By the grace earned through his fire of austerity, the favor of the gods and Brahma, and the blessings of the sage before him, Gautama prayed that his heartfelt intention might be fulfilled. In response, the assembled Brahmins, satisfied and respectful, said, “So be it.” With that, they took their leave of the foremost sage and returned to their homes, blessed with prosperity, food, and water. Once the Brahmins had departed, the Lord of Hosts—accompanied by his brother and Victory—felt great satisfaction at having accomplished his purpose. He, too, withdrew. When both the congregation of Brahmins and the Lord of Hosts had left, Gautama, the eminent sage, purified of all sin by his austerities, also withdrew. Alone, Gautama pondered deeply on all that had transpired. He meditated on the situation, repeatedly reflecting, “What is this state of mine?” Through the clarity of his knowledge, he came to understand the truth, O twice-born one: all that had occurred was for the sake of the gods, for the removal of his own sin, for the welfare of the worlds, and to please Śambhu, the great Lord. He realized, too, that it was for the pleasure of Umā and to bring the sacred Gaṅgā to the world. Considering all this, Gautama found it most auspicious and was certain that no sin remained in him. With his mind thus calmed and his heart filled with devotion, the best of the twice-born became greatly pleased. He worshipped the Lord of the worlds, the three-eyed, bull-bannered deity. Resolving within himself, Gautama declared, “I shall bring the best of rivers. May Girijā, my co-wife, the Mother of the world who dwells in Maheśvara’s matted locks, be pleased with me.” With this firm intent, the eminent sage Gautama journeyed to Kailāsa, the abode of the mighty-bowed one, worshipped by gods, accompanied by his beloved and the hosts of Brahmā. Upon reaching the summit of Kailāsa, one might wonder: what did the venerable Gautama do? Did he perform austerities, or did he compose a supreme hymn? Indeed, having arrived at the mountain, Gautama restrained his speech, spread out kuśa grass, and sat in serene composure atop the sacred peak. There, having purified himself, he began to sing a hymn of praise. As Gautama sang, extolling Maheśvara, a shower of flowers rained down in blessing. He praised Soma, who assumes eight great forms, always endowed with virtues, to grant the desired enjoyments to those who seek them. He celebrated the Lord who takes the form of earth to create pleasures, sustain all that moves and is still, and to bring prosperity and increase. For the sake of creation, preservation, dissolution, and to support the earth, Śiva of peaceful form took the form of water, ensuring happiness, righteousness, and stability in the world. He established the order of time, the flow of immortality, the existence of beings, creation and destruction, joy, happiness, and prosperity—manifesting as the sun, moon, and fire. To bring about growth, movement, power, the imperishable letters, the order of living beings, and manifold joys, the Lord assumed the form of wind. Gautama acknowledged, “O Lord, you alone know yourself.” He recognized that, without distinctions, there would be no action, righteousness, possessions, directions, space, heaven, earth, enjoyment, or liberation—thus, the form of space, too, belongs to the Lord. To establish righteousness, the Lord determined the Ṛk, Sāman, and Yajus branches; in the world, all songs, smṛtis, and Purāṇas take the form of words. Gautama proclaimed, “You are the sacrificer, the sacrifice, all the means, the place of the priest, the fruit, and the times. You alone, O Śambhu, are the supreme reality; your body is composed of the limbs of sacrifice.” He continued, “You are the doer, the giver, the guarantor, the gift, the all-knowing witness, the supreme person present in every soul, the ultimate reality—truly, you are everything; what need is there for further words?” He declared that the Lord is not established by Vedic scriptures or teachers, nor grasped by intellect or other means; he is unborn, immeasurable, known by the name Śiva. “Truly, O Lord, I bow to you.” Gautama recalled that once, Śiva beheld his own unique nature as the oneness of self, transcending all notions of ‘mine’ and ‘not mine.’ In that moment, he became unfathomable, of inconceivable power, and manifested in many universal forms. Alongside him, his eternal power—she who is the cause of her own cause, auspicious, and possessing all noble marks or transcending them—abides as the power of the universe’s maker. All creation, preservation, increase of food, and dissolution of beings—these eternal processes reside in her alone, beloved of Hara. Nothing is impossible for her. For her sake, people offer food, wealth, and lives, perform austerities, and righteous acts; she is the Mother, the world’s originator, beloved of Soma, and of great renown. She is the one whom even Indra desires to behold; by her name, one attains auspiciousness. She pervades and purifies the universe, always of a form equal to Soma. By her grace, the intellect, senses, consciousness, and happiness of Brahmā and all beings, moving and unmoving, bear fruit—she is Vāgīśvarī, the beautiful consort of the world’s teacher. Gautama reflected: if even the mind of four-faced Brahmā can be impure, what of other beings? Thus, Mother Gaṅgā, by various means, undertook to purify the entire world through her descent. Considering the scriptures, the lordship of Hara, and the universe with all valid means, she performed righteous acts and enjoyed pleasures—such is the glory of Sadāśiva. Of all actions, agents, instruments, and means—whether prescribed by the Vedas or by worldly custom—the highest, most excellent, and dearest is called the accomplishment of the beginningless doer. Meditating on the supreme Brahman, the highest principle, the essence to be worshipped, by attaining which the true yogis are liberated and do not return, Gautama acknowledged Umāpati as the giver of liberation. He recognized that, just as Śambhu, of immeasurable māyā, assumes forms for the welfare of the world, so too does the Mother, taking the form of fidelity according to her union with him. As Gautama praised in this way, before him appeared the illustrious Bull-bannered Lord himself, together with Umā and surrounded by Gaṇeśa and other hosts. Śambhu, having come directly, graciously addressed Gautama: “What shall I give you, Gautama? I am pleased by your devotion, praise, and auspicious vows. Ask for what you wish—even that which is difficult for the gods to grant.” Hearing these words from the Lord of the universe, Gautama, skilled in speech and overcome with tears of joy, reflected deeply. “Oh, what destiny! Oh, what righteousness! Oh, the worship of the Brāhmaṇas! How wondrous is the course of the world! O Creator, I bow to you!” He then made his request: “Grant me the auspicious Gaṅgā, who abides in your matted locks and is worshipped by the gods. If you are pleased, O Lord of the gods, abode of the three Vedas, I bow to you!