The Sages said: “We wish to hear completely about the greatness of Mahādeva, the lordship of that noble soul and the details of his excellence in supremacy.”

Sūta said: “This has been declared by Viṣṇu formerly in the course of his conquest of the three worlds after binding Bali, the lord of the three worlds, of great prowess.

Sūta said: The consort of Śacī (Indra) was delighted when the Daityas were destroyed. Thereafter, all the Devas came to see the eternal lord. They came to the place where the lord of cosmic form abides near the milk ocean. The Siddhas, the Brāhmaṇa sages, the Yakṣas, the Gandharvas, the groups of divine damsels, the serpents, the divine sages, the rivers and the mountains approached the great soul and the supreme Being, Hari and began to eulogise him.

Sūta said: The consort of Śacī (Indra) was delighted when the Daityas were destroyed. Thereafter, all the Devas came to see the eternal lord. They came to the place where the lord of cosmic form abides near the milk ocean. The Siddhas, the Brāhmaṇa sages, the Yakṣas, the Gandharvas, the groups of divine damsels, the serpents, the divine sages, the rivers and the mountains approached the great soul and the supreme Being, Hari and began to eulogise him.

Sūta said: The consort of Śacī (Indra) was delighted when the Daityas were destroyed. Thereafter, all the Devas came to see the eternal lord. They came to the place where the lord of cosmic form abides near the milk ocean. The Siddhas, the Brāhmaṇa sages, the Yakṣas, the Gandharvas, the groups of divine damsels, the serpents, the divine sages, the rivers and the mountains approached the great soul and the supreme Being, Hari and began to eulogise him.

Sūta said: “You are the supporter and the maker (of the universe) O Lord, you create the worlds. It is due to your grace, that the three worlds attain ever-lasting welfare.

Sūta said: All the Asuras have been defeated. Bali has been imprisoned by you”.

Sūta said: All the Asuras have been defeated. Bali has been imprisoned by you”.

Translation not available.

Translation not available.

Translation not available.

Translation not available.

Sūta said: He resembled a hundred thousand suns. He shone by means of his own splendour. He was a four-faced person. (Puruṣa) of great Yogic power and golden lustre.

Sūta said: He was a lord wearing a skin of black antelope, and he was adorned with a Kamaṇḍalu (waterpot). This excellent person (Brahmā) reached me in a trice.

Sūta said: Then Brahmā who is (reverently) bowed to by the worlds, spoke to me:—“Who are you? Whence have you come? Why do you stay here? Tell me, O lord. I am the creator of all worlds. I am self-born. I have faces all round,”

Sūta said: Then Brahmā who is (reverently) bowed to by the worlds, spoke to me:—“Who are you? Whence have you come? Why do you stay here? Tell me, O lord. I am the creator of all worlds. I am self-born. I have faces all round,”

Sūta said: “Indeed I am the creator of the worlds and the annihilator as well again and again.”

Sūta said: “Indeed I am the creator of the worlds and the annihilator as well again and again.”

Sūta said: At the splendour and power of the lustre of Śiva, we remained with palms joined in reverence. We saw the mass of splendour increasing in size. It was excessively miraculous. Brahmā and I hastily rushed towards that massive flame. That circular mass of flames stood up piercing heaven and earth.

Sūta said: At the splendour and power of the lustre of Śiva, we remained with palms joined in reverence. We saw the mass of splendour increasing in size. It was excessively miraculous. Brahmā and I hastily rushed towards that massive flame. That circular mass of flames stood up piercing heaven and earth.

Sūta said: In the middle of that massive splendour, we saw the extremely resplendent Liṅga of the size of a mere span. It was unmanifest (?) yet endowed with extensive lustre.

Sūta said: That (Liṅga) in the middle was neither of gold nor of silver nor was it made of rock. It could not be specified. Nor could it be contemplated upon. It was visible and invisible again and again.

