O best of listeners, hear now the sacred tale as it unfolded. Even a small offering—a single āḍhaka—bestowed upon a worthy Brāhmaṇa, brings the merit of a hundred droṇas; for the poor, there should be no hesitation in giving. When a devotee arranges a night vigil in honor of the Supreme, let there be joyous music: drums, mṛdaṅgas, cymbals, pipes, and all manner of instruments, filling the night with sacred sound. Whoever, with family and kin, servants and sons, gathers together and circumambulates the liṅga, offering prayers in due order—even lacking wealth, ritual, or even faith—should worship the supreme liṅga, O Lord of gods. And at the close, let him pray to Śaṅkara: “Forgive whatever was done or left undone, O compassionate One.” Then, recite the Rudra mantra and the Śānti mantra, and, with devotion, utter the great seed-mantra and the five-syllabled mantra. By this, one gains the fruits of all sacred waters and all sacrifices, and attains the very merit of dying in Vārāṇasī, the holiest of cities. Such a one is united with me—there is no doubt. Therefore, let my devotees perform these rites as prescribed; those who do not, are not truly my devotees—this is certain. Hearing these divine instructions, the goddess herself journeyed to Vārāṇasī and worshipped the liṅga of Avimukteśvara with water and ghee. There, she honored Lord Rudra, ruler of all worlds, and performed austerities for the great soul, Mandara. Within the beautiful cave at Mandara, she established a sacred field. There, by the Lord’s grace, the demon Andhaka, son of Hiraṇyākṣa, was blessed. Through the Lord’s play, Andhaka was granted the status of a gaṇa. Thus have I recounted to you the essence of this holy story. Whoever recites or hears this supreme glory of the sacred field immediately gains the merit of all holy places. And if he causes the pure and self-controlled twice-born to hear it, he attains the fruit of all sacrifices. Now, you ask: How did Andhaka, lord of the demons, subdued in the cave of Mandara, obtain the status of a gaṇa from Maheśvara? Listen as I tell you, as it happened and as I have heard, of the favor shown to Andhaka at Mandara, and of the drying up that occurred there. Andhaka, son of Hiraṇyākṣa, golden in appearance, gained immense strength through austerity and, by Brahmā’s favor, became invulnerable. He conquered the three worlds, seized Indra’s city, and terrified Vāsava with ease. The gods, oppressed, struck, and cast down by Andhaka, fled in fear to Mandara, led by Nārāyaṇa. After tormenting the gods, Andhaka arrived by chance at the mountain Mandara and its beautiful cave. The lords of the gods and the Sādhyas approached Maheśa in the city, saying, “We are wounded and weakened, cut down by the weapons of the king of demons.” Hearing this, the Blessed Lord, accompanied by his hosts, went forth to confront Andhaka. With voices raised in victory, the gods hailed the Lord from all sides. Then Mahādeva destroyed countless millions of demons, and, in that moment, pierced Andhaka himself. Seeing Andhaka impaled on the trident, his sins burned away, the grandsire Brahmā bowed and roared aloud in exultation. The gods, hearing the roar, rejoiced, bowed to the Lord, and the sages danced. The leaders of the hosts celebrated, and the gods showered flowers upon Śambhu. The three worlds resounded with joy. Burned by fire and impaled, Andhaka, like a corpse, was transformed to a state of sattva and reflected deeply: “Even in a previous birth, I was burned by Shiva, whom I worshipped as Maheshvara. Therefore, this has come to me; otherwise, it could not be. Whoever remembers Rudra at the end of life attains union with Shiva—how much more so if he remembers him often! Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and all the gods with Indra have taken refuge in him alone; one should seek refuge in him.” With this reflection, Andhaka’s heart became content. With his followers, he praised Shiva out of reverence for his merit. Requested by Andhaka, the Blessed Hara, remover of distress, was pleased. Seeing the son of Hiraṇyanetra impaled on the trident, the Lord, blue and red in hue, addressed the demon with compassion: “I am pleased, child; blessings to you. What boon shall I grant? Choose, for I am the giver of boons, O Andhaka.” Hearing these words, Andhaka, his voice choked with joy, spoke: “O Blessed One, Lord of gods, remover of devotees’ distress—if you are pleased, grant me, Lord, devotion to you.” Hearing the words of the great-souled Andhaka, Bhava, the resplendent one, granted him rare faith. He also bestowed upon him the status of a gaṇa and installed him as such. The lords of the gods and others bowed to him, established in his new state. Thus ends the sacred story of Andhaka’s transformation and the supreme glory of the holy field.