Surrounded on every side by hosts of mighty heroes—some dancing with joy, others playing in delight—stood the steadfast ones, Brahmā and the rest, as if the Lord himself played with balls among them. Encircled by beings never before seen, honored by the valorous, his three eyes shone like the fires that consume the world at the end of time. His form was awe-inspiring: matted locks crowned with the blazing crescent moon, two sharp fangs gleaming like twin crescents, and eyebrows arched like fragments of Indra’s bow. When he roared, fierce and mighty, the very quarters of the cosmos were deafened. His beard, dark as a thundercloud or the deepest kohl, added to his terrifying wonder, and he whirled his trident again and again with unbroken, tireless hands. It was the blessed Vīrabhadra, radiant in heroic power, who stepped forward and asked, “For what reason have you been invoked? Command me, O Lord of the world, show your favor. Even the gods are struck with fear at this untimely terror, O Bhairava.” He continued, “That Narasiṃha-fire blazes fiercely; pacify him, for he is difficult to approach. First, appease and instruct him—why does he not become calm? Then, reveal my supreme state, the subtle Bhairava, by withdrawing the gross with the gross radiance and the subtle with the subtle. Bring the face and the skin, O Virabhadra, by my command.” Thus instructed, the chief of the hosts composed himself, tranquil in form, and swiftly went to the abode where the lion among men, Narasiṃha, resided. There, Virabhadra awakened Hari, and Hara awakened Hari. Īśāna spoke to Hari as a father addresses his own son: “O blessed one, Mādhava, you have descended for the happiness of the world. By the will of the Supreme Lord, you sustain all beings. The circle of creation was protected by you in the form of a fish. Once, binding the earth with your tail, you moved in the single ocean as a fish; as a tortoise, you bore the earth; as a boar, you lifted it up.” “With this form of Hari, you slew Hiraṇyakaśipu; again, as a dwarf, you bound Bali with your stride. You alone are the power and imperishable Lord of all beings. Whenever suffering arises in the world, you descend to free it from affliction. None is greater or equal to you, O Hari, devoted to Śiva.” “By you, dharma and the Vedas are established on the auspicious path. For this purpose you descend, and thus that one was slain, O Keśava. Your form as Narasiṃha is exceedingly fierce, O Lord; withdraw it, for you are the soul of the universe—abide with me.” Thus addressed by Virabhadra, Narasiṃha, though spoken to with gentle words, Hari’s wrath blazed even greater, terrible and consuming. He said, “Go to the place from which you came; do not speak of what is beneficial. Now I will withdraw this entire world, both moving and unmoving. For the destroyer, there is no destruction, neither by himself nor by another; everywhere, my command prevails, and no one is found as my ruler.” “By my grace, everything proceeds within its boundaries. I am the originator and terminator of all powers. Whatever being possesses glory, fortune, or might, know that, O chief of hosts, as the expansion of my own radiance. Those who know the highest truth of the deities know only mine as supreme; Brahmā, Indra, and the other gods, endowed with power, are but my portions.” “Long ago, Brahmā with four faces was born from my navel-lotus; the blessed Bull-bannered One arose from my forehead. The creator is established in rajas, Rudra is said to be of tamas; I am the controller of all—there is no deity higher than me. Transcending the universe, independent, I am the doer, the destroyer, the lord of all; this is my supreme radiance—who indeed wishes to hear of it?” “Therefore, taking refuge in me, go forth free from distress; know this highest state—this is the Lord of beings, the great Lord. I am Time, the cause of the destruction of time; I have arisen to gather up the worlds. Know me, O Vīrabhadra, as Death of death; these gods live by my grace.” Hearing these proud words, Hari, of immeasurable valor, laughed. With lips curled in scorn, he replied disdainfully, “Do you not know the Lord of the universe, the destroyer, the wielder of the pināka bow? Your false argument and dispute lead only to your own ruin.” “What other incarnations of yours and his remain now? By whom have they been performed? The end of these stories will come by someone or other. See your own fault, you have come to such a state; by that one skilled in destruction, you will be annihilated in a moment.” “You are Prakṛti, Rudra is Puruṣa, and his power is established in you; from the lotus of your navel was born the five-faced Pitāmaha. For the purpose of creation, the world was first conceived by Śaṅkara, blue and red, who, engaged in severe austerity, contemplated it on his forehead. From that forehead of Śambhu arose, for the sake of creation, that being; this is not a fault. I am a portion of the god of gods, the one of the form of Mahābhairava.” “I am appointed in your destruction, both by humility and by strength; thus, tearing apart the demon, you are endowed with a portion of power. You roar, unwearied, out of pride and arrogance; your help to the wicked is only for their harm. If, O lion, you consider yourself to be the great Lord, reborn, you are not the creator, nor the destroyer, nor are you ever independent.” Thus, between these two mighty ones, the words thundered and blazed as fiercely as their powers, each proclaiming their supreme truth, their origins, and their roles in the cosmic order, while the assembled gods and heroes watched in awe and trembling wonder.