O goddess, the power of this great lord—destroyer of all sins—has now been described to you. Merely by beholding him, prosperity arises among men. In ancient times, all the gods were thrown into distress by the mighty demon Tuhuṇḍa. So great was his power that he brought the entire Nandana forest under his sway, seizing control of its treasures. He even took away the celestial horse, Uccaiḥśravas, for himself. Because of this, fear gripped the gods, and the very path to heaven was blocked. At that critical moment, the great sage Nārada—knower of time—arrived among the troubled gods. They received him with respect and worshipped him according to custom. Once their honors were complete, the gods gathered around Nārada, the foremost of sages, and asked him for guidance: “O great sage, in such a situation, what should we do?” Nārada closed his eyes in meditation for a moment, then spoke: “Go swiftly, even though you are distressed, to the delightful and vast Kāla forest. There, worship the supreme liṅga known as Īśāneśvara. In the ancient Īśāna epoch, by the grace of Īśāna, the highest state was attained—even upon the head of Śaṃkara himself. By worshipping that liṅga alone, one truly obtains the desire of the heart.” Hearing these words, the gods rejoiced. With devotion, they began to praise the Lord: “O Īśāneśāna, O Lord! O Īśāna, O Tatpuruṣa, homage to you! Three-eyed one, radiant Lord, great god, beloved of Umā, we bow again and again! Salutations to Śambhu, salutations to Rudra! O Virūpākṣa, repeated salutations to you!” They continued their praises: “All stationary beings, all creatures, and all that moves—everything is yours. The sky is your head, O gods; the moon and sun are your eyes. Your arms extend to all the directions, and your belly is the great ocean. Indra, Soma, Agni, Varuṇa, the gods, the asuras, the great serpents—all beings are pervaded by you, O Lord of the worlds. You alone are the remover of fear, the destroyer of enemies.” Yet, even with their own efforts, the gods had not attained the supreme liberation. Having worshipped you, O Lord, all of them bow to you in every way. Then, enveloped in smoke, a great flame arose, burning that demon to ashes. Through the power of this liṅga, the gods regained their own domains. It is our firm conviction that sovereignty itself is the very nature of this Lord. Those who worship the one called Īśāna and Īśvara—he who is ever worshipped by the gods, by hosts of gandharvas and apsarases—whether they be brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, women, or maidens, whoever, established in discipline, properly performs the viewing, all are always capable in all actions, O illustrious one. Thus, O goddess, your power, destroyer of sin, has been described to you. By whose mere sight the world attains its desired objects—he dwells in the Nandana forest, O goddess, a place endowed with all enjoyments, filled with parrots, cuckoos, chakoras, and kuraras. There, the enemy of Vṛtra, honored by the foremost of the gods, was seated. Yet, at that moment, her mind wandered, and she became distracted, recalling something out of carelessness.