O upward-faced one, essence of existence and support of the earth, who lies upon, arises from, and dwells in the waters—salutations to you! Thus, the praise began, directed to the divine lotus-eyed one with petals blossoming in beauty. “Victory to you, O god, O Grandfather! By you alone I was created in the beginning, for the sake of creation itself, O Lord,” the devotee exclaimed. The eulogy continued, “You are ever the recipient of sacrificial offerings, the lord of the limbs of sacrifice. Salutations to you, golden-wombed, lotus-born, divine Prajāpati! You are the sacrifice itself, you are the vaṣaṭ-call, you are the svadhā. O lotus-born, by the command of the gods, O Lord, I have severed the head.” But then, with humility and distress, the speaker confessed, “I am overcome by the sin of Brahmin-slaying. Protect me, O Lord of the world!” Thus, the god of gods addressed Brahmā, seeking absolution. Brahmā, the creator, replied, “The god Nārāyaṇa, my friend, will purify you. He is to be praised by you, O blessed one, and worshipped by me as well, for he is the all-pervading one. You are constantly contemplated by Viṣṇu himself, and it is by his devotion that you are moved to praise me. Because of the beheading, you are now Kapālī, the accomplisher of the Soma rite’s end, and you will uplift countless Brāhmaṇas, O radiant one.” Brahmā then gave counsel: “You must undertake the vow for Brahmin-slaying, for there is no other means of purification. The wicked and cruel, those who kill Brahmins, 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 of old. Therefore, as a Brahmin-slayer, you must undertake the vow for purification; when it is completed, you will again obtain many boons.” Having thus spoken, Brahmā departed. Rudra, not fully understanding, turned his mind to Viṣṇu through deep meditation. With Lakṣmī at his side, the eternal bestower of boons, the god of gods appeared before Rudra. The three-eyed lord bowed with eightfold prostration before the bearer of the conch, discus, and mace. Rudra offered his praise: “I praise the Supreme, the highest of the high, the immortal, the ancient, the one beyond all—Viṣṇu of infinite power. I ever remember the most excellent Person, Nārāyaṇa, matchless and ancient, the firstborn, of fierce speed, the profound chief among those of deep intellect. I bow to Hari, the Lord of lords, the supreme, the source and end of all, the vast Person, ruler of both the transcendent and the immanent.” He continued, “I praise Nārāyaṇa 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 Nārāyaṇa, free from stain, ancient, the highest, boundless and limitless, the primeval lord of righteousness, foremost in steadfastness, patience, and peace, lord of the earth. I always praise the auspicious one, of great majesty, with a thousand heads and countless feet, endless arms, whose eyes are the moon and sun, both perishable and imperishable, who rests upon the ocean of milk.” Rudra’s praise encompassed all: “I praise Nārāyaṇa, the supreme, the 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 Nārāyaṇa, immeasurable, who is white in the Krita age, red in the Dvapara, 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, the Shudras; I bow to that universal form, the ancient, the highest, the immeasurable.” With reverence, Rudra concluded, “I honor the lotus-eyed one, the subtle and 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. I honor the refuge, the shelter, god Viṣṇu, 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. Here I see nothing apart from you, O Achyuta; all that moves and does not move, I perceive as pervaded by you.” As Rudra spoke thus, the eternal, supreme among the supreme, appeared before him in person, holding the wheel in his hand and seated upon Garuda, shining like the sun illuminating a mountain. The eternal one said, “Choose a boon; I have come as the giver of boons.” Rudra replied humbly, “O lord of the gods, may I become completely purified; for this sin, no other remedy is seen except your grace. Overcome by the sin of killing a Brahmin, my body has turned black, the smell of death clings to my limbs, and my ornaments are of iron. How can I be restored, O Janārdana, to my former state? What should I do, O great god, so that my former body may return? By your grace, let it be so—tell me, Achyuta, how this may come to pass.” Viṣṇu replied, “The sin of killing a Brahmin is supreme, terrible, and brings all suffering. One should not even conceive of this sin in the mind; by your words, O god, this resolve is now clear. Now, mighty-armed one, do as Brahmā instructed: rub ashes over your entire body three times a day, and place bones in your topknot, on your ears, and in your hand. Doing thus, O Rudra, you will not experience suffering.” Having thus instructed Rudra, the blessed Lord Viṣṇu disappeared, accompanied by Lakṣmī, and Rudra did not recognize him. Then, the Lord of the gods, holding a skull in his hand, wandered over the earth, along with Himavat, Maināka, and Meru. He traversed Kailāsa, the Vindhya mountains, the great Nīla mountain, Kanchi, Kāshi, Tamralipta, Magadha, and Avila, carrying out the vow for purification as ordained.