Surrounded by his mighty hosts, the Lord appeared as fierce as Bhairava, the destroyer of Tripura. In his wrath, he consumed the multitude of beings before him. The army of the gods, once proud and radiant, now became wretched and hideous to behold, their pitiable forms born from the very lord of the hosts. From among the heroic gods, a dreadful river of blood began to flow, foretelling terror for all living beings. The sacrificial ground was drenched in blood, its red hue darkening like night, resembling Kaishiki deprived of her beauty. As this great and exceedingly fierce battle raged, the earth itself trembled, seized by fear. The vast ocean surged with mighty waves and whirlpools. Blazing meteors fell, portents of calamity, and trees cast down their branches. All the quarters became inauspicious as an unwholesome wind blew. Alas, this was a reversal of cosmic order—the horse sacrifice, though performed by Daksha himself, the son of Brahma and lord of creatures, was not proper. Yet the upholders of righteousness and the assembly members were protected by the one bearing the Garuda banner, and the gods led by Indra directly received their shares. But for Daksha, the sacrificer, and the priests together with the sacrifice, immediate beheading became their fate—an unworthy outcome. Therefore, acts not prescribed by the Veda nor sanctioned by the Lord should not be performed. Even if one performs countless sacrifices and great meritorious deeds, without devotion to the Great Lord, one does not attain their fruit. Even if one has committed great sin, worshipping Shiva with devotion brings liberation from all sins—there is no doubt about this. Why say more? Charity, austerity, sacrifice, and oblation are all in vain for one who delights in reviling Shiva. Then the hosts of gods, along with Narayana, the Rudras, and the guardians of the worlds, struck by arrows loosed from the bow of the lord of the hosts, fled the battlefield, overwhelmed by intense pain. Some divine heroes wandered with hair disheveled, some staggered with limbs outstretched, some fell with faces shattered, and some could no longer move. There, some gods perished, their garments, ornaments, weapons, and armor scattered, collapsing in utter distress, stripped of pride, arrogance, and strength. Having routed the path and scattered Daksha’s sacrifice with unbroken weapons, the lord of the hosts stood among his followers, shining like a lion among bulls. Thus, with their bodies shattered and broken, the gods led by Vishnu, in a moment, reached a dire state—trembling, with only a few remaining. The Pramatha hosts, incited by Virabhadra and filled with supreme fury, pursued the terrified heroes—the gods and others—on the battlefield. Seizing them, they bound their hands, feet, necks, and bellies with strong iron fetters. At that moment, Brahma, the blessed one, best of mountains and son of Indra, moved by compassion as a charioteer, approached and spoke in supplication: “Enough of this anger, O Lord! These dwellers of heaven are destroyed. Be gracious—let all be forgiven, together with the Romajas, O virtuous one.” Thus, having been informed by Brahma, the supreme lord’s attendant, out of respect, became peaceful and pleased. The gods, seizing the opportunity, ministers of the god of gods, holding their hands in reverence upon their heads, praised him with various hymns. They honored Rudra the auspicious, lord of the Rudras, embodiment of Rudra; the form of Kālāgni Rudra, destroyer of the bodies of Kāla and Kāma, slayer of the heads of the gods and of the wicked Daksha. They confessed, “Because of association with the sin of Daksha, who acts without blemish, we have been punished in battle by you, O hero, and are blameless. We have all been burned by you, O lord, and are afraid; you alone are our refuge. Protect us who have come for shelter.” Thus praised and pleased, the lord released the gods from bondage and brought them to the presence of the god of gods. There, the blessed lord, standing in the sky with his attendants, all-pervading Sharva, the great lord of all worlds, was beheld. Seeing the supreme lord, the gods led by Vishnu, though pleased, were also fearful, and bowed to Maheshvara. Hara, remover of distress, seeing their fear, smiled as he looked at Parvati and spoke: “Do not fear, all you gods; you are indeed my own people. Only for the sake of granting favor was punishment administered by the compassionate one. Your transgression, O immortals, has been forgiven by us. When we are angry, neither your position nor your life remains.” Thus addressed by Sharva, of immeasurable brilliance, all the gods at once, freed from doubt, danced joyfully. Their minds became clear and overwhelmed with bliss, and the dwellers of heaven began to compose hymns to Shankara: “You alone, O god, are the creator, protector, and destroyer of all worlds. You are the supreme lord, manifest in the forms of Kavi, Vishnu, and Rudra, whose essence sustains rajas, tamas, and sattva. Salutations to you, who are of all forms, creator of the universe, purifier; to the formless one, who, for the sake of devotees, has assumed a pleasing form. The moon, O lord of gods, was healed by your compassion, O Shankara; after sinking, it attained happiness from the offering of the sun’s rays. Sīmantinī, whose husband was slain, O lord, by worshipping you, attained incomparable good fortune and sons from the vow of the moon day.” Thus, the gods rejoiced, their hearts filled with gratitude and awe before the supreme Lord Shiva, whose grace restores order and grants liberation to all.