Chapter 285

“Yudhishthira said, ‘It behoveth thee, O sire, to tell me those names bywhich Daksha, that progenitor of creatures, adored the great deity. Osinless one, a reverent curiosity impels me to hear them.’

“Bhishma said, ‘Hear, O Bharata, what the names, both secret andproclaimed, are of that god of gods, that deity of extraordinary feats,that ascetic of secret vows.’

“Daksha said, ‘I bow to thee, O lord of all the gods to the destroyer ofthe forces of the Asuras. Thou art the paralyser of the strength of thecelestial chief himself. Thou art adored by both gods and Danavas. Thouart thousand-eyed, thou art fierce-eyed, and thou art three-eyed. Thouart the friend of the ruler of the Yakshas. Thy hands and feet extend inall directions to all places. Thy eyes also and head and mouth are turnedon all sides. Thy ears too are everywhere in the universe, and thou artthyself everywhere, O Lord! Thou art shaft-eared, thou art large-eared,and thou art pot-eared. Thou art the receptacle of the Ocean. Thy earsare like those of the elephant, or of the bull, or like extended palms.Salutations to thee! Thou hast a hundred stomachs, a hundred revolutions,and a hundred tongues. I bow to thee! The utterers of the Gayatri singthy praises in uttering the Gayatri, and the worshippers of the Sun adorethee in adoring the Sun. The Rishis regard thee as Brahmana, as Indra,and as the (illimitable) firmament above. O thou of mighty form, theOcean and the Sky are thy two forms. All the deities dwell in thy formeven as kine dwell within the fold. In thy body I behold Soma, and Agni,and the lord of the Waters, and Aditya, and Vishnu, and Brahmana, andVrihaspati. Thou, O illustrious one, art Cause and Effect and Action andInstrument of everything unreal and real, and thou art Creation andDestruction. I bow unto thee that art called Bhava and Sarva and Rudra. Ibow unto thee that art the giver of boons. I bow always unto thee thatart the Lord of all creatures. Salutations to thee that art the slayer ofAndhaka. Salutations to thee that hast three matted locks, to thee thathast three heads, to thee that art armed with an excellent trident; tothee that hast three eyes and that art, therefore, called Tryamvaka andTrinetra! Salutations to thee that art the destroyer of the triple city!Salutations to thee that art called Chanda, and Kunda; to thee that artthe (universal) egg and also the bearer of the (universal) egg; to theethat art the holder of the ascetic’s stick, to thee that hast earseverywhere, and to thee that art called Dandimunda! Salutations to theewhose teeth and hair are turned upwards, to thee that art stainless andwhite, and that art stretched all over the universe; to thee that artred, to thee that art tawny, and to thee that hast a blue throat!Salutations to thee that art of incomparable form, that art of dreadfulform, and that art highly auspicious! To thee that art Surya, that hast agarland of Suryas round thy neck, and that hast standards and flagsbearing the device of Surya. Salutations to thee that art the Lord ofspirits and ghosts, to thee that art bull-necked, and that art armed withthe bow; to thee that crushest all foes, to thee that art thepersonification of chastisement, and to thee that art clad in leaves (oftrees) and rags. Salutations to thee that bearest gold in thy stomach, tothee that art cased in golden mail, to thee that art gold-crested, tothee that art the lord of all the gold in the world! Salutations to theethat hast been adored, that deservest to be adored, and that art stillbeing adored; to thee that art all things, that devourest all things, andthat art the soul of all things! Salutations to thee that art the Hotri(in sacrifices), that art the (Vedic) mantras uttered (in sacrifices),and that ownest white flags and standards. Salutations to thee that artthe navel of the universe, that art both cause and effect in the form ofthe five primal elements, and that art the coverer of all covers.Salutations to thee that art called Krisanasa, that art of thin limbs,and that art thin. Salutations to thee that art always cheerful and thatart the personification of confused sounds and voices. Salutations tothee that art about to be stretched on the earth, that art alreadystretched, and that standing upright. Salutations to thee that art fixed,that art running, that art bald, and that bearest matted locks on thyhead. Salutation to thee that art fond of dancing and that strikest thypuffed cheeks making thy mouth a drum.