kāśīpate namastubhyaṁ giriśāya namonamaḥ | jagatkāraṇarūpāya mahādevāya te namaḥ

O Lord of Kashi, salutation to you; salutation, salutation to the Lord of the mountain. Salutation to you, Mahadeva, the cause of the universe.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.388.11)

गौरीकान्त नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्तुभ्यं शिवात्मने । ब्रह्मविष्णुस्वरूपाय त्रिनेत्राय नमोनमः

gaurīkānta namastubhyaṁ namastubhyaṁ śivātmane | brahmaviṣṇusvarūpāya trinetrāya namonamaḥ

O beloved of Gauri, salutation to you, salutation to you whose self is Shiva. Salutation, salutation to the three-eyed one, of the form of Brahma and Vishnu.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.388.12)

विश्वरूपाय शुद्धाय नमस्तुभ्यं महात्मने । नमो विश्वस्वरूपाय सर्वदेवमयाय च

viśvarūpāya śuddhāya namastubhyaṁ mahātmane | namo viśvasvarūpāya sarvadevamayāya ca

Salutation to you, of universal form, the pure one, the great soul. Salutation to the universal form, consisting of all the gods.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.388.13)

सूत उवाच । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वागुवाचाशरीरिणी । परितुष्टोऽस्मि ते भद्रं वरं वरय सुव्रत

sūta uvāca | etasminneva kāle tu vāguvācāśarīriṇī | parituṣṭo'smi te bhadraṁ varaṁ varaya suvrata

Suta said: At that very moment a bodiless voice spoke: "I am greatly pleased with you; may all be well with you. O one of good vows, ask for a boon."

Verse 14 (skanda.7.388.14)

इत्युक्त्वा पर्वतं भित्त्वा तत्पुरो लिंगमुत्थितम्

ityuktvā parvataṁ bhittvā tatpuro liṅgamutthitam

Having said this - the mountain having been split, the linga had risen before him.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.388.15)

वसिष्ठ उवाच । लिंगेऽस्मिंस्तव सांनिध्यं सदा भवतु शंकर । मया पूर्वं प्रतिज्ञातं नगस्येह महात्मने । सत्यं कुरु वचो मे त्वं यदि तुष्टोऽसि शंकर

vasiṣṭha uvāca | liṅge'sminstava sāṁnidhyaṁ sadā bhavatu śaṅkara | mayā pūrvaṁ pratijñātaṁ nagasyeha mahātmane | satyaṁ kuru vaco me tvaṁ yadi tuṣṭo'si śaṅkara

Vasishtha said: O Shankara, may your presence remain in this linga forever. O great one, I had earlier made this promise here to the mountain. O Shankara, if you are pleased, fulfil this word of mine as true.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.388.16)

श्रीभगवानुवाच । अद्यप्रभृति लिंगेऽस्मिन्सांनिध्यं मे भविष्यति । त्वद्वाक्याद्ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ सर्वं सत्यं भविष्यति

śrībhagavānuvāca | adyaprabhṛti liṅge'sminsāṁnidhyaṁ me bhaviṣyati | tvadvākyādbrāhmaṇaśreṣṭha sarvaṁ satyaṁ bhaviṣyati

The Blessed Lord said: From this day my presence shall remain in this linga. O best of brahmins, by your word all shall come true.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.388.17)

स्तोत्रेणानेन यो मर्त्यो मां स्तविष्यति भक्तितः । कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्यामाश्विने मुनिसत्तम

stotreṇānena yo martyo māṁ staviṣyati bhaktitaḥ | kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāmāśvine munisattama

O best of sages, whatever mortal shall praise me with devotion by this hymn, on the fourteenth of the dark fortnight of Ashvina.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.388.18)

मत्प्रियार्थं तु शक्रेण प्रेषिता मुनिसत्तम । मन्दाकिनीति विख्याता नदी त्रैलोक्यपाविनी

matpriyārthaṁ tu śakreṇa preṣitā munisattama | mandākinīti vikhyātā nadī trailokyapāvinī

O best of sages, for my pleasure Indra has sent the renowned river known as Mandakini, the purifier of the three worlds.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.388.19)

देवस्योत्तरदिग्भागे कुंडं तिष्ठति नित्यशः । तस्यां स्नात्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठ लिंगं मे पश्यते तु यः । स याति परमं स्थानं जरामरणवर्जितम्

devasyottaradigbhāge kuṇḍaṁ tiṣṭhati nityaśaḥ | tasyāṁ snātvā muniśreṣṭha liṅgaṁ me paśyate tu yaḥ | sa yāti paramaṁ sthānaṁ jarāmaraṇavarjitam

To the north of the deity there stands ever a pool. O best of sages, whoever bathes there and beholds my linga shall attain the supreme abode, free from old age and death.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.388.20)

अचलं भेदयित्वा तु यस्मान्मे लिंगमुद्गतम् । अचलेश्वरनाम्नैव लोके ख्यातिं गमिष्यति

acalaṁ bhedayitvā tu yasmānme liṅgamudgatam | acaleśvaranāmnaiva loke khyātiṁ gamiṣyati

Since this linga of mine arose by splitting the immovable mountain, it shall become known in the world by the very name "Acaleshwara" (Lord of the Immovable).

Verse 21 (skanda.7.388.21)

अस्य लिंगस्य माहात्म्यान्न कदाचिच्चलिष्यति । सर्वथा म इदं लिंगं प्रलयान्ते न चाल्यते

asya liṅgasya māhātmyānna kadācicicaliṣyati | sarvathā ma idaṁ liṅgaṁ pralayānte na cālyate

By the greatness of this linga, it shall never move. This linga of mine shall never be moved at all, even at the time of dissolution.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.388.22)

सूत उवाच । एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं विरराम महेश्वरः । वसिष्ठोऽपि सुहृष्टात्मा गौतमाद्या मुनीश्वराः

sūta uvāca | etāvaduktvā vacanaṁ virarāma maheśvaraḥ | vasiṣṭho'pi suhṛṣṭātmā gautamādyā munīśvarāḥ

Suta said: Having spoken this much, Maheshwara fell silent. Vasishtha, too, was filled with great joy, as were Gautama and the other lords of sages.

Verse 23 (skanda.7.388.23)

शक्रादयस्ततो देवास्तीर्थान्यायतनानि च । आनयामास ब्रह्मर्षिस्तपसा पर्वतोत्तमे

śakrādayastato devāstīrthānyāyatanāni ca | ānayāmāsa brahmarṣistapasā parvatottame

Then, through his austerity, the brahmarshi brought Indra and the other gods, the sacred fords, and the shrines to that best of mountains.

Verse 24 (skanda.7.388.24)

ततस्तुष्टः सुरश्रेष्ठस्तत्र वासमथाकरोत्

tatastuṣṭaḥ suraśreṣṭhastatra vāsamathākarot

Then, pleased, that foremost of gods began to dwell there.