To the sage Pārāśarya, to Vyāsa of immeasurable brilliance, all honor is due. Who else, indeed, truly knows Rudra, the Supreme Lord, in all his mystery? We bow to Vyāsa, the great soul, the yogin, the imperishable Viṣṇu, son of Satyavatī. To him, the foremost among sages, we offer our reverence. The assembled sages, filled with curiosity, wondered about the deeds of this great-minded Vyāsa. What had he done, they asked, eager to hear his story. It was told that Vyāsa, on the sacred banks of the Ganges, worshipped Śiva, Lord of all. The other sages, recognizing Vyāsa’s eminence, honored him with their worship. These virtuous ones, devoted to Mahādeva, followed the eternal teachings that lead to liberation, upholding the greatness of the god of gods and the dharmas revealed in the Vedas. Among them, the sage Jaimini approached Vyāsa with a profound question about the deepest and most enduring truths. “O supreme sage,” he said, “there is nothing unknown to you. Some sages pursue Sāṃkhya and Yoga, others practice austerity. Some are devoted to nonviolence and truth, while others understand renunciation. Some undertake pilgrimages, and others practice restraint of the senses. Yet, if there is anything else, any secret remaining, you ought to share it with us.” Vyāsa, having bowed to the Lord whose emblem is the bull, spoke with words deep and measured: “I will reveal the most secret of secrets. Let all the great sages listen. What I speak is hidden, unknown to the unwise, but cherished by those who perceive subtlety. Among those ignorant of the Vedas, even the highest knowledge brings no auspiciousness.” Vyāsa then told of a sacred moment: The goddess, seated among the gods, questioned Mahādeva himself. “O Śaṅkara,” she asked, “how can a man see you in a short time? What other arduous tasks exist in the world?” The Blessed Lord, though subtle, is perceivable by all embodied beings. For the welfare of all devotees, the goddess implored him to speak. Mahādeva replied, “I shall declare to you the true principle, as spoken by the supreme sages. This delivers all beings from the ocean of worldly existence. Great souls, established in supreme discipline, dwell there. Among all forms of knowledge, the highest is the imperishable, and that is mine. Only those who dwell in cremation grounds or have reached the divine realm perceive this truth. The unyoked do not see it, but those who are yoked perceive it with their mind.” He continued, “Becoming Time itself, O beautiful one, I withdraw this world. My devotees go there—they enter into me alone. Meditation, study, and knowledge—all these become imperishable there. For one who has entered Avimukta, all that is destroyed. Women, foreigners, and others of mixed or sinful birth—if they meet their end in Avimukta, O beautiful-faced goddess—they are born again as humans in my city, which is Shiva’s own. All, being favored by the Lord, attain the supreme state. Even one who, having struck his feet with a stone, dwells in Varanasi—wherever he meets his end, his course is liberation from worldly existence.” Thus, through Vyāsa’s words and Mahādeva’s revelation, the assembled sages heard the highest secret, the path to liberation, and the unmatched greatness of Shiva’s holy city.