When the great god Maheśvara, having burned the three cities of Tripura in but a moment, departed from the assembly, the blessed one born from the lotus—Brahmā—addressed the gathering of the lords of the gods. After Maheśvara, in his form as the liṅga, had left the company of the gods, there remained the powerful grandson of Tāraka, the mighty son of Tāraka, steadfast in his place. Among those present were Tārakākṣa, son of Diti, Kamalākṣa of great strength, Vidyunmālī, lord of the Daityas, and many others with their kin. Yet, deluded, they turned away from the great god Mahādeva and the Lord Hari. Because of this abandonment, all of them—together with their cities and inhabitants—were utterly destroyed and ruined. Therefore, Brahmā proclaimed, the liṅga form of Sadāśiva must always be worshipped. For as long as the gods are venerated, so long does their existence endure. Śiva, in the form of the liṅga, should be worshipped always and with faith by the foremost among the gods, for the entire world is pervaded by the liṅga, and all that exists is established in it. Thus, whoever desires perfection for themselves should worship the liṅga, for all—whether gods, asuras, or dānavas—attain fulfillment only through this worship. Yakṣas, vidyādharas, siddhas, rākṣasas, flesh-eaters, ancestors, sages, piśācas, kinnaras, and countless others: all who have worshipped the liṅga form have surely attained perfection. There is no doubt in this, and so the liṅga should always be worshipped by anyone, O gods. We and all beings are subjects of that wise Lord of gods. By renouncing our mere state as subjects, we become true followers of Paśupati. The great god, the eternal liṅga form, must be worshipped, and all beings must be purified together with the five praṇavas. The foremost of the gods, joined with the five prāṇāyāmas, and with four praṇavas along with those devoted to prāṇāyāma, and even with three praṇavas and corresponding prāṇāyāmas, placing the Oṃkāra in two ways, one devoted to prāṇāyāma, should proceed. Then, uttering the Oṃkāra, restraining the prāṇa and apāna, and filling all the limbs with the nectar of knowledge and the sound of the praṇava, the practitioner purifies the three guṇas—known as fourfold—along with the sense of ego, the subtle elements, the gross elements, and the organs of knowledge. Having purified the organs of action and the dual person, making the self of consciousness the very body, one should touch the body with ashes of fire. With the ashes of air, space, water, and earth, whoever anoints themselves at the three junctions of day and night is a yogī, a knower of all principles. This Pāśupata vow, declared by Bhava, is for liberation from bondage, O best of gods. Thus, after performing the Pāśupata rite and worshipping the Supreme Lord, both I and Viṣṇu, the great soul, beheld the liṅga in ancient times. When we have carefully worshipped the god in all our undertakings, no beings are born as subjects within a year, O gods. Both outwardly and inwardly, I consider the Lord alone to be worthy of honor; this is my vow, and that of Viṣṇu, O best of the gods. Among the sages, there is no doubt: therefore, one should always worship Śiva. To neglect this, even for a moment, is a great loss, a defect, a delusion, and ignorance. Those who are devoted to Bhava and whose minds are surrendered to him, who are intent on remembering Bhava, are not subject to suffering. Beautiful dwellings, divine ornaments, women, and wealth up to the point of satisfaction—these are the fruits of worshipping Śiva. Those who desire great enjoyments and sovereignty among the gods should always worship the liṅga form of Maheśvara. Even after slaying and shattering beings, and burning the entire world, one who worships the one with deformed eyes remains untouched by sin. My liṅga of stone is indeed worshipped by all the gods. Having spoken thus, and first worshipping Rudra, Lord of the three worlds, Brahmā praised the god of gods, the three-eyed one, with chosen words. From that time onward, Indra and the other gods began to worship the Lord, taking up the Pāśupata vow, their bodies smeared with ashes. By the command of Brahmā, Viśvakarman fashioned liṅgas according to the authority of each deity and distributed them. The liṅga made of sapphire is always worshipped by Viṣṇu; the ruby one by Śakra; the golden one by the son of Viśravas. The Viśvedevas worship a silver liṅga; the Vasus, a shining, beautiful one; Vāyu, a liṅga of orpiment; and the Aśvins, one of earth. King Varuṇa worships a crystal liṅga; the Ādityas, one made of copper; the wise lord of Soma, a peerless pearl liṅga. The great serpents, beginning with Ananta, worship a beautiful coral liṅga; the Daityas, one of iron; and the great-souled Rākṣasas as well. The Guhyakas worship a liṅga made of three metals; the Gaṇas, one made of all metals; Cāmuṇḍā, a liṅga of sand; and the Mothers, O best of the twice-born, each according to their nature. Nairṛti worships a wooden liṅga with devotion; Yama, a beautiful emerald one; and the Rudras, beginning with Nīla, a pure and auspicious ash liṅga. Lakṣmī worships a liṅga made of the Lakṣmī tree; Guha, one of cow dung; the sages, O best of ascetics, an excellent liṅga made of kuśa grass. The goddesses beginning with Vāmā worship a flower liṅga; Manonmanī, a fragrant liṅga; and Sarasvatī, a liṅga for Rudra made of a precious jewel, O lord of speech. Durga worships the supreme Mahadeva in a golden liṅga, together with its altar, fierce and made of flour, all mantras, and the auspicious ghee-made offering. All the Vedas are made of curd; the spirits are fashioned from lead; and each received, as appropriate, their position by the grace of Brahmā. Thus, the worship of the liṅga form of Śiva, in manifold ways and by all beings, was established as the path to perfection, liberation, and the highest good.