The Supreme Lord, in his boundless compassion, granted to Śrīkara his own supreme abode, and to you, Sudarśana, he bestowed invincibility against the circle of kings. The ocean of mercy rescued Medura and his devoted wife from peril, and through his divine act, Śāradā, once widowed, was blessed again with a husband. The Lord severed the misfortune that troubled Bhadrāyuṣ and granted him happiness; by serving him, Sauminī was liberated from the bondage of worldly existence. O Śambhu, Lord of the rivers, you are the creator, sustainer, and destroyer, manifesting through the qualities of rajas, sattva, and tamas, ever seeking the welfare of living beings. You dissolve all pride, reveal all brilliance, remain hidden within every form of knowledge, and are the bestower of all grace. From you arises everything, and you are everything; all is contained within you, O Lord of the Mountain. Protect me, protect me, protect me again—shower your mercy upon me. At that moment, Brahmā, with hands joined in reverence, bowed low and, seizing the opportunity, offered his prayer to the wielder of the trident. “Victory to you, O God, O Great God, remover of the distress of those who bow! In such offenses, who else but you shows favor? Even those who have been defeated in battle before, and will be again—when the Supreme Lord is pleased, who would not be restored? Whatever faults have been committed here by the gods in battle, let them be considered ornaments, for you have accepted them with grace.” Hearing Brahmā’s words, the Lord of creation, the God of gods, looked upon the face of the Goddess and smiled gently. Out of affection for Brahmā, whom he regarded as a son, the Lord restored to the gods, beginning with the lotus-born, their limbs just as they were before. Likewise, to the goddesses, the divine mothers who had first been punished, the Lord of the Mountain restored their original forms. As for Dakṣa, the blessed one, Brahmā himself, the grandsire, gave him the face of an old goat, in accordance with his transgression. Dakṣa, upon regaining consciousness and realizing he was alive, became fearful. He joined his palms and, lamenting greatly, praised Śambhu: “Victory to you, O Lord of the universe, bestower of grace upon the worlds! Have mercy, O Great Lord, forgive my offense. You alone are the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the worlds. Now I truly understand that you are the Lord of Viṣṇu and all others. By you alone is all this extended, pervaded, and created; nothing is destroyed. Indeed, none like Acyuta and others are your superiors, O Lord.” Thus agitated, fearful, and speaking incoherently, Dakṣa, who had committed a wrong, pleaded for forgiveness. Pleased by his son Brahmā’s supplication, the Lord graciously granted Dakṣa the imperishable leadership of the Gaṇas. The gods, filled with humility, praised Śankara, the Lord of Girijā: “Victory to you, Śankara, Lord of the gods, great master, protector of the distressed! Show mercy, O Maheshana, and truly forgive our offense. O guardian and lord of sacrifice, destroyer of sacrifice, Lord of the cremation ground, have mercy and forgive us. O God of gods, supreme Lord, nourisher of your devotees, punisher of the wicked, master—show mercy; salutations to you. You remove the pride of the wicked and those ignorant of you; you are especially the protector of the virtuous devoted to you. Truly, your deeds are wondrous, and by your compassion, all offenses are forgiven; your greatness is your love for the afflicted.” Thus praised by Brahmā and the other immortals, the great Lord—ocean of compassion, ever devoted to his devotees—was pleased. He bestowed his favor upon Brahmā and the other gods, and Śankara, friend of the afflicted, gladly extended blessings to humankind as well. Then, with supreme compassion, the Lord, removing all their fears with a gentle smile, addressed the gods who had sought his refuge: “Whatever has happened here, done by the gods as if compelled by fate, all that, as you have come seeking refuge, is truly forgotten by us. Therefore, let the matter be settled—without shame or conflict, go happily now to the city of the gods, led by Hari, Virinchi, and Indra.” Having thus spoken to the gods, the Lord of gods, who had destroyed Dakṣa’s sacrifice, remained with Girijā and his attendants, and then vanished from the sky. The gods, their distress gone and their great and auspicious deeds recounted, departed immediately and joyfully as they wished, many-faced and led by Maghavan. With the Lord vanished, a question arose: where did Hara, accompanied by the goddess and his attendants, go? Where did he dwell, and what did he do there? The illustrious Mandara, best of mountains, adorned with wondrous caves and beloved of the Lord of gods, became his abode for austerities. There, upon its summit, the mountain bore Shiva as he performed great austerities. In time, Mandara attained the happiness born from touching the dust of his lotus feet. The beauty of that mountain is beyond description—even with a thousand mouths, it could not be fully expressed in hundreds of millions of years. Even if it were possible, I am unable to describe its splendor, for the beauty of all other mountains is ordinary by comparison. Yet this much can be said: this mountain possesses such abundance and loveliness that it is truly fit to be the dwelling of the Lord. For this very reason, desiring to please the goddess, the god made this exceedingly lovely mountain his inner palace.