As the assembly of gods, led by Śakra and joined by all the celestial lords, gazed upon him, the goddess herself was filled with delight in their presence. She approached and placed a radiant garland upon his feet, its brilliance beyond measure. All the gods, witnessing this act, cried out in unison, “Excellent, excellent!” in praise of the Lord. Together with the goddess, the gods bowed deeply, their heads touching the earth in reverence. At that sacred moment, O Brahmins, I too, along with the gods, addressed him. Turning to Himavat, the great and radiant mountain, I spoke: “You are truly praiseworthy, worthy of worship and reverence; among all beings, you stand supreme in greatness.” I continued, “Since you have formed this great alliance with Śarva, let this splendid wedding be arranged without delay—why hesitate, O noble one?” After bowing respectfully, Himavat replied, “O god, you alone are the cause of all my prosperity; by your grace, everything has come to be, and you alone are the reason. As for the wedding, let it be as you see fit, O Grandfather.” Having heard these words from the king of mountains, I turned to the Lord and said, “Let the wedding be performed, O god.” Śaṅkara replied to me, “As you wish, O Lord of the worlds.” At that very moment, O Brahmins, we set about constructing a city. This city, intended for the wedding of Maheśa, was adorned with every kind of gem—jewels of every hue, precious stones, gold, and pearls. Manifest beings gathered and decorated the splendid city, whose ground sparkled like variegated emerald and whose golden pillars gleamed. Its shining crystal walls were draped with strings of pearls, and at the city’s beautiful gate, a grand wedding pavilion was erected. The city shone resplendent for the great-souled Lord of gods, Maheśa, illuminated as if by the combined radiance of the sun and moon. A fragrant, delightful breeze, sweetly scented, drifted gently through the air, as if expressing devotion to Bhava. There, the four oceans themselves were present, along with the best of the gods like Indra, divine rivers, great rivers, Siddhas, and sages. All the Gandharvas and Apsarases, Nāgas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, beings of the waters, those who move in the sky, Kinnaras, and divine Cāraṇas assembled as well. The renowned musicians Tumburu, Nārada, Hāhā, Hūhū, and the singers of Sāma arrived, bringing with them delightful instruments. The sages, rich in austerity, recited stories and Vedic hymns, joyfully chanting the sacred wedding mantras. All the mothers of the world and the divine maidens, filled with joy, sang praises at the wedding of the Supreme Lord. The six seasons themselves appeared in embodied form, each bringing their fragrant delights, declaring, “This is Śaṅkara’s wedding.” Peacocks, dark as rainclouds, danced everywhere, their joyful calls echoing, thrilled by the sound of the mantras. Cranes, white as water-lily crests, laughed with the flashes of clear lightning, their restlessness adding to the scene’s beauty. The city was adorned with fresh shoots from creepers, trees, and young bamboo, and resounded with the loud calls of great frogs, awakened by the auspicious rainclouds’ loving touch. The hearts of passionate women, previously angered with their beloveds, were instantly captivated and their pride dissolved by the enchanting, fleeting cries of peacocks. Everywhere, the radiant and beautiful form of the rainbow appeared, twisted like the crescent moon, shining near the masses of rainclouds. Delightful, fragrant breezes, cooled by contact with dense, rain-filled clouds, played with the lovely locks of celestial women, carrying the scent of flowers. With the moon’s disk hidden by roaring clouds, the fresh, rain-soaked grass became an object of longing for the wives of travelers, their smoky sighs betraying their yearning. The air was rich with the sound of swan-anklets, the uplifted breasts of women adorned with garlands of lightning, and their eyes clear as lotuses. The rainy season itself appeared at the mountain maiden’s wedding, its beauty enhanced by the fragrance of flowers, the startled bodies of swans, pure streams lifting up lotuses, and every limb adorned with pollen. As the clouds dispersed, her breasts blossomed like lotus buds, and the jingling of swan-anklets filled every direction with abundance. Her broad, sandy banks resembled hips, girdled by the cooing of cranes, her gaze captivating with eyes as dark as blooming blue lotuses. Her lips were like ripe bimba fruit, her jasmine-white teeth flashing as she smiled, her dark, tender limbs adorned by the fresh shoots of new black creepers. She delighted the hearts of all heaven’s dwellers with a necklace of moonbeams flowing over her throat and chest. Her sweet voice echoed in the melodious songs of intoxicated bees, and she was adorned with earrings of swaying water-lily clusters. She wore the tender shoots of red aśoka trees as finger ornaments, her garments woven from the gathered flowers of that tree. Her feet were tipped with red lotuses, her nails like jasmine blossoms, her thighs lovely as banana trunks, and her face radiant as the moon. Endowed with every auspicious mark and adorned with all ornaments, she touched her beloved with affection, as charming as a loving woman. With the dark cloud-veil cast off, her face shone full as the moon, her eyes like blue lotuses, her breasts bursting like lotuses under the sun’s rays. She delighted all with breezes fragrant with the pollen of many flowers, and the sound of swan-anklets filled the air at the goddess’s wedding, heralding the arrival of the autumn season. Then the two radiant seasons, Hemanta and Śiśira, arrived, flooding the directions with exceedingly cool waters. When these two seasons appeared, the great mountain Himavat shone brilliantly, adorned by showers of icy powder, as if covered in silver. By that dense snowfall, the Himalaya at that time gleamed, unfathomable, like the ocean of milk itself.