[1407] Salutations to thee that artfond of lotuses that blow in rivers, and that art always fond of singingand playing on musical instruments. Salutations to thee that art theeldest-born, that art the foremost of all creatures, and that art thecrusher of the Asura Vala. Salutations to thee that art the Master ofTime, that art the personification of Kalpa; that art the embodiment ofall kinds of destruction, great and small. Salutations to thee thatlaughest awfully and as loud as the beat of a drum, and that observestdreadful vows! Salutations for ever to thee that art fierce, and thathast ten arms. Salutations to thee that art armed with bones and that artfond of the ashes of funeral pyres. Salutations to thee that art awful,that art terrible to behold, and that art an observer of dreadful vowsand practices. Salutations to thee that ownest an ugly mouth, that hast atongue resembling a scimitar, and that hast large teeth. Salutations tothee that art fond of both cooked and uncooked meat, and that regardestthe gourded Vina as highly dear. Salutations to thee that causest rain,that helpest the cause of righteousness, that art identifiable with theform of Nandi, and that art Righteousness’ self! Salutations to thee thatart ever moving like wind and the other forces, that the controller ofall things, and that art always engaged in cooking all creatures (in thecauldron of Time).[1408] Salutations to thee that art the foremost of allcreatures, that art superior, and that art the giver of boons.Salutations to thee that hast the best of garlands, the best of scents,and the best of robes, and that givest the best of boons to the best ofcreatures. Salutations to thee that art attached, that art freed from allattachments, that art of the form of Yoga contemplation, and that artadorned with a garland of Akshas. Salutations to thee that art united ascause and disunited as effects, and that art the form of shadow and oflight. Salutations to thee that art amiable, and that art frightful, andthat art exceedingly so. Salutations to thee that art auspicious, thatart tranquil, and that art most tranquil. Salutations to thee that art ofone leg and many eyes, and that hast only one head; to thee that artfierce, to thee that art gratified with little offerings, and thee thatart fond of equity. Salutations to thee that art the artificer of theuniverse, and that art ever united with the attribute of tranquillity.Salutations to thee that bearest a foe-frightening bell, that art of theform of the jingle made by a bell, and that art of the form of sound whenit is not perceptible by the ear.[1409] Salutations to thee that art likea thousand bells jingled together, and that art fond of a garland ofbells, that art like the sound that the life-breaths make, that art ofthe form of all scents and of the confused noise of boiling liquids.Salutations to thee that art beyond three Huns, and that art fond of twoHuns. Salutations to thee that art exceedingly tranquil, and that hastthe shade of mountain trees for thy habitation.[1410] Thou art fond ofthe heart-flesh of all creatures, that cleansest from all sins, and thatart of the form of sacrificial offerings. Salutations to thee that art ofthe form of Sacrifice, that art the Sacrificer himself, that art theBrahmana into whose mouth is poured the sacrificial butter, and that artthe fire into which is poured the butter inspired with mantras[1411]Salutations to thee that art of the form of (sacrificial) Ritwijes, thathast thy senses under control, that art made of Sattwa, and that hastRajas also in thy make. Salutations to thee that art of the banks ofRivers, of Rivers themselves, and of the lord of all Rivers (viz., theOcean)! Salutations to thee that art the giver of food, that art the lordof all food, and that art identical with him that takes food! Salutationsto thee that hast a thousand heads and a thousand feet-, to thee thathast a thousand tridents uplifted in thy hands, and a thousand eyes!Salutations to thee that art of the form of the rising Sun, and that artof the form of a child, that art the protector of attendants all of whomare of the form of children,[1412] and that art, besides, of the form ofchildren’s toys. Salutations to thee that art old, that art covetous,that art already agitated, and that art about to be agitated. Salutationsto thee that hast locks of hair marked by the current of the Ganges, andthat hast locks of hair resembling blades of Munja grass! Salutations tothee that art gratified with the six (well-known) acts, and that artdevoted to the performance of the three acts.