After the destruction of Bhaga’s eye, the blessed Lord Brahmā spoke, reflecting on the wondrous ways of the Lord of Umā. He said that even when the auspicious conjunction of Puṣya arrives, Śiva acts according to his own divine play, unconstrained by time or circumstance. Brahmā addressed the great god, Mahādeva, praising his actions as fitting, for all gods—both ancient and present—exist only by his grace. Yet, Brahmā entreated the Lord of the universe, noting that the present gods are righteous while the former ones had been sinful. He urged Śiva to abandon this sport of divine destruction, questioning the need for chariot, banner, or for the elaborate act of destroying Tripura with an arrow, accompanied by hosts of beings, Viṣṇu, or himself. Brahmā suggested that when the auspicious Puṣya arrives, the Lord should burn the city, but only before the gods depart. Hearing this, Śiva, the all-knowing great god, gazed upon the three cities. In that very instant, Virūpākṣa reduced the triple city to ashes, with Soma, the blessed Viṣṇu, Kāla, Agni, and Vāyu all present. The assembled deities took their places upon the arrow, bowing to Śiva and marveling that even a mere glance from him had burned Tripura. For their benefit, the gods requested that Śiva release the arrow itself. Tripurārdana, smiling, wiped the bowstring. Then, O best of Brāhmaṇas, the Lord drew the arrow to his ear and released it; in that very moment, the arrow burned Tripura, bringing its end. After burning the triple city, Śiva stood shining, surrounded by hundreds of millions of demons who had approached him and offered obeisance. With that arrow, at the end of the age, just as Rudra, the three worlds—wherever people worship—even there, the demons and their kin worshipped Rudra. By the power of the ritual, they began to worship Gaṇapati, and the gods—including Indra, Upendra, and the lords of the hosts—remained silent. Out of awe and fear, seeing the god and the goddess, the daughter of Himavat, and beholding the terrified assembly of gods, the foremost of the gods— Śiva then addressed the gods, asking, "What is this?" All the gods bowed to him from every side. They bowed to Nandin, adorned with the moon; to the one born of the king of mountains; to the lord, son of the mountain’s daughter; and to Maheśvara, the hosts of gods offered their reverence. Brahmā, together with the gods and with concentrated mind, praised Bhava, the enemy of Tripura, along with Viṣṇu. They prayed: "Be gracious, Lord of gods; be gracious, Supreme Lord; be gracious, Lord of the worlds; be gracious, undying giver of bliss." They offered obeisance to Rudra of five faces, with fifty million forms, seated in the three selves, the essence of knowledge. Again and again, they saluted Śiva, the principle of Śiva, the Aghora form, the essence of the eightfold Aghora, and the one whose nature is twelvefold. To the one whose form shines like millions of lightning flashes, splendid in eightfold radiance, abiding in this world as the soul of Śiva, they offered salutations. To the one of fire-like color, fierce, whose body is half Ambikā, who grants liberation to the white, dark, and red immortals, they bowed. To the eldest, to the Rudra form, to Soma, to the giver of boons, to the lord of the three worlds, to the three gods, to the utterer of vaṣaṭ—salutations were offered. They saluted the one who is the form of the sky in the midst, who abides in the sky, who is eightfold in fields and forms, who is the eight principles. To the one established in fourfold and again fourfold and again fourfold ways, and in fivefold and again fivefold, whose body is the five mantras, they bowed. Salutations were offered again and again to the one of sixty-four forms, to the letter 'A'; to the one whose form is the thirty-two principles, to the letter 'U'. Again and again, they saluted the one whose nature is sixteenfold, to the letter 'M'; to the one whose nature is eightfold, to the half-syllable as the self. Salutations to Oṃkāra, established in fourfold ways, to the lord of the sky, to the god, to the lord of heaven—salutations again and again. They saluted the Lord, who is the Seven Worlds, the lord of the underworlds and hells; who is the eight sacred places, the eight forms, and who is higher than the highest. To the one with a thousand heads, a thousandfold, endowed with a thousand feet, to Śarva, the Supreme Lord, they bowed. To the one who is the form of the nine essential principles, whose power is the nine and eightfold self, who shines forth in eight ways, and who is the eightfold eight-formed One, they offered salutations. To the one who is the sixty-four essential principles of the self, who is again of eightfold nature, surrounded by the eight qualities, who possesses qualities and is yet beyond qualities, they bowed. Salutation to the one who abides at the root, dwells in the eternal place, is established in the navel region, and causes resonance in the heart. To the one established in the throat, present at the palate’s opening, situated between the eyebrows, and abiding in the midst of sound, they bowed. To the one established in the orb of the moon, who is Śiva, who takes the form of Śiva, who is of the forms of fire, moon, and sun, and who is the embodiment of thirty-six energies, they offered salutations. To the one who, having enveloped the worlds in three ways, is the self of the sleeping serpent, is established in three forms, and whose form is the fire of the threefold sacrificial altar, they bowed. To Sadāśiva, the peaceful one, the great Lord, the wielder of the Pināka bow, the all-knowing, the refuge, and to Sadyojāta, they offered salutations. Salutation to Aghora, to Vāmadeva, to Tatpuruṣa, and repeated salutation to Īśāna. Salutation to the thirtyfold radiance, to the one beyond peace, to the Lord of infinity, to the subtle one, to the highest. Salutation to the one-eyed, to the one Rudra, to the three-formed, to Śrīkaṇṭha, the crested one. Thus, after the destruction of Tripura, the gods, led by Brahmā and Viṣṇu, surrounded by all celestial beings, offered their praises and salutations to the Supreme Lord Śiva, recognizing him as the essence of all, the source of creation, preservation, and destruction, and the eternal refuge of the universe.