By the command of Shiva, the wicked are restrained, and Shesha, the mighty serpent, supports the earth upon his head, fulfilling Shiva’s will. The dark, fierce, and death-bringing form of Hari, too, arises entirely by the Lord’s decree. Vishnu, with his many forms, protects the universe and, when the time comes, destroys it—all according to the command of the Lord of Time. He creates, trembles, and with his three bodies, destroys all worlds at the appointed end; Hari acts only by that supreme command. The soul of the universe, threefold in nature, creates and protects, while Time accomplishes everything and destroys all beings. Time itself preserves the universe by the order of the Lord of Time, sustaining the world with three portions, sending forth rain and other phenomena. In the sky, the sun pours down rain by the command of the God of gods, nourishing plants and delighting all creatures. By the order of the moon-crested Lord, the gods drink the essence of the moon—the Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Ashvins, and Maruts alike. Celestial beings, sages, perfected ones, enjoyers, humans, wild animals, cattle, birds, insects, and even immobile beings—all are sustained by this divine command. Rivers, oceans, mountains, forests, lakes, the Vedas and their limbs, treatises, mantras, hymns, and sacrifices; worlds from Kālāgni to Śiva and their rulers; countless universes and their coverings—all are established by the power of Śaṅkara’s command. Everything that exists now, that has passed, or that will come to be—all directions and quarters, divisions of time and its parts—whatever is seen or heard in this world, all is founded upon Śaṅkara’s command. By the force of his will, the earth stands firm, as do mountains, clouds, oceans, hosts of luminaries, the gods led by Indra, and everything that exists, moving or unmoving, conscious or unconscious. This, O Krishna, is most wondrous—the work of Śambhu, whose deeds are boundless. Listen to this, which I have heard from the mouth of the Veda: Long ago, the gods, led by Indra, quarreled among themselves after defeating the demons in battle. Each boasted, “I am the victor!” “No, I am!” At that moment, the great Lord appeared among them in a wondrous form, without distinguishing marks, manifesting as a Yakṣa. He took a blade of grass from the earth and said, “Whoever among you can alter this is truly the conqueror of the demons.” Hearing these words, Vajrapāṇi, Indra, lord of Śacī, angered, laughed and tried to pick up the blade of grass. Yet, he could not even grasp it with his mind, much less his hand. To cut it, he hurled his thunderbolt weapon, but the Yakṣa’s power struck it in every way, and the blade of grass caused the thunderbolt to fall sideways to the ground. Then, other mighty guardians of the worlds, enraged, hurled their weapons by the thousands at the blade of grass. A great fire blazed forth, a fierce wind blew, and the lord of waters swelled—as happens when dissolution approaches. Thus, O Krishna, all the gods, striving together against the blade of grass, were rendered futile by the Yakṣa’s own power. Indra, angered, asked the Yakṣa, “Who are you?” But as all watched, the Yakṣa vanished from sight. At that moment, the goddess of the Himalayas appeared in the sky, adorned with divine ornaments, radiant and smiling beautifully. Seeing her, the gods led by Shakra were filled with wonder. Bowing to her, they asked, “Who is this extraordinary Yakṣa?” Smiling, the goddess replied, “He is beyond your perception. By him, this wheel called samsara, moving and unmoving, is set in motion. By him, the universe is first created, and by him it is dissolved again. There is no other controller—by him alone all is governed.” Having spoken thus, the great goddess vanished, and all the gods, amazed, bowed to her and returned to heaven. Now hear, O Krishna, of the forms of Mahesha, Shiva, the Supreme Self, by whose embodiments this entire world, moving and unmoving, is pervaded. That Shiva, the immeasurable Self, abides in all creation by his own forms; all this is remembered as his. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshana, and Sadashiva—these are known as his forms, by which the universe is pervaded. Moreover, there are other forms as well, five called the Brahmas; by these bodies, everything here is pervaded, and nothing remains outside them. Ishana, Purusha, Aghora, Vama, and Sadya—these five forms of the god are renowned as the Brahmas. The form called Ishana, the foremost and most exalted, directly presides over the enjoyer of nature, the knower of the field. The form of the Lord called Tatpurusha, the steadfast one, presides over the unmanifest, the object of experience, which is based in the qualities. The highly revered form called Aghora of Pinakin presides over the principle of intellect, endowed with dharma and the other eight limbs. Those learned in the Agamas say that the form of Mahadeva called Vamadeva presides over ahamkara. The form of Shambhu called Sadyojata, of immeasurable splendor, is said to preside over the mind. Thus, O Krishna, all that exists is pervaded and governed by the forms and command of the Supreme Shiva, whose wondrous deeds encompass the entirety of creation, preservation, and dissolution.