… Rudra suddenly opened his mouth and began sucking all the waters. I could see his mouth full of fire. The entire water body occupying the 14 worlds evaporated into His mouth within a few seconds. I could see distinctly the dark Rudra, the slushy earth, and space within the two egg pieces, the worlds above and below.
A cosmic dance then commenced with a jerk by Rudra. Goddess Maya, who was shadowing, joined Him immediately in the dance. There was neither a Sun nor a Moon shining at that time. I wondered how Rudra was able to cast a shadow in the abscence of any light. I couldn’t find an answer to my doubt, but that very Goddess who appeared as a shadow of Rudra took a swift leep to face Him and dance with more vim and vigor. Sun and Moon appeared to be her eyes. Rivers, trees, mountains, stars, different worlds like Heaven and hell and oher things appeared to me to be her limbs. In addition to wreaths of flowers, she also wore on her neck garlands of crowbars, spades, axes, winnowing pans, wooden pestles, etc.
[The significance of the dance of the dark night is briefly explained by the sage – Valmiki – in the next sarga]
From Yoga Vasishta, Part VI (Nirvana) English rendering by Dr. Vemuri Ramesam
Unanimous Tradition / Tradición Unánime 