and abode (the necessity of) birth, decay, and death.  The Soul of knowledge, incapable of being compassed by knowledge, and the highest of all knowledge he is unknowable.  Through grace, he giveth unto his worshippers the boons they desire.  That Lord hath for his companions celestial beings of diverse forms, some of whom are dwarfs, some having matted locks, some with bald heads, some with short necks, some with large stomachs, some with huge bodies, some possessed of great strength and some of long ears.  All of them, O Partha, have deformed faces and mouths and legs and strange attires.  That Supreme Deity, called Mahadeva, is worshipped by followers that are even such.  Even that Siva, O son, endued with such energy, proceedeth through kindness, in advance of thee.  In that fierce battle, O Partha, making the very hair stand on end, who else, O Arjuna, than the divine Maheswara, that foremost of all bowmen, that Deity of divine form, could even in imagination venture to vanquish that force which was protected by those great smiters and bowmen, viz., Aswatthaman and Karna and Kripa?  None can venture to stay before the warrior that hath Maheswara walking before him.  There is no being in the three worlds that is equal to him.  And the very scent of the enraged Mahadeva, foes in battle tremble and become senseless and fall in large numbers.  For this, the gods in heaven adore and bow to him.  Those men in this world and those other men of pious conduct, that devoutly worship the boon-giving, divine, and auspicious Rudra, obtain happiness here and attain to the highest state hereafter.  O son of Kunti, bow down unto him that is peace, unto him, called Rudra of blue throat, exceedingly subtle, and of great effulgence, unto him called Kapardin, him that is terrible, him that of tawny eyes, him that is boon-giving; unto that great ordainer, of red locks and righteous conduct; unto him that always does auspicious acts; unto him that is an object of desire; him that is of tawny eyes; him that is called Sthanu; him that is called Purusha; unto him that is of tawny hair; him that is bold, him that is exceedingly subtle and of great effulgence; unto him that is the giver of light; him that is the embodiment of all sacred waters; him that is the God of gods; and him that is endued with great impetuosity; unto him that is of manifest form; him that is called Sarva; him that is of agreeable attire; unto him that has an excellent head-gear, him that is of handsome face; him that has the mountains for his habitation; him that is peace; him that is the protector; him that has barks of trees for his attire; him whose arms are decked with ornaments of gold, him who is fierce, him that is the lord of all the points of the compass; him that is the lord of the clouds and of all created beings; him that is the lord of all trees and of all kine; him that has his body shrouded with trees; him who is the celestial generalissimo; him who inspires all thought; him who has the sacrificial