Of all the worlds, the earth is regarded as their very foundation. Yet it is by my own will alone that I uphold the earth, not by the command of any other. As long as I sustain it, all the eternal worlds remain established; thus, I dwell here always, not because of any order from you. In the course of time, Rudra of immeasurable brilliance summoned Daksha, who then relinquished his Swayambhuva body and was born anew among humans. Daksha, the lord of householders and master of sacrifices, performed a great yajña here, accompanied by the gods and observing all the sacred rites. When the era of the Vaivasvata Manvantara arrived, Mena gave birth to the goddess Uma, daughter of the king of mountains. This goddess was previously Sati and later became known as Uma; she is the devoted companion of Bhava (Shiva), and Bhava is never separated from her. In every Manvantara, for as long as the Lord desires, the goddess accompanies Marichi as Aditi does Kashyapa—just as Shri is ever with Narayana, Shachi with Maghavan, Kirti with Vishnu, Usha with Surya, and Arundhati with Vasistha. These goddesses never forsake their husbands under any circumstance. In this way, Daksha, son of Prachetas, was born again in the Cakshusha Manvantara. Daksha was the grandson of Pracinabarhis and son of the Pracetas; from the union of the ten Pracetas and Marisha, he was born once more, O king. It is told that he was born a second time as a result of Rudra’s curse, and all those great sages like Bhrigu were also born again. In the first Treta Yuga, during the great sacrifice of Manu Vaivasvata, the god assumed the form of Varuni. Thus, remorse arose when both Daksha and the wise Tryambaka entered another birth. Therefore, one should never be troubled by remorse over choices made here; for even when one takes another birth, whether good or bad, it does not benefit the soul—thus, the wise do not indulge in regret. Now, how did Sati, Daksha’s daughter, once out of anger, abandon her body and then take birth again in the house of the mountain king, O Lord? How did her previous body exist in another form? How did her union and conversation with Bhava come to be? How did the svayamvara occur in that great birth, and the wondrous marriage, O Lord of the world? O Brahman, please narrate all these events in detail; we long to hear this most auspicious and exceedingly delightful story. Listen, O best among sages, to the story of Uma and Shankara—a tale that destroys sin, bestows merit, and fulfills all desires. Once, Himavan, the foremost of mountains, asked Kashyapa, the best among men, who had come to his abode, about an event renowned and beneficial to the world. He inquired, "By what means, O sage, do the worlds become imperishable, and how does supreme fame and worthiness of worship among the virtuous arise? Tell me this." Kashyapa replied, "All this is attained, O mighty-armed one, through offspring—my own fame, as well as that of Brahmā and the sages, arises from offspring. Do you not see, O lord of mountains, why you question me? I shall tell you what I have witnessed, O ancient mountain. As I journeyed to Vārāṇasī, I beheld in the sky a celestial, splendid, and incomparable palace, radiant with great majesty. Beneath it, in a pit, I heard a cry of distress. Through my austerity, I discerned its source and remained hidden there. Then, O lord of mountains, a brāhmaṇa arrived, disciplined and pure, his soul purified by sacred baths and steadfast in supreme austerity. As he proceeded, a tiger threatened him, and he entered that place where the pit was. Within, on a pillar of reeds, he saw sages hanging, afflicted and distressed. The brāhmaṇa questioned them, 'Who are you, hanging head-down on this pillar of reeds, suffering so? By what means will you be liberated, O sinless ones?' They replied, 'We are your fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers, who performed meritorious deeds. We suffer because of your wicked action. This is a hell, O fortunate one, existing in the form of a pit. And you are the pillar of reeds; upon you we hang. As long as you live, O brāhmaṇa, so long do we remain here. When you die, we shall go to hell, our minds tainted by sin. If you, by union with a wife, produce a virtuous son, by that act we shall be freed from this sin. By no other austerity, nor by the fruits of pilgrimages, can this be accomplished. Do this, O wise one, and deliver your ancestors from fear.' Having promised thus, the brāhmaṇa worshipped the Bull-bannered One (Shiva), raised his ancestors from the pit, and became a leader of the Gaṇas. He himself, beloved of Rudra and named Suveśa, esteemed and powerful, became a leader among Rudra’s Gaṇas. Therefore, O lord of mountains, perform severe austerity and by your daughter of excellent complexion, produce a son of great virtue. Thus addressed by the sage, Himavan, steadfast in discipline, undertook incomparable austerity, by which I was satisfied. Then I appeared before Himavan and said, 'I am the giver of boons. Speak, for I am pleased with you, O lord of mountains, because of your austerity, O virtuous one.' Himavan replied, 'O Lord, I desire a son adorned with all virtues. Grant me this boon, if you are indeed pleased with me, O master.