After speaking with the divine artisan, Ghṛtācī, the celestial nymph, journeyed to the abode of Kāma, the god of love. There, within the land of Bhārata, by the will of Kāma and the influence of a cowherd, she was born again—this time carrying with her the memory of her previous existence. Inspired by the knowledge of her past, Ghṛtācī embraced the path of asceticism. She devoted herself to severe austerities, and her body shone with a radiant brilliance, glowing like gold heated in a sacred fire. By the power of the artisan of the gods—Viśvakarmā—she gave birth to nine sons, each remarkable in their own way. Śaunaka, the wise sage, inquired where Ghṛtācī had given birth to these nine sons, and after how many days. The Sūta, the storyteller, replied that, stricken with grief, the artisan himself had gone to the abode of Brahmā. There, after offering respectful salutations and praises to Brahmā, he recounted the entire tale. That very brāhmaṇa, reborn upon the earth, became an artisan of extraordinary skill. He created wondrous, various, astonishing, and delightful works for all people, everywhere, at all times. One day, while at Prayāga, having crafted a masterpiece for the king, the artisan beheld Ghṛtācī once more. She appeared before him as a young ascetic, now in a new and radiant form. The sight of her filled him with sudden desire and bewilderment, so much that he lost his senses. The brāhmaṇa addressed her, saying, “Do not look upon me in this way, O slender-waisted one, for I am Viśvakarmā himself. I shall grant you release from your curse—seek me, O beautiful one.” Hearing his words, Ghṛtācī, now in her new form as a cowherdess, replied, “How could I be united with you here, on the sacred banks of the Gaṅgā in Bhārata? This land of Bhārata is a holy realm of action, where birth is obtained as the fruit of righteous asceticism, for the sake of liberation. Only she whom the goddess Nārāyaṇī, sovereign of illusion, favors, can be freed from this world. Any being, deluded and attached to sense objects, who is born in Bhārata, must strive for liberation. I remember everything, O gods, for I am one who recalls past births. Here, on the supremely holy bank of the Gaṅgā, I perform austerities for liberation. Whatever sin is committed elsewhere is destroyed in the Gaṅgā, and even more so by austerity in the holy place of Nārāyaṇa.” Hearing these words, Viśvakarmā, who could move as swiftly as the wind, led her to the delightful valley of Malaya. There, upon a charming bed of flowers, fragrant with the constant breeze carrying the scent of blossoms and sandalwood, he enjoyed union with her in the seclusion of the forest. From their union, Ghṛtācī became exceedingly heavy with child. O Śaunaka, she carried within her the seeds of knowledge and skill in all the arts and crafts. Thus, the makers of garlands, artisans, conch-shell workers, and basket weavers all came forth, each receiving a boon from Viśvakarmā and being established upon the earth. Yet, fate and karma played their roles: the goldsmith, having stolen gold from the Brahmins, was cast down to earth. The thread-maker, cursed by the Brahmins, also fell. The painter, too, became a painter in his next life. A merchant, through association with the goldsmith, was reborn in a particular way. From the union of the painter and a courtesan who was a Śūdra woman, new life arose. The builder of mansions begot a child in the wife of a potter; the potter’s seed produced offspring in the wife of a basket-maker; and a Kṣatriya’s seed was received by the wife of a prince. Thus, through the workings of divine will, karma, and the mysterious union of Ghṛtācī and Viśvakarmā, the many skilled artisans and craftsmen took their places upon the earth, each with their unique talents and destinies.