and is called the Soul of the universe.  From her flows all the modifications of both Creation and Destruction. (She is identical with my Prakriti or Nature).  Divested of sex, She or He is the penances that people undergo.  He is both the sacrifice that is performed and the sacrificer that performs the sacrifice.  He is the ancient and the infinite Purusha.  He is otherwise called Aniruddha and is the source of the Creation and the Destruction of the universe.  When Brahma’s night wore off, through the grace of that Being of immeasurable energy, a lotus made its appearance first, O thou of eyes like lotus petals.  Within that lotus was born Brahma, springing from Aniruddha’s grace.  Towards the evening of Brahma’s day, Aniruddha became filled with wrath, and as a consequence of this, there sprang from his forehead a son called Rudra vested with the power of destroying everything (when the hour for destruction comes).  These two, viz., Brahma and Rudra, are the foremost of all the deities, having sprung respectively from the Propitiousness and the Wrath (of Aniruddha).  Acting according to Aniruddha’s direction, these two deities create and destroy.  Although capable of granting boons unto all creatures, they are, however, in the matter of the concerns to which they attend (viz., Creation and Destruction), merely instruments in the hands of Aniruddha. (It is Aniruddha that does everything, making Brahma and Rudra the visible agents in respect of the universe).  Rudra is otherwise called Kaparddin.  He has matted locks on his head, and sometimes displays a head that is bald.  He loves to dwell in the midst of crematoriums which constitute his home.  He is an observer of the austerest vows.  He is Yogin of mighty puissance and energy.  He is the destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice and the tearer of Bhaga’s eyes.  O son of Pandu, Rudra should be known to have always Narayana for his Soul.  If that deity of deities, viz., Maheswara, be worshipped, then O Partha, is the puissant Narayana also worshipped.  I am the Soul, O son of Pandu, of all the worlds, of all the universe.  Rudra, again, is my Soul.  It is for this that I always adore him.  If I do not adore the auspicious and boon-giving Isana nobody would then adore my own self.  The ordinances I set are followed by all the worlds.  Those ordinances should always be adored, and it is, therefore, that I adore them.  He who knows Rudra knows myself, and he who knows myself knows Rudra.  He who follows Rudra follows me, Rudra is Narayana.  Both are one; and one is displayed in two different forms.  Rudra and Narayana, forming one person, pervade all displayed things and cause them to act.  No one else than Rudra is competent to grant me a boon.  O son of Pandu.  Having settled this in my mind, I adored in days of yore the ancient and puissant Rudra, for obtaining the boon of a son.  In adoring Rudra thus I adored my own self.  Vishnu never bows his head unto any deity except his own self.  It is for this reason that I adore Rudra, (Rudra being,