[1413] Salutations to theethat hast assigned the duties of the respective modes of life.Salutations to thee that deservest to, be praised in sounds, that art ofthe form of sorrow, and that art of the form of deep and confused noise.Salutations to thee that hast eyes both white and tawny, as also dark andred. Salutations to thee that hast conquered thy vital breaths, that artof the form of weapons, that rivest all things, and that art exceedinglylean. Salutations to thee that always discoursest of Religion, Pleasure,Profit, and Emancipation. Salutations to thee that art a Sankhya, thatart the foremost of Sankhyas, and that art the introducer of theSankhya-Yoga.[1414] Salutations to thee that hast a car and that artwithout a car (for thy journeys).[1415] Salutations to thee that hast theintersections of four roads for thy car; to thee that hast the skin of ablack deer for thy upper garments, and that hast a snake for thy sacredthread. Salutations to thee that art Isana, that art of body as hard asthunderbolt, and that art of green locks. Salutations to thee that art ofthree eyes, that art the lord of Amvika, that art Manifest, and that artUnmanifest.[1416] Salutations to thee that art Desire, that art the Giverof all desires, that art the Killer of all desires, and that art thediscriminator between the gratified and the ungratified. Salutations tothee that art all things, the Giver of all things, and the Destroyer ofall things. Salutations to thee that art the hues which appear in theevening sky. Salutations to thee that art of mighty strength, that art ofmighty arms, that art a mighty Being, and that art of great effulgence.Salutations to thee that lookest like a mighty mass of clouds, and thatart the embodiment of eternity! Salutations to thee that art ofwell-developed body, that art of emaciated limbs, that bearest mattedlocks on thy head, and that art clad in barks of trees and skins ofanimals. Salutations to thee that hast matted locks as effulgent as theSun or the Fire, and that hast barks and skins for thy attire.Salutations to thee that art possessed of the effulgence of a thousandSuns, and that art ever engaged in penances. Salutations to thee that artthe excitement of Fever and that art endued with matted locks drenchedwith the waters of the Ganges characterised by hundreds of eddies.Salutations to thee that repeatedly revolvest the Moon, the Yugas, andthe clouds.[1417] Thou art food, thou art he who eats that food, thou artthe giver of food, thou art the grower of food, and thou art the creatorof food. Salutations to thee that cookest food and that eatest cookedfood, and that art both wind and fire! O lord of all the lords of thegods, thou art the four orders of living creatures, viz., the viviparous,the oviparous, the filth-born, and plants. Thou art the Creator of themobile and immobile universe, and thou art their Destroyer! O foremost ofall persons conversant with Brahma, they that are conversant with Brahmaregard thee as Brahma! The utterers of Brahma say that thou art theSupreme source of Mind, and the Refuge upon which Space, Wind, and Lightrest. Thou art the Richs and the Samans, and the syllable Om. O foremostof all deities, those utterers of Brahma that sing the Samans constantlysing thee when they utter the syllables Hayi-Hayi, Huva-Hayi, andHuva-Hoyi.[1418] Thou art made up of the Yajuses, of the Richs, and ofthe offerings poured on the sacrificial fire. The hymns contained in theVedas and the Upanishads adore thee![1419] Thou art the Brahmanas and theKshatriyas, the Vaisyas, and the Sudras, and the other castes formed byintermixture. Thou art those masses of clouds that appear in the sky;thou art Lightning; and thou art the roar of thunder. Thou art the year,thou art the seasons, thou art the month, and thou art the fortnight.Thou art Yuga, thou art the time represented by a twinkle of the eye,thou art Kashtha, thou art the Constellations, thou art the Planets, thouart Kala. Thou art the tops of all trees, thou art the highest summits ofall mountains. Thou art the tiger among the lower animals, thou artGaruda among birds, and thou art Ananta among snakes. Thou