तप आतिष्ठ भद्रं ते सर्वभूतसुखावहम् ।
तपसैव यथा पूर्वं स्रष्टा विश्वमिदं भवान् ॥ १८ ॥
srasta visvam idam bhavan
tapah-penance; atistha-be situated; bhadram-auspicious; te-unto you; sarva-all; bhuta-living entities; sukha-avaham-bringing happiness; tapasa-by penance; eva-only; yatha-as much as; purvam-before; srasta-will create; visvam-the universe; idam-this; bhavan-yourself.
My dear son, you had better situate yourself in penance, which is auspicious for all living entities and which will bring all benediction upon you. By penance only shall you be able to create the universe as it was before.
In the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation, the three deities Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara, or Siva, are respectively in charge. Rudra was advised not to destroy while the period of creation and maintenance was going on, but to situate himself in penance and wait for the time of dissolution, when his services would be called for.