told the gods, ’He that is an offender against you offends against me also.  The Asuras are all of wicked souls and always hate the gods.  They that give pain to you always offend against me.  I am impartial to all creatures.  There is no doubt in this.  For all that, however, they that are unrighteous should be slain.  This is my fixed vow.  Those three forts are to be pierced with one shaft.  By no other means can their destruction be effected.  None else, save Sthanu, is competent to pierce them with one shaft.  Ye Adityas, select Sthanu, otherwise called Ishana and Jishnu, who is never fatigued with work, as your warrior.  It is he that will destroy those asuras.’  Hearing these words of his, the gods with Sakra at their head, making Brahman take their lead, sought the protection of the Deity having the bull for his mark.  Those righteous ones accompanied by rishis devoted to the severest penances and uttering the eternal words of the Vedas, sought Bhava with their whole soul.  And they praised, O king, in the high words of the Vedas, that dispeller of fears in all situations of fear that Universal Soul, that Supreme Soul, that One by whom All this is pervaded with his Soul.  Then the gods who, by special penances, had learnt to still all the functions of his Soul and to withdraw Soul from Matter,—­they who had their soul always under control—­beheld him, called Ishana,—­that lord of Uma, that mass of energy, that is, who hath no equal in the universe, that source (of everything), that sinless Self.  Though that Deity is one they had imagined him to be of various forms.  Beholding in that high-souled one those diverse forms that each had individually conceived in own heart, all of them became filled with wonder.  Beholding that Unborn one, that Lord of the universe, to be the embodiment of all creatures, the gods and the regenerate Rishis, all touched the Earth with their heads.  Saluting them with the word ‘Welcome’ and raising them from their bent attitudes, the illustrious Sankara addressed them smilingly, saying, ‘Tell us the object of your visit.’  Commanded by the Three-eyed god, their hearts became easy.  They then said these words unto him, ’Our repeated salutations to thee, O Lord.  Salutations to thee that art the source of all the gods, to thee that art armed with the bow, to thee that art full of wrath.  Salutations to thee that hadst destroyed the sacrifice of that lord of creatures (viz., Daksha) to thee that art adored by all the lords of creatures.  Salutations to thee that art always praised, to thee that deservest to be praised, to thee that art Death’s self.  Salutations to thee that art red, to thee that art fierce, to thee that art blue-throated, to thee that art armed with the trident, to thee that art incapable of being baffled, to thee that hast eyes as beautiful as those of the gazelle, to thee that fightest with the foremost of weapons, to thee that deservest all praise, to thee that art pure, to thee that art destruction’s