art the oceanof milk among all oceans and thou art the bow among instruments forhurling weapons. Thou art the thunder among weapons, and thou art Truthamong vows. Thou art Aversion and thou art Desire: thou art attachmentand thou art stupefaction (of judgment): thou art Forgiveness and thouart Unforgiveness. Thou art Exertion, and thou art Patience: thou artCupidity: thou art Lust and thou art Wrath: thou art Victory and thou artDefeat. Thou art armed with mace, and thou art armed with shaft: thou artarmed with the bow, and thou bearest the Khattanga and the Jharjhara inthy hands. Thou art he who cuttest down and piercest and smitest. Thouart he who leads (all creatures) and he who gives them pain and grief.Thou art Righteousness which is marked by ten virtues; thou art Wealth orProfit of every kind; and thou art Pleasure. Thou art Ganga, thou art theOceans, thou art the Rivers, thou art the lakes, and thou art the tanks.Thou art the thin creepers, thou art the thicker creeping plants, thouart all kinds of grass, and thou art the deciduous herbs. Thou art allthe lower animals and thou art the birds. Thou art the origin of allobjects and acts, and thou art that season which yields fruits andflowers. Thou art the beginning and thou art the end of the Vedas; thouart the Gayatri, and thou art Om. Thou art Green, thou art Red, thou artBlue, thou art Dark, thou art of Bloody hue, thou art of the colour ofthe Sun, thou art Tawny, thou art Brown, and thou art Dark blue.[1420]Thou art without colour, thou art of the best colour, thou art the makerof colours, and thou art without comparison. Thou art of the name ofGold, and thou art fond of Gold. Thou art Indra, thou art Yama, thou artthe Giver of boons, thou art the Lord of wealth, and thou art Agni. Thouart the Eclipse, thou art the Fire called Chitrabhanu, thou art Rahu, andthou art the Sun. Thou art the fire upon which sacrificial butter ispoured. Thou art He who pours the butter. Thou art He in honour of whomthe butter is poured, thou art the butter itself that is poured, and thouart the puissant Lord of all. Thou art those sections of the Brahmansthat are called Trisuparna, thou art all the Vedas; and thou art thesections called Satarudriya in the Yajuses. Thou art the holiest ofholies, and the auspicious of all auspicious things. Thou animatest theinanimate body. Thou art the Chit that dwellest in the human form.Invested with attributes, thou becomest subject to Destruction. Thou artJiva, that is He who is never subject to destruction when uninvested withattributes. Thou art full yet thou becomest liable to decay and death inthe form of the body which is Jiva’s accompaniment. Thou art the breathof life, and thou art Sattwa, thou art Rajas, thou art Tamas, and thouart not subject to error. Thou art the breaths called Prana, Apana,Samana, Udana, and Vyana. Thou art the opening of the eye and shutting ofthe eye. Thou art the act of Sneezing and thou art the act of Yawning.Thou art of red eyes which are ever turned inwards. Thou art of largemouth and large stomach.[1421] The bristles on thy body are like needles.The beard is green. Thy hair is turned upwards. Thou art swifter than theswiftest. Thou art conversant with the principles of music both vocal andinstrumental, and fond of both vocal and instrumental music.[1422] Thouart a fish roving in the waters, and thou art a fish entangled in thenet. Thou art full, thou art fond of sports, and thou art of the form ofall quarrels and disputes. Thou art Time, thou art bad time, thou arttime that is premature, and thou art time that is over-mature.[1423] Thouart the killing, thou art the razor (that kills), and thou art that whichis killed. Thou art the auxiliary and thou art the adversary, and thouart the destroyer of both auxiliaries and adversaries. Thou art the timewhen clouds appear, thou art of large teeth, and thou art Samvartaka andValahaka.[1424] Thou art manifest in the form of splendour. Thou artconcealed in consequence of being invested with Maya (or illusion). Thouart He who connects creatures with the fruits of their acts. Thou hast abell in thy hand. Thou playest with all mobile and immobile things (aswith thy toys). Thou art the cause of all causes. Thou art a Brahma (inthe form of Pranava), thou art Swaha; thou art the bearer of the Danda,thy head is bald, and thou art he who has his words, deeds and thoughtsunder control.