ātmani - within himself; api - also; śivam - Lord Śiva; prāptam - arrived; taḍit - like lightning; piṅga - yellowish; jaṭā - locks of hair; dharam - carrying; tri-akṣam - with three eyes; daśa-bhujam - and ten arms; prāmśum - very tall; udyantam - rising; iva - as; bhāskaram - the sun; vyāghra - of a tiger; carma - the fur; ambaram - as his garment; śūla - with his trident; dhanaḥ - bow; iṣu - arrows; asi - sword; carmabhiḥ - and shield; akṣa-mālā - his prayer beads; ḍamaruka - small drum; kapālam - and skull; paraśum - ax; saha - together with; bibhrāṇam - exhibiting; sahasā - suddenly; bhātam - manifest; vicakṣya - seeing; hṛdi - in his heart; vismitaḥ - surprised; kim - what; idam - this; kutaḥ - from where; eva - indeed; iti - thus; samādheḥ - from his trance; virataḥ - desisted; muniḥ - the sage.

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya saw Lord Śiva suddenly appear within his heart. Lord Śiva’s golden hair resembled lightning, and he had three eyes, ten arms and a tall body that shone like the rising sun. He wore a tiger skin, and he carried a trident, a bow, arrows, a sword and a shield, along with prayer beads, a ḍamaru drum, a skull and an ax. Astonished, the sage came out of his trance and thought, “Who is this, and where has he come from?”