“So be it,” declared the Lord, the Primal Creator, and for the fulfillment of the world’s purposes, He Himself became the giver of heat, rain, and cold—assuming the form of the Sun, sustaining all life. Those who follow the paths of Sāṅkhya and Yoga, as well as others who seek liberation, meditate upon this divine Sun, envisioning Him residing within their very hearts. Even those who lack any marks of virtue, or who are weighed down by all manner of sins, can cross beyond their faults simply by seeking refuge in Arka, the Sun God. No ritual—be it the Agnihotra, the study of the Vedas, or grand sacrifices rich with gifts—can equal even a sixteenth part of the merit gained by devotion and salutation to Bhānu, the Sun. Among all sacred fords, He is the supreme crossing; among all auspicious things, the most auspicious; among all that is pure, the purest. Thus, wise men take refuge in the Sun. Those who worship Bhāskara, the Sun—praised even by Indra and the other gods—are freed from all sins and attain the radiant world of the Sun. Then, inquiring further, someone addressed a Brahmin, saying, “O Brahman, I have long wished to hear the eight hundred names of the Sun that you once spoke of. Please recite them.” The Brahmin replied, “Hear from me now the one hundred and eight secret names of Bhāskara, the Sun, which bestow both heaven and liberation, O twice-born ones.” He began: “Om. He is the Sun, Aryaman, Bhaga, Tvashta, Pusha, Arka, Savita, Ravi, Gabhastiman, Aja, Kala, Mrityu, Dhata, and Prabhakara. He is earth, water, fire, space, wind, the supreme goal, Soma, Brihaspati, Shukra, Budha, and Angaraka. He is Indra, Vivasvan, the radiant one, the pure one, Sauri, Shanaishchara, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Skanda, Vaishravana, and Yama. He is lightning, the digestive fire, the fire fed by fuel, the lord of energies, the banner of righteousness, the maker of the Vedas, the limbs of the Vedas, and the vehicle of the Vedas. He is the four yugas—Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali—the refuge of all gods, the divisions of time such as kala, kashtha, muhurta, the nights, the watches, and the moments. He is the maker of the year, the Ashvattha tree, the wheel of time, fire, the eternal person, the yogi, the manifest and unmanifest, the ancient one. He is the overseer of time and beings, the maker of the universe, the dispeller of darkness, Varuna, the ocean, the portion, the rain cloud, the giver of life, and the destroyer of enemies. He is the support and lord of all beings, honored by the worlds, the creator, the destroyer, fire, the origin of all, and free from greed. He is Ananta, Kapila, Bhanu, the giver of desires, facing all directions, victorious, vast, the bestower of boons, and served by all beings. He is mind, Suparna, the origin of beings, swift-moving, the sustainer of breath, Dhanvantari, Dhūmaketu, the primeval god, and the son of Aditi. He is of twelve forms, Ravi, Daksha, father, mother, grandfather, the gate to heaven, the gate to progeny, the gate to liberation, and the highest heaven. He is the maker of bodies, of tranquil soul, the soul of the universe, facing all directions, the soul of the moving and unmoving, the subtle soul, Maitreya, and full of compassion. Thus, I have spoken these eight hundred beautiful names of the Sun, of boundless brilliance, which are to be recited, O best of the twice-born. I bow to Bhaskara, for the welfare of all, who is served by hosts of gods, ancestors, and yakshas, worshipped by asuras, night-wanderers, and siddhas, whose radiance is like gold and fire. Whoever, with focused mind, recites this at sunrise gains sons, a wife, wealth, and treasures; such a person remembers past births and attains supreme memory and intelligence. Whoever, with pure mind and concentration, recites this hymn to the best of gods, is freed from the ocean of the fire of sorrow and attains the desires of his mind as he wishes. Now hear of another divine being: the all-pervading god, the enemy of Tripura, three-eyed, beloved of Uma—Rudra, crowned with the crescent moon. Having driven away all the gods, siddhas, vidyadharas, rishis, gandharvas, yakshas, nagas, and others who had assembled, this Lord first struck down Daksha’s sacrifice, which was being performed on earth—a prosperous rite, rich in jewels and every requisite. By the radiance of that Lord, the dwellers of heaven—Indra and the others—were terrified, and the Brahmins, finding no peace, fled to Kailasa for refuge. There, on Kailasa, abides the boon-giver, bearing the trident, the bull-bannered, the wielder of Pinaka, the blessed one—destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice. Mahadeva, clad in skins, bull-bannered, dwells in that timeless place beneath a single mango tree, O best of sages, and there Hara grants all desires. But for what reason did Bhava, the god devoted to the welfare of all beings, destroy Daksha’s sacrifice, adorned by all the gods? Surely, the cause was not trivial. The sages, filled with curiosity, asked, “Tell us, O Lord, for our curiosity is indeed great!” Daksha had eight daughters, who, united with their husbands, were brought from their own homes, and their father honored them in his house. After being honored, the Brahmins stayed in their father’s house; among them, the eldest was named Sati, wife of Tryambaka (Shiva). Daksha, however, hostile to Rudra, did not invite his own daughter and made obeisance to others, but Maheshvara (Shiva) received no honor. The son-in-law, steadfast in his own nature and radiance, remained silent; then, knowing this, Sati, along with the others, arrived at her father’s house. Although uninvited, Sati went to her father’s house; but her father performed worship for all except Sati, which she found intolerable. Overwhelmed with anger, the goddess spoke to her father: “I am superior to the younger ones—why do you not honor me, O Lord? You have placed me in a contemptible state, which is blameworthy. I am eldest and most distinguished; you ought to honor me.” Thus addressed, Daksha, his eyes reddened with anger, replied, “My daughters who are superior and distinguished, and their husbands, are worthy of honor, O Sati; they are greatly esteemed by me.