Amidst the tumult of Dakṣa’s grand sacrifice, a formidable figure appeared, neither god nor demon, nor driven by curiosity or desire for offerings. Addressing the assembled deities, he declared, “O lords of the gods, I have not come to witness or partake. I am here for the destruction of Dakṣa’s sacrifice. I am known as Vīrabhadra, born from the wrath of Rudra.” Alongside him came Bhadrakālī, famed by that name, who had arisen from the goddess’s anger and was sent by the Lord of gods to the site of the sacrifice. Vīrabhadra warned the king of kings, “Seek refuge in the Lord of gods, the husband of Umā. Even his attendants cannot withstand the anger of the Great Lord.” The scene grew chaotic: sacrificial posts were torn up and scattered, vultures greedy for flesh swooped and leapt, their wings stirring the air. Shiva’s howls echoed, and the king’s sacrifice was harassed by the hosts. In the midst of this havoc, the sacrifice itself took the form of a deer and leapt into the sky, attempting to flee. Vīrabhadra, perceiving this transformation, seized his bow and arrow, his wrath shining boundlessly. From his forehead, a terrible drop of sweat fell to the ground, and from that drop, a great fire blazed forth, as fierce as the fire at the end of time. Out of the flames arose a man—short yet immense, with blood-red eyes, a tawny beard, hair standing upright, body covered in thick hair, ears red as blood, and a fierce, dark complexion. Clad in red, this mighty being burned the sacrifice as fire consumes dry grass. Fear seized the gods, and they fled in all directions. The force of this being’s actions shook the earth and its seven continents, terrifying even the world of the gods. At this moment, Vīrabhadra honored the Great God and said, “O Lord, all the gods will indeed offer you a share. Let there be withdrawal, O Lord of all gods, by your command, so that these deities and thousands of sages may find peace. From your wrath, this being was born, O best of gods. He is sweat-born, and because of your anger, none have found peace.” He continued, “This being is known as Fever, O knower of righteousness. He will move among the worlds, and when united, his energy cannot be contained. The earth is vast enough; let him be created in many forms.” Thus, Vīrabhadra spoke to the god, and a portion was assigned. The blessed lord, the god of gods and wielder of Pināka, replied, “So be it,” and was supremely pleased. Meanwhile, Dakṣa sought refuge in Bhava, the god, with all his breath and life-force, fixing his gaze with great effort. With his vision restrained, Dakṣa, conqueror of foes and possessor of many eyes, smiled and addressed the Lord, “Speak, what shall I do for you?” When the great story was heard by the gods and ancestors, Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, with joined palms, fearful and anxious, tearful and doubtful, spoke to the god: “If the blessed lord is pleased, if I am dear to you, if I am to be shown favor, if a boon is to be granted—let whatever food has been eaten, drunk, frightened away, destroyed, or ground to powder and cast aside, whatever sacrificial materials gathered over a long time with great effort, not be lost to me by your grace, O great lord.” The blessed lord, Hara, remover of Bhaga’s eye, replied, “So be it,” and Dakṣa praised Mahādeva, overseer of righteousness, the three-eyed one. Having touched the earth with his knees, Dakṣa, now granted a boon from Bhava, praised the bull-bannered one with eight thousand names. Thus, beholding the power of Śambhu, Dakṣa, with joined palms and bowed head, began his praise: “Salutations to you, lord of gods and master of the gods; salutations to you, slayer of Andhaka. O Indra of the gods, you are supreme in strength, worshipped by gods and demons. Thousand-eyed, deformed-eyed, three-eyed, beloved of the lord of Yakṣas, you have hands and feet everywhere, faces, eyes, heads, and mouths on all sides. You hear from all sides in the world; you stand pervading everything. With conch-shaped ears, great ears, pot-like ears, you are encircled by the ocean. With elephant ears, cow ears, a hundred ears—salutations to you! With a hundred bellies, a hundred whirlpools, a hundred tongues, you are eternal.” Dakṣa continued, “The singers of the Gāyatrī hymn praise you; the worshippers of the sun honor you. You are the protector of gods and demons; you are Brahmā; you are Śatakratu (Indra). You are the embodied, the great form, the ocean, the repository of waters; in you, all the deities dwell, as cows in a cowshed. From you, in your body, I perceive Soma, Agni, the lord of waters, Aditya, Vishnu, Brahma, and Brihaspati. In action, instrument, and result, you are the doer and the cause; you are both the existent and the non-existent, as well as origin and imperishability.” He offered salutations to Bhava, Sharva, Rudra, the giver of boons, the lord of creatures, and the destroyer of Andhaka. He praised the three-plaited, three-headed bearer of the excellent trident, Tryambaka, the three-eyed, and the destroyer of Tripura. He honored the fierce one, the shaven-headed, the bearer of universal fierceness, the staff-holder, the one with conch-shaped ears, and the wielder of the staff. Thus, Dakṣa’s praise resounded, honoring the greatness and glory of Mahādeva, the supreme Lord.