In ancient times, the Grandfather—Prajapati—created a mental wheel, a discus of his own thought, and set it forth before the assembled sages. He declared, “Where the rim of this wheel is destroyed, that place shall be auspicious for austerity.” Having spoken thus, and beholding the wheel shining brilliantly like the sun, the Grandfather bowed reverently to Mahadeva and released the wheel. The delighted sages, after offering their respects to the Lord of the worlds, followed the wheel’s path to the spot where its rim had fallen. There, the discus lay compact and smooth upon a beautiful stone surface, pure and sweet water flowing nearby, nestled within a certain forest. This forest, thus marked by the fallen rim, became renowned as Naimisha. It was honored by sages and thronged with countless yakshas, gandharvas, and vidyadharas. In that sacred place, Pururavas, driven by fate and captivated by the charms of Urvashi, wandered through the islands of the eighteenfold ocean. In a moment of delusion, he unlawfully seized the golden sacrificial enclosure. The enraged sages struck him down with blades of sacred grass, wielded like thunderbolts. In ancient times, the creators of the worlds, desiring to bring forth the universe, began a divine sacrificial session in this very forest, with the knowers of Brahman tending the sacred fire. The wise seers, skilled in the meanings of words and logic, performed the rites with power, knowledge, and disciplined action. Here, those learned in the Vedas always triumphed over disputants who, excluded from Vedic doctrine, relied only on sophistry and empty arguments. From the crystal-like stones at the foot of the mountain, water as pure as nectar flowed, delightful to drink. The forest was abundant with fruitful trees, free from wild beasts—a place truly fit for the sages’ austerities. In this land, the noble sages of firm vows began a great sacrificial session, worshipping the supreme god, just as the creators of the worlds had once sought to bring forth the universe. When the sacrifice had ended and abundant gifts had been given, by the command of the Grandfather, Vayu himself arrived. Vayu, the disciple of the self-born god who perceives all directly, came at the command of the Grandfather. At his command, the Maruts, grouped in sevens, are established. He sets in motion the limbs and vital airs of all beings, sustaining the bodies of all creatures. Endowed with the eight powers beginning with animā and lordly might, Vayu upholds the worlds through pure means, transcending time and direction. Those who contemplate reality say that he is born of space, possessing a double nature, pervaded by touch and sound, and is the source of fire. Seeing Vayu arrive at the hermitage, the sages engaged in the long sacrifice recalled the Grandfather’s words and experienced incomparable joy. All rose up, bowed to him who was born of the sky, and prepared a golden seat for him. Vayu took his seat, was duly honored, and greeted the sages, inquiring about their well-being: “Are you all well, O brahmins? Has the great sacrifice proceeded properly? Have the demons, haters of the gods, not disturbed the sacrifice? Has any misfortune or need for expiation arisen, either through faulty rites or otherwise, in your worship of the gods with hymns, weapons, and ancestral offerings? Has the prescribed ritual been properly performed by you? Now that the great sacrifice is completed, what do you intend to do next?” Thus addressed, all the sages, purified and gladdened in heart by the wind-god devoted to Shiva, replied with humility: “Today, all is well with us; today, our austerity is truly fruitful, for you have come here to increase our welfare. Now listen to this ancient event: in the past, when our minds were clouded by darkness, we worshipped Prajapati to gain knowledge. He, the refuge of those who seek refuge, graciously told us: ‘Rudra surpasses all; O brahmins, he is the supreme cause. His true nature cannot be comprehended by reasoning; only the devoted perceive it, and by his grace alone does devotion arise, and from his grace comes liberation. Therefore, to obtain his grace, you should worship Rudra, the supreme cause, here at Naimisha, with a long sacrificial session. By his grace, at the end of the sacrifice, Vayu will come; from his mouth knowledge will be gained, and there will be supreme benefit.’ Thus instructed by the supreme lord, we have all been sent to this place, O noble one, eagerly awaiting your arrival. Seated in this long sacrifice lasting a thousand divine years, we have no other desire except your coming.” Hearing this account of the ancient event concerning the long-sacrificing sages, Vayu, his mind gladdened, sat there surrounded by the sages. Then, questioned by those sages for the growth of their understanding, the mighty one began to speak of the creation and the lordly power of Shiva. There, at first, the blessed inhabitants of Naimisha forest, having bowed properly, questioned the lord of the wind: “How did you attain the knowledge that pertains to the Lord? And how did you come to possess the nature of Shiva, who is the unmanifest-born of Brahma?” Vayu replied: “The nineteenth kalpa is known as Shvetalohita. In that kalpa, the four-faced one, desiring to create, performed intense austerity. By his austerity, his father himself, the best among those endowed with beauty, was pleased and assumed a divine youthful form. Becoming the sage named Śveta, he uttered divine speech; the great god Maheśvara, lord of gods, granted him a vision.” Thus, in the sacred forest of Naimisha, the sages, guided by divine command, performed their austerities and sacrifices, seeking the grace and knowledge that flow from the supreme cause, Rudra, and from Vayu, the wind-god, who revealed to them the mysteries of creation and the lordly power of Shiva.