From the waters, from the trees, from flowers, and from all that grows in the underbrush and among the creepers—these countless forms of life arise. I myself, said the Lord, shall go forth before them, leading the way and directly conquering all their enemies. Each of these splendid, enhanced origins brings me delight; in their diversity and beauty, my joy is found. In this blessed place, devotees of Shiva will surely come to be, thoroughly fulfilled—there can be no doubt of this. Whoever hears these words, which arise from the very mouth of Shambhu, will find their sins dispelled and their hearts uplifted. Then, with reverence, a devotee spoke: “Especially, I wish to hear about this sacred place, so revered by the gods. On earth, those things that grant our deepest desires are always difficult to obtain for those of little merit. But here, you are the Lord of Shonadri, the Lord of Arunadri, the Lord of the gods, beloved by all people. You are the Lord of immortality, who never casts away any soul, the giver of both female and male forms. You are the Lord whose feet are eloquent, the auspicious and gracious one, known as the Lord of musk. You are the Lord bound to knowledge, beautiful even with the Halahala poison in your throat. You are the one who holds the upraised trident while dancing, radiant and glorious, the Lord of dancers. You are the Lord of the universe, the great god, the three-eyed one, destroyer of Tripura. Ever youthful in form, you embody forbearance, protect righteousness, and bear the bull as your banner. You are the destroyer of Kama, enemy of Andhaka, king of the Siddhas, and sky-clad ascetic. You are the consort of Shri, Shankara, the creator, lord of all knowledge, ever sinless. You are Aruna, of many forms, Virupaksha, of imperishable nature. You are existence, consciousness, and bliss itself—the very soul of all, sustainer of life. You are the giver of knowledge, the bestower of liberation, fulfilling every true devotee’s desire. You wield the trident, O Lord of creatures, Shambhu, self-born, Lord of the mountain, the most gracious one. Recall, too, the other divine names spoken of in ancient texts, for your glory is boundless. Then the Lord spoke: “Because I am fond of circumambulation and have taken the form of the Śoṇa mountain, I have made this place my eternal abode, O daughter of the mountain, never leaving it even for a moment.” The goddess then asked, “Tell me, O lord of the Śoṇa mountain, the greatness of circumambulation. At what time, in what manner, and by whom should it be performed, as it was done in days past?” The Lord replied, “Listen, O goddess, to the greatness as instructed to me by Maheśvara. All the gods, together with the sages, are gathered around me on all sides. Whatever sins there are—even those committed in previous births—are washed away here. The merit of thousands of Aśvamedha sacrifices and tens of thousands of Vājapeya sacrifices is gained here. Even one who is deprived of all marks, devoid of ritual acts, or of low birth—by coming here, attains the merit of visiting all holy places, performing all sacrifices, and engaging in all righteous acts. With one step of circumambulation, the earthly world is traversed; with the second, the mid-space. With one step, mental sin is removed; with the second, verbal sin. All sins are wiped away with a single step. Here, thousands of hermitages of great sages and perfected beings are found. In this sacred place, I dwell eternally, perfected, at the forefront, worshipped by the gods. It is heard that my form here is that of a pillar of fire, beginning with red. This liṅga is composed of eight forms, intensely radiant and made of pure light. For the one who performs circumambulation of this liṅga, there is no rebirth. By the mere touch of the dust from his feet, the entire earth is purified. He bows in every direction, meditates, and praises with joined palms, his heart filled with devotion and awe.