Surrounded by his devoted attendants, with Nandin at his side and accompanied by all the hosts of gods, the greatly radiant Shiva made his way to the divine city of Vārāṇasī. There, Bhavānī, whose face shone with joy, bowed reverently to the Bull-bannered One, who sat contentedly in Avimukta. With loving curiosity, she asked Shiva about the greatness of this sacred field. The moon-crested Lord began to speak of Avimukta’s supreme greatness, declaring that its glory could not be fully described. “O queen of the gods, honored by the sages,” he said, “how can I possibly explain Avimukta, the very source of liberation’s fruits? Here, even the sinful attain liberation upon death in a single birth. Elsewhere, sins are destroyed only in Vārāṇasī. Sin committed in Vārāṇasī leads to the hells of Piśācas and Narakas; yet, for mortals, even after committing thousands of sins, becoming a piśāca is preferable.” He continued, “Attaining the status of a thousand Indras in heaven is not equal to the city of Kāśī, where the god of the three worlds and the all-pervading Lord reside. Where Oṃkāreśa, the wearer of hides, abides, there is no rebirth for those who die.” Having thus briefly spoken of the greatness of the field, Shiva—the moon-crested one—showed Bhavānī the garden. Leaving the lords of the gaṇas, the Lord was then born there as Vināyaka, the elephant-faced one. Shiva explained that this birth was for the purpose of obstructing the demons and removing obstacles for the gods. “All this,” he said, “is the supreme essence of the story I have told you.” Bhavānī acknowledged, “All that I have heard has been revealed to me by your gracious favor, and it is most splendid.” At this point, Suta was asked, “How did Vināyaka, the lord of the hosts, come to be born with the face of an elephant? How did his radiance arise thus? Suta, you ought to speak of this here.” Meanwhile, the gods, together with Indra and Upendra, gathered to create obstacles for the unrighteous deeds of the demons. Upon the earth, asuras, yātudhānas, and rākṣasas of cruel deeds—those dominated by tamas and others by rajas—existed. These beings had worshipped Maheshvara, Brahma, and Hari with uninterrupted offerings of sacrifice and charity, and thus, they obtained their desired boons. “Therefore, O best of the gods,” the gods discussed, “our perpetual victory was assured; but now, to create obstacles for them and to ensure uninterrupted success for the dwellers of heaven—For the sake of sons for women, and for the accomplishment of deeds for men, we must create and praise Vighnesha Shankara, the lord of the hosts.” Having spoken thus among themselves, the gods praised Shiva, the Lord, saying, “Salutations to you, the soul of all, the all-knowing, the wielder of the Pinaka. Salutations to the faultless one, to Virinchi, the giver of the fruits of actions for the goddess; to the bodiless and the one with purposeful form; to the remover of Hari’s form. Salutations to you, who dwell within the circle of nectar at the core of the body; to you who distinguish the divisions of creation; to you, the force of time. Salutations to you, whose form is Rudra, the fire of time; to you, the eightfold path beginning with dharma; to you, whose body is purified like Kali; to you, the cause of Kali. Salutations to you, Kālakaṇṭha, the foremost, the vehicle, the excellent one; to you, the lord of Ambika; to you, the lord of gold. Salutations to you, whose seed is gold; to you, Sharva, the wielder of the trident; to you, who bear the skull, staff, noose, sword, hide, and goad. Salutations to you, the lord of Hemavati; to you, golden-white; to you, yellow-white, for the protection of the gods; to you, whose path is dark. Salutations to you, the fifth, the bestower of fruits to those who perform the five great sacrifices; to you, with five faces and serpent garlands; to you, composed of five syllables. Salutations to you, whose form is worshipped by the fivefold, five-liberated gods; to you, whose vision is of the five syllables; to you, who are beyond the highest. Salutations to you, whose face and limbs are like sixteen thunderbolts, whose form is imperishable; to you, whose hands hold the fivefold beginning with ‘ka’; to you, whose hands are the beginning. Salutations to you, Rudra, whose feet begin with ‘ṭa’; to you, whose feet begin with ‘ta’; to you, whose feet are the base; to you, who bear the seven elements of the body. Salutations to you, whose nature is tranquil, who are directly the destroyer of anger and desire, to you who are the sound ‘la’, the letter ‘ra’, and the consonant ‘pha’, and who are without limbs—salutations to you. To the one who causes the inner sound in the hearts of all beings, who is always seen by the wise at the end of the brows as the supreme radiance. Salutations to you, whose eyes are the sun, moon, and fire, who are the supreme Self, who stand above the three qualities, whose feet are holy places. Salutations again and again to you, who are the essence of the truth of holy places, who are beyond even that, who are the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas, who are the syllable Om. Assuming the threefold form in Om, abiding above, you are yellow, black, and red, of supreme brilliance. Salutations again and again to you, who are established in the five stations, who are outside the five eggs in order, who are Brahma, Vishnu, and Kumara. Salutations to you, the supreme Lord of Ambā, who surpasses all, whose form is the subtle root, who are both gross and subtle. Salutations again and again to you, who are devoid of all intentions, who protect all, who are without beginning, middle, or end, who abide in consciousness. To you who are always worshipped in every direction by Yama, Agni, Vāyu, Rudra, Water, Soma, Indra, and the night-walkers, together with their hosts. Salutations to you, who are always worshipped everywhere, on every path, to Rudra, the blue-throated, the fierce, the wise, the great Lord, the manifest Shiva. Forgive the various actions performed in the sacrifices of Makha, Madana, Yama, Agni, and Daksha.” The gods concluded, “Whoever recites this hymn with devotion, which is praised by the gods led by Indra and Agni, or has it heard by the learned, attains the supreme state.