Verse 1

¹Bhava learned from Narada that Bhavani was dead, slighted by the lord of creatures, and that the Rbhus of that sacrifice had scattered the army of his own attendants; and he took on an anger with no bounds. ²In his anger he bit hard on his lip, and Rudra, whose burden is his matted hair, tore out one lock of it that blazed terribly as lightning and as the mane of fire; then he stood up all at once, laughing, and with a deep roar threw it down on the earth. ³Out of it came one huge of body, touching the sky, thousand-armed, dark as a raincloud, three suns for his eyes, his tusks terrible, his hair blazing fire, a garland of skulls on him and many weapons raised.

⁴To him, who stood with folded hands and said What shall I do, the revered lord of beings said: Kill Daksa, and his sacrifice with him. You lead my soldiers; you are a share of me, and Rudra's own man. ⁵Commanded so by the angry one whose wrath was up, he walked round the god of gods, the mighty; and then, dear one, with a speed nothing could hold, he reckoned himself able to stand against the force of the greatest. ⁶Followed by Rudra's attendants roaring loud, he roared more terribly still, and lifting the trident that ends the ender of the world, he rushed forward, the rings on his feet clanging as he went.