At the behest of the assembled brahmins, Brahma, the grandsire of all, was approached with reverence and supplication: “Grant us the boons we desire.” Responding to their earnest prayers, Brahma bestowed upon them whatever blessings they wished for, fulfilling their hearts’ desires. Meanwhile, the goddess Gayatri, whose virtue was renowned, had already given her own blessing to the sacrifice, and what she offered was accepted and endorsed. She remained present at the ritual, abiding near the deities, her auspicious presence sanctifying the proceedings. Thus, the great sacrifice flourished, enduring for more than a hundred divine years. Then, O Kapardin, you arrived at the sacrificial enclosure, seeking alms. In your hand you held a large skull, adorned with five heads, and you stood apart from the officiating priests and participants. Yet, you were shunned by those present, who recoiled from you. The brahmins, versed in the Vedas, reproached you, saying, “How have you come here, you who are condemned by those learned in sacred knowledge?” Despite their harsh words and their attempts to drive you away, Maheshvara, the Great Lord, only smiled and addressed all the brahmins: “This is an ancestral sacrifice, which brings satisfaction to all.” Some among them persisted in trying to expel you, but the foremost of the brahmins said, “Let him eat food first; then he may depart.” To this, Kapardin replied, “O brahmins, after eating I shall depart.” Having spoken thus, you sat down, placing the skull before you. Observing your actions, Ishvara acted with subtle cunning. Leaving the skull on the ground, you looked upon the brahmins and declared, “I am going to Pushkara to bathe, O best of brahmins.” Urged by them to hurry, the Supreme Lord departed from the sacrificial enclosure. Yet, remaining in the sky out of curiosity, you bewildered the gods. As Kapardin went to Pushkara for his sacred bath, the brahmins were left to ponder: “How can the oblation be performed here, with a skull present in the assembly? Long ago, Prajapati declared that skulls are impure.” One among the assembly, a brahmin, volunteered, “I shall remove the skull.” He lifted it up and cast it away with his own hand. But no sooner was one skull removed than another appeared in its place. Again and again, the skull was removed, yet a second, a third, twenty, thirty—indeed, there seemed to be no end. Fifty, a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand skulls appeared, O best of brahmins, and the assembly was confounded. At last, recognizing the divine play, the brahmins bowed to Kapardin, the god, and sought refuge in him. They journeyed to the Pushkara forest and earnestly recited Vedic prayers in his honor. All of them together offered praise, and Hara, pleased by their devotion, granted the brahmins a vision of himself. Then the god spoke to the foremost brahmins, who were bowed in devotion: “The completion of the purodasha offering cannot be accomplished without the skull. Follow my instruction, O brahmins; the share of the svishtakrit belongs to me. If you do this, all my command will be fulfilled.” The brahmins replied to Shambhu, “So be it; we will carry out your command.” Then the Lord, holding the skull in his hand, approached the blessed Pitamaha, Brahma. He said, “Choose a boon, O brahmin, whatever dear wish abides in your heart. I will grant you everything; nothing is withheld from me, O Lord.” Brahma replied, “I will not accept a boon from you; I am initiated and seated in the assembly. Here, I am the fulfiller of all desires for those who seek me.” As the bestower of boons spoke thus at the sacrifice, Pitamaha, Rudra replied, “So be it,” and then asked Brahma for a boon in turn. When that manvantara had passed, the Lord himself, by his own power as Shambhu, established an even higher place for Brahma. He who had mastered all four Vedas, at that time, observed the city. Out of curiosity, the Lord entered the assembly where the brahmins were gathered in conversation, and, still in the guise of a madman, Maheśvara remained at the sacrificial fire. Entering Brahma’s own residence, he was seen by the gods and the foremost brahmins. Some laughed at him, while others rebuked him. Some brahmins threw dust at the madman, while others, proud of their strength, struck him with clods and sticks. They mocked and struck him with their hands, and some ascetics, grabbing his matted locks, dragged him near. They questioned him about his observance: “By whom was this practice shown to you? Here are women of the left-hand path; you have come for their sake. By what teacher was this practice shown to you, O perceiver of sin? Why do you, uttering mad words, run about among us?” He replied, “The phallus is my form as Brahma, and the yoni is Janardana; this seed, when offered otherwise, brings distress to the world. By me this son was begotten, and by him I was also born; for the sake of Mahadeva, creation was made, and a wife was created on Himalaya. Uma was given to Rudra—whose daughter is she, tell me? You are deluded and do not know; let the blessed one speak among you.” He continued, “Neither was this conduct performed by Brahma, nor was it shown by Vishnu, nor even by the god Girisha, after committing the slaying of Brahma. How then do you reproach the god, saying, ‘You are to be punished by us today’?” As he was being struck by those brahmins, Shankara, O best of kings, smiled and spoke to all the brahmins: “Do you not recognize me, O brahmins? I am mad, bereft of sense; all of you are compassionate and established in friendship, yet you speak these words to me, disguised as Brahma, though I am Hara.” Yet, deluded by the maya of that god, those excellent twice-born continued to strike the matted-haired one with their hands, feet, and fists. With staffs and spikes, too, they beat him, who still bore the appearance of a madman. Tormented by the brahmins, the Lord then became angry.