From the sacred Liṅga, the entire world emerged—everything that moves and does not move, all forms of life and matter. From this Liṅga arose the lineages of gods, sages, and ancestors, the very roots of divine and mortal existence. Every cycle of creation and dissolution, all the worlds beginning with Bhūrloka and the seven nether realms remembered by the wise, sprang forth from this source. Everything visible and invisible, O beautiful-faced one, comes from the Liṅga; so it is declared that the subtle, eternal Person, whose essence is both existence and non-existence, is at the heart of all. This Liṅga is steadfast, imperishable, ageless, and immeasurable—it depends on nothing else. It is without beginning or end, the unfading womb of the universe, born from the three qualities. When dissolution concludes, it is by this Liṅga that the entire divine creation exists anew. I, awakened upon the earth, am the beginningless origin of the world. The Lord of the world quickly revealed both Prakṛti and Puruṣa, the principles of creation. Just as fragrance arises from mere proximity and agitation, so too is the deity beginningless, the supreme cause of the universe. When primordial matter stirs, O Pārvatī, it is by the power of the Liṅga. Within the cosmic egg lie all the worlds, with gods, demons, and humans. He alone was the agitator in the beginning, and he is also 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, when purity predominates, he sustains them. When darkness arises, as Rudra, he absorbs the entire universe. Just as the irrigator, cultivator, and protector are ultimately like the harvester, so too does the Lord create and dissolve. In the state of Brahmā, he creates the worlds; as Rudra, he dissolves them. Passion is Brahmā, darkness is Rudra, and purity is Viṣṇu, the Lord of the world. In every cycle of creation, from the very beginning, this truth is always sung by the gods. O wide-eyed one, the name ‘Great Time Forest’ has always been given to this sacred place. “I am the greater, I am the greater,” declares the Lord, for at the beginning of creation, he is the cause of manifestation. In the Great Time Forest, the Liṅga will be known as ‘Lord of the Kalpa’; there is no doubt or dispute about this. Then, O goddess, Brahmā journeyed to the endless upper worlds. Yet neither Brahmā nor Keśava could see the beginning or the end. With various hymns prescribed in the Vedas, they praised the one who stood before them. Therefore, from today onward, this is the beginningless kalpa on earth. Any mortal, even one joined with the five great sins and of wicked mind, may find auspiciousness if granted the vision of the Lord. The merit gained by bathing at all holy places cannot compare; those who miss this vision fall again and again in the world, caught in pleasure and pain. When a person’s sins are destroyed, then the Lord’s vision occurs. Even a killer of a Brahmin, a drinker of liquor, a thief, or one who violates the teacher’s bed—he too attains the supreme state, free from return, if granted this vision. The fruit gained from an Aśvamedha or a Rājasūya sacrifice is surpassed by the merit of beholding the Lord. Those who do not receive this are like animals in the world; their birth is in vain. Having spoken thus, the god Keśava and Brahmā, O beautiful-faced one, paid homage. Thus, O goddess, I have told you this glory, which destroys all sin. By merely beholding him, wealth arises in this world.