Sūta said: It was richly endowed with thousands of sparks. It was surprisingly mysterious. It was endued with great refulgence and it was increasing in size tremendously.

Sūta said: Clusters of flames spread everywhere. It was frightful to all living beings. It was extremely terrible in its features. It appeared to pierce heaven and Earth.

Sūta said: Then Brahmā told me,—“You go quickly beneath. Let us find out the end of this noble-souled Liṅga.

Sūta said: I shall go upwards until its end is seen.”

Sūta said: Thereupon, I went far below for a thousand years, but I could not find its end. I became frightened thereby.

Sūta said: Similarly, Brahmā went upwards, but he too did not reach its extremity. He too returned along with me to that vast expanse of water.

Sūta said: We were surprised and frightened of that great soul. We were deluded by the Māyā of that great Being. Our consciousness got lost and we stayed there (helplessly).

Sūta said: Thereupon, we meditated on the lord with faces on all sides, the imperishable lord who is the source of origin and the cause of dissolution of all the worlds.

Sūta said: We made obeisance, with palms joined in reverence, to the trident-bearing Śiva (Śarva), the lord of extremely terrific voice, of terrible features and curved fangs, to that great unmanifest lord.

Sūta said: “Obeisance to you, O lord of worlds and Devas. Salutations unto you, O lord of Bhūtas, O highly noble soul.

Sūta said: You are Parameṣṭhin (the highest deity), the supreme Brahman, the imperishable great region; you are the eldest one. You are Vāmadeva, Rudra, Skanda and Lord Śiva.

Sūta said: You are Yajña; you are Vaṣaṭkāra; you are Oṃkāra; you are the subduer of enemies; you are Svāhākāra, the obeisance, the consecration of all holy rites.

Sūta said: You are Svadhākāra, Yajña, holy rites and observances, the Vedas, the worlds, the Devas—the lord alone is everything all round.

Sūta said: You are the quality of sound of the firmament; you are the source of origin and cause of dissolution of all living beings, you are the quality of smell in the earth, the quality of taste in the waters and the colour in Tejas (fiery element), you are the great lord.

Sūta said: O lord of the Devas, you are the quality (called) touch in Vāyu (wind); you form the body of the moon.

Sūta said: O Lord of the Devas, you are knowledge in the intellect; you are the seed of Prakṛti.

Sūta said: You are the annihilator of all the worlds; you are Kāla identical with the god of Death, the cause of destruction. You sustain the three worlds, O Lord, you alone create them.

Sūta said: With your eastern face you assume the form of Indra; with your -southern face you withdraw the worlds again.

Sūta said: With your western face you are stationed in Varuṇa undoubtedly. O excellent one among the Devas, with your northern face you are Soma.

Sūta said: In one way or in many ways, O Lord, you are the source of origin and cause of dissolution of the worlds. O Lord, from you are born these viz.: the Ādityas, the Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, the Aśvins, the Sādhyas, the Vidyādharas, the Nāgas, the Cāraṇas, the ascetics, the Vālakhilyas and others who have performed good holy rites and many others.

Sūta said: In one way or in many ways, O Lord, you are the source of origin and cause of dissolution of the worlds. O Lord, from you are born these viz.: the Ādityas, the Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, the Aśvins, the Sādhyas, the Vidyādharas, the Nāgas, the Cāraṇas, the ascetics, the Vālakhilyas and others who have performed good holy rites and many others.

Sūta said: In one way or in many ways, O Lord, you are the source of origin and cause of dissolution of the worlds. O Lord, from you are born these viz.: the Ādityas, the Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, the Aśvins, the Sādhyas, the Vidyādharas, the Nāgas, the Cāraṇas, the ascetics, the Vālakhilyas and others who have performed good holy rites and many others.

Sūta said: In one way or in many ways, O Lord, you are the source of origin and cause of dissolution of the worlds. O Lord, from you are born these viz.: the Ādityas, the Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, the Aśvins, the Sādhyas, the Vidyādharas, the Nāgas, the Cāraṇas, the ascetics, the Vālakhilyas and others who have performed good holy rites and many others.

