In the heart of the Mahākāla forest, a scene of awe and terror unfolded. All around, hosts of serpents—fierce and frightening—encircled the area, their presence formidable. The asura, too, had surrounded the forest on every side, sealing it in a ring of power. Amidst this intense atmosphere, I arrived and struck the fierce ḍamaru drum, its sound reverberating through the forest. With the resonant beat of the ḍamaru, something wondrous occurred: the supreme liṅga arose, manifesting itself in that sacred place. From the liṅga, a great flame burst forth, illuminating the surroundings with its brilliance. Simultaneously, from another part of the liṅga, a mighty wind emerged, its force driving a mass of blazing radiance outward, spreading its light far and wide. Witnessing this divine spectacle, all the hosts of gods were filled with joy. By the greatness of this god, the powerful Vajra was burned, and in this world, the liṅga would become renowned as bestowing all desired fruits. Because the sound of the ḍamaru echoed upon the earth, those who come to see and worship the god Ḍamarukeśvara at this place will obtain the fruit of hundreds of properly conducted Cāndrāyaṇa rites. Those who, with devotion, behold the liṅga of Ḍamarukeśvara here will certainly attain the eternal world of Rudra. Freed from mental sins, they will reach the supreme state; and upon seeing this liṅga, people will gain the merit equal to donating a thousand cows. Even those steadfast in battle who behold Ḍamarukeśvara will receive these blessings. O Devi, this power of his, the destroyer of sin, has been revealed to you. It is always praised as the eternal remover of all sins. At the beginning of the kalpa, O Devi, this liṅga emerged. At that primordial moment, there was neither wind, nor water, nor sky, nor planets—nothing existed. From this liṅga, the entire world arose, both immobile and mobile. From it were born the lineages of gods, sages, and ancestors. As many creations as there are, and as many dissolutions, all trace their origin to this liṅga. 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 encompasses both existence and non-existence. The 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 qualities. At the end of dissolution, by this liṅga, the entire divine creation existed. I, awakened upon the earth, am the beginningless origin of the world. The Lord of the world quickly revealed both Prakṛti and Puruṣa. Just as mere proximity causes fragrance to arise through agitation, so too is the deity beginningless, the supreme cause of the universe. When primordial matter is agitated, O Pārvatī, it is by the liṅga. Within the cosmic egg exist all the worlds, with gods, demons, and humans. He alone was the agitator before, and he is the one agitated, O Lord of the earth. The Lord of the universe was born; though devoid of qualities, he became endowed with the quality of passion. In the state of Brahmā, he creates the worlds, then, by the predominance of purity, he sustains them. When the quality of darkness arises, as Rudra, he absorbs the entire universe. Just as the irrigator, cultivator, and protector are ultimately the harvester, so too, in the state of Brahmā, he creates the worlds, and as Rudra, he dissolves them. Passion is Brahmā, darkness is Rudra, purity is Viṣṇu, the Lord of the world. Thus, O Devi, the mystery of the liṅga and the greatness of Ḍamarukeśvara are revealed, eternal and ever-removing all sins.