In that sacred place, the Lord’s compassion extended not only to humans, but even to animals and the embodied souls among the immobile beings. For people, liberation could be attained simply by beholding or remembering this holy site, even from afar. To bestow auspiciousness, the Lord’s radiant form remained there eternally, manifest as an immovable image, untouched even at the end of the ages when the great oceans might rise—this sacred linga would never be submerged. Made of pure light, it surpassed all other lights, and none could rival its brilliance. Whomever the Lord wished to bless would be born in this very place. Liberation could be gained by prostrating from a distance or circumambulating the holy image from nearby. Here alone, the residence of great souls was assured. Indeed, even those who dwelled elsewhere, without disregarding the sanctity of Shonachala, could attain liberation. There were two devotees whose egotism was dissolved; they surrendered themselves completely to the Lord. “Let this mountain remain,” they declared, “for truly, its radiance is exceedingly hard to bear. O Rudra, this is no ordinary mountain—its brilliance is like that of a divine peak, shining forth its own light for the prosperity of the entire world. Even so, by your command, the Śoṇa mountain brings happiness to all people. From this day forward, at our request, let us worship the beautiful Lord of the Aruṇa mountain here, in this very valley.” They described the abundance of the place—kesara trees, mangoes, nāga, puṃnāga, and kesara blossoms flourished there. “O Lord of gods, ocean of compassion, you should be present right here. Otherwise, our minds will not find true purification, even if the god is pleased in other ways. On the eastern side of the Śoṇa mountain stands this lofty peak. The Vedas, with all their branches, the Dharmaśāstra, the Purāṇas, and the scriptures of Śiva—these all speak of you. For the supreme good of your devotees, you alone, in the form of the guru, guide us. Among all these traditions, in what manner should we worship you?” Then the embodiment of compassion, the Lord of the world and son of the Earth, spoke: “You should worship me by the path taught in the Kāmika scripture. I believe the Śaiva Saṃhitā has been forgotten by you both, due to delusion.” At that very place, an auspicious liṅga manifested itself. Mukunda and Kamalāsana were both astonished at this wondrous sight. In reverence, they constructed a temple for the Lord of Śoṇagiri and excavated a sacred lake nearby. After some time, they established a city there, naming it Aruṇā. This holy site became a dwelling for Brahmarṣis, gods, Gandharvas, and celestial women. The sacred river fords took the form of wells there, and the Gaṅgā and other rivers were present as well. Goloka itself became a cow-pen in that place, and the Vedas took on tangible form. Even beings such as ghosts, spirits, piśācas, vetālas, and kaṭapūtanās were present. The god Dhūrjaṭi—Śiva himself—assuming the form of a siddha, was there out of curiosity. Śiva was never unrecognized by anyone and always shone everywhere. For a long time, the devotees worshipped the Lord of Śoṇādri with heartfelt devotion, performing initiations and other sacred rites, becoming their own teachers in spiritual practice. Each morning, after bathing, they would gather flowers, leaves, and fruits to offer in worship, thus maintaining the sanctity and devotion of that holy place.