With reverence and awe, the sages offer salutations to the One whose skin is like a lotus, who destroys death and is death itself; who appears fair, dark, tawny, and red. They bow to the great Lord whose form resembles the deep twilight clouds, radiant and beautiful, initiated into sacred mysteries; whose hands are as lotus petals, who wears the sky as his garment, whose hair is matted. They honor the immeasurable One, the All, imperishable and immortal; whose form, fragrance, and essence are eternal and unbroken. Salutations are offered to the vast One who existed before all, who wanders, who is accomplished; who is difficult to reach, the great Lord, wrathful and tawny. To the One whose body is both conceivable and inconceivable, strong and swift; whose nature is sandy, flowing, stable, and expansive—they bow in respect. Salutations are given to the wise, the potter of worlds, the crescent-mooned, the variegated, wondrously attired in many colors, the intelligent. They pay homage to the perceptive, the content, the hidden; to the patient, the restrained, and the One with adamantine jaws. They honor the destroyer of demons and poison, the blue-throated One whose wrath is upraised. To the licker, to Death itself, to the bearer of sharp weapons—salutations are offered. The joyful and delighting One, who is known through sacrifice, who is free from disease, who encompasses all, who is great Time—they bow to him. Salutations are offered to the Lord of the sacred syllable and its sound, the destroyer of Bhaga’s eye, the hunter of the deer, Daksha, and the destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice. To the soul of all beings, surpassing all lords, the destroyer of cities, the wielder of excellent weapons, the archer, and bearer of the axe—they offer their respects. They salute the destroyer of Pusha’s teeth, the destroyer of Bhaga’s eye, the fulfiller of desires, the most excellent, the one who burned the body of Desire. On the stage of existence, they bow to the fierce-faced One, to the serpent-faced Lord, to the ender of demons, to the One who causes demons to cry out. Salutations are given to the destroyer of snow, the sharp One, the wearer of moist hides, the One who delights always in the cremation ground, the bearer of a massive mouth. They honor the protector of life, the wearer of a garland of skulls, the One surrounded by beings freed from sorrow. To the One whose body is both man and woman, who brings joy to the goddess, who is matted-haired, who bears skulls, and wears a serpent as sacred thread—they bow. Salutations are offered to the lover of dance, the companion of dancers, the passionate One, the lover of song, the One praised by sages in song. They bow to the rattling One, the sharp, the unpleasant and pleasant, the terrifying, the formidable, the destroyer of Bhaga. To the One praised by hosts of perfected beings, greatly fortunate, with a resounding, liberated laugh, who snorts and cracks—they offer salutations. They salute the One who roars and leaps, whose spirit is gladdened, the gracious One who breathes, runs, and presides. Homage is given to the One who meditates and yawns, who weeps and melts, who leaps and plays, whose body is large-bellied. Salutations are offered to the uncreated and the created, the skull-bearer, the dark One, the One with a mad form, adorned with bells. They bow to the One with strange attire, fierce and unyielding, immeasurable, protector, radiant, beyond all qualities. Salutations are given to the beloved of the left, the leftward One, the wearer of the crest-jewel, the slender One of immeasurable virtues. They honor the virtuous, the mysterious, the One who moves in the unapproachable; the supporter of the worlds, whose feet are the earth, honored by the good. His belly is the foundation of all attainments and yogas; in its middle, the vast sky is adorned with clusters of stars. Upon his chest, the splendid necklace shines like the path of the star Swati; the ten directions are his arms, adorned with armlets and bracelets. His neck, broad and thick, shines splendidly, resembling a mass of dark collyrium, adorned with a golden thread. His face is fierce, with protruding fangs, unconquerable and incomparable; his head, crowned with a garland of lotuses, outshines the heavens themselves. Radiance in the sun, form in the moon, steadfastness in the mountain, strength in the wind, heat in fire, coolness in water, and sound in the sky—all these arise from him. The wise know these qualities as arising from the unmoving, imperishable source: the recitation, the object of recitation, the Great God, the supreme yogi, the great Lord. He is the lord of cities, dweller in caves, mover in the sky, wanderer of the night, treasury of austerity, secret teacher, bringer of joy, increaser of delight. Horse-headed, ocean-born, creator and sustainer of beings, to be known, revealer, leader, unconquerable, unshakable. Of mighty chariot, performer of fearsome deeds, of great fame, conqueror of wealth, lover of bells, bearer of banners, holder of umbrella, wielder of the bow Pinaka, lord of armies. Armored, armed with spear and sword, holding a bow and axe, destroyer of evil, sinless, heroic, king of gods, crusher of enemies. By propitiating him in former times, the devotees have vanquished their foes in battle; just as fire drinks up the waters of the ocean but is never satisfied. He is formed of wrath, yet serene in spirit, granter and fulfiller of desires, beloved, celibate, unfathomable, devoted to the Veda, honored by the virtuous. He is the inexhaustible treasury of the gods; sacrifice is established by him; the oblation offered according to the Veda is borne to him by fire; when he is pleased, all are pleased. He is the Lord of Bhavani, beginningless, the creator of all worlds and beings; the wise, knowing him as the supreme beyond nature, having exhausted their meditation, enter into immortality.