With hearts full of reverence, the sages bowed before the Supreme Lord, offering salutations to Him who is the very soul of all living beings, whose divine body is composed of the subtle qualities. They praised the blue-throated One, whose limbs are smeared with ashes from the funeral pyre, and who resides ever in the cremation ground, taking on the forms of spirits. They honored Him as the eternal puruṣa, the soul of all, as recognized by the Sāṅkhya philosophers. Among the wise, they proclaimed, He is Vasiṣṭha; among the gods, He is Vāsava. Among all forest creatures, He is the lion, the supreme Lord. Everything that exists, in whatever manner—desire, anger, greed, sorrow, and intoxication—all arise and dissolve in Him. When the great dissolution arrives, it is this God, having become the very Self, who brings about the end. By His fire, the worlds are enveloped everywhere in flames. All beings, whether moving or stationary, are consumed in this conflagration. In their distress, the sages pleaded, “O Lord of gods, be our protector as we are being consumed. O great Lord Maheśvara, master of auspicious vision, who assumes countless forms—protect us.” Then, from amidst the millions of forms, the blessed Lord spoke these words: “Those who act as instructed, who are self-restrained and devoted to meditation, O Brāhmans, let them never speak what is displeasing, here or elsewhere, but always speak for the welfare of others. Act in this way, and may good fortune be yours. From me, you will attain perfection.” Freed from fear, greed, delusion, and anxiety, the sages bowed together, their faces radiant. They offered pure scented water, mixed with sacred grass and flowers. With secret chants and melodious hums, they praised the Lord whose body is half female, the initiator of Sāṃkhya and Yoga, clad in a black antelope skin, wearing a serpent as His sacred thread, dressed in the skin of the lord of beasts, and bearing a broad axe. They offered salutations to Śaṅkara. The foremost sages then devoted themselves to their duties, upholding the disciplines of their castes. The Lord, pleased by their austerity, addressed them: “O vow-holders, choose a boon.” Bhṛgu, Aṅgirā, Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra, Marīci, Kaśyapa, and Saṃvarta, the great ascetic, spoke in unison: “O Lord, we wish to know the distinction between what is to be served and what is not to be served.” The Lord replied, “I am Agni united with Soma, and Soma is established in Agni. The entire world, both immobile and mobile, has been burned repeatedly by fire. Having assumed potency through ashes, this fire sprinkles and purifies all beings. By the power of my ashes, one is freed from all sins; thus, at that very moment, all sins are said to become ashes. All the world, both immobile and mobile, is composed of the essence of Agni and Soma. I am Agni and Soma by nature, and I am the Purusha myself. I sustain my own power and form, and thus maintain existence. “Protection is performed with ashes in the homes of women in childbirth. Whoever approaches near me does not return again. This excellent Pāśupata rite was established by me in ancient times.” Thus, the Lord imparted His wisdom, and the sages, filled with devotion and understanding, received His teachings with gratitude and awe.