Abiding by the command of the lord of obstacles, Jayā took on the form of a cow and made her way to the hermitage where Gautama the Brahmin resided. There, she began to eat the rice, but Gautama noticed her; seeing that the cow was deformed, the sage attempted to restrain her using grass. As he did so, the cow let out a plaintive sound and collapsed to the ground, and a great cry echoed throughout the hermitage. Hearing the commotion and witnessing Gautama’s actions, the gathered Brahmins, distressed and led by the king of obstacles, spoke among themselves. They declared, “We must depart from here; we cannot remain in your hermitage any longer. All have been nurtured like sons, and you have been questioned, O eminent sage.” Their words struck Gautama like thunder, and he fell before the Brahmins, overwhelmed. The Brahmins then said, “Let us see this fallen one upon the earth—the mother of the Rudras, the goddess, beloved purifier of the worlds. O best of sages, since this cow, who embodies the holy places and gods, has fallen here by the force of fate, we must proceed accordingly. Just as an observed vow comes to an end, so too must our stay in your hermitage, O Brahmin; we possess no other wealth but the wealth of austerity.” Standing humbly before them, Gautama spoke, “You alone are my refuge; you ought to purify me.” Then the blessed Lord of Obstacles, surrounded by the Brahmins, addressed the assembly: “She neither dies nor lives here; what can we say in this great uncertainty—whether of expiation or a path forward? How will this cow rise again, and what expiation is there in this matter? You ought to declare it; I will do all that without doubt.” The Brahmins agreed, “By the agreement of all, the wise one will declare this; and whatever he says, O Gautama, that will be our authority.” Urged by the Brahmins and the powerful Gautama, the Remover of Obstacles, in the form of Brahma, spoke to all: “With the consent of all, I will speak the truth as it is; let the sages, and Gautama as well, approve my words. We have heard that in the matted locks of great Śiva, the water from Brahma’s water-pot, source of the unmanifest-born, abides. Bring that swiftly, with austerity and discipline; with it, bathe this cow who has taken refuge on earth, O Lord. Then we shall all remain as before in your dwelling.” When the lord of Brahmins finished speaking in the assembly, a shower of flowers fell, and cries of victory resounded. Gautama, with joined palms and bowed head, spoke: “By the grace of the fire of austerity, by the favor of the gods and Brahma, and by your grace, may my intention be fulfilled.” “So be it,” said the Brahmins, taking leave of the foremost sage. They returned to their own places, prosperous with food and water. When the Brahmins had departed, the Lord of Hosts, together with his brother and Victory, well pleased and his task accomplished, withdrew. The assembly of Brahmins and the Lord of Hosts gone, Gautama too, purified of sin by austerity, withdrew. Meditating on his purpose, the sage reflected repeatedly, “What is this situation of mine?” Through knowledge, he understood: it was for the sake of the gods, the removal of his own sin, the welfare of the worlds, and the pleasing of Śambhu; and also the pleasing of Umā, the bringing of Gaṅgā. All this, he considered most auspicious, and realized there was truly no sin in him. Thus meditating, Gautama became very pleased, having worshipped the Lord of the worlds, the three-eyed one, the bull-bannered. He resolved, “I shall bring the best of rivers; may Girijā, my co-wife, the Mother of the world, who dwells in Maheśvara’s matted locks, be pleased with me.” With this resolve, the eminent sage Gautama journeyed to Kailāsa, the abode of the mighty-bowed one, worshipped by the gods, along with his beloved and the hosts of Brahmā. Having reached the peak of Kailāsa, Gautama restrained his speech, spread out kuśa grass, and sat on the supreme mountain, wise and composed. Sitting down, having purified himself, he then sang a hymn. As Maheśvara was being praised, a shower of flowers fell. In his hymn, Gautama praised the great Lord: To grant desired enjoyments to seekers, Soma assumes eight great forms, always endowed with virtues. The Lord assumes the form of earth to create pleasures, sustain all that moves and is still, and for prosperity and increase. For creation, maintenance, and dissolution, and to establish support for the earth, Śiva, in peaceful form, took the form of water for the happiness and righteousness of people, and for the stability of the world. He established the order of time, the flow of immortality, the existence of living beings, creation and destruction, joy, happiness, and prosperity for beings, assuming a body made of sun, moon, and fire. To create growth, movement, power, and the imperishable letters, the order of living beings, and manifold joys, the Lord took the form of wind. Without distinctions, there is no action, no righteousness, nothing of one’s own, nor anything else—no directions, no space, no heaven and earth, nor enjoyment or liberation; therefore, this form of space is yours, O Lord. To establish righteousness, you determined the Ṛk, Sāman, and Yajus branches, and in the world, the songs, the smṛtis, the Purāṇas—all take the form of words. Thus, Gautama praised the Lord, seeking the river Gaṅgā and the grace of Śiva and Umā, for the welfare of all.