The one I set out to seek—Shiva himself—had assumed the form of a beast. Yet now, through the awakening of my own inner self, clarity has returned to me. In that awakening, I understood: for the one who truly seeks, knowledge arises instantly, born of the self and untouched by ego. With this realization, I surrendered myself and took refuge in Shankara. By the true grace of the Lord of all beings, I was once again uplifted on this earth. However, I was overcome by fatigue—my head spun, my eyes wavered, my wings drooped. In that state, I beheld a great pillar of light, immense like a linga, the radiant Shaiva effulgence worshipped by the gods themselves. Longing to discover the supreme limit of Shambhu, I exerted myself to the utmost. Yet, even as my body nearly collapsed, my ego still clung to me. I realized then: when the radiance is beyond reach, all delusion is futile. It was Shiva himself, full of unfeigned compassion, who turned me away from this fruitless pursuit. Whoever seeks to perceive the farthest reaches of your radiance, O Shiva—radiance subtler than the smallest atom—will find that if you grant understanding, their sense of self is dissolved. Hearing this, my own ego was shattered, and I reflected deeply within. I understood: knowledge of Shiva arises only by his grace. Yet, even after such insight, the mind tries to gather itself once more, clinging to the remnants of selfhood. I bow again and again to those perfected beings whose minds are wholly offered to Shiva. Now I recognize the truth: Shiva, standing before me, is the very cause of my own existence. All the gods, too, become victorious over their adversaries only by his power. Therefore, I take refuge in Shambhu, unique in all the universe. Having received this body, I have sought shelter in Shiva, the moon-crested one, with devotion. Indeed, the ego that arises in us has its source in Shambhu. That very Shankara is the essence of all ego within both of us. This lord—Sadashiva, the pillar of fire—is ever honored by the gods. Filled with devotion, I praised him, performing mental worship with a pure heart. "Salutations to the great Shiva, the sole cause of all worlds! Your radiance pervades the universe, shining forth without ceasing. This pure earthly linga is seen only with the eye of the inner self. Yogis perceive within themselves that which is formless and without limit. Or else, the true power of Shankara is subtler than the subtlest, yet real. Even the smallest being, touched by your compassion, becomes a vessel of greatness. O Lord, O great god, be gracious—surpassing all the worlds." With this humble plea, bowing again and again, I turned to him. Then, with a voice deep as a newly-formed cloud, Vishnu himself spoke: "Victory to you, Lord of the three worlds! Victory to you, O master who bears Ganga! O Shambhu, your boundless and sincere compassion ever increases. You preserve all knowledge and bestow prosperity in abundance. Even with hundreds of forms or countless new hymns, one cannot fully praise even a single aspect of you. You alone can truly know yourself, or perhaps, by your grace, another may know you. Are not all the gods themselves born from a portion of you?" Thus, in humility and awe, they recognized the boundless greatness of Shiva, the source and support of all.