Listen, as I recount the wondrous forms and attributes of the Divine, as revealed in the sacred verses. First, Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, is to be placed at the left side of Kurma, the tortoise incarnation, while the earth herself is established at his feet. By installing the form of Varaha, the boar, one attains sovereignty and crosses the ocean of worldly existence. Narasimha, the man-lion, is depicted with his mouth wide open, tearing apart the demon upon his left thigh. He is adorned with a garland and wields the shining discus and mighty mace. Vamana, the divine dwarf, is shown carrying an umbrella and staff, or sometimes with four arms. Rama, the valiant prince, holds a bow, sword, and axe. Rama is also remembered as bearing bow and arrows, sword, and conch, or as two-armed, holding a mace and plough, or in a four-armed form. For the four-armed form, the plough is placed in the upper left hand, the beautiful conch below, the mace in the upper right, and the radiant discus below. Kalki, the future savior, is depicted holding sacred grass and a bow—he is the twice-born destroyer of the impious. Alternatively, he is shown mounted on a horse, holding sword, conch, discus, and arrows. Now, hear of the nine forms beginning with Vāsudeva. On the upper right, he holds the mace; on the upper left, the supreme discus. Brahmā and Īśa stand ever at his sides, while Vāsudeva remains as before, bearing a conch and bestowing boons, sometimes two-armed, sometimes four-armed. Rāma bears a plough and pestle. Pradyumna carries a thunderbolt in his right hand, a conch in his left, and a bow. Pradyumna may also be surrounded by maces at his neck or hold a bow and arrow. Aniruddha and the glorious Nārāyaṇa are both four-armed. Brahmā, the creator, has four faces and four arms, with a broad belly and hair tied in a hanging tuft. He rides upon a swan. In his right hand, he holds a rosary or ladle; in his left, a water-pot. Sarasvatī and Sāvitrī stand at his left and right. Viṣṇu, in his eight-armed form, rides Garuḍa. In his right hand, he holds a sword; in his left, a mace, arrow, boon-bestowing gesture, bow, and shield. Narasimha is sometimes four-armed, holding discus and conch, or conch and discus, having slain the great demon. Varāha is four-armed, bearing Śeṣa in his palm; with one arm he supports the earth, and in his left hand, he holds a lotus. The earth is placed at his foot, and Lakṣmī is established at his feet. The eight-armed form riding Garuḍa stands to the right. In his left hand, he holds discus, sword, pestle, and goad; he may also hold conch, bow, mace, noose, lotus, and lute. Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī are to be depicted, and the universal form is on the right, holding mallet, noose, spear, trident, and arrow. In his left hand, he holds conch, bow, mace, noose, and javelin; also plough, axe, staff, knife, and shield for throwing. This form is twenty-armed and four-faced, standing on both right and left, with three eyes on the left side, and sometimes depicted reclining on water. With one foot supported by Śrī, and praised by Vimalā and others, Hari, with a lotus at his navel and four faces, is shown as both Hari and Śaṅkara. On the right, he holds spear and lance; at his foot, mace and discus. He bears Rudra’s matted hair and Lakṣmī’s marks, accompanied by Gaurī and Lakṣmī. Hari, with a horse’s head, holds conch, discus, mace, and the Vedas; his left foot rests on Śeṣa, his right on the back of a tortoise. Dattātreya is two-armed, with Śrī in his left lap. Viṣvaksena, a member of Hari’s retinue, holds discus, mace, plough, and conch. Now, hear of the great goddess Caṇḍī. She is depicted with twenty arms, holding in her right hands a trident, sword, spear, discus, noose, shield, weapon, and the gesture of fearlessness. In her left hands, she carries a drum, dart, serpent-noose, shield, axe, goad, bow, bell, banner, and mace. Caṇḍī can also be shown with ten arms, holding a mirror and a mallet. Beneath her, the buffalo demon lies slain, his head severed and fallen. From the demon’s neck, a furious man emerges, weapon raised, gripping a trident, blood streaming from his form, with blood-red garland, hair, and eyes. The buffalo is being devoured by a lion, its neck tightly bound by a noose. The lion is trampled by Yāmyā’s left foot, and the demon lies subdued. This Caṇḍikā, three-eyed and armed, destroyer of enemies, is to be worshipped in her own form at the sacred place of the nine-petaled lotus, as Durgā. At the beginning, middle, and head of Indra and other deities, in order, with the nine principles, stands the one with eighteen arms on the right, holding a severed head and shield. She holds a mirror, a threatening finger, a bow, a banner, a drum, a noose in her left, and a spear, mallet, and trident. The goddess is also furnished with thunderbolt, sword, goad, arrows, discus, and a rod. The remaining forms, with these weapons, have sixteen arms. Setting aside the drum and threatening finger, there are nine goddesses: Rudra-Caṇḍā, Pracaṇḍā, Caṇḍogrā, Caṇḍanāyikā, Caṇḍā, Caṇḍavatī, Caṇḍarūpā, Aticaṇḍikā, and Ugracaṇḍā. In the middle are Rocanā, Bhāruṇī, and Asitā. Nīlā, Śuklā, Dhūmrikā, Pītā, Śvetā, and the lion-riders are present. The buffalo and the armed man seize the demon’s hair and fist. The nine Durgās, standing in the heroic ālīḍha posture, are to be installed for the increase of sons and prosperity. Gaurī and Caṇḍikā and others are also shown, holding a pot, a rosary, and fire. She herself, accomplished in the forest, is Lalitā without fire; on her left, her hand rests on her shoulder, and in her second hand, she holds a mirror. In the southern direction, Saubhāgyā stands with hands joined, holding fruit, and above her is Lakṣmī, with a lotus in her southern hand and fruit in her left. Sarasvatī holds a book, a rosary, and a vīṇā. Śvetā, shining white, holds a lotus and sits upon a makara as Jāhnavī. Thus are the divine forms and their attributes to be known and worshipped, as revealed in the sacred tradition.