All the assembled sages, filled with awe and devotion, bowed before the one to whom all the worlds themselves bow—the blue-crested Lord, radiant in his glory. Yet, this supreme being, to whom all pay homage, humbly bows his own soul in profound self-restraint. Again and again, they offered salutations to the blue-throated God, whose body is adorned with sacred ash, the one who is Brahma among gods and the brilliant blue-red among the Rudras. They praised him as the soul of all beings, the Purusha spoken of by the Sānkhyas, the mighty Meru among mountains, and the moon among stars. Among the seers, he is Vasistha; among the gods, Vasava; among all the Vedas, he is the sacred syllable Om, and among Sāman hymns, he is the highest. Among wild beasts, he is the lion, and among the domesticated, the honored bull, revered by the worlds. Recognizing his presence in every state of being—past, present, or future—the sages saw him alone pervading all, just as Brahma had declared. With humility, they sought to understand the mysteries of desire, anger, greed, sorrow, and pride, and begged the Supreme Lord for his grace. They recalled the time of the great dissolution, when the Lord, composed and still, placed his hand upon his forehead, from which fire was born. That fire spread, its flames encircling all the worlds, and from it arose many fierce fires, each equal in power. Desire, anger, greed, delusion, hypocrisy, calamity, and all other beings, both moving and unmoving, are touched by this fire that emanates from him. As all living beings are scorched by this divine fire, the sages pleaded: “As we are being burned, be our protector, O Lord of the gods.” Yet, for the welfare of the worlds, the Great Lord, ever compassionate, sprinkles the beings with his auspicious glance, bestowing blessings and fortune. “Command us, O Lord,” the sages implored, “for we are ready to serve your word. Among the thousands of beings and countless forms, we cannot reach your limit, O God of gods. Homage to you.” Hearing their heartfelt praise, the Blessed Great Lord, gratified and full of favor, spoke gently to them. “Whoever recites or hears this hymn you have sung, or causes twice-born Brahmins to hear it, attains the state of Ganapati. Let me tell you what is truly beneficial and sacred for devotees: the entire feminine principle is the goddess, born from my own body. The masculine principle is the man, also arising from me. By both alone is my creation accomplished, without doubt. “Therefore, revile not the ascetic, the one clad only in the directions, the child, the madman, or the devotee who speaks of Brahman. Those devoted to me, smeared with ashes, whose sins are burned away, who act as prescribed and are self-restrained Brahmins devoted to meditation—those always intent on Mahadeva, living with their seed held upward, worshipping with discipline in speech, mind, and body—they attain the world of Rudra and do not return again. This vow is divine, mysterious, and meant for those marked by the manifest linga. “Let the wise not revile those who observe the ash vow, the shaven-headed, or those who undertake various forms of vows, nor should anyone transgress their food. Do not laugh at them, nor speak harsh words anywhere, nor harbor harmful intent, for whoever insults them insults Mahadeva himself. But whoever worships these devotees constantly, indeed worships Shankara. Thus, in every age, the great yogi, covered in ash, plays in this way for the welfare of the worlds. Act thus, blessed ones, and you will attain perfection. “Knowing this supreme state, taught by Shiva, which is incomparable and destroys great fear, those whose minds are free from worldly delusion, greed, and infatuation, swiftly bow down with their heads to the fierce Lord.” Hearing this sacred teaching, the delighted Brahmins, with pure sandal-water mixed with sacred grass and flowers, performed abhisheka for the Great Lord, bathing him with water from great vessels. They sang secret hymns and uttered resonant ‘hum’ sounds, offering homage to the God of gods, the Great Lord, whose body is half-woman, the originator of Sankhya and Yoga. They praised the dark one who rides the clouds, who wears an elephant hide, who dons a black antelope skin as his upper garment, and a serpent as his sacred thread. To him, adorned with splendid earrings and garlands crafted by the gods, clothed in the skin of the lord of beasts and famous everywhere, they offered homage to Shankara. Pleased by their devotion, the Great Lord addressed the sages: “I am pleased with your austerity. O virtuous ones, choose a boon.” Thereupon, the sages—Bhrigu, Angiras, Vasishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Atri, Sukesha, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Marichi, Kashyapa, Kanva, and the great ascetic Samvarta—bowed to Maheshvara and asked, “We wish to know about bathing in ash, nakedness, left-handedness, and contrary conduct—what is to be followed and what is to be avoided?” Hearing their question, the Blessed Supreme Lord smiled, looked upon all those best of sages, and began to speak. He said, “Now I shall tell you this story, my all, today: I am Agni, the maker of Soma, and Soma is dependent upon Agni. Agni bears this creation, and again, for the sake of the world, the universe of moving and unmoving beings has been burned many times by Agni.” Thus, the Lord revealed his mysteries to the sages, guiding them with wisdom and compassion.