He who brings destruction entered Daksha’s great sacrifice, and at his arrival, the foremost among the seers was struck with fear. Withdrawing quietly from that tumultuous place, he concealed himself within the twisted branches of a mango tree. In the midst of these divine events, a transformation occurred: she became the best of rivers, known henceforth as Sita Sarasvati. The Kandishikas, approaching the mighty Shankara, found themselves dissolved into nothingness. Meanwhile, having received the sacrificial cake and other offerings, the Lord sprang up, soared into the sky, and returned to his own celestial abode. Those present, filled with awe, joined their hands and offered flowers, standing bowed in reverence before the sage. In the aftermath, a goddess lamented pitiably for Indra and the other lords of the gods, grieving their fate. Many of the immortals had been struck down by powerful blows of the palm, while others—gods and their kin—were destroyed outright by the fire of his gaze. Consumed by anger, one adversary stretched out his arms and rushed furiously at Maheśvara. With calm might, Śaṅkara caught him effortlessly with both arms, restraining him with a single hand. From the adversary’s fingers, streams of blood began to flow in all directions. Śaṅkara swung him about ceaselessly, as a lion might play with a young deer. The assailant’s arms grew limp, his sinews and joints torn asunder. Again and again, he called out, “Come here, Kāpālin,” summoning the Lord of the chariot. Struck by a mighty fist, his teeth fell to the ground, and he collapsed unconscious, like a mountain felled by a thunderbolt. With his two terrible eyes, the Lord fixed his gaze upon Vṛṣadhvaja and cast him down, shaking all the gods with fear. Witnessing this, the assembled ones bowed deeply, standing with palms joined in supplication. Still burning with wrath, he looked as if to incinerate all the gods and asuras with his fiery glance. Terrified at the sight of Hara’s fury, many fled to the abode of Yama, the god of death. The moment any were seen by his third eye, they were instantly reduced to ashes. One, faltering in fear, fled into the sky, accompanied by the southern direction itself. At that moment, Maheśvara, in the form of Time, took up the Pāśupata missile and stood ready. With half his form manifest in the sky, Śarva was revealed as the very embodiment of Time. It is said that the characteristics and true nature of this Time-formed Lord should be explained in full. By whom, O foremost sage, was the sky pervaded for the welfare of all worlds? The sign of Aries, the field of Mars, is regarded as the head of this cosmic Time. Taurus, ruled by the Moon, is his mouth. Gemini forms the arms of the trident-bearing Lord who stands in the sky. The sign of the Sun, O Brahman, is celebrated as the heart of this mighty Lord. The house of the Moon’s son, the second sign, is his belly. The second house of Venus, Libra, is declared to be his navel, while Scorpio is said to be his genitals. The Lord’s thighs are celebrated in this cosmic form, and half of Dhaniṣṭhā and Śatabhiṣ are his knees. The principal house of Saturn, Aquarius, is established as his shanks, and the second house of Jupiter, Pisces, are both his feet. Thus, the vast body of the Time-formed Lord stretches across the heavens, encompassing all the signs and all the worlds for their ultimate welfare.