[1425] Thou art the four Yugas, thou art the four Vedas,thou art He from whom the four (Sacrificial) fires have flowed.[1426]Thou art the Director of all the duties of the four modes of life. Thouart the maker of the four Orders. Thou art always fond of dice. Thou artcunning. Thou art the chief of the spirits distributed into ganas(clans), and their ruler. Thou art adorned with red garlands and attiredin robes that are red. Thou sleepest on the mountain-breast, and thou artfond of the red hue. Thou art the artisan; thou art the foremost ofartists; and it is thou from whom all arts have flowed. Thou art thetearer of the eyes of Bhaga; thou art Fierce, and thou art He whodestroyed the teeth of Pushan.[1427] Thou art Swaha, thou art Swadha,thou art Vashat, thou art Salutation’s form, and thou art the wordsNamas-Namas uttered by all worshippers. Thy observances and thy penancesare not known to others. Thou art Pranava; thou art the firmamentbespangled with myriads of stars. Thou art Dhatri, and Vidhatri, andSandhatri, Vidhatri, and the Refuge of all things in the form of theSupreme cause, and thou art independent of all Refuge. Thou artconversant with Brahma, thou art Penance, thou art Truth, thou art thesoul of Brahmacharya, and thou art Simplicity.[1428] Thou art the soul ofcreatures, thou art the Creator of all creatures, thou art absoluteExistence, and thou art the Cause whence the Past, the Present, and theFuture, have sprung. Thou art Earth, thou art Firmament, and thou artHeaven. Thou art Eternal, thou art Self-restrained, and thou art thegreat god. Thou art initiated, and thou art not initiated. Thou artforgiving; thou art unforgiving; and thou art the chastiser of all whoare rebellious. Thou art the lunar month, thou art the cycle of the Yugas(i.e., Kalpa), thou art Destruction, and thou art Creation. Thou artLust, thou art the vital seed, thou art subtile, thou art gross, and thouart fond of garlands made of Karnikara flowers. Thou hast a face likethat of Nandi, thou hast a face that is terrible, thou hast a handsomeface, thou hast an ugly face, and thou art without a face. Thou hast fourfaces, thou hast many faces, and thou hast a fiery face when engaged inbattles. Thou art gold-stomached (i.e., Narayana), thou art (unattachedto all things like) a bird (unattached to the earth whence it derives itsfood and to which it belongs), thou art Ananta (the lord of mightysnakes), and thou art Virat (hugest of the huge). Thou art the destroyerof Unrighteousness, thou art called Mahaparswa, thou art Chandradhara,and thou art the chief of the spirit-clans. Thou lowedst like a cow, thouwert the protector of kine, and thou hast the lord of bulls for thyattendant.[1429] Thou art the protector of the three worlds, thou artGovinda, thou art the director of the senses, and thou art incapable ofbeing apprehended by the senses. Thou art the foremost of all creatures,thou art fixed, thou art immobile, thou tremblest not, and thou art ofthe form of trembling![1430] Thou art incapable of being resisted, thouart the destroyer of all poisons, thou art incapable of being borne (inbattle), and thou art incapable of being transcended, thou canst not bemade to tremble, thou canst not be measured, thou canst not bevanquished, and thou art victory.[1431] Thou art of swift speed, thou artthe Moon, thou art Yama (the universal destroyer), thou bearest (withoutflinching) cold and heat and hunger and weakness and disease. Thou artall mental agonies, thou art all physical diseases, thou art the curer ofall diseases, and thou art those diseases themselves which thou curest.Thou art the destroyer of my Sacrifice which had endeavoured to escape inthe form of deer. Thou art the advent and the departure of all diseases.Thou hast a high crest. Thou hast eyes like lotus-petals. Thy habitationis in the midst of a forest of lotuses. Thou bearest the ascetic’s staffin thy hands. Thou hast the three Vedas for thy three eyes. Thychastisements are fierce and severe. Thou art the destroyer of the egg(whence the universe springs). Thou art the drinker of both poison andfire, thou art the foremost of all deities, thou art the drinker of Soma,thou art the lord of the Maruts.[1432] Thou art the drinker of Nectar.Thou art the Master of the universe. Thou shinest in glory, and thou artthe lord of all the shining ones. Thou protectest from poison and death,and thou drinkest milk and Soma. Thou art the foremost of the protectorsof those that have fallen off from heaven, and thou protectest him who isthe first of the deities.