Having taken his seat among the gathered sages, Vayu, the Wind-god, was received with due honor and reverence. He greeted all the ascetics assembled there, inquiring warmly about their well-being: “O brahmins, are you all well? Has your great sacrifice proceeded without hindrance? Have the demons, those haters of the gods, left your sacred rites undisturbed? Has any misfortune or need for expiation arisen—whether from faulty rites or some other cause—in your worship of the deities 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, the sages—hearts pure and gladdened by the presence of Vayu, ever devoted to Shiva—replied to him with humility and joy: “Today, all is well with us; today, our austerity has truly borne fruit, for your arrival increases our welfare. Please listen as we recount an ancient event: In the past, when our minds were clouded by darkness, we worshipped Prajapati, seeking knowledge. He, the refuge of all who seek shelter, graciously instructed us, saying, ‘Rudra surpasses all; O brahmins, he is the supreme cause.’ “His true nature cannot be comprehended by mere reasoning; only the devoted perceive it, and by his grace alone does devotion arise. From his grace comes liberation. Therefore, to obtain his favor, you should worship Rudra, the supreme cause, here at Naimisha, with a long sacrificial session. By his grace, at the conclusion of the sacrifice, Vayu will come here; from his mouth, you will receive knowledge, and there will be supreme benefit. “Thus instructed by the supreme lord, we all assembled here, O noble one, eagerly awaiting your arrival. Seated in this great sacrifice, which has lasted a thousand divine years, we have had no other desire but your coming.” Hearing this account of the ancient event and the long-sacrificing sages, Vayu’s mind was gladdened. He sat among them, surrounded by the ascetic seers. Then, at their request for deeper understanding, the mighty Wind-god began to recount the story of creation and the lordly power of Shiva. In the sacred Naimisha forest, the blessed sages bowed reverently and questioned the lord of the wind: “How did you attain the knowledge that pertains to the Lord? 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—Brahma—desiring to create, performed intense austerity. By his great penance, his father himself, the best among those endowed with beauty, was pleased and assumed a divine, youthful form. Manifesting as the sage named Shveta, he uttered divine speech, and the great god Maheshvara, lord of the gods, granted him a vision. “Seeing his father, Brahma, the lord and master of creation, bowed down and, together with Gayatri, attained supreme knowledge. Thus, Vishvakarman, the four-faced one, having obtained knowledge, created all beings, both immovable and moving. Because Brahma obtained the nectar of knowledge from the Supreme Lord, so too, by the power of my austerity, I received it from his mouth. “The knowledge I received—true and truly auspicious—is that by which, having realized the highest goal, a person attains happiness. It is the knowledge of the soul, its bonds, and the Lord, which I obtained in ancient times. Upon that supreme foundation, a person seeking happiness should firmly stand. Suffering, arising from ignorance, is dispelled only by knowledge; knowledge is the discernment of reality, and reality is said to be of two kinds. “There are three: the sentient, the insentient, and the controller of both. These are called, in order: the soul, the bond, and the Lord. The imperishable, the perishable, and that which is beyond both—these three are described in fullness by those who know reality. The imperishable is called the soul, the perishable is declared to be the bond, and that which is beyond both perishable and imperishable is named the Lord.” The sages asked, “What is this imperishable that is spoken of, and what is called the perishable? And what is the highest beyond these two? Tell us, O Wind-god.” Vayu replied, “Prakriti is said to be the perishable; the soul is called the imperishable. Another, the Supreme Lord, is the highest, who impels both of these.” Again, the sages inquired, “What is this prakriti that is spoken of? Who is considered the soul? By what connection do they relate, and who is this impelling Lord?” Vayu answered, “Maya is designated as prakriti; the soul is enveloped by maya. Their connection is through primordial action; Shiva is the impelling Lord.” The sages pressed further, “What is this maya that is spoken of as equal? What is its nature, and how is one enveloped by maya? What is its root, and from where does it arise? What is Shivatva, and from where is Shiva?” Vayu said, “Maya is the power of Maheshvara; one enveloped by maya is of the nature of consciousness. Mala, the innate impurity, veils consciousness; purity is innate Shivatva.” “How does maya cover the all-pervading one, and for what reason?” the sages asked. “For what purpose does this covering occur in a person, and by what means is it removed?” Vayu explained, “Even though it is all-pervading, there is concealment, because even for the all-pervading, karma alone—arising from kala and the rest—serves as the cause for experience, and ceases when impurity is destroyed.” The sages asked, “What is called kala and the rest? What is karma, and how is it described? What is its beginning and end? What is its fruit, and what is its support? By whose experience is what enjoyed, and what is the means for that enjoyment? What is the cause of the destruction of impurity, and what is the nature of a person whose impurity is destroyed?” Vayu replied, “Kala (time), knowledge, attachment, order, and kala itself—these are known as the kala and the rest; the experiencer is called the person.” Thus, in the sacred assembly, Vayu revealed to the sages the profound wisdom of the soul, its bonds, and the supreme Lord Shiva, clarifying the mysteries of creation, knowledge, and liberation.