Just as the mere presence of fragrance can stir and awaken the senses when agitated, so too, O Pārvatī, is the divine Liṅga—beginningless and the supreme cause of the universe—ever-present and all-pervading. When the primordial matter of creation is stirred, it is by the power of this Liṅga that all arises. Within the great cosmic egg, all the worlds dwell together: gods, demons, and humans alike. It was He alone, the supreme Lord, who was both the agitator and the agitated at the dawn of time, O Lord of the earth. Though He is beyond all qualities, when the universe began, He took on the quality of passion and was born as the Lord of all. In the form of Brahmā, He creates the worlds, acting through the predominance of purity. Then, when the quality of darkness rises, He becomes Rudra and draws the entire universe back into Himself. Just as the irrigator, the cultivator, and the protector of crops are ultimately like the harvester who gathers in the yield, so too does this Lord create as Brahmā and dissolve as Rudra. Know, dear one, that passion is Brahmā, darkness is Rudra, and purity is Viṣṇu, the Lord of the world. In every cycle of creation, from the very beginning, the gods have sung of this mystery. The place where this occurs has always been named the 'Great Time Forest,' O wide-eyed one. "I am the greater, I am the greater," He proclaims, "for at the beginning of creation, I am the cause of all manifestation." In this Great Time Forest, the Liṅga is known as the 'Lord of the Kalpa,' and there is neither doubt nor dispute about this, O goddess. At that time, Brahmā journeyed to the endless upper worlds, seeking the beginning and end of this great Lord. Yet, neither Brahmā nor Keśava (Viṣṇu) could find either the beginning or the end. Humbled, they praised the one who stood before them with hymns from the Vedas. Thus, from this moment, this is the beginningless kalpa on earth. Even mortals burdened with the five great sins and a wicked mind—if they receive your vision, O Lord—may auspiciousness always be theirs. The merit gained by bathing at all holy places cannot compare, for those who have not received your vision fall again and again into the world of pleasure and pain. Only when a person's sins are destroyed does your vision occur. Even one who is a killer of a Brahmin, a drinker of liquor, a thief, or one who has violated the teacher's bed—such a person, upon receiving your grace, attains the supreme state, free from rebirth. The fruit gained from performing an Aśvamedha or a Rājasūya sacrifice cannot compare; those without your grace are like animals, and their birth is in vain. Having spoken thus, the god Keśava and Brahmā, O beautiful-faced one, honored the Lord. Thus, O goddess, I have told you this glory that destroys all sin. By merely beholding this Lord, wealth arises in this world. Once, O Goddess, while you and I were playing together in my palace, all the gods sent Agni into my presence. As I played, my seed was cast into the mouth of Agni. Agni, bearing this divine and difficult-to-bear seed, went and deposited it elsewhere. From what remained of that seed, beautiful gold was born. Seeing the first offspring of Agni, O Pārvatī, all beings—Yakṣas, Sādhyas, Piśācas, humans, Rākṣasas, and birds—were drawn to it. For the sake of gold, a great tumult arose, each one crying, "This is mine!" Then, from this strife, chief weapons and various arms appeared. The Asuras contended with Asuras, humans with humans, beings with beings, and Rākṣasas with Rākṣasas—all driven by the desire for gold.