When the supreme dominion of the gods was seized by a powerful being, the gods found themselves bereft of strength and sovereignty. Led by Indra, they were overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty, and so, seeking refuge, they approached Lord Viṣṇu. With hands folded in reverence, the gods came before the Lord who reclines upon the ocean of milk—Viṣṇu, the great grandsire of the worlds—and offered their heartfelt prayers with unwavering devotion. They addressed him, saying, “O protector of the worlds, Lord, increaser of the gods’ glory, sovereign of all, and source of the universe! You who are the very embodiment of the three Vedas, we bow to you. You alone are the creator of the worlds, the destroyer of Asuras, the Lord of all that exists. You are the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction, pervading everything, O all-pervading one. In the three worlds, there is truly no other protector for embodied beings, for those beset by calamities. O lotus-eyed one, apart from you, there is no other refuge from the threefold miseries. “You alone are the father and mother of the entire world, O Viṣṇu, easily accessible through service. Be gracious, Lord, and save us from these great dangers. Who else but you removes our distress? You are the primeval creator, and in the forms of the Boar, the Fish, the Tortoise, and others, you have protected us whenever danger has arisen. Now, the hosts of gods have lost their sovereignty, their wives have been taken, and their positions are gone. Why, O Lord Hari, do you not protect those who have no other refuge?” Hearing their earnest plea, the blessed Lord Viṣṇu, master of the universe and resting upon Śeṣa, spoke gently to the gods: “Tell me, free from anxiety, what is the cause of your fear?” Thus invited, the gods revealed to the Lord of Śrī the terror wrought by Tāraka. “We are seized by a dreadful, hair-raising fear of Tāraka,” they confessed. “Neither by battle, nor by austerity, nor by curses are we able to slay him. Yet, a child born after ten days from now will bring about his death. Therefore, O Lord, let no other means be devised in this matter.” Viṣṇu replied, “I am not exceedingly powerful in this, O gods. Neither from me, nor from my lord, nor from the gods will Tāraka’s death come. If a child endowed with great power should be born from Īśvara, then that dreadful Tāraka will indeed meet his end. Therefore, let us all—gods and sages together—make every effort to find a wife for Īśvara. The foremost endeavor must now be made by the mighty.” The gods agreed, saying, “So be it.” Together, they went to the excellent mountain Himavat, radiant with jewels, and to Menā, his beloved wife. There, they spoke as one to the snowy mountain and his consort: “Dakṣā’s daughter, the mother of the world—she who abides on the mountain as Śakti, the essence of intellect, wisdom, fortitude, intelligence, modesty, nourishment, and Sarasvatī—dwells in many forms, purifying the worlds. For the accomplishment of the gods’ purpose, she shall enter the womb of you two. She who is born will be the mother of the world, the future wife of Śambhu, and she will be the protector of us all.” Himavat was delighted by the words of the gods, and Menā, filled with great enthusiasm, joyfully agreed. Thus, Gaurī, the sustainer of the world, was born in the house of Himavat. Ever devoted to meditation on Śiva, Gaurī was steadfast and absorbed in him. The hosts of gods then said to her, “Undertake austerity for the sake of the Lord.” Obediently, on the slopes of Himavat, Gaurī performed great austerity. Meanwhile, the gods deliberated among themselves: “The Lord contemplates her, or himself, or something else—we do not know how Bhava thinks. Let the Lord of gods fix his mind upon Menā’s daughter; a plan must be devised for this, and then we shall regain our supremacy.” Then the wise and noble-minded Lord of Speech spoke, “Let Madana, Kandarpa, the bearer of the flowery bow, strike peaceful Śiva with his auspicious arrows made of flowers. Struck by him, even the three-eyed Lord will set his mind upon the Lady, and surely Hara will marry Girijā. The arrows of the conqueror of the five-arrowed one are never blunted anywhere. Thus, in the womb of the world-supporting goddess, a son of Shiva will be born. Born as the son of the three-eyed one, he will slay Tāraka. For assistance, let the beautiful season of spring, the bringer of blossoms, be present. And with joy in your hearts, offer this to Kāma.” With their plan set, the gods, undisturbed and subduers of enemies, sent Madana and the bringer of spring to Shiva. Kāma, eager and with his bow in hand, accompanied by Rati, prepared to perform that exceedingly difficult task. As he took up his bow and arrows, Kāma thought, “I can pierce all, but Shiva, the lord and teacher of the worlds, cannot be pierced by me. The arrows that conquer the three worlds—are they firm or not against Shiva?” But when Kāma loosed his flowery arrows at Shiva, the Lord opened his fiery third eye, and Kāma was reduced to ashes. Then, O best of gods, the assembled deities gathered to witness this extraordinary act. They saw Kāma turned to ashes and, struck with fear, praised the Lord of gods with joined hands, saying, “Relieve the fear caused by Tāraka—take the daughter of the mountain as your wife.” Even Hara, whose mind had been pierced, quickly accepted the words spoken by the gods, as did Arundhatī, Vasiṣṭha, myself, and the wielder of the discus. The immortals sent word to one another for the marriage, and thus the alliance was established between the lords of the Himavat region. On the excellent mountain Himavat, adorned with various jewels, covered with many kinds of trees and creepers, and frequented by many kinds of birds, rivers, streams, lakes, wells, and ponds, the gods, gandharvas, yakṣas, siddhas, and cāraṇas gathered to witness the auspicious union that would restore the balance of the worlds.