He alone, the radiant sun, ever-present and visible to all, was established as the sustaining force, with all else abiding within his form. At the command of Shambhu, the gods fashioned the sun from the celestial Parijata tree, and Tvashta, the divine artisan, addressed Bhaskara, the Sun himself: “Remain here, O Lord of the world, and be the protector of the gods. We, too, shall remain in this place with our own portions, in the presence of Shambhu.” Around the Lord of the disc, the gods—foremost among the divine—gathered, spreading as far as the eye could see, reaching both banks of the sacred Ganges. There, on the river’s edge, in a space no wider than half a finger’s length, resided three crore and five hundred sacred tirthas—holy places—whose arrangement was so wondrous that none could fully describe or recount it. In that sanctified gathering, all the hosts of gods, humbled before the greatness of Shiva, approached him with reverence and supplication. “O Lord of the gods, embodiment of the universe,” they pleaded, “bring peace to Pippalada.” Then, uttering the sacred syllable ‘Om,’ the Lord of the universe spoke to Pippalada: “Even if the gods themselves were destroyed, your father will not return. Your very life was given by your father for the fulfillment of the gods’ purpose. Who, indeed, is a friend to the distressed and afflicted as he was? Your mother, ever devoted to her husband, has now ascended to heaven, my son. Here, in this holy place, Lopamudra and Arundhati are held as equals; by their bones, the gods are always victorious and content. Through this, your mother’s fame has become abundant and imperishable, accomplished by you, her son; nothing greater than this could be done. “Out of fear of your own might, you must protect those who have been expelled from heaven—the Kandishikas—and save the gods from your wrath. Nowhere is there a greater good than rescuing the afflicted. As long as your fame endures in the world of men, for that many days, in the world beyond, you shall reside unchanging, year for year. Truly, those who lack fame here are as good as dead; those deprived of learning are as the blind. The generous are never impotent, and the righteous never to be pitied.” Hearing these words of the Lord of gods, Pippalada grew peaceful. With joined palms, he bowed deeply to the Master and spoke: “Those who, by word, thought, or deed, sometimes help me and are devoted to my welfare—for their benefit, and for the good of all—I bow to Soma, honored by the lords of the gods. May Shiva, adorned with the crescent moon, grant the wishes of those who have protected and nurtured me, who share my lineage and dharma; to him I bow always. “O Lord, by whose name may a sacred place arise in all three worlds for those by whom I have always been raised as by a mother and father. May their fame endure, and thus may I be freed of debt to them. Whatever fields of the gods and holy places exist on earth—may the deities approve of any extra offerings given to them. Then, being pure, I shall forgive any offense against the gods.” Then, in the presence of all, the gods, led by Indra, the thousand-eyed one, spoke in divine language, honoring the words uttered by Dadhichi’s son. Recognizing the child’s intelligence, humility, knowledge, valor, strength, courage, truthfulness, devotion to his parents, and purity of heart, Shankara addressed Pippalada: “Dear one, whatever cherished desire you have, and whatever is dear to the gods, you shall obtain. Speak your wish for good fortune; let your mind not waver. “Those who, steadfast in dharma, bathe in the Ganga and behold your lotus feet, O Mahesha, may they obtain all their desires by force and, at the end of their bodies, reach your Shaiva abode.” Pippalada replied, “Father has attained your feet, and my mother Ambika, O Lord, has also reached you. Pippala and Amara have found happiness. May they, beholding you, O Lord of lords, reach your abode.” The great Lord Maheshvara, pleased, said “so be it” to Pippalada. With the gods, he joyfully addressed him. The gods, now free from fear and filled with joy, spoke to Dadhichi in Shiva’s presence: “Whatever the gods desired, you have surely accomplished. You have upheld the command of the Lord of gods, the ornament of the three worlds. And what you previously requested was for the sake of others, not for yourself, O twice-born. Therefore, speak of something else; we shall grant it to you.” Again and again, the hosts of gods addressed the best of Brahmins. With joined palms, Pippalada first bowed to Shambhu and the gods, then to Uma and the Pippalas, and spoke: “I wish always to see my parents, to have them within the range of my hearing. Blessed are those beings in the world who remain under the authority of their mother and father, always devoted to service, awaiting the command at their feet—one should dedicate the senses, the body, the family, strength, intellect, and beauty. Having fulfilled their duties toward both, one becomes fulfilled; for animals and birds, seeing their mothers is easy. But for me, that is difficult—tell me, is this the result of sin? If it is so difficult, then would it not be so for everyone? It cannot be easily attained; there is no one more sinful than I. If I were to gain even a mere sight of them, O best of gods—the fruit of actions by mind, speech, and body would be obtained. Those who do not see their parents after birth in this world—who can count the great sins of such people?” Hearing the sage’s heartfelt words, the gods consulted among themselves. Then, mounting a splendid celestial chariot, the auspicious couple—his parents—appeared. “Longing to see you, you will surely see them today,” the gods said. “Cast off sorrow, greed, and delusion, and bring your mind to tranquility.” “Look, look!” exclaimed the best of the gods to Dadhichi, as the two, adorned in gold, ascended the radiant celestial chariot, their hearts united in joy and divine fulfillment.