[1433] Gold is thy vital seed. Thou art male,thou art female, thou art neuter. Thou art an infant, thou art a youth,thou art old in years with thy teeth worn out, thou art the foremost ofNagas, thou art Sakra, thou art the Destroyer of the universe, and thouart its Creator. Thou art Prajapati, and thou art adored by thePrajapatis, thou art the supporter of the universe, thou hast theuniverse for thy form, thou art endued with great energy, and thou hastfaces turned towards all directions. The Sun and the Moon are thy twoeyes, and the Grandsire is thy heart. Thou art the Ocean. The goddessSaraswati is thy speech and Fire and Wind are thy might. Thou art Day andNight. Thou art all acts including the opening and the shutting of theeye. Neither Brahman, nor Govinda, nor the ancient Rishis, are competentto understand thy greatness, O auspicious deity, truly. Those subtileforms which thou hast are invisible to us. Rescue me and, O, protect meas the sire protects the son of his loins. O, protect one! I deserve thyprotection. I bow to thee, O sinless one! Thou, O illustrious one, artfull of compassion for thy devotees. I am always devoted to thee. Let himbe always my protector who stayeth alone on the other side of the ocean,in a form that is difficult to be apprehended, and overwhelming manythousands of persons![1434] I bow to that Soul of Yoga who is beheld inthe form of an effulgent Light by persons that have their senses undercontrol, that are possessed of the attribute of Sattwa, that haveregulated their breaths, and that have conquered sleep.[1435] I bow tohim who is endued with matted locks, who bears the ascetic’s staff in hishand, who is possessed of a body having a long abdomen, who has akamandalu tied to his back, and who is the Soul of Brahman. I bow to Himwho is the soul of water, in whose hair are the clouds, in the joints ofwhose body are the rivers, and in whose stomach are the four oceans. Iseek the protection to Him who, when the end of the Yuga comes, devoursall creatures and stretches himself (for sleep) on the wide expanse ofwater that covers the universe. Let him who entering Rahu’s mouthdrinketh Soma in the night and who becoming Swarbhanu devoureth Suryaalso, protect me![1436] The deities, who are mere infants and who haveall sprung from thee after Brahman’s creation, enjoy their respectiveshares (in sacrificial offerings). Let them (peacefully) enjoy thoseofferings made with Swaha and Swadha, and let them derive pleasure fromthose presents. I bow to them.[1437] Let those Beings that are of thestature of the thumb and that dwell in all bodies, always protect andgratify me.[1438] I always bow to those Beings who dwelling withinembodied creatures make the latter cry in grief without themselves cryingin grief, and who gladden them without themselves being glad. I alwaysbow to those Rudras who dwell in rivers, in oceans, in hills andmountains, in mountain-caves, in the roots of trees, in cow-pens, ininaccessible forests, in the intersections of roads, in roads, in opensquares, in banks (of rivers and lakes and oceans), in elephant-sheds, instables, in car-sheds, in deserted gardens and houses, in the five primalelements, and in the cardinal and subsidiary directions. I bow repeatedlyunto them that dwell in the space amidst the Sun and the Moon, as also inrays of the Sun and the Moon, and them that dwell in the nether regions,and them that have betaken themselves to Renunciation and other superiorpractices for the sake of the Supreme.[1439] I bow always unto them thatare unnumbered, that are unmeasured, and that have no form, unto thoseRudras, that is, that are endued with infinite attributes. Since thou, ORudra, art the Creator of all creatures, since, O Hara, thou art theMaster of all creatures, and since thou art the indwelling Soul of allcreatures, therefore wert thou not invited by me (to my Sacrifices).Since thou art He who is adored in all sacrifices with plentiful gifts,and since it is Thou that art the Creator of all things, therefore I didnot invite thee. Or, perhaps, O god, stupefied by thy subtile illusion Ifailed to invite thee. Be gratified with me, blessed by thyself, O Bhava,with me possessed by the quality of Rajas. My Mind, my Understanding, andmy Chitta all dwell in thee, O god!

