There exists a sacred teaching, hidden and profound, woven with tenfold meanings. The unwise, those lacking devotion or discipline, often dismiss or misunderstand it, for it lies beyond their reach. Sometimes, this teaching aligns with the duties prescribed for the various classes and stages of life; at other times, it diverges. Drawn fully from the Vedas and their six limbs, and also from the wisdom of Sāṃkhya and Yoga, it encompasses the breadth of spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Lord has expounded this teaching in countless texts—innumerable as a hundred crore—so vast is its extent. Within this immense body of knowledge, the question arises: how should one worship the Lord? Who is truly qualified for worship, or for the paths of knowledge and yoga, especially at the beginning? O virtuous one, please explain all this in detail. Summarize, then, the Shaiva teaching as spoken by Shiva himself and found in the Vedas, free from both praise and censure, and immediately effective in bringing conviction. I shall briefly share that divine knowledge, born of the guru’s grace, which grants liberation effortlessly, though its full exposition is beyond words. Long ago, when the desire to create arose, Shiva—the immovable, the great Lord—manifested himself from the unmanifest, holding within himself both cause and effect, the essence of true existence. At that primordial moment, the Lord, surpassing all sages, created Brahmā, the first among the gods and the lord of speech. Even as Brahmā was coming into being, he beheld the divine Father, for by the Lord’s command, the divine progenitor saw him at the very moment of his own birth. The Lord, seen by Rudra, then created the universe and established the separate orders and stages of life. For the sake of sacrifice, he created Soma; from Soma arose the sky, and from the sky came forth the earth, fire, the sun, the sacrifice itself, Vishnu, and Indra, the lord of Shachi. These deities and others praised Rudra with hymns dedicated to him, and the Lord, his face filled with grace, stood before the gods. Yet, for his own divine play, the great Lord withdrew their knowledge and bewildered them. In their confusion, the gods asked him, “Who are you?” The blessed Rudra replied, “I alone am the ancient one. I will be, and there is no one apart from me. I alone am the entire universe, and I sustain it with my own radiance. There is none greater than or equal to me; whoever knows me is liberated.” Having spoken thus, Rudra vanished from their sight, and though the gods could no longer see him, they continued to praise him with hymns. In their devotion, the immortals undertook the Pāśupata vow, as established in the Atharvaśiras, and covered their bodies with holy ashes. Then, to bestow his grace upon them, the Supreme Lord, together with his attendants and with Umā by his side, revealed himself. This is the very Lord whom sinless, ever-vigilant yogis, with controlled breath, perceive in their hearts. The foremost of the gods beheld that deity, the supreme power called by yogis, who follows the will of the Lord. Those who had cast off worldly existence and attained the supreme Śaiva state saw her as well—the left-eyed consort of Maheśa, standing to his left. The ever-perfect beings and the lords of the gaṇas also beheld her. Then, together with the goddess, the gods praised Maheśvara. With divine hymns dedicated to Maheśvara and with ancient Purāṇic chants, the gods offered their praises. Seeing their devotion, the Bull-bannered Lord was moved with compassion. He spoke words naturally sweet, saying, “I am pleased.” The gods, their minds filled with joy, bowed reverently and asked him the most important question: “O Lord, by which path should you be worshipped on earth? Who is entitled to your worship? Please reveal this truth to us.” Hara, the best of gods, gazed with a smile at the goddess and revealed his own form—terrible, radiant like the sun, and supreme. He appeared endowed with all lordly qualities, filled with supreme radiance, surrounded by his powers, forms, limbs, planets, and gods. With eight arms, four faces, and a wondrous half-female form, he stood before them. Seeing such a marvelous appearance, the gods, led by Viṣṇu, understood: the god is the sun, the goddess is the moon, and from them arise the five elements and all that moves and does not move. Having spoken thus, the gods bowed to him and offered arghya. To the Lord of vermilion hue, perfectly formed, adorned with golden ornaments, lotus-eyed, holding a lotus, and the cause of Brahmā, Indra, and Nārāyaṇa, they offered the most excellent arghya. It was filled with precious gems, gold, water, fine saffron, kuśa grass, and flowers, presented in a golden vessel. They prayed, “O Lord, be gracious to us.” They offered salutations to Śiva, the peaceful one, with his attendants, the primal cause—to Rudra, to Viṣṇu, to Brahmā, and to the sun-formed one. Whoever, with concentrated mind, worships Śiva in the solar maṇḍala and offers the finest arghya in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, should bow and recite these verses, which are the very essence of the scriptures. For such a devoted person, nothing is unattainable, and liberation is assured. Therefore, one should always worship Shiva, who is in the form of the sun, for the sake of righteousness, desire, wealth, and liberation, with mind, action, and speech. Then, seeing the gods assembled, Maheshvara, seated in the circle, imparted the supreme scripture of all traditions—and then vanished from their sight. In that gathering, it was known that the right to worship belonged to Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas. The gods bowed to the Lord of the gods and departed as they had come. After a long time, when that scripture had disappeared from the world, Maheshvari, seated on the lap of her husband, questioned him. Prompted by the goddess, the god adorned with the moon raised his hand and spoke, once again revealing the supreme scripture of all traditions.