Argument:—Rudra dancing as Bhairava on the last day, in company with his shadow the last night.
Vasishtha related:—I beheld afterwards, O Ráma! the same Rudra standing in the same firmament, and dancing with a hideous form in the same part of the sky.
2. This body then became as big as to fill the whole atmosphere, and as deep and dark black as to cover the ten sides of the sky, under the shadow of its sable appearance.
3. Its three eye-balls flashed with the flaming lights of the sun, moon and fire; and the body which was as black as the fumes of a dark flame, was as mute as the ten sides of the naked sky.
4. The eyes were blazing with the flame of the submarine fire, and the arms were as ponderous as the huge surges of the sea; and the blue body, seemed as the consolidated form of waters rising from the blue universal ocean.
5. As I was looking upon this enormous body, I saw a form like that of its shadow rising from it; and jumping about in the manner of dancing.
6. I was thinking in my mind, as to how could this appear in this dark and dreary night; when the heavens were hid under darkness, and there was no luminary shining in the sky (to cause the shadow).
7. As I was reflecting in this manner, I beheld on the foreground of that etherial stage, the stalwart phantom of a dark dingy female with three eyes, prancing and dancing and glancing all about.
8. She was of a large and lean stature, and of a dark black complexion; with her flaming eye-balls burning as fire, and girt with wild flowers all over her body.
9. She was as inky black as pasted pitch, and as dark as the darkest night or Erebus; and with her body of darkness visible, she appeared as the image of primeval night.