Listen, O Krishna, to the wondrous story of the boundless power of Śaṅkara, the Supreme Lord. All the worlds, from Kālāgni to Śiva, along with their rulers, countless universes and their coverings—everything that exists, has passed, or will come to be, all directions and quarters, every division of time and its parts—whatever is seen or heard in this world, all are established by the force of Śaṅkara’s command. By his command, the earth stands firm, as do the mountains, clouds, oceans, the hosts of luminaries, the gods led by Indra, and whatever exists—moving or unmoving, conscious or unconscious. This, O Krishna, is most wondrous: the work of Śambhu, whose deeds are limitless. Hear this tale, 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!” Amidst their pride, the great Lord appeared in their midst, in a wondrous form without distinguishing marks, manifesting himself as a Yakṣa. The Yakṣa took a blade of grass from the earth and spoke to the gods: “Whoever among you can alter this is truly the conqueror of the demons.” Hearing these words, Vajrapāṇi, the lord of Śacī, angered and laughing, tried to pick up the blade of grass. But he could not even grasp it with his mind, let alone his hand. To cut it, he hurled his thunderbolt weapon. Yet, the thunderbolt, meeting the Yakṣa’s own, was struck in every way by the blade of grass and fell 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. Despite their combined efforts, all the gods striving against the blade of grass were rendered futile by the Yakṣa’s power. Indra, angered, demanded, “Who are you?” But as they 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 created at first, and by him it is again dissolved. 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, O Krishna, hear 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 this by his own forms; all this is remembered as his. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshana, and Sadashiva—these are known as his forms, by which this 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. The wise know that the form of Ishana, lordly among lords, presides over the ear, speech, sound, and also space. All those skilled in the meaning of the Puranas know that the form called Purusha, lordly among forms, presides over skin, hand, touch, and wind. The wise declare that the form called Aghora presides over the eye, the foot, form, and likewise fire. They know the form called Vamadeva, the sovereign, as devoted to pleasure, to the tongue, to taste, and likewise to water. They speak of the form called Sadyojata, the sovereign, as presiding over the nose, the generative organ, scent, and likewise earth. The five forms of the god are to be reverently worshipped always by those who seek the highest good, for they are the sole cause of all auspiciousness. Of that god, the god of gods, the world is composed of eight forms; pervading them, the universe abides in him, as clusters of jewels on a string. Ishana, the great god, and the eight renowned forms are declared. Earth, water, fire, wind, space, the knower of the field, the sun, and the moon are presided over by Mahesha through the eight forms beginning with Sharva. The form called Sharvi, also known as Shiva, upholds the universe, consisting of the moving and the unmoving, as the essence of the supporter of the world; this is the settled conclusion of the scripture.