He is the lord of Budha, the planet Mercury, and also the lord of Brihaspati, the revered teacher of the gods. He is Lakshmana and Lakshana, bearing many auspicious marks, with lips that hang slightly, yet his form radiates grace and charm. His face shines with a multitude of flavors, reflecting the essence of all tastes, and he is adorned with garlands of various flowers, each adding to his splendor. He bestows jewels upon his devotees and may also take them away, revealing his mastery over all wealth. He possesses form, yet transcends all forms, being both manifest and unmanifest. Sometimes he appears dark as a rain-laden cloud, pure and deep; at other times, he is formless, yet the very giver of all forms, and may also shine with a radiant white hue. His complexion may be golden, he is called golden, his limbs gleam with gold, he is gold itself, and he wears a golden girdle at his waist. He is the giver of gold and also holds a portion of gold within himself. He is known as Suparni and Mahaparni, the great-winged one, and he is the cause of Suparna, the celestial bird. He is the root of greatness, the source of the primary principle underlying all creation. He is the cause of intellect, and likewise the origin of ego. From him arises space, and he is the supreme cause of earth as well. He is the cause of the body, the cause of the eye that sees, the tongue that tastes, and the breath that sustains life. He is the cause of speech, and even the source of milk. He is the cause of Yama, the lord of death, and of Īśāna, the ruler of the northeast. He is the foremost source of kings and the foundation of dharma, righteousness itself. He is the origin of Manus, the progenitors of humankind, and the supreme cause of all birds. He is the source of Siddhas, the perfected beings, and the highest cause of the Yakṣas, the guardians of treasure. Rivers flow from him, and he is the supreme cause of streams. From him arise all plants, and he is likewise the cause of all worlds. He is the cause of serpents and the giver of blessings. He is the very self within the body, the self of the senses, and the self of intellect. He is present as the self in waking and in sleep, as the great self and the supreme self. He is the supreme self of earth, and the self that experiences taste. He is the self of sound and speech, the self of touch, and the very person within. He is the self of smell, the self of the hand, the self of the foot, and the supreme self as well. He is the self of Indra, king of the gods, the self of Brahma, the creator, the self of Rudra, also called Śānta, and likewise the self of the mind. He is the self of Īśa, the supreme self, the self of Rudra, and the knowledge that leads to liberation. His nature is modesty and activity, always delighting in the welfare of ascetics. He is consciousness, intelligence, and time itself; he is heat, rain, and the mind as well. He is the deluder of the wicked, Māṇḍavya, and the submarine fire that burns beneath the ocean. He is present as Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Pulaha, Pulastya, Kutsa, Yājñavalkya, Devala, Vyāsa, and Parāśara—great sages who shine with his glory. He is Śarmmada, Gāṃgeya, Hṛṣīkeśa, and Bṛhacchravas as well. He is Nārāyaṇa, the greatly fortunate, and the very lord of life-breath. He is the supreme lord of udāna and likewise the lord of samāna, the vital airs within the body. He is the first lord of forms, the wielder of the sword, and the one who bears the plough as a weapon. He is Prakṛti, nature itself, adorned with the Kaustubha gem on his neck and clothed in yellow garments. He is Ananta, of infinite forms, with beautiful nails and divine beauty. He is the slayer of Hiraṇyakaśipu and the subduer of Hiraṇyākṣa, the destroyer of Keśin and the vanquisher of Muṣṭika. In all these ways, he stands as the supreme cause and the inner self of all that exists, manifesting in endless forms and guiding the universe with compassion and power.