Victory to you, O Rudra, destroyer of sacrifices, wielder of the mighty Pināka bow, and leader of the fierce Pramathas! Triumph to you, O terrible one, hunter of wild beasts, clad in animal hides, yet an unfathomable ocean of compassion! By your command, the wind-god and the great serpent uphold the weight of the earth; at your will, the celestial bodies traverse the heavens, O Lord. Through your ordinance, prosperity flourishes and the earth yields its abundance of crops. You alone possess the unique brilliance of the great divine powers, beginning with aṇimā—the ability to become infinitesimally small. Yet, when we are freed from trouble, we forget you; only in distress do we remember your greatness. It is by your grace, O Lord, that devotion arises, and by your will, it is withdrawn. Thus, with hands joined in reverence and praise, the Lord of all creatures, who bears the discus, honored you. Then, the great Lord mounted his bull, which shone white as the peak of Kailāsa. His matted locks were crowned by the crescent moon, and serpent earrings dangled from his ears. His eyes gleamed from his broad forehead. He bore a trident, a skull, a drum, a deer, an axe, and a bow. His breath dusted his form, and he wore an upper garment made from elephant hide, while a tiger skin was wrapped as his lower garment. Those present beheld him in awe. Even lotus-born Brahmā, the creator, was bewildered, unable to comprehend this vision. With a gracious, delighted gaze, Maheśvara looked upon Mādhava—Viṣṇu himself. The great Lord spoke of the authority both Viṣṇu and Brahmā possessed at the beginning of creation. “Having tested my greatness, Hari has now become awakened. When I was mocked, you, Brahmā, desired five faces. This is the third time you have spoken in such a manner—how can it be endured? And when this one, adorned with a ketaka blossom, bore false witness…” Thus cursing them, Giriśa—the Lord of the Mountain—turned affectionately to Viṣṇu and said, “Indeed, you are born from my own body and are especially endowed with the quality of sattva, purity. Therefore, there shall never be any loss of devotion towards me from you, at any time.” Out of compassion, the three-eyed Lord showed his favor to the devotee of the egoless Hari. Then Viṣṇu spoke, “Except through awe and reverence, your grace is not easily obtained. Your words are never uttered in vain, and your sovereignty is beyond challenge. Who is Viṣṇu? Who am I? Who are these guardians of the directions, Indra, and the others? You alone are the Supreme Lord, O husband of Pārvatī; we and all these others are but your cattle. You are the embodiment of the twenty-six principles and pervade everything in all directions. Indeed, you are the god who once appeared as a hunter, accompanied by the Sārameya hounds, as the stories tell. At Dakṣa’s sacrifice, it was Virabhadra, acting by your command, who wrought destruction. In your form as the fire of time, you consume all the cosmic eggs at the end of creation. You pierced Jalandhara with your trident when he committed offense. If you had not held the Kālakūṭa poison in your throat, who among us could have borne it? In the Devadāru forest, you subdued the sages who were attached only to ritual actions. If you had not trampled us underfoot, we would have fallen into terrible delusion. If you had not revealed the form of Ardhanārīśvara, the Lord who is half woman, the world would not know your mystery. By you, O Śambhu, even the proudest, with conquering arms, have been restrained.” Thus, the glories and the boundless compassion of the great Lord Śiva were praised and revealed, and all present bowed in reverence before him.