The princess, her heart yearning and her youth slipping away, pleaded with her noble companion, “Show me your beloved husband, O noble one; my youth is passing away in vain.” Hearing her request, the companion led her to a chamber where, alone upon a bed strewn with fragrant flowers, lay an exceedingly fearsome serpent. The serpent was adorned with jewels, his presence both terrifying and majestic. With hands joined in reverence, the princess approached her beloved and spoke without delay, “I am blessed, I am favored, for my husband is my divine lord.” Having spoken thus, she remained by his side on the bed, delighting the serpent with gestures of affection, tender songs, and gentle touches. She pleased him further with fragrant flowers and drinks. By her devotion, the serpent’s memory was restored, and he remembered all that had been divinely ordained. At night, he spoke to his beloved, recounting the events that led them there. The princess, curious and unafraid, asked, “Beloved, how is it that I am not afraid upon seeing you?” The serpent replied, “Who can transgress what is ordained by fate? The husband is always the path for women, especially so.” Hearing these words, the serpent, delighted, smiled and said, “I am pleased with your devotion; what shall I grant you as you desire? By my favor, O beautiful one, you have attained all remembrance.” He revealed his story: “I was cursed by the god of gods, the wrathful Pinākin. In the hand of Maheśvara, the mighty serpent, son of Śeṣa, was born. Thus, I am your husband and you are my wife, named Bhogavatī. Formerly, at Umā’s words, Śambhu laughed aloud in secret, being pleased. O auspicious one, I too laughed in the presence of the gods; then Śambhu, angered, pronounced this curse upon me: ‘You will be born as a serpent in the human world, endowed with knowledge.’” He continued, “Then, O blessed one, you propitiated Śambhu together with me; he said, ‘O blessed one, in Gautamī, worship me.’ While you perform worship in Gautamī in the form of a serpent, I will bestow knowledge upon you; then, by the favor of Bhogavatī, the curse will be lifted. Therefore, O auspicious-faced one, this has befallen me and you; so, taking me to Gautamī, perform worship together with me. Then the curse will be lifted for both of us, until we reach Śiva again; for all who are afflicted, Śiva alone is the supreme goal.” Hearing her husband’s words, the princess went with him to Gautamī. After bathing in its sacred waters, she performed worship of Śiva. The blessed Lord, pleased by their devotion, revealed his divine form. After taking leave of his parents, the serpent, with his wife, prepared to journey to Śiva’s realm. Knowing this, his wise father spoke: “You alone, my eldest son, bear the royal succession; therefore, rule the kingdom completely, beget many sons, and when I depart to the highest abode, then go to Śiva’s city.” The king of the serpents replied, “So be it,” and, assuming any desired form, together with his virtuous wife, ruled the vast kingdom alongside his father, mother, and sons. When his father departed to the heavenly world, he established his sons in his own position. Then, accompanied by his wife, ministers, and others, he journeyed to Śiva’s city. From that time, the holy place became known as Nāgatīrtha, where the Lord of Serpents is established in Bhogavatī. There, bathing and giving gifts bestow the fruit of all sacrifices. It is also known as Mātṛtīrtha, the holy place that grants all accomplishments to people; even by remembering that holy place, a being is freed from afflictions. Amidst these events, a terrible battle raged between the gods and the asuras. The gods found themselves unable to defeat the hosts of the dānavas. At that time, I approached the trident-bearing Lord, who stood among the gods, and with my hands joined in reverence, I slowly praised him with various words. I recalled how, after conferring with all the gods and asuras, the ocean was churned and the deadly poison appeared. “O Great Lord,” I said, “who but you was capable of consuming it? He who, with a shower of flowers, is able to bring the three worlds under his control—Kāma, worshipped even by Hari and other gods—was destroyed and vanished. Having churned the lord of waters, O enemy of Kāma, you gave the best to the gods, and, taking the poison upon yourself, O blue-throated one, who besides you is able to bear it?” The Blessed Lord, the prime creator, the three-eyed one, was pleased. He said, “I will grant whatever you desire—let the foremost of the gods speak their wishes.” The gods replied, “O Bull-bannered One, come here and destroy the terrible fear from the demons; slay the enemies and protect the gods, for you are their lord, O Master. O Śambhu, if you had not acted as a friend without cause, what would all embodied beings, afflicted by sorrow, have done?” Thus addressed, Śaṅkara immediately went to where the enemies of the gods were, and there a fierce battle took place between him and the haters of the gods. As the three-eyed Śiva fought, weary and assuming a form of darkness, drops of sweat fell from his forehead. In this dark form, he destroyed the hosts of demons. Seeing that form, the asuras fled from the summit of Meru to the earth. Hara, having destroyed all the demons, came to earth, and those terrified ones fled in all directions across the world. Rudra, enraged, pursued the enemies, and as Śambhu fought, drops of sweat again fell. Wherever a drop of Śiva’s sweat fell upon the earth, mothers of Śiva’s form were born. Thus, the divine events unfolded, revealing the power of devotion, the grace of Śiva, and the sacredness of the holy places where his blessings manifest.