The assembly of illustrious sages, radiant with strength and energy, had gathered together in a spirit of inquiry. Observing their presence, the great god Brahma, the creator and sustainer of the worlds, addressed them with gentle curiosity: “O noble ones, for what purpose have you all come together in this place?” With hands joined in reverence and humility, the sages—all knowers of Brahman—answered Brahma: “O Lord, we are enveloped in great darkness. We are troubled and divided, unable to discern what is truly supreme among all that exists. You are the sustainer of all worlds, the cause of all causes. O Lord, nothing in creation is hidden from your sight. We seek to know: Who is the supreme, ancient Person among all beings, pure, complete, eternal, and the highest Lord? By what wondrous act is the universe first created? Tell us the truth, O great sage, so that our doubts may be dispelled.” Thus questioned, Brahma gazed upon the assembly of gods, demons, and sages with wonder and a gentle smile. Rising up after deep contemplation, he uttered the name “Rudra,” his whole being suffused with joy, and with joined palms he began to speak. He said, “There is that Supreme One from whom words and the mind, striving together, turn back unfulfilled, unable to reach. When one realizes the bliss of that Supreme, all fear falls away from the wise. From that One arises all this—beginning with Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, along with all beings and senses. He is the source and the meditator of all causes, the supreme cause, never born from another, at any time or from anywhere. Endowed with all lordship, he is called ‘Lord of All.’ He is to be meditated upon by all seekers of liberation—Shambhu, who dwells in the midst of space. It is he who created me, his son, in the beginning, and by whose grace I have attained the position of Prajapati, the progenitor. The Lord stands unmoving like a tree, alone in the sky, and by him, the great-souled Person, this entire universe is filled. Among the many beings, he alone is active among the inactive; he alone, in many forms, becomes the seed—he is the great Lord. He alone is the blessed Rudra; there is no second at all. Though he always dwells in the hearts of all, he is not perceived by others; perceiving all, he abides ever in the universe. He alone, the Lord of infinite power, remains even when all causes, released from the bonds of time, have ceased. For him, there is neither day nor night, neither equal nor greater; his supreme power is natural, eternal—knowledge and action are his very nature. That which is perishable and unmanifest, and that which is immortal and imperishable—both these, whose essence is imperishable, are the one god Hara himself. He who, by meditation on that, becomes established in its reality—when bondage ends for him, the illusion of the universe ceases. In him, neither lightning shines, nor the sun, nor the moon; by his light alone does all this shine—this is the eternal teaching. The one god, the great god, is to be known as the great Lord; his supreme state cannot be attained by any means. He is the beginning, without beginning or end, pure by his own nature, independent, completely full, moving and unmoving by his own will. With a form beyond nature, glorious, free from marks and characteristics, he is liberated and the liberator, timeless, and the impeller of time. Dwelling beyond all, yet present in all, all-knowing, he is lord of the sixfold time, and thus lord of all worlds. He is the highest among higher beings, and beyond the highest; he is the endless meeting of the infinite and the finite, the honeybee at the nectar of the unending lotus. He is the wise one who fuses the unbroken cosmic eggs into a single mass; he is the abode of generosity, heroism, depth, sweetness, and awe. There is nothing equal to him, nor anything greater; he stands incomparable among all beings, the king of kings. By his wondrous act, the world is first created, and at the end of time, this same world will dissolve into him. All beings are under his control; he directs all. Yet he is seen only through supreme devotion, never otherwise, anywhere. Vows, gifts, austerities, and disciplines—these were declared by the wise of old for the sake of their inner meaning; there is no doubt of this. Hari, I, Rudra, and all other gods and demons—even now, with fierce austerities, we long for a vision of him. He is unseen by the fallen, the deluded, and the wicked, even the contemptible; but by devotees, both within and without, he is to be worshiped and addressed. This threefold form—gross, subtle, and supreme—the gross is seen by us and the immortals; the subtle, by yogis. But that which is supreme, eternal, knowledge, bliss, and imperishable, is seen by those devoted to it, established in that vow. Why say much more? The highest secret of secrets is this: there is no doubt that devotion to Shiva, when practiced, brings liberation. That devotion arises only from grace, and grace is born of devotion—just as a sprout comes from a seed, and a seed from a sprout. All attainments for the soul everywhere are preceded by grace; and by all means, in the end, it is achieved only through grace. The means to grace is dharma, as shown by the Veda; through its practice, there comes balance between merit and demerit.” Thus, Brahma revealed to the gathered sages the supreme mystery, the nature of the highest Lord, and the path to his realization.