Once, the Lord of gods addressed her, saying, “You shall become Rudrāṇī, the supreme purpose, for the welfare of the Brahmins.” With these words, he entrusted her to Brahma, who was deep in meditation, yearning for a son. The Lord of gods, teacher of the world, gave her to Brahma in her four-footed form. Through the yoga of meditation, Brahma recognized her as the supreme goddess and accepted her as the Great Goddess. Compelled by Brahma’s devotion, the Lord meditated upon the Raudrī Gāyatrī, and thus this sacred Vedic knowledge was revealed. Brahma recited prayers to the revered great goddess and, seeking refuge in the Great God, absorbed his mind in meditation. The Great God, pleased, granted Brahma divine yoga, vast knowledge, lordly power, wisdom, and detachment. From Brahma’s side, divine boys emerged, adorned in yellow garlands and garments, their bodies anointed with yellow unguents. Their heads were crowned with yellow turbans, their faces and hair shone yellow, and they radiated pure brilliance, dwelling there for a thousand years. These boys, endowed with yoga and delighting in austerity, wished for the welfare of the Brahmins. Possessing the strength of dharma and yoga, they were sages who performed long sacrificial rites. After instructing others in the great yoga, they entered into the Great Lord. In this very manner, those who take refuge in the Great Lord—others too, with controlled minds, absorbed in meditation, and having mastered their senses—abandon sin and become pure, radiant with the brilliance of Brahman. They enter the Great God, Rudra, and do not return to rebirth. When that kalpa had passed, in the golden age, the self-born one began another kalpa, called Asita. After a thousand divine years had passed in that single ocean, Brahma, desiring to create beings, pondered in distress. As he meditated, longing for sons, the color of the supreme creator became black. Then, Brahma saw a boy appear, black in color, of great might, shining with his own radiance. He was clad in black garments and a turban, wore a black sacred thread, and was adorned with a black topknot, garland, and unguents. Seeing this great-souled one, terrible yet not terrifying, the wondrous and black-tawny lord of gods, Brahma bowed down. Absorbed in breath-control, Brahma placed the Great Lord in his heart and, with a mind engaged in meditation, took refuge in that Lord. Brahma conceived of Aghora as having the form of Brahma; as the supreme creator meditated, the god Aghora, of terrible might, granted him a vision. At Brahma’s side, black boys appeared, adorned with black garlands and unguents. Four great-souled boys were born: Krishna, Krishna-shikha, Krishna-asya, and Krishna-vastradhṛk. After a thousand years, through yoga, they worshipped the Supreme Lord and imparted the great yoga to their disciples. Perfected in yoga, they entered with their minds into pure, attributeless Śiva, attaining the abode of the Lord of the universe. In this way, by this yoga, other wise ones also contemplate the great god and reach Rudra, the imperishable. When that aeon had passed, in the dreadful dark age, Brahmā praised the Lord of gods, who had assumed the form of Brahman. Being pleased, Hara said to Brahmā, “With this very form, I bring about dissolution—there is no doubt. I destroy terrible sins such as killing a Brahmin and other transgressions, as well as various lesser faults. I also remove secondary sins, severe mental and verbal wrongs, bodily sins, mixed ones, incidental ones, those done deliberately, and those that are innate or accidental—I remove them all. I remove sins arising from the mother’s body and from the father’s body as well—there is no doubt, O Lord, that I destroy all sins. By reciting the Aghora mantra one hundred thousand times, a Brahmin-killer is freed; with half that for verbal sin, and half again for mental sin. For intentional sin, four times that amount is prescribed; for sin out of anger, eight times is remembered. A slayer of a hero is purified by one hundred thousand recitations; a slayer of a fetus should practice a million times. A mother-killer is purified by reciting ten million times—there is no doubt of this. A cow-killer, an ingrate, a woman-killer, or a man tainted by sin is freed by reciting the Aghora mantra ten thousand times—there is no doubt. One who drinks liquor is purified by one hundred thousand recitations, whether knowingly or unknowingly. There is no doubt he is freed; with half that, from drinking Varuni. One who eats without bathing is purified by a thousand recitations, as is a twice-born who does not recite. One who eats without offering, or who does not give, is purified by a thousand recitations; a thief of Brahmins’ property, or a vile man who steals gold is freed by reciting mentally ten million times—there is no doubt. One who violates the teacher’s bed, or a mother-killer, or a Brahmin-killer should likewise recite mentally. Sin arising from association with sinners is declared to be equal to that. Still, by reciting ten thousand times, one is freed from sin; for association with sinners, one should recite mentally one hundred thousand times with intent.” Thus, the Lord revealed the power of the Aghora mantra to Brahma, showing how even the most grievous sins may be removed through devoted recitation and meditation upon the Great God.