The wise always know that abandoning the cycle of birth is the highest goal for human beings. These words were spoken directly to me by the great Lord of all gods himself. With both his beautiful hands, the supreme Bhagavan Rudra—remover of supreme distress—touched me gently. Mahadeva, whose heart was filled with joy and who bears the bull as his emblem, turned his gaze toward his devoted Ganas and toward the goddess, the daughter of Himavat. Looking upon them all with pleasure, Mahadeva, Lord of the gods, declared, “You are ageless, freed from old age, and forever beyond suffering. You are imperishable and undecaying, together with your father and friends. My beloved Gana, you are endowed with my strength and valor. You are always dear to me, always at my side; you will possess my strength and the power of great yoga.” Having spoken thus, the blessed Bhagavan, surrounded by his Ganas, untied from himself a garland woven from sacred kusa grass. With his own mighty hands, Vrishadhvaja, the Lord with the bull-banner, placed the auspicious garland around my neck. The moment it was fastened, I was transformed—becoming three-eyed and ten-armed, resembling a second Shankara himself. From that very garland, the supreme Lord took up something in his hand and said, “Speak, what do you desire today? I will grant you the highest boon.” Then, taking pure water from his matted locks, Mahadeva proclaimed, “Let this become a river.” Releasing the water, a divine, dark, and auspicious stream adorned with lotuses and lilies began to flow. Mahadeva addressed this supremely beautiful river, saying, “Because you have arisen from the water of my matted locks, you are a great river. Therefore, you shall be called Jatodaka, the sacred and foremost stream. Whoever bathes in you will be freed from all sins.” Turning to the son of Shilada, Mahadeva spoke through the goddess. She placed me at her feet, embraced me, smelled my head, and gently stroked me with her hands—her heart overflowing with motherly love. She then bathed me with three streams of milk flowing from her breasts, all the while gazing at the Lord of gods, as pure as a conch. From those three streams arose three rivers. The blessed Lord declared, “Let this be the river of three streams.” As the river of three streams appeared, the bull, overjoyed, bellowed loudly, and from that mighty sound another river was born. This river became known as Vrishadhvani, famed by the Lord of gods, and was wondrous to behold—made of golden jambū wood, adorned with all gems, and supremely auspicious. Then the Lord Vrishadhvaja placed upon my head a marvelous, divine crown crafted by Viśvakarman himself. Maheshvara also adorned me with beautiful, divine earrings, studded with diamonds and beryl. Seeing me thus honored in the sky, the sun himself, O sage, bathed me with rainwater from the clouds, as if anointing a king. As I was thus anointed, a strong current began to flow; because it issued from gold, this river came into being. The three-eyed Lord of gods named it Svarṇodakā, “the golden-watered”—for it arose from golden jambū wood. The second, auspicious river, flowed from the crown. A sacred river began to flow, and people called it Jambūnadī; this is the famous Pañcanada, near the lord of Japyeśvara. Whoever reaches Pañcanada and bathes, worshipping Japyeśvareśvara, attains union with Śiva without doubt. Then the great god, Lord of all beings, addressed the goddess Śarvāṇī, Umā, the unborn daughter of the mountain. The goddess said, “Shall I anoint Nandīśvara, the lord of beings, and proclaim him chief of the gaṇas, or what do you think, O imperishable one?” Hearing these words, Bhavānī, her face radiant with joy, smiled and spoke to Bhava, her beloved and the lord of beings. “O Lord of gods, you should grant him lordship over all worlds and leadership of the gaṇas, for he is the son of the mountain, mine.” Then the blessed Śarva, Lord of all lords, Vrishadhvaja, remembered the divine gaṇas. At the mere thought of Rudra, all the lords of the gaṇas arrived, each with a thousand hands and bearing a thousand weapons. These great-souled, three-eyed beings, honored even by the gods, shone like millions of fires of time, their matted hair crowned upon their heads. With fierce, fanged faces, ever-awakened and pure, countless in number and noble, they arrived, filled with joy. Singing, running, and dancing, mighty in strength, they played loud music with their mouths as well. Mounted on chariots, elephants, horses, and riding lions or monkeys, the hosts ascended celestial vehicles adorned with golden designs. The air was filled with the sounds of drums, mridangas, panavas, anakas, gomukhas, patahas, and single-skin drums. There were bheris and murajas, loud kadindimas, mardalas, flutes, veenas, and the resonances of cymbals. Darduras, strikes of cymbals, kacchapas, and panavas were played as the great yogis entered the divine assembly. These lords of hosts, rulers of all gods and lords, mighty in strength, after bowing to the god and goddess, addressed them with reverence and devotion.