Rudra, the great lord of all beings, stood bereft of his magical power. His awareness had faded, his knowledge destroyed, and his yogic prowess lost; he was left powerless and bewildered. In this state of confusion, someone addressed him: “Rudra, why do you stand here, shrouded in delusion? You are the very separation of Vaiśākha, the origin of all, the ultimate refuge. Why do you not recognize your true self, even though your faithful attendants surround you? Tell me truthfully what I have asked you, for I have come here for the sake of your beloved.” With eyes scorched by the burden of sin, Rudra spoke sweet words. He addressed the one god Nārāyaṇa, the great lord who rules all the worlds: “I have now attained union and knowledge, and am free from distress. I know you, and you know me, O Mādhava. Yet Brahmā, the creator, knows only what passes between us, not what lies beyond. Thus, having spoken these words to me, Hara, the great lord of beings, continued: ‘By your grace, O Viṣṇu, I have destroyed the stronghold of Tripura. There, children and elders alike were slain, fleeing and scattering in all ten directions. Their yoga and magical powers were lost, their sovereignty destroyed, O Mādhava. Now, O Viṣṇu, tell me truly the means of purification, the destroyer of sin.’” As Rudra pondered these matters, I spoke to him. Hearing my words, the blessed supreme lord asked, “O Viṣṇu, what is that place of equality, where we both may go? For the purpose of purifying this sin, I have spoken thus.” I replied: “There is a place where people remain of their own accord, entirely free from desire. There, with firm resolve, they stay for thousands of divine years. The flesh of those who have been slain, and the foods that are dear to you, will be set aside. But when a thousand years are completed, you will again stand, purified. There, abiding in the hermitage of Gautama, you will come to realize your true self. Yet, constantly, a skull filled with the stain of sin will be fixed upon your head.” Having granted Rudra this boon, I vanished from that place. Therefore, O Earth, I have never found the cremation ground pleasing. O blessed one, this is why the cremation ground is repugnant to me. Now, let me declare the atonement by which one is cleansed of sin. One should lie in the open air, wearing only a single garment, seated upon kusa grass. Freed from all sins, such a one attains my world. Listen, O fair-hipped one, to the excellent atonement for him: There, a man is born who is devoted to my deeds. For him, O fair-hipped one, I shall declare a most powerful atonement. For one day, he should subsist only on barley and cow’s urine. He does not return to worldly existence, but attains my world. Even if he is a fool, a doer of wicked deeds, yet devoted to my actions—for as many hairs as are present on the body of the Boar, on my own form—so many are the blessings that await him.