He, the Supreme, brought forth a powerful and tamasic illusion—one so difficult to overcome that even the hearts of maidens became bewildered by its force. As darkness spread across the realm, the goddess herself was seized by fear, for the atmosphere was thick with dread. In that very place, Hara, the skull-bearing Lord, stood established in the form of a liṅga, radiating an unwavering presence. Meanwhile, Vajra, perceiving that the gods and the goddess had been vanquished, gathered his strength. In the divine forest of Mahākāla, surrounded by countless chariots—hundreds of millions—Vajra declared his intent: “Today I will slay the gods, together with that thoroughly wicked one.” At that critical moment, Nārada, the foremost of sages, arrived. He conveyed to the gods the news of their defeat at the hands of Vajra, recounting, “In the Mahākāla forest, O Lord, the gods have been struck down.” Upon hearing Nārada’s words, I, O Supreme Lady, became aware of the dire situation. Encircled by hosts of fierce and terrifying serpents, the Mahākāla forest was now surrounded on all sides by the asura Vajra and his forces. Then I arrived and struck the fierce ḍamaru drum, its sound reverberating through the realms. At the very sound of the ḍamaru, the supreme liṅga arose in all its glory. From that liṅga, a great and wondrous flame emerged, blazing with divine energy. From another part of the liṅga, a mighty wind arose, and, driven by that wind, a mass of blazing radiance spread forth, illuminating everything. The hosts of gods, their minds now filled with joy and hope, rejoiced at this divine manifestation. By the greatness of this god, the mighty Vajra was burned, his power consumed by the radiance. In this world, the liṅga became renowned as the bestower of all desired fruits. Because the sound of the ḍamaru arose upon the earth, those who see and worship the god Ḍamarukeśvara will obtain the merit of performing hundreds of properly conducted Cāndrāyaṇa rites. Those who, with devotion, behold the liṅga of Ḍamarukeśvara at this sacred place will certainly attain the eternal world of Rudra. Freed from mental sins, they will reach the supreme state, and those who witness this will obtain the merit equivalent to gifting a thousand cows. Even those who are steadfast in battle and behold Ḍamarukeśvara will be blessed. O Devi, this power of his—the destroyer of sin—has thus been revealed to you. This liṅga is ever praised as the eternal remover of all sins. At the very beginning of the kalpa, O Devi, this liṅga emerged. At that time, there was neither wind, nor water, nor sky, nor planets—nothing existed. From this liṅga arose the entire world, both that which moves and that which is still. From this liṅga were born the lineages of gods, sages, and ancestors. As many creations as there have been, and as many dissolutions likewise, all the worlds beginning with Bhūrloka and the seven nether realms remembered by the wise, all that is visible and invisible, O beautiful-faced one, arises from the Liṅga. Thus, the subtle, eternal Person is declared—whose nature is both existence and non-existence. This liṅga is steadfast, imperishable, ageless, immeasurable, and dependent on none other. It is without beginning or end, the womb of the universe, unfading, and born of the three guṇas. At the end of dissolution, by this liṅga, the entire divine creation existed in potential. I, awakened upon the earth, am the beginningless origin of the world. The Lord of the world swiftly revealed both Prakṛti and Puruṣa, the fundamental principles of creation. Thus is the glory of the liṅga, the source and sustainer of all that exists.