Desiring unwavering devotion to the Supreme Lord who dwells in the hearts of all beings, the great sage immersed himself in the recitation of countless Rudra mantras and performed worship with the deepest dedication. His heart was pure, his mind focused solely on the Lord. Pleased by such devotion, the Lord smiled with affection and addressed the sage in gentle, sweet words. He said, “You have worshipped me with a pure heart and sincere devotion, O child. Never does devotion at my feet drive me away. O great sage, you have undertaken and completed severe austerities for a thousand years—an act most wonderful and exceedingly difficult. Because of your devotion, all the gods, along with Indra, will come to see you. You now possess a divine, radiant form, adorned with celestial ornaments. Assuming my very appearance—three-eyed, resplendent with my own energy, and foremost in all virtues—you shall be free from old age and death, even in this body. O best of the twice-born, you shall be the chief among my attendants. You have attained the eightfold excellence and sovereignty, the fruits of your austerity. From this day forward, you will be preeminent among the gods in all divine undertakings. All beings everywhere will worship you alone. You will always be the giver of boons to those who seek them and the sustainer of the world. Whoever hates you, hates me; whoever follows you, follows me. You must always stand at the southern gate, O lord of the hosts, and from this day, you shall be the eternal doorkeeper, O best of the gods. No force—neither thunderbolt, staff, discus, nor fire—can harm you. Neither gods, demons, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, nor serpents can overcome you. When you are pleased, I am pleased; when you are angered, I am angered. Thus, having granted these boons, the Lord of Uma, deeply satisfied, continued to speak. He said, “Know that all the gods have come here, along with the hosts of Maruts. Whatever boon I have declared to you, let it be fulfilled, dear one. Here are present Narayana, Indra, the Maruts, and the hosts of yakshas, vidyadharas, siddhas, gandharvas, and nagas. Seeing your prosperity, they are tormented with intense envy. Always, those who desire boons long to undertake austerity here. Until they arrive in this place, mortals do not see me. But today, all the gods, led by Brahma, are present with you through my grace. O best of the twice-born, I know the intentions of them all.” Thus concludes the two hundred thirteenth chapter in the glorification of Gokarneshvara, as told in the divine scripture of the Varaha Purana. Once again, the greatness of Gokarna and the bestowal of boons by Nandikeshvara are recounted. At that moment, the lord of beings became invisible. Nandikeshvara stood there, resplendent, with four arms and three eyes, his form radiant and divine. He held a trident, a club, a staff, and the mighty Pinaka bow, and wore a girdle of sacred munja grass. He stood firmly, drawing back his foot, as though calling out to the twice-born sage. Witnessing this wondrous sight, all the celestial beings moving through the sky became anxious and apprehensive. Hearing of these events, Indra, the thousand-eyed king of heaven, and all the other heavenly dwellers exclaimed, “This one, having received a boon from Maheshvara, beloved of Uma—” Thus, the glory of Gokarna and the power of unwavering devotion were revealed to all the worlds.