Sūta said: O Lord endowed with the potential strength and influence of ten thousand sets of ten thousand suns, obeisance be to you, O lord, as white as a thousand moons. Obeisance be to you who hold Vajra (thunderbolt) and Pināka bow. Obeisance be to you, O lord, with arrows and bow in your hands.

Sūta said: Obeisance to you, O lord, whose limbs are embellished with Bhasma (sacred ash). Hail to you, O lord, the destroyer of Kama’s body.

Sūta said: Bow to you, O lord of golden womb. Obeisance to you, O lord of golden navel; Hail to you, O lord of golden semen. Obeisance be to you, O lord, mysterious with a thousand eyes.

Sūta said: Obeisance be to you, O lord of golden colour. Salute to you, O lord of golden hair; obeisance be to you, O lord of golden heroism (?); obeisance be to you, the lord who distributes gold.

Sūta said: Obeisance be to you, O lord and master of gold; Bow to you, O lord with the sound of gold. Obeisance to you, O lord with the Pināka in your hand; salute to you, O blue-throated Śaṅkara”.

Sūta said: On being eulogised thus, the lord of great intellect appeared before us. The lord of Devas, the source of origin, of the Universe, who had the lustre of ten million suns.

Sūta said: Mahādeva of great lustre became filled with pity. He spoke to us as if he was about to swallow the sky with a thousand crores of mouths.

Sūta said: His neck was like a conch-shell in shape. His belly was well shaped He was bedecked in different kinds of ornaments. His limbs were variegated on account of different jewels. He wore different kinds of garlands and had applied different kinds of unguents.

Sūta said: The lord had Pināka in his hand; he held the trident; he was worthy of being worshipped by the Devas; he had serpents as the sacred thread; he was the cause of freedom from fear unto the Devas.

Sūta said: At that time, he burst unto a laughter, the sound of which was similar to that of Dundubhi (a big drum) and was comparable to the rumbling sound of the cloud. The sound filled the whole universe.

Sūta said: We two were frightened at that great sound. Then Mahādeva said,—“O excellent ones among the Devas, I am delighted. Both of you see the great Yogic power. May all fear be eschewed. Both of you are eternal and are formerly born of my limbs.

Sūta said: We two were frightened at that great sound. Then Mahādeva said,—“O excellent ones among the Devas, I am delighted. Both of you see the great Yogic power. May all fear be eschewed. Both of you are eternal and are formerly born of my limbs.

Sūta said: This Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds is my right hand. Viṣṇu who is never defeated in any battle, is my left hand.

Sūta said: I am pleased well with both of you. I shall give unto you the boon as you please”.

Sūta said: I am pleased well with both of you. I shall give unto you the boon as you please”.

The Lord of gods said: Thus the potentiality of that intelligent lord has been recounted to you. This is (he greatest knowledge. The unmanifest one is termed Śiva (Auspicious).

The Lord of gods said: Only those with the vision of knowledge see this subtle Being who cannot be contemplated upon. We shall make obeisance to that lord of the Devas. “O Mahādeva, Obeisance be to you, O Maheśvara, Salute be to you.”

The Lord of gods said: Only those with the vision of knowledge see this subtle Being who cannot be contemplated upon. We shall make obeisance to that lord of the Devas. “O Mahādeva, Obeisance be to you, O Maheśvara, Salute be to you.”

Sūta said;: “After hearing this, all the Devas went to their respective abodes, paying homage and respects unto Śaṅkara the great soul.

Sūta said;: He who recites this hymn unto the lord, the great soul, obtains all desires and gets rid of all sins.

Sūta said;: All this was narrated to them by Viṣṇu, the powerful one, due to the grace of Mahādeva, about the eternal Brahman. Thus everything regarding the power of Maheśvara has been described to you.