With a heart full of devotion, he approached the great Lord Shankara, intent on worshipping him with utmost reverence. Taking up a thousand lotuses, he offered each one with a name of Shiva, beginning with “Bhava,” reciting the thousand names with love and care. Each name found its offering, and each lotus was placed as a symbol of his unwavering faith. His devotion did not end there. Turning to the sacred fire, he performed oblations to the Lord, again invoking the divine names beginning with “Bhava.” With holy sticks and pure offerings, he recited “svāhā” at the close of each mantra, making ten thousand offerings for every single name, all in the prescribed manner. His praises for Shambhu, the Lord of existence, flowed forth again. He called upon the Lord as Bhava, Shiva, Hara, Rudra, Puruṣa, and the Lotus-eyed One. He extolled the Lord who is ever to be sought, ever righteous, all-auspicious, the great sovereign, the firm and steadfast ruler, the thousand-eyed and thousand-footed. He spoke of Shankara as the most excellent, the bestower of boons, the one worthy of reverence, supreme Lord, bearer of the sacred Ganges, holder of the mighty trident, whose sole purpose is the highest good. Shiva was praised as all-knowing, foremost among gods, mountain-wielder, with matted hair crowned by the crescent moon, wise, lord of the universe and the immortals. He described Shiva as the very essence and collection of Vedanta, the skull-bearer, blue and red-hued, the support and object of meditation, husband of Gauri, and lord of the hosts. Shiva was recognized as of eight forms, of universal form, the embodiment of the threefold aim, giver of heaven, attainable by knowledge, firm in wisdom, god of gods, and three-eyed. He invoked Vamadeva, the great god, pale yet steadfast, of universal form and diverse eyes, lord of speech, pure, and the inner essence. Shiva was praised as responsive to all affection, marked with the bull, bull-bannered, lord, wielder of Pinaka, staff-bearer, of wondrous appearance, and the ancient one. He is the dispeller of darkness, the great yogi, protector, with matted locks from Brahma’s body, death of death, clad in hides, auspicious, and of the nature of the sacred syllable. Sometimes, he assumes a madman’s guise, delightful to behold yet difficult to approach, subduer of desire, firm-armed, teacher of Skanda, supreme, and the ultimate refuge. Shiva is without beginning, middle, or end, lord of mountains, friend of the mountains and of Kubera, blue-throated, the highest among the best of worlds. He is common to all gods, bow-bearer, blue-throated again, axe-wielder, wide-eyed, deer-hunter, lord of gods, and scorching like the sun. He is unfailing in righteous deeds, the field, the blessed one, destroyer of Bhaga’s eye, fierce, lord of creatures, swift as Garuda, dear to devotees, and sweet-spoken. He is the giver, compassionate, skillful, with braided hair, subduer of desire, dwelling in the cremation ground, subtle, abiding in the cremation ground, the great lord. He is the creator of the worlds, lord of beings, the great creator, the great healer, supreme, protector of cows, guardian, attainable through knowledge, the ancient one. He is righteousness itself, supreme righteousness, pure in soul, Soma, delighting in Soma, blissful, drinker of Soma, drinker of nectar, Soma, of great conduct, of great wisdom. He is the unborn enemy, illumination, worthy of honor, bearer of offerings to the fire, creator of the worlds, maker of the Vedas, composer of the aphorisms, eternal. He is the great sage, teacher Kapila, radiance of the universe, three-eyed, wielder of Pināka, lord of the earth, giver of well-being, ever the doer of good. He possesses three abodes, is fortunate, Śarva, all-knowing, perceiver of all, supporter of Brahma, creator of the universe, heaven, lotus, beloved, and poet. He is the branch, supreme branch, branch of cows, auspicious, not one, sacrifice, equal, bathed in the waters of Gaṅgā, existence, all-formed, architect, steadfast. He is self-conquered, self-controlled, charioteer of the hosts of beings, accompanied by attendants, object of the Gaṇas, of good fame, and free from doubt. He is the god of desire, protector of desire, whose form is smeared with ashes, fond of ashes, lying on ashes, passionate, beloved, knower of the scriptures. He is endowed, detached in soul, righteous, ever-auspicious, four-faced, four-armed, difficult to approach, hard to overcome. He is difficult to reach, hard to obtain, a fortress, skilled in all weapons, established in spiritual yoga, of good lineage, increaser of lineage. He is of auspicious form, the essence of the worlds, lord of the universe, eater of nectar, purifier with ashes, Meru, powerful, and of pure form. He is golden-seeded, the sun, a ray of light, abode of greatness, the great ocean, the great womb, worshipped by hosts of the perfected. He wears a tiger skin, is garlanded with serpents, the great element, the great treasure, of immortal limbs, immortal in form, the fivefold sacrifice, and the disperser. He is the knower of the twenty-five principles, the celestial tree, transcending high and low, easily attainable, of good vows, heroic, sole treasure of speech, the treasure. He is the teacher of castes and stages of life, adorned, conqueror of enemies, tormentor of foes, the hermitage, ascetic, thin, wise, immovable among the immovable. He is established as the standard, difficult to know, Suparṇa, wind-borne, bearer of the bow, knower of the science of archery, repository of qualities, mine of virtues. He is of infinite vision, blissful, the staff, subduer, self-control, worthy of reverence, great teacher, maker of the universe, skillful. He is freed from passion, humble in soul, ascetic, creator of beings, wearing the guise of madness, concealed, conqueror of desire, conqueror of affection. He is of auspicious nature, the ordinance, the lord of all worlds and beings, ascetic, deliverer, wise, master of the primordial, imperishable. He is the protector of the worlds, whose self is hidden, origin of cycles, lotus-eyed, knower of the true meaning of Vedas and scriptures, discipline, and refuge of discipline. He is the moon, the sun, Saturn, Ketu, cessation, red-hued like coral, approachable through devotion, the supreme Brahman, bearer of the deer and arrow, sinless. He dwells in the king of mountains, beloved, supreme self, teacher of the world, unmoving in all actions, the fashioner, auspicious, surrounded by auspiciousness. He is the great ascetic, long-enduring in austerity, most massive, ancient, constant, day, year, all-pervading, the measure, supreme penance. He is the maker of the year, mantra, certainty, all-seeing, unborn, lord of all, gentle, of great seed, of great strength. Thus, with a heart overflowing with devotion, he praised the infinite and all-pervading Lord Shiva, extolling his countless forms, attributes, and glories, seeking his supreme grace through worship, fire offerings, and ceaseless adoration.