O Krishna, who but you—among all gods and demons—could truly know the supreme state, the deepest essence of Shiva? Even after drinking the nectar of Shiva’s knowledge that has flowed so directly from your lips, O wielder of the bow, my mind remains unsatisfied, yearning for more. You have sat in the very lap of the Lord, the creator and sustainer of all worlds. Tell me, what did the supreme Lady, seated thus, ask her divine husband? You have asked well, O Krishna. Because you are devoted to Shiva, disciplined, and possess an auspicious mind, I shall tell you truly. Upon the splendid Mandara, the best of mountains, in a lovely cave, the great Lord entered into divine meditation, accompanied by the goddess. At that time, the goddess’s dear companion, smiling and radiant, brought forth fully blossomed, exceedingly charming flowers. The Lord of gods, delighted, placed the goddess on his lap and adorned her with those flowers. They sat together, filled with joy. Then, the goddesses of the inner chambers, adorned with divine ornaments, along with the intimate leaders of the hosts, approached the great Lady of all worlds. With fly-whisks in hand, these goddesses served both the Lord and the Lady—he who is the perfect husband and the great Lord of all worlds. Delightful stories and events were recounted for their enjoyment and for the protection of those people in the world who seek refuge in Shiva. Observing the moment, the great Lady of all worlds turned to her husband, the great Lord, and asked, “By what means, O Lord, is the great God made accessible to mortals of dull understanding, who lack self-knowledge and have not realized the true nature of the self?” Shiva replied, “Not by action, nor by austerity, nor by recitation, nor by postures and the like, nor even by knowledge or any other means am I made accessible—unless there is faith. If there is faith in me, for whatever reason, then I become accessible, touchable, visible, worshipped, and approachable in speech. Therefore, one who wishes to draw me near must cultivate faith in me, for faith is the cause of upholding one’s own duty here among those who live within the social order. “A person who lives according to the duty of their own class and stage of life—only such a person has faith in me, not anyone else. All the duties established by tradition for those in the stages of life were taught by Brahma in accordance with my command. That ancestral duty, accompanied by many rituals and acts of charity, does not yield excessive fruit, but is attended by hardship; by that great duty, one attains faith, which is very difficult to obtain. “Those who belong to the social orders and take refuge in me alone—virtue, desire, wealth, and liberation are attained with ease by them. The conduct of the social orders and stages of life was further established by me, but only for my own devotees among those who follow the social order. There is no authority for others—this is my firm command. Those of the social order who take refuge in me must follow the path prescribed by that command. “Freed from the bonds of impurity and illusion by my grace, attaining my supreme state—which is difficult to return from—they reach the highest likeness to me and attain bliss. Therefore, whether one has obtained or not obtained the social duty prescribed by me, if he is my devotee, relying on me, let him uplift his own self by his own self. Even the mere attempt to obtain it is many millions of times greater; therefore, having received the social duty from my mouth, one should practice it. “My incarnations, O auspicious one, appear under the guise of teachers of yoga, and in every age, noble lineages arise by the thousands. For those who are unfit, lacking understanding, and without devotion, O Lady of the gods, knowledge of the lineage is difficult to obtain; therefore, one should seek it with effort. That is loss, a great defect, that is delusion and blindness and muteness—when one exerts oneself elsewhere, excluded from the path of liberation. “O Lady of the gods, knowledge, action, conduct, and yoga—these four are declared to be my eternal dharma. Knowledge is the understanding of the soul, bondage, and the Lord; action is the ritual purification of the six paths, performed according to rule and dependent on the teacher. Conduct is the observance of duties prescribed by me for those engaged in the varṇas and āśramas, and for my worship and related dharmas. Yoga is the restraint of the fluctuations of the mind, by the very path I have taught, with the mind established in me. “The calming of the mind, O goddess, is superior to a thousand horse sacrifices; it grants liberation and is difficult to attain for those who seek sense objects. Yoga is for one who has subdued the senses through restraint and discipline, and for the dispassionate alone; it removes previous sins. From dispassion arises knowledge, and from knowledge, yoga proceeds. One who knows yoga, or even one who has fallen from it, is liberated—of this there is no doubt. Compassion must always be practiced, as well as nonviolence and the gathering of knowledge. “Truthfulness, non-stealing, faith, self-control, teaching and study, performing and officiating at sacrifices—these are to be observed. Meditation, the sense of divinity, and constant devotion to knowledge—whoever acts thus, as a brāhmaṇa, attains success in the yoga of knowledge. Very soon, having attained realization and yoga, the knower burns this body in an instant with the fire of knowledge, O beloved. “By my grace, the knower of yoga will abandon the bondage of karma—both good and evil actions are obstacles to liberation; therefore, by command, the yogi should renounce both merit and demerit. It is by desire for the fruit that one is bound by action, not by mere performance of action; therefore, one should renounce the fruit of action.” Thus, in this sacred assembly, the supreme truths of Shiva’s path were revealed, guiding all who seek him toward faith, right conduct, and liberation.