Lord told Brahma that in all domestic and public sacrifices, he would be the presiding deity. Even though a sacrifice would be complete with all the ancillary rites and offerings of monetary gifts, it will be fruitless without him. Then the lord turned to the deceitful Ketaka flower, guilty of perjury and said that he was roguish and deceitful and would no longer be used in His worship. On this, all the Devas shunned the very presence of the flower.

Ketaka said that his birth was fruitless and requested the lord to be pleased to make it fruitful by forgiving his sin. He said that he had realised, how the sin of uttering falsehood sully him. Lord told him that it was not proper for him to wear Ketaka. His attendants and followers would wear it and his birth shall be fruitful. It could be used for decoration purpose in the canopies over His idol.

In the meantime, Brahma and Visnu had been standing silently on either side of the lord with the palms joined in reverence. They then installed the lord with all the members of His family on a splendid seat and worshipped Him with all holy personal things. The holy things include the personal things of long and short duration such as necklaces, anklets, bracelets coronets, ear-rings, sacrificial threads, upper cloth of lace border, garlands, silk cloth chokers, rings, flowers, betel leaves, camphor, sandal paste. Aguru unguents, incense, lamps, white umbrella, fans, banners, choweries and other divine offerings whose greatness cannot be expressed or even thought of.

Both of them adored the lord with all these things worthy of the lord and inaccessible to Pasu (the animal, i.e. the individual soul). All excellent things are worthy of the lord. In order to set up precedence, the delighted lord handed over all those articles to the attendants assembled according to the order of priority. The bustle of those who came to receive them was too much. It was there that Brahma and Visnu adored Sankara, the Siva at first. When they stood there humbly, the gratified lord spoke smilingly heightening their devotion.

Isvara was delighted at their worship on that holy day and henceforth that day is famous as “Sivaratri”, the holiest of holy days. The one who performs the worship of lord’s phallic image on this day will be competent to perform the task of creation and the maintenance etc. of the universe. The devotee shall have to perform fast on Sivaratri, both during the day and night. He would have to perfectly restrain his sense organs. He would adore with flowers to the extent of his strength. He shall not deceive anyone. By the worship on Sivaratri day, the devotee attains that fruit which usually accrues to one who continuously worships Lord for a year. This is the time when the virtue of devotion to lord increases like the tide in the ocean at the rise of the moon. Festivities like the installation of His idols etc. on that day are very auspicious.

The day on which Siva manifested himself in the form of a column of fire is the Ardra star in the month of Margasirsa (November – December). The one who sees lord on the day of Ardra star in the month of Margasirsa in the company of Uma and worships His phallic image is dear to lord than even Kartikeya. On that auspicious day, the vision alone accords ample results. If one worships too, the results cannot be adequately described. Since lord manifested himself in the form of phallic emblem in the field of battle, that place is known as Lingasthana. That column without root or top will henceforth be diminutive in size for the sake of the vision and worship of the world.

The phallic emblem confers enjoyment. It is the only means of worldly enjoyment and salvation. Viewed, touched or meditated upon, it wards off all future births of the living beings. Since the phallic emblem rose high resembling a mountain of fire, it shall be famous as Ruddy the Aruna mountain. Many holy centres would spring up there. A residence or death in this holy place ensures liberation. The celebration of chariot festivals, the congregation of devotees, the presentation of, ordinary as well as sacrificial gifts and offering of prayers at that place shall be million fold efficacious. Of all lord’s sectors, that sector shall be greater than all other sectors, very auspicious, full of all sorts of welfare and according salvation to everyone. Worshipping Siva in his supreme phallic form at that place and performing other sacred rites shall accord the five types of salvation – Salokya, Samipya, Sarupya, Sarsti and Sayujya.

Thus blessing Brahma and Visnu who had been made humble, the lord resuscitated by His nectar-like power, all the soldiers of the two deities that had been killed in the battle before and spoke to hem in order to remove their foolishness and mutual enmity.

Lord has two forms: the manifest and the unmanifest. No one else had these two forms hence everyone else was non-Isvara. First in the form of column and afterwards in the embodied form, Siva had expounded his formless Brahma-hood, and embodies Isa-hood. These two were present only in lord and not anyone else. Hence no one else could claim Isavata (Isa-hood). It was out of ignorance of that fact that both Brahma and Visnu were swept away by their false prestige and pride of being Isa till lord rose up in the middle of the battlefield for quelling the same.

Thus the lord says to caste off false pride and fixes the thoughts on lord. It is only after lord’s favour that all the objects in the world are illuminated. The statement of the preceptor is the reminder and the authority on all occasions. Siva was the supreme Brahman. His form was both manifest and unmanifest of his Brahma-hood and Isvaratva. His duty is blessings.

Lord further told Brahma and Visnu that he was Brahman because of Brhatva (huge size) and Brmhanatva (causing to grow). He was Atman due to Samatva (equality) and Vyapakatva (Pervasiveness).

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