“Hearing these adorations, that Lord of all creatures, viz., Mahadeva,ceased (to think of inflicting further injuries on Daksha). Indeed,highly gratified, the illustrious deity addressed Daksha, saying, ‘ODaksha of excellent vows, pleased have I been with these adorations ofthine. Thou needst not praise me more. Thou shalt attain to mycompanionship. Through my grace, O progenitor of creatures, thou shaltearn the fruit of a thousand horse-sacrifices, and a hundred Vajapeyas(in consequence of this one incomplete sacrifice of thine).

“Once more, Mahadeva, that thorough master of words, addressed Daksha andsaid unto him these words fraught with high consolation, ‘Be thou theforemost of all creatures in the world. Thou shouldst not, O Daksha,entertain any feelings of grief for these injuries inflicted on thySacrifice. It has been seen that in former Kalpas too I had to destroythy Sacrifice.[1440] O thou of excellent vows, I shall grant thee againsome more boons. Take them from me. Dispelling this cheerlessness thatoverspreads thy face, listen to me with undivided attention. With the aidof arguments addressed to reason the deities and the Danavas haveextracted from the Vedas consisting of six branches and from the systemof Sankhya and Yoga a creed in consequence of which they have practisedthe austerest penances for many long years. The religion, however, whichI have extracted, is unparalleled, and productive of benefits on everyside. It is open to men in all modes of life to practise it. It leads toEmancipation. It may be acquired in many years or through merit bypersons who have restrained their senses. It is shrouded in mystery. Theythat are divested of wisdom regard it as censurable. It is opposed to theduties laid down in respect of the four orders of men and the four modesof life, and agrees with those duties in only a few particulars. Theythat are well-skilled in the science of (drawing) conclusions (frompremises) can understand its propriety: and they who have transcended allthe modes of life are worthy of adopting it. In days of yore, O Daksha,this auspicious religion called Pasupata had been extracted by me. Theproper observance of that religion produces immense benefits. Let thosebenefits be thine, O highly blessed one! Cast off this fever of thyheart.’ Having said these words, Mahadeva, with his spouse (Uma) and withall his attendants disappeared from the view of Daksha of immeasurableprowess. He who would recite this hymn that was first uttered by Dakshaor who would listen to it when recited by another, would never meet withthe smallest evil and would attain to a long life. Indeed, as Siva is theforemost of all the deities, even so is this hymn, agreeable with theSrutis, is the foremost of all hymns. Persons desirous of fame, kingdom,happiness, pleasure, profit, and wealth, as also those desirous oflearning, should listen with feelings of devotion to the recital of thishymn. One suffering from disease, one distressed by pain, one plungedinto melancholy, one afflicted by thieves or by fear, one under thedispleasure of the king in respect of his charge, becomes freed from fear(by listening or reciting this hymn). By listening to or reciting thishymn, one, in even this earthly body of his, attains to equality with thespirits forming the attendants of Mahadeva. One becomes endued withenergy and fame, and cleansed of all sin (through the virtue of thishymn). Neither Rakshasas, nor Pisachas, nor ghosts, nor Vinayakas, createdisturbances in his house where this hymn is recited. That woman, again,who listens to this hymn with pious faith, observing the while thepractices of Brahmacharya, wins worship as a goddess in the family of hersire and that of her husband.[1441] All the acts of that person becomealways crowned with success who listens or recites with rapt attention tothe whole of this hymn. In consequence of the recitation of this hymn allthe wishes one forms in one’s mind and all the wishes one clothes inwords become crowned with fruition. That man obtains all objects ofenjoyment and pleasure and all things that are wished for by him, who,practising self-restraint, makes according to due rites offerings untoMahadeva, Guha, Uma, and Nandi, and after that utters their names withoutdelay, in proper order and with devotion. Such a man, departing from thislife, ascends to heaven, and has never to take birth among theintermediate animals or birds. This was said even by the puissant Vyasa,the son of Parasara.'”