He is the supreme, imperishable Brahman—beyond existence and non-existence, without beginning, middle, or end, inconceivable and eternal. As Maheshvara, he is the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of all; thus, in the sacrifice, there is no other self than Shankara. Today, all the offerings, purified by rites and mantras, must be placed in a golden vessel and dedicated to the matchless Lord Vishnu, the master of sacrifice. Yet, because Rudra, Lord of all gods and lords, has not been worshipped, Daksha, your entire sacrifice cannot succeed. With these words, the great sage Dadhichi, filled with anger, departed for his hermitage. Even after Dadhichi had left, the gods remained with Daksha, compelled by destiny to endure the misfortune that awaited them. At that very moment, the goddess, knowing all from the Lord, urged him to burn up Daksha’s sacrifice. Inspired by her, the god resolved to destroy the sacrificial rite and suddenly created the mighty Virabhadra, lord of the hosts. Virabhadra appeared with a thousand faces, each adorned with lotus-like eyes, a thousand clubs in his hands, and a thousand quivers of arrows. He wielded trident, axe, mace, a blazing bow, discus, and thunderbolt; terrifying in form, he wore the crescent moon as his crest. His hands shone with a raised thunderbolt, his hair blazed like lightning, his mouth was wide and fierce with fangs, and his belly was vast. His tongue flashed like lightning, lips hung down, and his roar echoed like thunderclouds and the ocean. He wore a tiger skin, and blood flowed profusely from his body. His earrings formed circles touching both cheeks, and his crest was adorned with a garland of the heads of the best gods. He was decorated with great golden ornaments—anklets and armlets that rang in battle—and his chest was covered with shining jewels and a string of pearls. His valor was like that of a great sharabha, tiger, or lion, and he moved with the majestic gait of a noble, intoxicated elephant. Virabhadra’s radiance was like a conch, yak-tail fan, jasmine, moon, or lotus-stalk; he appeared as the lord of mountains covered in snow, now come alive and moving. Encircled by a garland of flames and adorned with blazing pearl ornaments, he shone brilliantly, as if he were the fire of dissolution at the end of an age. Approaching, Virabhadra knelt on the ground, bowed with joined palms, and stood respectfully at the side of the Lord of the gods, Ganesha. Out of wrath, he created the auspicious and formidable goddess Bhadrakali, the great power of Maheshvara, to accompany him as witness to his deeds. Seeing Virabhadra standing there, resembling the fire of destruction, together with Bhadra, Shankara spoke: “May all be well.” Virabhadra and the goddess then addressed Maheshvara: “Command us, O Great God—what task shall we perform?” Then, the destroyer of the three cities, out of love for Parvati, spoke in a deep, resonant voice to mighty Virabhadra: “Immediately destroy the sacrifice of Daksha, son of Prachetas, together with Bhadrakali; this is your task, O Lord of the Ganas. I too, along with her, will remain at Raibhya’s hermitage and witness your formidable valor, O Lord of the Ganas.” He described the trees at Kanakhala, near the gateway of the Ganga, as resembling Mount Meru and Mandara with golden peaks. “In that region, Daksha’s sacrifice is now taking place; quickly disrupt that sacrifice without delay.” When the god had spoken, the goddess, daughter of the lord of the Himalayas, gazed upon Bhadra with affection, as a cow looks at her calf. Embracing and smelling the head of the six-faced one, she smiled and spoke sweet, gentle words: “Dear Bhadra, greatly fortunate and mighty in valor, you were born for my sake, to remove my anger. Daksha, absorbed in sacrificial rites, did not invite the Lord of Sacrifice; therefore, out of enmity, O Lord of the Ganas, destroy his sacrifice. By my command, O Bhadra, turn the fortune of the sacrifice into misfortune; and, dear one, slay the sacrificer together with Bhadra.” Receiving this command from both Shiva and Parvati, whose deeds are wondrous, Bhadra bowed his head and prepared to depart. Then, the blessed Lord, enraged, Virabhadra—the great god whose abode is among the dwellings of spirits, remover of the goddess’s wrath—appeared. From the pores of his skin, he created the lordly Ganas called Romajas, and from his right arm, he brought forth a hundred crore Ganas of fierce aspect. From his feet, thighs, back, sides, face, throat, secret parts, ankles, crown of the head, neck, mouth, and belly, he produced more beings. With these noble Ganesvaras, equal in valor to Bhadra, the entire world, with all its spaces and openings, became filled. All of them had a thousand arms, each hand holding a thousand weapons; all were followers of Rudra, all shone with the same radiance as Rudra. They held tridents, spears, maces, axes, skulls, and stones, resembling Kalagni Rudra; three-eyed and wearing matted hair. Hundreds of them, riding on lions, swiftly descended through the sky, roaring with great sounds like thunderclouds—these sons of Bhadra. Surrounded by these noble beings, the blessed Lord shone as if joined by hundreds of fires of destruction, like Kalabhairava at the end of time.