O Goddess, behold! By the command of the gods, the parrot named Dhūtaśana arrived. Witnessing this, Pārvatī, feeling a sense of modesty, turned to the Lord and said, “Enough, O Lord.” The Lord of the gods then addressed Agni, who had taken the form of a twice-born sage. Calling him again and again, the Lord recognized Agni and instructed, “Do not speak here; open your mouth, receive this, and carry it away.” Thus commanded, the Lord cast his seed into Agni’s mouth. Filled with this divine seed, Agni found himself unable to depart. Weary, Agni moved to the banks of the celestial river. There, he cast that potent seed into the Kṛttikās, from which the mighty Kārttikeya was born. Yet, not all of Śaṃbhu’s seed had left Agni’s body. Whatever remained, Agni deposited into his own wife, dividing it in two parts. Into Svāhā—his beloved and one who deeply desired a child—Agni placed this sacred energy, comforting her with the promise that her lineage would flourish. Remembering this, Agni released Śaṃbhu’s great power into Svāhā. From the union of Agni’s seed and Svāhā, a supreme pair was born: Suvarṇa and Suvarṇā. Unmatched in beauty upon the earth, these two ever delighted Agni and increased the joy of all the worlds. With great affection, Agni gave Suvarṇā to a wise sage for the sake of righteousness. Desiring the best for Suvarṇa, his son, Agni made a cherished resolve, and so the sage arranged the marriage of Suvarṇa and Suvarṇā. Because their seed was mingled mutually, both became known as the children of Agni. Suvarṇa, the son, was wondrous—he could assume many forms, taking on the appearance of the most excellent among the gods. Whenever Suvarṇa wished, he would take the form and beauty of the beloved wives of Indra, Vāyu, Kubera, Varuṇa, and the great sages. Sometimes, he would become the very image of a husband among devoted wives, and, noble in conduct, would enjoy fulfilled desire with them. Suvarṇā, wife of Dharma and daughter of Svāhā, became known for her unrestrained spirit, going wherever her mind wished. She would assume the form of a wife and delight with husbands among men, demons, gods, sages, ancestors, and all who possessed beauty, generosity, steadiness, and depth. She became the very form of whichever goddess a god desired as wife, drawing his mind with various means and fulfilling his wishes. But when the gods and demons beheld the conduct of Suvarṇa and Suvarṇā, children of Agni, they became angry and pronounced a curse upon both. “This act is a transgression, a deceitful conduct and sinful. Therefore, O carrier of oblations, let your son be ever wandering and marked by transgression. And let Suvarṇā not be devoted to one alone, O Agni, nor satisfied with one; let her associate with many, of various kinds and despised forms—this shall be the fault of your daughter.” Hearing these words, Agni was filled with fear. He came to me and said, “Tell me the means of atonement for my son and daughter.” I replied, “O Vahni, go to Gautamī and worship Śaṃkara there with all your might, and make your plight known to the Lord of the universe. By the power of Maheśvara, present within you, such offspring has arisen, O Vahni. Inform the god of gods of this curse, so that Śambhu may bring about the welfare and protection of your children. Praise the god and goddess with devotion; Śiva will be pleased, and then you will obtain your cherished desires regarding your offspring.” Following my guidance, Agni went to the banks of Gaṅgā and worshipped Maheśvara with disciplined words and Vedic praises. He bowed to the Lord of the universe, the creator and sustainer, whose form is the universe itself, who is stainless, the prime originator, and self-born. He worshipped the Three-eyed One—who is fire and destroys, who is water and creates, who is the sun and protects. Pleased by Agni’s devotion, the blessed, endless, and imperishable Lord granted him a boon. Humbly, Agni spoke to Śiva: “Your power dwells within me, from which a beautiful son, Suvarṇa, renowned in the worlds, was born. Likewise, Suvarṇā, a daughter, came from you, O Lord of the world. From the union of each other’s power, and due to that fault, both these resulted. Because of transgression, the offspring is flawed—Śiva, all the gods have cursed them. O Lord, bring peace to them both.” At Agni’s request, Śambhu spoke auspicious words: “From my power and from you arose Suvarṇa, of great prowess; all prosperity is gathered in this Suvarṇa. There is no doubt—he will be the purifier of all three worlds. He alone is nectar in the world, the beloved of the gods, the source of enjoyment and liberation, the sacrificial fee. He alone is the form of everything; even among teachers, he is the teacher. Know his power as the highest, the supreme power that comes from me. Especially since it is placed in you, what need is there for deliberation? Without it, everything is incomplete; with it, all wealth is fulfilled. Even living, all men are as if dead without Suvarṇa; a man without qualities but wealthy is honored, but one with qualities but poor is not.” “Therefore, nothing will surpass Suvarṇa; yet, Suvarṇā, though excellent, is fickle. By her, everything seen, whether lacking or complete, will become whole; through austerity, recitation, and offerings, she is attained in the three worlds.” Thus, through the grace of Śiva, Agni’s offspring were blessed, their flaws transformed into virtues, and their place in the universe assured.