When the assembled sages and devotees had offered their prayers with sincerity, Rudra—Maheshvara himself—appeared before them, favorably disposed. Their hearts swelled with joy as they gazed upon the Supreme Lord, and with deep devotion, they praised him with reverent hymns. "Victory to you, O Lord of all sages, honored through your austerities! Victory to you, O endless one, who is the cause of the creation, protection, and destruction of the world! Victory to you, Lord of Ambikā, O God; obeisance to you, Supreme Lord!" Then, Maheshvara, the great Lord, embraced Hṛṣīkeśa and spoke in a deep, resonant voice: "O Acyuta, now that I have come to this place, what is it you wish me to do?" The Lord, pleased by Maheshvara’s favorable disposition, replied: "Those who have come to me seeking refuge desire the vision of truth. In my presence, you ought to speak here of that divine knowledge. Therefore, reveal yourself and your wisdom to these foremost sages. Display your yogic perfection, O Bull-bannered One, and let them behold you as you truly are. Having fulfilled your purpose, you should know your own true nature. It is here, in my presence, that you should speak properly and fully." At that moment, Sanatkumara and the other sages approached Maheshvara with questions. Suddenly, something wondrous and inconceivable, worthy only of the Lord, arose from the sky. The god Maheshvara shone forth, filling the universe with radiant light. The assembled saw him, brilliant and pure, seated upon a resplendent throne. They beheld Shiva—tranquil, unique in splendor, the Lord of beings—seated there. Alongside him, they also saw Vasudeva, the Lotus-eyed One, established in supreme self-yoga. With peaceful minds and attentive hearts, all gathered listened as the Lord began to speak the highest knowledge. He declared, "That which even the gods do not know, nor do the twice-born despite their efforts, and which even the ancient teachers of Brahman, though wise, do not comprehend—today, O devoted knowers of Brahman, I shall declare this to you. There exists, deep within, the innermost, direct witness—pure consciousness, untouched by darkness. He is time, fire, and the unmanifest; he alone is all this, so the scriptures declare. He, the wielder of māyā, bound by māyā, creates the many forms and bodies. Yet, he is not earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind, nor space. He is not form, taste, or smell; I am not the doer, nor even speech itself. He is not māyā, nor the fruits of action; in truth, he is pure consciousness alone. Likewise, there is no real unity or connection between the world and the Supreme Self. The world and the individual person are, in truth, distinct. For one who does not realize this, there is no liberation, even after hundreds of births. The imperishable Self is changeless, free from suffering, subtle as space, and of the nature of bliss. Yet, due to ego and the sense of doership, people falsely attribute worldly qualities to the Self. The imperishable, pure enjoyer is present everywhere. But because of ignorance, knowledge appears distorted and becomes entangled with nature. Through non-discrimination and identification with the ego, one comes to think, 'I am the doer.'" Thus, in the presence of the Lord, the highest wisdom was revealed to the gathered sages, illuminating the mystery of the Self and the nature of bondage and liberation.