When the head of Brahmā was severed, the gods rejoiced, their hearts swelling with relief and awe. They gathered around Shiva, the bull-bannered one, the matted-haired Lord of gods, and showered him with hymns of praise. With reverence, they declared, “Salutations always to you, O skull-bearer, the embodiment of great Time, endowed with sovereignty and knowledge, the giver of all shares in sacrifice.” They continued, “Salutations to you who delights in joy, the very essence of all the gods. In the age of Kali, you are the destroyer, indeed called the great Time. You are the one who ends the suffering of devotees, the remover of pain; you bring happiness to your followers and are thus remembered as Shankara. Because you bear the skull, having severed Brahma’s head, you are praised today as Kapalin. Be gracious to us, O god.” Pleased by these praises, Shankara sent the gods back to their realms and remained there, filled with joy, seated in his own place. Meanwhile, Shiva contemplated the nature of Brahmā and the birth of the heroic act. By the words of the headless one, he sought to appease the anger of the worlds. Taking the severed head in his joined palms, Shiva bowed to Brahmā, recognizing him as the supreme repository of radiance, the supreme Brahman, Prajāpati. With secret words drawn from the Nirukta, Sūkta, Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāman, Rudra praised Brahmā: “O immeasurable one, salutations to you, the supreme inner self. You are the source of wonders, the inexhaustible treasury of energies; from your victory arises the universe—you are the creator, O greatly radiant one. O upward-faced one, salutations to you, the essence of existence, support of the earth; you who lie upon the waters, who are born from the waters, who dwell in the waters, salutations to you.” “Victory to you, O lotus-eyed one with blossoming petals, O Grandfather! By you, indeed, I was created for the purpose of creation, O Lord. Constant recipient of sacrificial offerings, lord of the limbs of sacrifice, salutations to you; O golden-wombed, lotus-born, divine-wombed Prajāpati! You are the sacrifice, the vaṣaṭ-call, the svadhā, O lotus-born; by the gods’ command, O Lord, I have severed the head. I am overcome by the sin of Brahmin-slaying; protect me, O Lord of the world!” Hearing this plea, Brahmā spoke, “The god Nārāyaṇa, my friend, will purify you. He is to be praised by you, blessed one, and worshipped by me—the all-pervading one. You are constantly contemplated by that god Vishnu, by whose devotion you have arisen, and whose intention to praise me has awakened in you. Because of the beheading, you are Kapālī, the accomplisher of the Soma rite’s end; you will uplift a hundred crore Brāhmaṇas, O greatly radiant one.” Brahmā instructed, “You must undertake the vow for Brahmin-slaying; there is no other means. The wicked, cruel, Brahmin-killers are not to be spoken with. Those who perform Vaitānika rites but act unrighteously are never to be spoken with; upon seeing them, one should gaze at the sun. When touching the body, O Rudra, with clothes on, one should enter water; thus purification is attained, as was observed by the wise. Therefore, you, being a Brahmin-slayer, must undertake the vow for purification; when the vow is completed, you will again obtain many boons.” Having spoken thus, Brahmā departed. Rudra, not fully recognizing the path ahead, began to contemplate Vishnu through meditation. With Lakshmi by his side, Vishnu, the eternal god of gods and bestower of boons, appeared. Before him, Shiva—the three-eyed god of gods—bowed with eightfold prostration. Having bowed, Rudra praised Vishnu, the bearer of the conch, discus, and mace: “I praise the Supreme, the highest of the high, the immortal, the ancient, the one beyond all, Vishnu of infinite power. I always remember the most excellent Person, Narayana, matchless and ancient, the one beyond all, the firstborn, of fierce speed, the profound chief among those of deep intellect.” “I bow to Hari, the Lord of lords, the supreme, the highest abode and beyond, the source and end of all, the vast Person, ruler of both the transcendent and the immanent. I praise Narayana, of pure nature, subtle and beyond all, who created this world; ever established, chief among persons, peaceful, the supreme refuge—may he be my shelter. I praise Narayana, free from stain, ancient, the highest of the high, Vishnu, boundless and limitless, the primeval lord of those who uphold righteousness, foremost in steadfastness, patience, and peace, the lord of the earth.” “I always praise the auspicious one, of great majesty, with a thousand heads and countless feet, with endless arms, whose eyes are the moon and sun, both perishable and imperishable, who rests upon the ocean of milk. I praise Narayana, the supreme, the lord of lords, the highest of the high, inaccessible to the gods, abiding in the threefold creation, with three sacrificial fires as eyes, marked by the three principles, the three dissolutions, the three-eyed one.” “I bow to Narayana, immeasurable, who is white in the Krita age, red in the Dvapara, and black in the Kali; I bow to him who created the Brahmins from his mouth. From his arms came the Kshatriyas, from his thighs the Vaishyas, and from the tips of his feet likewise the Shudras; I bow to that universal form, the ancient, the highest of the high, the one who crosses beyond, the immeasurable. I honor the lotus-eyed one, the subtle form, the great form, the form of knowledge, the formless, the armor of all the gods. I honor the supreme lord, with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, mighty arms, pervading the universe and abiding everywhere. I honor the refuge, the shelter, the god Vishnu, the victorious, the eternal, resembling a dark raincloud, the wielder of the Sharnga bow. I honor Hari, pure, all-pervading, eternal, of the nature of space, everlasting, free from existence and non-existence, the all-pervading. Here I see nothing apart from you, O Achyuta; I perceive all this, moving and unmoving, as pervaded by you.” As Rudra, the supreme lord, spoke these words, the eternal Vishnu, supreme among the supreme, appeared before him in person. Holding the wheel in his hand and seated upon Garuda, Vishnu arose like the sun illuminating the mountain. The eternal one spoke, “Choose a boon; I have come as the giver of boons, I am your boon-giver.