ucceeds in attaining to the highest
end. This is holy. This is auspicious, this is fraught with every kind of
benefit. This is the best of all things. Brahma, the Grandsire of all the
universe, having in days of old composed it, assigned to it the foremost
place among all excellent hymns. From that time, this hymn to the
greatness and glory of the high-souled Mahadeva, which is held in the
highest esteem by all the deities, has come to be regarded as the king of
all hymns. This king of all hymns was first conveyed from the region of
Brahman to heaven, the region of the celestials. Tandi then obtained it
from heaven. Hence is it known as the hymn composed by Tandi. From heaven
Tandi brought it down on Earth. It is the most auspicious of all
auspicious things, and is capable of cleansing the heart from all sins
however heinous. O thou of mighty arms, I shall recite to thee that best
of all hymns. "This hymn relates to him who is the Veda of the Vedas, and
the most ancient of all ancient objects, to him who is the energy of all
energies, and the penance of all penances; to him who is the most
tranquil of all creatures endued with tranquillity, and who is the
splendour of all splendours; to him who is looked upon as the most
restrained of all creatures that are restrained, and him who is the
intelligence of all creatures endued with intelligence; to him who is
looked upon as the deity of all deities, and the Rishi of all Rishis; to
him who is regarded as the sacrifice of all sacrifices and the most
auspicious of all things fraught with auspiciousness; to him who is the
Rudra of all Rudras and the effulgence of all things endued with
effulgence; to him who is the Yogin of all Yogins, and the cause of all
causes; to him from whom all the worlds start into existence, and unto
whom all the worlds return when they cease to exist; to him who is the
Soul of all existent creatures, and who is called Hara of immeasurable
energy. Hear me recite those thousand and eight names of the great Sarva.
Hearing those names, O foremost of all men, thou shalt be crowned with
fruition in respect of all thy wishes,--Om! thou art Immobile, thou art
Fixed, thou art Puissant, thou art Terrible, thou art Foremost, thou art
boon-giving, and thou art Superior.[90] Thou art the Soul of all
creatures, thou art celebrated over all creatures, thou art all things,
thou art the Creator of all, and thou art Bhava.[91] Thou art the bearer
of matted locks on thy