At the close of a long and arduous sacrifice, the sages gathered, longing for the highest good. It was foretold that, by divine grace, Vayu—the lord of the wind—would come among them, and from his mouth would flow knowledge, bringing supreme benefit to all present. Acting on the command of the Supreme Lord, these noble sages had come to this holy place, waiting eagerly for Vayu’s arrival, their hearts filled with a single desire: to behold him and receive his wisdom. For a thousand divine years, they had remained steadfast in their great sacrifice, their minds fixed solely on the hope of his coming. When Vayu arrived and heard the account of these ancient, dedicated sages, his heart was filled with joy. He sat amidst them, surrounded by their respectful presence. The sages, eager to deepen their understanding, respectfully questioned Vayu, urging him to speak of the wondrous acts of creation and the majestic power of Shiva. The blessed sages of Naimisha forest, having bowed with reverence, addressed the Wind-god: “How did you, O Vayu, come to possess the knowledge of the Supreme Lord? How did you attain the nature of Shiva, who is the unmanifest, born of Brahma?” Vayu began to recount the ancient events: “In the nineteenth kalpa, known as Shvetalohita, the four-faced Brahma, desiring to create the worlds, performed intense austerities. Pleased by his penance, his father—radiant and beautiful—appeared before him in a divine, youthful form. Assuming the role of the sage Śveta, he uttered divine speech, and the great god Maheśvara, the Lord of the gods, granted him a vision. Beholding his father, Brahma, the master of creation, bowed low. Together with Gāyatrī, he attained supreme knowledge. Endowed with this wisdom, Brahma, also called Viśvakarman, created all beings, both moving and unmoving. Just as Brahma received the nectar of knowledge from the Supreme Lord, so too, through my own austerities, I received it from his mouth.” The sages pressed further: “What is this true and auspicious knowledge you have obtained, O Vayu, by which one attains the highest happiness?” Vayu replied, “It is the knowledge of the soul, its bonds, and the Lord. This is the supreme foundation for all who seek happiness. Suffering, which arises from ignorance, is dispelled only by knowledge. Knowledge is the discernment of reality, and reality is of two kinds. There are three principles: the sentient, the insentient, and the controller of both—these are called the soul, the bond, and the Lord. The imperishable, the perishable, and that which is beyond both—these are described by those who know reality. The imperishable is the soul; the perishable is the bond; and beyond both is the Lord.” The sages asked, “What is meant by the imperishable and the perishable? And what is the highest beyond these two?” Vayu explained, “Prakṛti is the perishable; the soul is the imperishable. Beyond both is the Supreme Lord, who impels them. Māyā is called prakṛti; the soul is enveloped by māyā. Their connection is through primordial action, and Shiva is the impelling Lord.” “Tell us more,” the sages implored. “What is this māyā? What is its nature? How does it envelop the soul? What is its root? What is Śivatva, and from where does Shiva arise?” Vayu answered, “Māyā is the power of Maheśvara. The one enveloped by māyā is of the nature of consciousness. Mala, the innate impurity, veils consciousness; purity is innate Śivatva.” The sages continued: “How does māyā cover the all-pervading one, and why? How does this covering occur in a person, and by what means is it removed?” Vayu replied, “Even though the soul is all-pervading, concealment occurs because karma—arising from kalā and the rest—serves as the cause for experience. This karma ceases when impurity is destroyed.” The sages asked, “What are kalā and the rest? What is karma, its beginning and end, its fruit and support? By whose experience is what enjoyed, and how? What destroys impurity, and what is the nature of one whose impurity is destroyed?” Vayu taught: “Kalā, knowledge, attachment, time, and order—these are known as kalā and the rest. The experiencer is the person. Karma, consisting of merit and demerit, yields pleasure and pain as its fruit. It has no beginning, ends with the exhaustion of impurity, and is based in ignorance. Experience exists for the destruction of karma; the unmanifest is the field of experience. The body, with its external and internal organs, is the means for experience. Impurity is destroyed by special grace, obtained through the excellence of inner states. When the impurity of the self is destroyed, the person becomes equal to Shiva.” The sages inquired further: “What is the karma of the five principles beginning with kalā? Who is the experiencer? Who is the person? What is the unmanifest, and how is it experienced? What is its refuge, and what is called the body?” Vayu explained: “Knowledge reveals direction and action; time initiates attachment and serves as the delimiter; order is the regulator. The unmanifest, possessing the three qualities, is the source and dissolution of all—it is the primary substance and nature, as taught by those who contemplate the principles. From kalā arises that which is manifest, characterized by the unmanifest, consisting of pleasure, pain, and delusion, experienced in threefold ways by those possessing the qualities. Sattva, rajas, and tamas are the qualities arising from nature; in nature, they exist in subtle form, like oil in sesame seeds. Happiness and its cause are sāttvika; the opposite is rājasa; inertia and delusion are tāmasa.” Thus, in this sacred assembly, Vayu imparted the highest wisdom, illuminating the mysteries of the soul, bondage, and the Supreme Lord, guiding the earnest seekers toward liberation and supreme happiness.