Those who are ever devoted to Mahadeva, who live with their vital energy held upward, worship him with self-restraint in speech, mind, and body. Such souls, upon reaching the world of Rudra, do not return to the cycle of birth and death. This vow, therefore, is divine and mysterious, meant for those marked by the manifest linga. The wise are instructed never to revile those who observe the ash vow, those who are shaven-headed, nor those who undertake vows in various forms. One must not transgress their food, nor should one laugh at them or speak harsh words to them, here or elsewhere, with harmful intent. For, to insult them is to insult Mahadeva himself, and such a deluded soul brings that offense upon the great god. On the other hand, whoever constantly worships such ascetics indeed worships Shankara himself. It is for the welfare of the worlds that this great god, the supreme yogi covered in sacred ash, manifests in this way in every age. Thus, the blessed are urged to follow such conduct, for by doing so, they will attain perfection. Understanding this supreme state as revealed by Shiva—a state that is incomparable in this world and capable of destroying great fear—those whose minds are free from the delusions of worldly attachment, greed, and infatuation, bow swiftly and reverently to the fierce one. Delighted, the assembled brahmins, having listened to this teaching, prepared pure sandal-water mixed with sacred grass and flowers. With this, they bathed the great lord, pouring water from large vessels, singing various secret hymns and resonant ‘hum’ sounds. They offered homage: “Homage to the god of gods, homage to the great god, to the one whose body is half-woman, the initiator of Sankhya and Yoga. To 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—homage to you. Adorned with beautifully crafted earrings and garlands made by the gods, clothed in the skin of the lord of beasts, famed everywhere—homage to Shankara.” Pleased by their devotion, the great lord spoke to the sages, “I am pleased with your austerity, O virtuous ones. Ask for a boon.” All the sages—Bhrigu, Angiras, Vasishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Atri, Sukesha, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Marichi, Kashyapa, Kanva, and the great ascetic Samvarta—bowed down before Maheshvara and said, “We wish to know the truth about bathing in ash, nakedness, left-handedness, and contrary conduct—what should be followed and what should be avoided?” Hearing their words, the blessed supreme lord smiled, looked upon all those best of sages, and spoke: “Now, I shall tell you all, today, this story. I am Agni, the maker of Soma, and Soma depends upon Agni. Agni supports this creation, and time and again, for the sake of the world, the universe of moving and unmoving beings has been consumed by Agni's fire. All this is made supremely pure by ashes. Empowered by the potency of ash, one sprinkles it upon beings. Whoever, having performed the fire ritual, lives out three spans of life, is freed from all sins by my power in the ashes. That which shines forth is called ‘bhasma’—ash—and that which purifies is also so named. By consuming it, all sins are destroyed; hence, it is called ‘bhasma.’ Know that the ancestors are sustained by heat, and the gods are born of Soma. All the world, moving and unmoving, is of the nature of Agni and Soma. I am Agni, of great brilliance; Soma is this great Ambika. I am Agni and Soma by nature, and I myself am the Purusha. Therefore, O highly fortunate ones, the ash is said to be my potency. I sustain my own power and form in it, and thus it endures. From that time onward, for the protection of the worlds and for warding off inauspiciousness, ashes are used for safeguarding, even in the homes of women after childbirth. One whose mind is purified by bathing in ashes, who has conquered anger and the senses, having come near to me, does not return again. The Pashupata vow and the Kapila yoga were established; in former times, this Pashupata was indeed created, and it is unsurpassed. All the other dwellers in the ashramas were created later by the Self-born; this creation was made by me, consisting of modesty, delusion, and fear. Indeed, gods and sages are born naked, and likewise all other humans in the world are born without clothing. One whose senses are not mastered is naked even if covered with cloth, but one who is guarded by self-control is truly protected—clothing is not the cause. Patience, steadfastness, nonviolence, and complete detachment, as well as equal regard for honor and dishonor—these are the supreme coverings. Anointed with ashes and meditating on Bhava in the mind, even if one has committed thousands of improper acts, whoever bathes with ashes—ash burns all that, just as fire with its brilliance burns a forest. Therefore, being diligent, whoever always bathes with ashes three times a day attains the path of Ganesha, having gathered all sacrifices and undertaken the supreme vow. Those who meditate on Mahadeva, absorbed in the reality of his divine play, attain immortality by the noble northern path. Those who take the southern path, who frequent cremation grounds, attain the powers of minuteness, heaviness, lightness, and attainment. The powers of will, desire, determination, and the ability to achieve anything by mere intention—these are the paths traversed by those who entered the cremation grounds, along with the perfections of minuteness, heaviness, lightness, and attainment. Thus, Indra and the other gods, having undertaken the Kāmika vow, all attained supreme lordship, their brilliance renowned throughout the worlds.