Dakṣa, overwhelmed by the consequences of his actions and seeking solace, turned inward and sought refuge in the god Bhava. With deep concentration, he ascended through his breath and life-force, fixing his gaze steadfastly upon the space between his eyes. With immense effort, Dakṣa restrained his vision on all sides, focusing his mind in meditation. Suddenly, the conqueror of foes, the many-eyed lord, smiled gently and addressed Dakṣa, saying, “Speak, what shall I do for you?” The gods and ancestors, having heard the great story, gathered together. Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, stood before the god with joined palms, his heart filled with fear and anxiety, his face tearful, his eyes clouded with doubt. He spoke with trembling voice, “If the blessed lord is pleased with me, if I am dear to you, if you wish to show me favor, if a boon is to be granted—then I pray: whatever food has been eaten, drunk, frightened away, destroyed, ground to powder, or cast aside—whatever sacrificial materials have been gathered over a long time with great effort—let none of these be lost to me, O great lord, by your grace.” Hara, the blessed lord, remover of Bhaga’s eye, listened to Dakṣa’s plea and replied, “So be it.” Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, praised Mahādeva, the overseer of righteousness, the three-eyed one, for granting this boon. With reverence, Dakṣa touched the earth with his knees and, having received the boon from Bhava, began to extol the bull-bannered one with eight thousand names. Witnessing the power of Śambhu, Dakṣa, O best of twice-born, bowed down with joined palms and 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 alike. You are 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 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. The singers of the Gāyatrī hymn praise you; the worshippers of the sun honor you. You are 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, indeed, 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. Salutations to the one with various deformed faces, with sword-tongue and fierce fangs, whose nourishment is fortnight and month, and who delights in the lute and vina. Salutations to the one of terrible and non-terrible forms, more terrible than the terrible; salutations to Shiva, the peaceful, and the most peaceful. Salutations to the awakened one, the pure one, the lover of sharing, to the wind, to the flying one, and to the one devoted to Sāṃkhya. Salutations to the one with a fierce single bell, to the bell-sounder, to the bell-bearer, to the one with a hundred thousand bells, and to the lover of garlands of bells. Salutations to the staff of life, to the eternal one, and to you, the red one; to the one who utters ‘hūṃ hūṃ’, to Rudra, and to the lover of the form of Bhaga. Salutations always to the one beyond the mountain, to the lover of mountain trees; salutations to the lord of sacrifice, to the being, and to the progenitor. Salutations to the bearer of sacrifice, to the restrained one, to the ascetic, and to Bhaga; salutations to the bank, to the bank-dweller, and to the lord of rivers. Salutations to the giver of food, to the lord of food, and to the eater of food; salutations to the thousand-headed one and the thousand-footed one. Salutations to the one with a thousand-raised spears and a thousand eyes; salutations to the one of the color of the rising sun and to the bearer of a youthful form. Salutations to the one with the form of the rising sun, to the child at play; salutations to the pure one, the awakened one, the agitator, and the destroyer.” Thus, Dakṣa, with humility and awe, offered his heartfelt praises to the mighty Śiva, recognizing the lord’s infinite forms and boundless grace.