With reverence and devotion, the gods offered their salutations: to the One realized through Vedānta, to the very embodiment of sacrifice, to the destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice, to the Lord who inspires awe throughout the world. They bowed to the Lord of the universe—Śiva, Śambhu, Bhava—the god with matted locks, fierce and mighty, the greatest of all. Thus praised, Śambhu, the eternal wielder of the mighty bow, addressed the assembled gods, declaring, “O gods, I am the Lord of all gods. Tell me, what should I do for you?” The gods replied, “O Bhava, if you are pleased with us, grant us the Vedas, the scriptures, and knowledge without delay. Reveal to us, O Lord, the secret of sacrifice.” Mahādeva answered, “All of you shall become my cattle, united together. I shall be your Lord, and thus you shall attain liberation.” The gods joyfully agreed, and from that moment Śiva became known as Paśupati, Lord of all beings. Brahmā, his heart gladdened, addressed Paśupati: “O Lord of gods, the fourteenth lunar day shall henceforth be yours without doubt. On that day, those who worship you with faith, fasting and then eating wheat food together with the twice-born, will honor you.” At that sacred time, Rudra, who was himself fasting, received from Brahmā—the one born from the unmanifest—the teeth, eyes, and fruit from the sacrifice of Bhaga and Pushan, and with them, perfect knowledge among the gods. In this way, Rudra’s origin from Brahmā was established in ancient times, and by this very procedure, he became the Lord of the gods. Whoever rises at dawn and listens daily to this sacred account is freed from all sins and attains the world of Rudra. The great ascetic continued, “O King, now listen as I explain the origin of the ancestors. Long ago, Brahmā, the lord of creatures, desiring to create various beings, concentrated his mind and placed all the subtle elements outside it. Yearning for creation, he meditated upon the supreme Brahman with great intensity. As the supreme lord entered into union within himself, subtle elements emerged from his body, luminous yet tinged with a smoky hue. These beings, desiring to ascend, cried out, ‘Let us drink!’ and called the gods ‘Soma.’ They remained in the sky, practicing austerity. Seeing them, Brahmā addressed those who faced upward in a horizontal position: ‘You shall be the ancestors of all householders.’ Those whose faces were turned upward became known as the Nāndīmukha ancestors, ever to be honored at rites for prosperity according to scriptural injunction. The twice-born who maintain the sacred fire should satisfy these ancestors with regular, occasional, and desired offerings, as well as with fortnightly rites. Kshatriyas, wearing outer garments, should also honor them, and those who partake of clarified butter should always be respected by the people. Shudras, when permitted by Brahmins, should honor their own ancestors properly, though without the prescribed mantras and rituals. Among Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas who do not maintain the sacred fire, the ancestors should always be honored at the proper time before the household fire. When honored in these ways, the ancestors bestow desired boons—life, fame, wealth, sons, knowledge, noble lineage, and memory. Having said this, Brahmā established for them the path called the southern course, as the grandsire of the ancestors. He then created beings in silence. The ancestors said to him, ‘O Lord, grant us a means of subsistence so that we may attain happiness.’ Brahmā replied, ‘Let the new moon day be yours. On that day, when satisfied by humans with water mixed with kusa grass and sesame seeds, you shall attain supreme satisfaction—never otherwise. Sesame seeds should be offered after fasting with devotion to the ancestors; thus satisfied, they quickly grant a boon.’ The great ascetic continued, “Atri, the mind-born son of Brahmā, was a great sage. His son was Soma, who became the son-in-law of Dakṣa. Dakṣa’s twenty-seven daughters, renowned throughout the worlds, became the wives of Soma, with Rohini as the foremost among them. Yet Soma delighted only in Rohini, neglecting the others. The neglected wives, united in their distress, complained to their father, Dakṣa. Dakṣa himself approached Soma repeatedly, urging him to treat all his wives equally, but Soma would not heed his words. At last, Dakṣa cursed him: ‘Become hidden!’ Afflicted by this curse, Soma began to wane and was about to abandon his body. In response, Soma said to Dakṣa, ‘So shall it be for you as well: though you have many offspring, you will abandon this eternal Brahma-body.’ Having spoken thus, Soma declined, and with his loss, gods, humans, cattle, and plants all began to perish. All beings diminished, especially the herbs; as the plants withered, the gods suffered greatly. In their distress, they realized that Soma remained only at the roots of the plants. Their anxiety mounting, they sought refuge in Viṣṇu. The Blessed Lord asked, ‘Tell me, what should I do?’ The gods replied, ‘O Lord, Soma has been destroyed by Dakṣa’s curse.’ Viṣṇu instructed them, ‘Let the pot-ocean be churned; let all the gods quickly and skillfully cast in herbs from everywhere.’ Having spoken, Hari himself meditated on Rudra, as well as on Brahmā and Vasuki, to accomplish the churning. All together, they churned the abode of Varuṇa. From this great churning, Soma was born again. He, who is called the knower of the field, the supreme person within this body, is Soma—the very life of all embodied beings. By the will of the Supreme, he assumed a separate, gentle form. By Soma’s grace, humans, the sixteen deities, trees, and herbs all live and flourish. Then Rudra bore Soma entirely upon his own head, and from that time, the waters became Soma’s very essence, and he is remembered as the form of the universe itself.