The fire of Time itself, fierce and terrible, became his very face, and the winds—born of potent poison—were spoken of as his horses. Thus, the divine chariot was fashioned, along with the mighty bow, the sharp arrow, the vigilant charioteer, and even Brahmā, the lord and master of all the worlds. Upon this splendid, battle-adorned chariot, Bhava ascended, yoked with the entire host of gods, so that it seemed as if the heavens and the earth trembled with his coming. Sages sang his praises, bards honored him, and troupes of Apsarases, skilled in celestial dance, attended upon him. Shining with unmatched brilliance, the bestower of boons looked upon his charioteer as he mounted the chariot, which was now prepared and filled with beings from all the worlds. But then, the horses—born of the sacred Vedas—suddenly collapsed, falling upon their heads before the chariot. At that moment, the blessed Lord, the very supporter of the earth, assumed the form of the bull-king. With his strength, he raised the horses and set them upright for a brief moment. Yet, in the very next instant, the bull-king himself fell to the ground on his knees. Undeterred, the blessed Lord, holding his arrow firmly in hand, again raised the horses. By his divine word, he set the auspicious chariot in its proper place. He then urged the horses forward, swift as thought and wind, toward the ancient, sky-dwelling, mighty Dānavas. At that time, the blessed Rudra, seeing the assembled gods, declared, “Lordship over all creatures has been given to me; therefore, I shall slay the Asuras.” He had established the distinction between the gods and others as creatures, and now proclaimed, “They must be slain—there is no other way, O excellent ones.” Hearing these words from the wise Lord of gods, all the gods became despondent, fearing the implications of being mere creatures. Perceiving their troubled hearts, the Lord spoke to comfort them: “Let there be no fear, O best of wise gods, in this condition of being a creature. Hear now the way of release from this state: whoever practices the divine Pāśupata vow shall be freed.” He continued, “This state of being a creature is real and has been declared; but whoever else practices my Pāśupata vow, they too shall be freed from this condition, without doubt, O best of gods—whether for twelve years, half that, or even three years in full observance. Whoever renders service in this way shall be released from the bonds of creaturehood. Therefore, O gods, you should all practice this supreme and divine vow.” The gods replied to Śiva, revered by all worlds, “So be it.” Thus, all gods, Asuras, and men are known as the creatures of the Lord. Rudra, the Lord of all beings, is the liberator from these bonds; whoever is a creature may renounce that state through this vow. Having performed it, one is no longer sinful—this is the settled conclusion of scripture. At that moment, Vinayaka himself, a child of extraordinary prowess, spoke up, for he had not yet been worshipped by the gods. He restrained them, declaring, “Without worshipping me in this world with pure offerings of food and drink, who among men, gods, or even demons, can attain success? Therefore, I will create obstacles for those who attempt to act without honoring me.” Hearing this, all the gods, with Indra at their head, became fearful and hastened to worship that master. They offered food, drink, cakes, and sweetmeats to Ganesha, praying, “May we always be free from obstacles.” The chief among the gods, embracing and smelling his son, worshipped him with great devotion. Having thus worshipped the worthy Vinayaka, the leader of the gods, together with the host of deities, the lords of the Ganas, and the bow of the mountain king, Śiva set out to burn the three cities. The Lord of gods, surrounded by countless divine and perfected beings—Maheshvara, the hosts of spirits, and the Ganas led by Nandi—all followed him, each with their own vehicles. At the forefront of the gods and the Gana lords, Nandi, like a mountain king, ascended the celestial chariot and advanced to attack the city, the very abode of Death. At that time, the gods, Gana leaders, and all the Ganas mounted the finest elephants, bulls, and horses, bearing their weapons and insignia, their power undiminished, all for the welfare of the worlds and to burn the three cities. The Lord, thousand-rayed and fierce, master of gods and demons alike, shone in the midst of the gods, his form radiant as a lotus petal, just as the thousand-rayed Lord ascends the summit of Mount Sumeru. The thousand-eyed Indra, foremost among the gods, mounted the king of elephants and went to Rudra’s right to destroy the city, while Garuda soared as serpents do. The perfected beings, Gandharvas, heroic gods, and leaders of the divine hosts praised Indra from all directions, calling “Victory!” and showered him with excellent flowers. Seeing the thousand-eyed one, they bowed in reverence, as a mother does to her son. Then Yama, Agni, Kubera, Vayu, Nirriti, the lord of waters, Ishana, and Bhava all assembled. Vīrabhadra, noble in battle, mounted the bull-king at the southwest of the chariot, surrounded by fierce followers with bristling hair, serving to destroy the city. The god of gods, Triyambaka—the great Time, of immense brilliance—stood there as another Mahādeva. In the northwest, with his attendants, he served at the chariot. Skanda too, with Siddhas and Cāraṇas, led his army, resembling the king of mountains, surrounded by divine leaders, mounted on an elephant, and born of fire. Thus, the divine hosts, with their Lord at the center, advanced in glory and power, intent on burning the three cities and restoring cosmic order.