A fearsome being suddenly appeared, short yet immense in stature, with blood-red eyes and a tawny beard. His hair stood upright, thick and wild, covering his body, and his ears glowed red like fresh blood. His fierce, dark complexion and fiery presence were accentuated by his red garments. This mighty entity moved with such intensity that he burned the sacrificial offerings as fire consumes dry grass. The gods, seized by terror, fled in all ten directions, unable to withstand his force. Even the earth itself, with its seven continents, quaked on every side as this great being acted, striking fear into the hearts of gods and mortals alike. Witnessing this, I approached the Great God with reverence and spoke: “O Lord, all the gods will indeed grant you a share.” I pleaded, “Let there be withdrawal, O Lord of all gods, by your command; and these deities, along with thousands of sages…” I explained, “O great god, from your wrath this being was born, O best of gods, and because of your anger, the gods did not find peace. This person is sweat-born.” I revealed, “This being is known as Fever, O knower of righteousness. He will move among the worlds, and when united, his energy cannot be contained, O Lord.” I continued, “The entire earth is capable; let this one be created in many forms.” Thus, I spoke to the god, and a portion was assigned accordingly. The blessed lord, the god of gods, wielder of Pināka, responded to me, “So be it,” and was supremely pleased. Dakṣa, too, sought refuge in Bhava, the god, ascending with his breath and life-force, fixing his gaze with great effort in the eye-place. With his vision restrained, the conqueror of foes with many eyes smiled and said, “Speak, what shall I do for you?” When the great story was heard by the gods and ancestors, Dakṣa, lord of creatures, with joined palms, spoke to the god. His mind was anxious and fearful, his face tearful and his eyes filled with doubt. He pleaded, “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 to me—let me ask.” He continued, “Whatever food has been eaten, drunk, frightened away, or destroyed, whatever has been ground to powder and cast aside—such sacrificial materials as these—which were gathered over a long time with great effort—may none of this be lost to me, by your grace, O great lord.” The blessed lord, Hara, remover of Bhaga’s eye, replied, “So be it.” Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, praised Mahādeva, the overseer of righteousness, the three-eyed one. Having touched the earth with his knees, Dakṣa, having obtained a boon from Bhava, praised the bull-bannered one with eight thousand names. Thus, seeing the power of Śambhu, Dakṣa, O best of twice-born, with joined palms and bowed head, began to offer praise: “Salutations to you, lord 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 alike. 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 directions; you stand pervading all things. 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. 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. Salutations to Bhava, Sharva, Rudra, the giver of boons, and the lord of creatures; salutations also to the destroyer of Andhaka. Salutations to the three-plaited, three-headed, bearer of the excellent trident, to Tryambaka, the three-eyed, and the destroyer of Tripura. Salutations to the fierce one, the shaven-headed, the bearer of universal fierceness, to the staff-holder, the one with conch-shaped ears, and the wielder of the staff. Salutations to the half-staff-haired, the dried-up, the deformed, the blood-red, the smoky, and the blue-necked. Salutations to the unmatched, the deformed, the auspicious, to the sun, the lord of the sun, and the bearer of the sun-banner. Salutations to the destroyer of the hosts, to the one with the bull’s shoulder; salutations to Hiranyagarbha and to the one with the golden armor. Salutations to the one with the golden crest, the lord of gold, the slayer of enemies, the fierce one, and the one who rests among leaves. Salutations to the praised, the praiseworthy, the one being praised; salutations to the all, the all-consuming, and the inner self of all beings. Salutations to the sacrificial fire, the mantra, the bearer of the white-banner; salutations to the unbowed, the bowed, and to the one who makes loud sounds. Salutations to you who lie down, who are lying, who rise, who stand, who run, who are hunchbacked, and who are crooked. Salutations to the one skilled in dance, the maker of mouth-instruments, the remover of obstacles, the greedy, and the maker of song and instruments. Salutations to the eldest, the best, the destroyer of strength, the fierce; salutations always, and salutations to the ten-armed. Salutations to the one with the skull in hand, the lover of white ashes, the terrifying, the formidable, and the one who observes the terrible vow.” Thus, Dakṣa, overwhelmed by the greatness of the lord, offered his praises with devotion and awe, acknowledging the supreme power and manifold forms of Mahādeva.