Bhairava, with fierce resolve, seized the fifth head of Brahmā—a head swollen with pride and uttering falsehoods. With his sword raised high, Bhairava prepared to strike, intent on punishing Brahmā for his transgressions. Stripped of his ornaments, garments, garlands, upper cloth, and even his matted hair, Brahmā became unstable, like a creeper battered by a storm. He collapsed at Bhairava’s lotus feet, humbled and shaken. Witnessing this, the compassionate Acyuta—Viṣṇu—longed to honor the divine ordinance. He took the dust from Bhairava’s lotus feet and placed it upon his own head. With hands joined in reverence and tears streaming down his face, Acyuta spoke to his father, his words faltering like those of a child: “O Lord, what you once bestowed—the five-faced mark, the sign of sovereignty—please forgive him for this. He is worthy of your grace. Show favor for the sake of the ordinance.” Moved by Acyuta’s plea, the Lord, pleased in the assembly of gods, withdrew Bhairava from the punishment of Brahmā. Then, the Lord addressed the deceitful Vidhi, now bereft of his head: “O Brahmā, you who crave worship, you hypocrite, you have assumed lordship. May you never again receive honor in the world—no festivals, no seats of respect. O Lord of great glory, be gracious now; the release of my head is the only boon I desire.” Brahmā, humbled, offered salutations: “O Blessed One, kinsman, source of the universe, patient bearer of all faults, Śambhu, wielder of the mountain bow.” He continued, “Without a ruler, the world would not endure out of fear. Therefore, punish the one who deserves chastisement, and bear the burden of the world, O child. I grant you a boon—accept this rare and supreme gift: in all Vaitānika and domestic sacrifices, you shall be the preceptor. Without you, sacrifice—even with all its limbs and offerings—bears no fruit.” Turning to ketaka, the false witness, the Lord declared, “O ketaka, you are wicked and deceitful—go far from here! May my worship never again include your flower, nor may it be supreme therein.” The divine beings present restrained ketaka, keeping it away from the Lord’s side. Ketaka, seeking forgiveness, offered salutations: “O Lord, let my birth, made fruitless by your command, now be made fruitful, O Father. Forgive my sin. Sin, whether born of knowledge or ignorance, is destroyed by remembrance of you. When one beholds you thus, how could false blame arise for me?” Ketaka praised the Lord on the assembly floor, but the Lord replied, “It is not fitting for me to bear you; I am one who speaks the truth, O Lord.” Yet, out of compassion, he added, “But I shall bear you as my own; thus your birth will be fulfilled. By the pretext of the canopy, you shall be above me.” Having shown favor to ketaka, the Lord shone in the midst of the assembly, accompanied by Vidhi and Mādhava, and praised by all the gods. Meanwhile, Vidhi (Brahmā) and Mādhava (Viṣṇu), having bowed to the Lord, stood silently to his right and left, hands joined in reverence. There, they seated the Lord with his family upon a seat of honor and worshipped him with pure offerings, worthy of the noble. The masculine, natural substance to be known was adorned with necklaces, anklets, armlets, crowns, jewels, and earrings—some lasting, some fleeting. Sacred threads, upper garments, garlands, silks, flower wreaths, rings, and anointments of flowers, betel, camphor, sandalwood, and aloe were offered. Incense, lamps, white umbrellas, fans, banners, yak-tail whisks, and other divine offerings, whose splendor surpassed speech and mind, filled the space. Let them worship the Lord with whatever is most excellent and fitting, acquired by men or animals, and suitable for the Lord’s banner. Desiring to reach the highest, the Lord joyfully distributed all those objects to the assembly, giving them separately and in due order. A great tumult arose as the objects were taken; and in those ancient times, Śaṅkara was worshipped by Brahmā and Viṣṇu. Pleased, the Lord spoke to the two who had bowed, smiling and increasing their devotion: “I am satisfied with you today, O dear ones, by this worship on this great day. Therefore, this day will become supremely holy; this lunar date, known as Śivarātri, is dear to me. Whoever, at this time, performs worship of the garlanded liṅga images, indeed accomplishes the duties of the world—maintenance, creation, and so on. On Śivarātri, day and night, one who is fasting, self-controlled, and worships according to rule and to the best of his ability, without deceit, gains the fruit of worshipping me continuously for a whole year at once.” “This is the time for the increase of my dharma, like the waxing phase of the moon; it is the festival of my establishment, the auspicious path for my devotees. Again, when I first appeared in the form of a pillar, that time falls in Mārgaśīrṣa, under the Ārdrā constellation, in the early part of the month. Whoever sees me, accompanied by Umā, or my image or the liṅga, in Ārdrā during Mārgaśīrṣa, is dearer to me than one hidden in a cave. On that auspicious day, mere sight alone is enough for the fruit; but if worship is performed, the result is beyond words.” “On that battlefield, when I manifested in the form of the liṅga, from that liṅga the place of the liṅga became established. This pillar, without beginning or end, will be of the size of an atom, for the sake of being seen by the world and for the purpose of worship, O dear one. This liṅga bestows enjoyment, and is the sole means to both worldly pleasure and liberation; by seeing, touching, or meditating on it, living beings are freed from birth. This liṅga, which has arisen, resembling a mountain of fire, will become renowned as Aruṇācala. Here, there will be many great sacred bathing places; and by dwelling or dying here, living beings attain liberation.” Thus, the Lord’s grace, ordinances, and blessings were proclaimed amidst the assembly of gods, establishing the sanctity of worship, the supremacy of Śivarātri, and the eternal glory of Aruṇācala.