Blessed by auspicious winds that brought great joy, a grand celebration unfolded in a land encircled by the sacred mountains Meru, Mandara, Kailāsa, and Maināka. The air was alive with festivity as illustrious sages—Vasiṣṭha, Agastya, Pulastya, Lomaśa, and others—gathered for a momentous occasion: the divine marriage. At the heart of the assembly stood a magnificent altar, crafted from radiant jewels and adorned with gold. Pillars of diamond, ruby, and beryl sparkled, casting a celestial glow upon the sacred space. The altar was further beautified by the presence of Jaya, Lakṣmī, Śubhā, Kṣānti, Kīrti, Puṣṭi, and others, while the mighty mountains—Meru, Mandara, Kailāsa, and Raivataka—stood as silent witnesses to the event. Maināka, the golden-hued and most excellent among mountains, shone resplendently, honored by Viṣṇu, the Lord of the worlds. Around the altar, the sages, the guardians of the worlds, the radiant Ādityas, and the hosts of Maruts prepared everything for the wedding of the god of gods, the great wielder of the trident. Viśvakarmā himself, the divine architect, along with Tvaṣṭṛ, constructed the altar and its gateway. Surabhī, Nandinī, Nandā, Sunandā, and Kāmadohinī graced the gathering with their presence. The occasion was further adorned by the attendance of the oceans, rivers, nāgas, medicinal herbs, and the mothers of the worlds. All the seeds of trees assembled there, bearing witness to the sacred rites. Ilā performed the rituals for the earth, and the herbs fulfilled the rites of food. Varuṇa prepared the drinks, while Kubera, lord of wealth, performed the giving rites. Agni, the fire god, prepared the food, fulfilling the desires of the lords of the worlds. The eternal Viṣṇu worshipped at various places, and the Vedas themselves, along with their secret truths, sang and laughed in joy. All the apsarases danced gracefully, while the gandharvas and kinnaras filled the air with melodious song. Maināka, best among sages, held the grains of rice for the ceremony. Within the inner chamber, the auspicious invocation was completed, and the divine couple—Śiva and Umā—sat together upon the altar. The sacred fire and stone were properly established, and the offering of grains was made according to the rite. The couple then circumambulated the altar, sealing their union. During this sacred moment, as Śaṃbhu, prompted by Viṣṇu, touched the goddess’s thumb and right foot upon the stone, an unexpected event occurred. I, Brahmā, as I was performing the offering near Hara, happened to see the goddess’s thumb. My mind became disturbed, and my seed was involuntarily discharged. Ashamed and feeling defiled, I crushed the spilled seed, and from this subtle essence, the Vālakhilya sages were born. A great outcry arose among the gods at this event. Overwhelmed with shame, I left my seat. As all the assembled gods watched in silence, Mahādeva, perceiving my distress, spoke to Nandin, instructing, “Summon Brahmā here; I will free him from sin. Even the virtuous may err, but compassion leads to forgiveness. The wise, too, are sometimes deluded by sense objects—such is the way of the world.” Thus, out of compassion for me and for the welfare of all beings, Śiva, together with Umā, took action. For the liberation of sinners from sin, the Lord resolved that the earth would become water. With great care, he gathered the purest essence from both of us, made the earth into a water-pot, placed water within it, and sanctified it with hymns such as the Pavamāna. Remembering the power that purifies the three worlds and destroys sin, the Lord of the world said to me, “Take this water-pot. Waters are indeed divine mothers, and earth is another mother; both are the causes of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. Here abides righteousness, the eternal sacrifice, enjoyment, liberation, and all that is moving and unmoving. “By remembering, mental sin is destroyed; by speech, verbal sin; and by bathing, drinking, or anointing, even bodily sin is removed. This alone is nectar in the world; nothing is purer than this. I have sanctified it—take this water-pot, O Brahman. Whoever remembers or even recites the water here attains all desires. From the five elements, water is proclaimed the greatest; among them, this is the most excellent. “Whatever water here is beautiful, holy, and purifying—by touching, remembering, or seeing it, O Brahman, you will be freed from sin.” Having spoken thus, Mahādeva gave me the water-pot. Then, all the hosts of gods, filled with devotion, praised the Lord of gods, and a great cry of victory and joy arose. In the festival of the gods, when I, the unborn one, fell into sin upon seeing my mother’s feet, my compassionate father gave me the purifying Gaṅgā, dwelling in the sacred water-pot, so that even by remembrance, I would be cleansed. O Lord, the goddess who dwells in the water-pot increases your merit. Please tell me, in detail, how she came to the world of mortals. There was once a great demon king named Bali, unconquered foe of the gods, who ruled with righteousness, fame, and by protecting his subjects. Through devotion to his teacher, truthfulness, strength, power, generosity, and forgiveness, Bali was unequalled in the three worlds. Yet, seeing his rising prosperity, the gods became anxious and asked among themselves, “How shall we defeat Bali?” For while he ruled the three worlds, all was well—there were no enemies, no diseases, nor any misfortune. There was no drought, no unrighteousness, no talk of atheism, nor any wicked person; not even in dreams was such a thing seen while Bali ruled the kingdom.