Shiva's Advance

Sanatkumara said

Such was the divine chariot, full of wonders. Brahma yoked the nigama texts as horses and handed the reins to Shiva. Vishnu and the other gods honoured the lord of the gods and in many ways asked Shambhu, the trident-wielder, to mount. The divine chariot was fortified on every side and held all the gods. Great lord Shambhu mounted, praised by rishis, gods, gandharvas, pannagas, Vishnu, Brahma and the guardians of the worlds, surrounded by hosts of apsaras skilled in singing. Shambhu, giver of boons, shone and glanced at the charioteer. The chariot had been built from everything in the worlds, and the horses came from the Vedas. When he mounted, they could not bear the load and fell to the ground. The earth quaked and all the mountains trembled. Shesha could not bear the sudden burden and trembled in distress. Bhagavan, who holds up the earth, took the form of an Indra among bulls and for an instant held up the chariot from below, but at once the bull sank to its knees on the ground. Mahesha was on the chariot, and his great energy was impossible to bear. Bhagavan himself took the reins in hand and steadied the horses, and the divinity stabilised the excellent chariot. The horses, filled with the Vedas, were swift as wind and thought. Brahma urged them and steadied the excellent chariot, driving it again toward the three cities. Mahesha was on the chariot and the spirited danavas were there. Glancing at the gods, Bhagavan Rudra Shankara spoke.

Rudra Shankara said

Excellent gods, the asuras can be killed only if the gods take the forms of different animals and become Pashupatis, and not otherwise. To kill the supreme daityas, do this. They cannot be slain otherwise.

Sanatkumara said

Hearing the intelligent lord of the gods, all of them were dejected, wary of becoming animals. Understanding their feelings, the lord of the gods, Ambika's husband, laughed and out of compassion spoke to them.

Shambhu said

Excellent gods, even if you take on animal inclinations you will not fall. Hear the rite by which one is freed from the state of an animal. Whoever follows the divine Pashupata rite will be freed. I pledge to you this is true. Control yourselves and take on the state of animals. Excellent gods, whoever keeps my Pashupata vow is freed from the animal state, without doubt. If a person keeps it and faithfully serves for twelve years, and three years more, he is freed from the animal state. Supreme among gods, so you should keep this divine rite and you will certainly be freed from the state of animals.

Sanatkumara said

Hearing Mahesha the paramatman, the gods, Hari, Brahma and the others agreed. So all the excellent gods and asuras became the lord's animals. Rudra is Pashupati, the one who frees from the animal state; that is why Mahesha is famous in the worlds as Pashupati, bringer of welfare. Hearing the lord of the gods, the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and the others rejoiced and cried "Victory." At that time the great-souled one took a form that cannot be described even in a hundred years.

So Mahesha, Maheshani's lord and lord of everything, set out to destroy Tripura and bring happiness to everyone. When the lord of the gods left to destroy Tripura, the foremost of the immortals' kings left with him, all as resplendent as the sun, mounted on the best elephants, horses, lions, bulls and chariots, huge as mountains and mountain-coloured. Their weapons were ploughs, shala trees, bludgeons and bhushundis. The lords among the gods went gladly, with many weapons in their hands, supremely radiant and excellent. There were great festivities, with chants of Shambhu's victory. Indra, the lotus-born one and Vishnu were first among those who went ahead of Maheshvara. All the sages with matted hair went cheerfully, staffs in their hands. Siddhas and charanas roaming in the sky showered flowers. Indra among brahmanas, all the lords among the ganas also went toward Tripura. Who can count them? I will mention a few: the noble Bhringi, Indra of all the ganas, surrounded by gana leaders, gods and ganas, rode a vimana as he went to engage with Tripura and destroy it, looking like great Indra. There were Kesha, Vigatavasa, Mahakesha, Mahajvara, Somavallisavarna, Somada, Sanaka, Somadhrik, Suryavarcha, Suryapreshanaka, Suryaksha, Surinama, Surasundara, Praskanda, Kundara, Chanda, Kampana, Atikampana, Indra, Indrajava, Yantri, Himakara, Shataksha, Panchaksha, Sahasraksha, Mahodara, Satijahu, Shatasya, Ranka, Karpuraputana, Dvishikha, Trishikha, Ahamkarakaraka, Ajavakra, Ashtavakra, Hayavakra and Arddhavakraka. These and others were valiant gana leaders, many and innumerable, who went round Isha. Hundreds of thousands without any distinguishing mark went round Mahadeva, the Pinaka-wielder. By their mere thought they could burn everything, moving and still, in an instant. The Pinaka-wielder can burn the whole universe; what need to speak of burning Tripura? Shambhu needed no chariot, arrows, ganas or gods. Vyasa, with the Pinaka in his hand he went to burn Tripura and the haters of the gods. That he took the gods and his own ganas along when he went himself is surprising, supreme among rishis. What was the reason? I will tell you. It was to establish in the worlds his fame, which destroys great impurities. There was another reason too, of persuading the wicked. Among all the gods there is no one as distinguished as he.