Hearing those auspicious words, Adṛśyantī was amazed. Smiling at her son, she gazed upon him and affirmed, “This is true.” With warmth, she encouraged him, “Son, son, perform the worship.” The venerable sage Vasiṣṭha, wise and compassionate, understood the resolve of his grandson, the son of Śakti. Addressing him, Vasiṣṭha said, “O best of sages, your intention is noble, O virtuous one. Yet listen: you must not bring about the destruction of the world.” He continued, “For the removal of the Rākṣasas, perform worship of the Lord of all. Hear me, son of Śakti: what fault is yours if the three worlds are destroyed?” Thus, by Vasiṣṭha’s command, the wise son of Śakti decided to bring about the destruction of the Rākṣasas. Bowing respectfully to Adṛśyantī, Vasiṣṭha, and Arundhatī, he created a temporary liṅga of sand in the presence of the assembled sages. He worshipped it with the auspicious Śivasūkta, recited the Tryambaka hymn, the swift Rudra, and the Śiva-saṃkalpa. He also recited the Nīlarudra, the beautiful Rudra, the Vāmīya, the Pavamāna, and the Pañcabrahma hymns. He offered the Hotāra, the Liṅgasūkta, the Atharvaśiras, and the eightfold arghya to Rudra, worshipping him according to the proper rite. With deep emotion, he prayed, “O Lord Rudra, my mighty father was devoured by a Rākṣasa, together with his brothers, and with blood, O Śaṅkara.” He pleaded, “O Lord, I wish to see my father together with his brothers,” bowing again and again to the liṅga. Crying out, “O Rudra, Rudra, Rudra!” he wept and fell to the ground. Seeing the boy, Lord Rudra, Śaṅkara, spoke to the goddess: “Behold the boy, O greatly fortunate one. His eyes are filled with tears, absorbed in remembrance of me, devoted to my worship.” The great goddess, the blameless Parāśarā, overcome by sorrow, her eyes brimming with tears, witnessed the boy’s worship of the liṅga, uttering “O Hara, O Rudra.” Umā, consort of Śaṅkara, addressed her lord, ruler of all, “Grant him all that he desires; show your favor, O Supreme Lord.” Hearing her words, Śaṅkara, the Supreme Lord, the poison-eater, spoke to his noble wife Umā: “I will protect this twice-born boy, whose eyes are like blooming blue lotuses. I grant him the vision capable of beholding my form.” Having spoken thus, the blessed Nīlalohita, surrounded by his divine attendants, the Supreme Lord—attended by Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, Rudra, and others—granted his vision to the wise son of the sage. Upon seeing the Great God, Parāśara’s eyes overflowed with tears of joy, his heart elated. He respectfully fell at the feet of the Lord. He then bowed at the feet of Bhavānī and the great-souled Nandī. “Today my life is fulfilled,” he said to Brahmā and the others. “He whose ornament is the crescent moon has come today for my protection. Who else in the world, god or demon, is equal to me?” At that very moment, Parāśara, devoted to Śakti, saw in the sky his father, together with his brothers. He beheld them in a celestial chariot, shining like the sun and facing in all directions. Seeing them, he bowed and rejoiced. Then the god with the bull-banner, together with his wife and his hosts, addressed the son of Vasiṣṭha, eager to see his child: “O Śakti, behold your son, the boy whose eyes overflow with tears of joy, and your father Vasiṣṭha, who is not yet visible. See Arundhatī, greatly fortunate, auspicious, comparable to a goddess—your mother. O wise one, bow to both your mother and father.” By Śaṅkara’s command, Śakti quickly bowed to Hara, the god of gods, to Umā, and to Vasiṣṭha, the most excellent. Then, by the Lord’s command, he addressed his mother, the greatly fortunate and devoted Arundhatī. “O child, O child, O best of Brāhmaṇas, O Parāśara, greatly radiant one, I was protected by you, father, while you were still in the womb, O great-souled one. O Parāśara, by my command you have obtained mastery over the powers beginning with aṇimā, and today, child, I have seen your face. O wise one, always protect the illustrious and unseen Arundhatī, as well as your father Vasiṣṭha, for my sake. O child, all my lineage has been preserved by you, my son; the virtuous always say that one who conquers the worlds does so through his offspring. I shall choose the Lord, the source and master of the worlds, as my desired boon; I will go, together with my brothers, to worship the venerable Śaṅkara.” Thus addressing his son and bowing to Maheśvara, the self-controlled Śakti looked upon his wife in the assembly and went to his father. Seeing his father depart, Parāśara worshipped Śaṅkara and praised the moon-crested Lord, beloved of the Śāktas, with chosen words. The great god, destroyer of Kāma and Andhaka, being pleased, blessed the Śākteya and there itself disappeared. When Maheśvara had departed, Śāmbu, after bowing to the great Lord, burned the lineage of the Rākṣasas with a mantra, being skilled in mantras. Then Vasiṣṭha, knower of dharma, surrounded by sages, spoke to his grandson: “Enough of this excessive anger, dear one; restrain this wrath. The Rākṣasas have not committed any offense; this was ordained by your father. Anger arises only in the foolish, not in the wise.