Hear now a wondrous tale, O gentle listener, of devotion, austerity, and the supreme grace of Śiva. In a certain birth, a soul found himself blessed with two mothers. Reflecting upon this unusual fortune, he resolved to undertake austerities, and sought to bring Caitra to him. Turning away from worldly attachments, he considered Caitra with the detachment of wisdom. The brāhmaṇa, thus honored and cared for as a son, was protected by him. In the west, there stood the supreme liṅga of the god Indreśvara. While this noble soul was engaged in severe austerities there, the god himself spoke to him, addressing him as one pure of heart and bright of smile. The Lord instructed, “You must act according to the sixth Manu; go and do as he has done.” Thus commanded by the Lord of gods, the wise devotee humbly replied, “So be it.” Through devoted worship of that liṅga, he was blessed with sons. O goddess, because of this devotion, he achieved a most difficult accomplishment and rejoiced greatly. Indeed, those who behold Ānandeśvara, the Lord, O wide-eyed goddess, have the sins of a hundred million births destroyed. In that very moment, such a person is freed from birth, death, old age, and all suffering. The sight of Ānandeśvara, I declare, grants liberation to people; there, O goddess, the supreme liṅga is worshipped by the gods themselves. This, O goddess, is the sin-destroying power that I have described to you. By merely seeing him, one becomes freed from all sins. Once, on the beautiful bank of the sacred river Vitastā, there lived a brāhmaṇa. He was abandoned by his relatives and by his wicked wife. Yet, desiring a son, he pleased me, the Lord, through his austerities in a mountain cave. By my favor, O beautiful-faced one, a son was born to him—a child who, at birth, took up his own garment from the neck, a sign of divine blessing. When six years had passed, the brāhmaṇa thought to perform the sacred thread ceremony for his son. Bowing to all the sages, he worshipped them with devotion, and, according to his means, completed the rite with fruits as offerings. He entreated the assembled sages, “O best of sages, let blessings be given to this son.” But the sages remained silent, offering no reply. Through meditation, the brāhmaṇa realized with a heavy heart, “Surely my son has but a short lifespan.” Realizing this, the sage was plunged into confusion and sorrow. Long ago, Rudra, being pleased with the brāhmaṇa’s devotion, had granted him a boon: “Your son, equal to me in strength, will emerge from the center of the Kaṃthā.” Seeing his father so distressed, the young sage became silent and contemplative. Then, full of resolve, the son spoke: “Abandon your fear now. Though you are sorrowful and your efforts seem to have failed, I will subdue Yama, the lord of death, for your sake. By severe austerities, I will please Śaṃkara, and with devotion to my father, I will destroy Death’s hope of victory. I take refuge in Rudra, the great Lord, ever united with Umā, to obtain a boon. Through fierce penance I will propitiate the blue-throated one’s feet and soon banish Death from our lives.” The sages, astonished, questioned the boy: “Child, how do you know Rudra, the supreme one? Even we do not know the great Lord; how have you, a mere child, come to know him? Where and how have you known Maheśa, the sole master of the worlds?” Hearing the words of these sages, whose minds were intent upon the divine, the child replied, “As I was playing here, the giver of success, who grants all accomplishments, appeared before me. He said, ‘Go, my son, at my command, to the most excellent Mahākālavana. Quickly worship him, and you will become long-lived.’” Thus, by the grace of the Lord and the power of devotion, the brāhmaṇa’s son was saved from untimely death, and the greatness of Śiva’s compassion was revealed to all.