Salutations were offered to Soma, to Rudra, to the very cause of the great dissolution. Mahadeva, the supreme yogi, the Lord, and the beloved husband of Ambika, was praised. He is the teacher of yogis, attainable only by yogis, and the wielder of the mighty Pinaka bow. Eternal and all-pervading, he is devoted to Brahman and cherished by Brahmins. Of one form and yet of vast form, known through the Vedas, he is the lord of days. He is the fire of time, the one who consumes time, bestower of desires and destroyer of desires alike. Fierce and formidable, the radiant sun beyond all darkness, he is the Lord of Creatures. Through past and future, as long as the cycles of Manus endure, he remains present. These truths have been explained without doubt, in every cycle and by every cycle. All those with equal pride truly manifest with names and forms. Supreme devotion was shown to Īśāna—steadfast and pure. Viṣṇu, the all-knowing creator of all, was recognized, established directly before the sage. With beautiful hands, the sage touched the one who had bowed before him. In all the three worlds, Śaṅkara is surely the object of devotion, O conqueror of enemy cities. The sage saw directly the Lord of all, Rudra, the teacher of the entire universe. Then Hṛṣīkeśa himself, the eternal one, spoke with affection, advising: “Go with supreme devotion to Śiva, the refuge of all who seek shelter.” So he went to the city of Śaṅkara to worship Bhava. Abandoning all other actions, he became wholly devoted to that worship. He left behind Satyavatī’s son, or Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī—to the sage Pārāśarya, to Vyāsa of immeasurable brilliance. Who else, indeed, truly knows Rudra, the Supreme Lord? To Pārāśarya, the great-souled yogin, the imperishable Viṣṇu, homage was offered. They bowed to that great soul, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī. The sages wondered, “What did the great-minded one do? We wish to hear, for we are curious.” Vyāsa, the foremost among sages, worshipped the god Śiva, Lord of all, on the banks of the Ganges. The sages honored Vyāsa with their worship, and those virtuous ones, devoted to Mahādeva, followed the eternal teachings of liberation—the greatness of the god of gods, and the dharmas revealed in the Vedas. Jaimini then questioned Vyāsa about the profound and eternal meaning: “There is nothing unknown to you, O supreme sage. Some pursue Sāṃkhya and Yoga, others practice austerity. Some know nonviolence and truth, others understand renunciation. Some undertake pilgrimages, while others practice restraint of the senses. If there is anything else secret, you ought to tell it.” Vyāsa spoke with deep words, having bowed to the one whose emblem is the bull: “I will speak the most secret of secrets; let the other great sages listen. Hidden, unknown to the unwise, it is served by those who see subtlety. Among those ignorant of the Vedas, even the highest knowledge of various knowledges is not auspicious.” At that moment, the goddess, seated among the gods, questioned Mahādeva.