By the creative power of the great soul Tvashtar, the divine craftsman of the gods, wondrous beings were fashioned: Surabhi, the celestial cow; Nandini, the wish-fulfilling cow; and Kamadhenu, the bestower of every desire. Alongside these wish-granting beings, all prosperity was present—there stood the wish-fulfilling tree Parijata and the divine creepers, such as the Kalpa vine, all capable of granting any wish. At the grand sacrifice, whatever was most desired by the heart was present, and this abundance was personally protected by Maghavan (Indra), Pushan, and Hari (Vishnu). From every direction, voices rang out in honor of Daksha’s sacrifice: “Let it be given, enjoyed, performed, or happily maintained!” Thus, the sacrifice was celebrated and revered. But then, first came Virabhadra, accompanied by Bhadrakali, his mind seized by grief and anger. After them, the wielder of the trident and bow—Mahadeva himself—appeared. Mahadeva, adorned with mighty spirits, approached the site of the sacrifice, surrounded on all sides by these fearsome beings. A great tumult arose as they began to destroy the sacrifice. Some fled in terror, while others rushed toward Shiva for refuge. Some praised the Lord of the gods, while others were filled with anger toward Shankara. Witnessing the ruin of the sacrifice, Pushan approached the scene. In the chaos, Virabhadra seized Pushan and instantly uprooted his teeth. He drove away Indra and, in his fury, tore out Bhaga’s eyes. He grasped the Sun with his arms, spinning him around and casting him down. Overwhelmed, the hosts of gods sought refuge with Vishnu. “Save us, save us, O wielder of the mace!” they cried, trembling before the wrath of the Lord of spirits. Yet, even as Hari looked on, one of Maheshvara’s fierce attendants, a Pramatha, burned the entire Vaishnava sacrifice. Hari, seeing the devastation, released his discus to slay the Lord of spirits, but the Lord of spirits caught the approaching discus in his hand. When Vishnu’s discus was seized, the guardians of the worlds fled in fear. Seeing their plight, Daksha, with the other gods, approached Shankara and praised him with devotion, yearning for the sacrifice to be fulfilled. Daksha and the gods chanted, “Victory to you, Shankara, Lord of Soma! Victory to you, all-knowing Shambhu! Victory to you, bearer of auspiciousness! Victory to you, embodiment of time—salutations! Salutations to you, primal creator, blue-throated one, beloved of Brahma, embodiment of Brahma! Salutations to you, god of three forms, supreme lord of three abodes, foundation of the three worlds, bestower of desires! Salutations to you, known through Vedanta, supreme self, embodiment and abode of sacrifice! Salutations to you, giver and carrier of offerings, destroyer of sacrifice, giver of fruits! Save us, save us, Lord of the universe, lover of those who seek refuge! For both the devoted and the undevoted alike, you alone are the refuge, O Lord!” Pleased by these prayers, Maheshvara smiled and said, “What shall I grant you?” Daksha replied, “Let my sacrifice be fulfilled, O Lord!” The blessed god of gods, Maheshvara, Shankara, soul of all beings and abode of compassion, replied, “So be it.” With his word, the blessed one made Daksha’s sacrifice complete, and then, along with his spirits, he vanished from sight. The gods, relieved, departed and returned to their own abodes. Yet, in time, a great conflict arose between the gods and the demons. Stricken with fear of the demons, the gods turned to Janardana, the Lord of Fortune, and praised him with full hearts and words of devotion. Even the chief gods, beginning with Indra, performed austerities in the hope of receiving the glance of Lakshmi, whose heart is devoted to Vishnu’s feet. To that one who is the very nature of Brahman, the gods sought refuge. “In all the three worlds,” they declared, “there is none superior, equal, or greater than you—whether as the rider of Garuda or as Narasimha. May that God of gods, out of compassion, protect all of us who have sought refuge from great dangers.” The blessed Lord, bearing the conch, discus, and mace, appeared before them, pleased, and asked, “For what purpose have you all come? I am the doer of that.” The gods replied, “O Madhusudana, there is intense fear of the demons among us; therefore, O Janardana, resolve to protect the gods.” Hari answered, “My discus has been taken away by Hara; what can I do, as my discus is gone? You all have come in distress—let all the hosts of gods return; I will provide you protection.” After the gods had departed, Vishnu, intent on regaining his discus, went to the sacred river Godavari and began to worship Shambhu. With a hundred thousand divine golden lotuses, fragrant and offered with deep devotion, Vishnu performed worship for Umāpati. As the worship proceeded, a remarkable thing occurred: among the thousand lotuses, one was missing. Without hesitation, the enemy of the demons plucked out his own eye and offered it as arghya, taking the vessel in his hand along with the remaining lotuses. Meditating on Shambhu, and with no other refuge, Hari offered the arghya. He declared, “O God, you alone know the inner feelings of men; you alone are the refuge and Lord—what deliberation can there be here?” With tears in his eyes, he lay prostrate before the Lord. Moved by this devotion, Ishvara, together with Bhavani, appeared before Vishnu. Embracing him tightly, Shambhu granted Hari various boons; the discus was restored to its former glory, and Vishnu’s eye was made whole once more. All the hosts of gods then praised both Hari and Shankara, as well as Ganga, the best of rivers, and the god with the bull-banner. From that time, the holy place became known as Cakra-tirtha. Merely hearing its story frees one from all sins. Whoever bathes, gives gifts, or offers oblations to the ancestors at that sacred spot becomes free from all sins and attains heaven with the ancestors. Even today, that holy place marked by the discus can be seen. After Cakra-tirtha, the holy place called Pippala is described, where the Lord of the discus regained his discus, continuing the sacred tale.