In the beginning, at the center, and at the forefront of the assembly of Indra and the other gods, the goddess appeared in her resplendent forms, manifesting with the nine principles. She stood, majestic and awe-inspiring, with eighteen arms on her right side, each hand holding a distinct attribute: a severed head, a shield, a mirror, a threatening finger, a bow, a banner, a drum, a noose, a spear, a mallet, and a trident. In her other hands she bore a thunderbolt, a sword, a goad, arrows, a discus, and a rod. Each of her remaining forms, just as formidable, displayed sixteen arms, each hand adorned with weapons and symbols. Setting aside the drum and the threatening finger, nine forms were revealed—Rudra-Caṇḍā, Pracaṇḍā, Caṇḍogrā, Caṇḍanāyikā, Caṇḍā, Caṇḍavatī, Caṇḍarūpā, Aticaṇḍikā, and Ugracaṇḍā. At the center stood Rocanā, Bhāruṇī, and Asitā, surrounded by Nīlā, Śuklā, Dhūmrikā, Pītā, Śvetā, and the lion-riding goddesses. By their side, the buffalo and a powerful, armed man grasped the demon’s hair and fist, subduing evil. These nine Durgās, standing in the heroic ālīḍha posture, were to be installed for the blessing of sons and prosperity. Alongside them were Gaurī, Caṇḍikā, and others, bearing a pot, a rosary, and fire. In the forest, Lalitā herself appeared, serene and without fire, her left hand resting upon her shoulder, and in her second left hand, a mirror. To the south, Saubhāgyā stood with hands joined, holding fruit, while above her was Lakṣmī, radiant, with a lotus in her southern hand and fruit in her left. Sarasvatī, the goddess of wisdom, held a book, a rosary, and a vīṇā. Śvetā, shining bright and white, held a lotus and sat gracefully upon a makara, appearing as Jāhnavī, the sacred Ganges. Nearby, the dark-hued Yamunā sat upon a tortoise, holding a pot, while fair Tumburu played the vīṇā. Before the Mother stood the trident-bearer, mounted on a bull. Gaurī, with four faces as Brāhmī, held a rosary and subdued a demon. Kuṇḍakṣapātriṇī, white as the swan she rode, appeared as Śāṅkarī. In her right hands, she held a bow and arrow, autumn-hued, while her left hands bore a discus and a bull-shaped bow. Kumari, adorned with peacock feathers and glowing red, held a spear in her two arms. Lakshmi, on the left, held a discus and conch, and a mace. Varahi, standing firmly on a buffalo, carried a staff, conch, sword, and mace. On the left, Aindri, thousand-eyed and powerful, held a thunderbolt. Camunda, fearsome with sunken eyes, fleshless and three-eyed, stood with only bones remaining, her hair wild, her belly thin, and clad in tiger skin. In her left hand, she held a skull and a sword; in her right, a trident and a knife. She rode upon a corpse, adorned with bones. Vinayaka appeared in human form with a large belly and the face of an elephant, his trunk broad and long, wearing a sacred thread. Her face measured seven digits across, her trunk thirty-six fingers in both breadth and length. Twelve digits marked a kala; her neck, with a vein and half a kala, was thirty-six fingers long, and her secret part one and a half fingers. Her navel and thighs measured twelve fingers each, as did her shanks and right foot. In her right hand, she held a tooth; in her left, an axe, a sweet ball, or a blue lotus. Her face was beautiful, with cat-like eyes, and at her side stood Skanda, riding a peacock. Swami, Shakha, and Vishakha appeared as children, with two arms. On the right was Shakti and a rooster, and sometimes she appeared with one face, sometimes six, with six arms, or twelve in the village, or two in the forest. She was equipped with spear, arrow, noose, sword, shield, and the gesture of warning, her right hands bearing spears, as did her six left hands. Adorned with peacock feathers, she held a shield, banner, the gesture of fearlessness, and a rooster; in her fierce and gentle forms, she bore a skull, knife, trident, and noose. Clad in an elephant skin, with face and feet uplifted, Rudracarcika, the eight-armed goddess, shone, adorned with a head and a girdle. Thus, she was Rudra-Camunda, the Lady of Dance, dancing in her glory. At the same time, Mahalakshmi was seated, four-faced, devouring men, horses, and buffaloes held in her hands. Ten-armed and three-eyed, she bore weapons, swords, and a trident. In her right hand, she held a bell and a shield; in her left, a club and a trident—she was known as Siddha-Camunda. The goddess Siddha-Yogeshvari, bestower of all accomplishments, appeared in another form, red and adorned with a noose and goad. Bhairavi, the embodiment of knowledge, stood with twelve arms. These eight fierce mothers, born of the cremation ground, were remembered thus: patient, adorned with auspiciousness, aged, two-armed, open-faced, with prominent teeth, bringing welfare and sitting on the ground with hands on her knees. The yakshinis had rigid, elongated eyes; the shakinis gazed askew. With tawny eyes and exceedingly lovely forms, they were always like celestial nymphs. Nandi, holding a rosary and trident, served as the gatekeeper, while Mahakala, with a severed head, bore a spear and a mace. Thin Bhringi danced, accompanied by the stout and dwarfish Kusmanda. There were also those with elephant, cow, and other animal faces—these were the hosts led by Virabhadra. With bell-ears, ten lips, and ten arms, they tore apart sin and disease, wielding vajras, swords, staffs, discs, pestles, goads, and clubs. In their right hands, they held a threatening finger, shield, spear, skull, and noose; a bow, bell, and axe; and in two hands, a trident. The god, adorned with a garland of bells, crushed and destroyed with explosive force. Then the Blessed Lord spoke: Surya, the Sun, stood in a chariot drawn by seven horses, with a single wheel. He held two lotuses, an inkpot, a stylus, and a water pot in his right hand. At the left stood Pingala at the door, holding a staff, attending upon the Sun. On either side, two women with fly-whisks attended him, while the queen stood nearby, devoid of radiance. Alternatively, Bhaskara alone might be seen riding a horse. All the guardians of the directions, holding weapons, stood with two lotuses in their hands, bestowing boons, arranged in their proper order. Thus was the divine assembly revealed, radiant with power, beauty, and the weapons of righteousness, each deity and attendant manifesting their unique splendor in the cosmic order.