wonderful and incomparable weapon in the hand of Mahadeva.  There is another mysterious and very powerful weapon which is equal or perhaps, superior to the Pasupata weapon.  I beheld that also.  It is celebrated in all the worlds as the Sum of the Sula-armed Mahadeva.  Hurled by the illustrious deity, that weapon is competent to rive the entire Earth or dry up the waters of the ocean or annihilate the entire universe.  In days of yore, Yuvanaswa’s son, king Mandhatri, that conqueror of the three worlds, possessed of imperial sway and endued with abundant energy, was, with all his troops, destroyed by means of that weapon.  Endued with great might and great energy and resembling Sakra himself in prowess, the king, O Govinda, was slain by the Rakshasa Lavana with the aid of this Sula which he had got from Siva.  The Sula has a very keen point.  Exceedingly terrible, it is capable of causing everybody’s hair stand on its end.  I saw it in the hand of Mahadeva, as if roaring with rage, having contracted its forehead into three wrinkles.  It resembled, O Krishna, a smokeless fire or the sun that rises at the end of the Yuga.  The handle of that Sula, was made of a mighty snake.  It is really indescribable.  It looked like the universal Destroyer himself armed with his noose.  I saw this weapon, O Govinda, in the hand of Mahadeva.  I beheld also another weapon, viz., that sharp-edged battle-axe which, in days of yore, was given unto Rama by the gratified Mahadeva for enabling him to exterminate the Kshatriyas.  It was with this weapon that Rama (of Bhrigu’s race) slew in dreadful battle the great Karttaviryya who was the ruler of all the world.  It was with that weapon that Jamadagni’s son, O Govinda, was able to exterminate the Kshatriyas for one and twenty times.  Of blazing edge and exceedingly terrible, that axe was hanging on the shoulder, adorned with a snake, of Mahadeva.  Indeed, it shone on Mahadeva’s person like the flame of a blazing fire.  I beheld innumerable other celestial weapons with Mahadeva of great intelligence.  I have, however named only a few, O sinless one, in consequence of their principal character.  On the left side of the great god stood the Grandsire Brahma seated on an excellent car unto which were attached swans endued with the speed of the mind.  On the same side could be seen Narayana also, seated on the son of Vinata, and bearing the conch, the discus, and the mace.  Close to the goddess Uma was Skanda seated on his peacock, bearing his fatal dart and bells, and looking like another Agni.  In the front of Mahadeva I beheld Nandi standing armed with his Sula and looking like a second Sankara (for prowess and energy).  The Munis headed by the Self-born Manu and Rishis having Bhrigu for their first, and the deities with Sakra at their head, all came there.  All the tribes of spirits and ghosts, and the celestial Mothers, stood surrounding Mahadeva and saluting him with reverence.  The deities were engaged in singing