Everywhere in the world, truly wise souls are rare, and among women, wisdom is rarer still. For myself, I have no longing for immortality, nor for the exalted station of Indra, nor even for the supreme path of liberation. O Lord of the universe, as numerous as are the kinds of women on earth, so many virtues and manifold forms have been bestowed upon them. By their beauty, by their virtue, by their brilliance and valor, they shine forth. Among them, there are those devoted to Hari, equal to Him in depth as the ocean, radiant as the moon, pleasing to behold, and as beautiful as Kāma himself. In speech and in knowledge of all the scriptures, they are as intelligent as Bṛgu; in righteousness, equal to Dharma; in truthfulness, surpassing even those most devoted to truth; in sovereignty, like Indra; and in forbearance, steadfast as the earth. O gods, you who partake of the sacred offerings in sacrifice, you are indeed worthy to enjoy the clarified butter on earth. O Nārāyaṇa, beloved of the world, I am not separate from the world itself. O Lord of creatures, because of the curse of your son, you shall become unworthy of worship upon the earth. O Śambhu, by my curse, you shall lose your knowledge. I will send Yama’s jurisdiction far away, without doubt. And now, here and now, I curse all of them with old age and disease, without delay. Having thus spoken, she went to the bank of the Kausiki river to pronounce her curse. Seeing her ready to utter this terrible curse, Brahma, accompanied by the gods, hastened to her. There, after bathing, Brahma praised the Supreme Self, the Lord, saying: “O Mādhava, for the sake of a beloved, do not let her curse the gods; protect them. The virtuous remember You, the saints recite Your name, and the sages joyfully chant it. You are ever devoted to rescuing those who are distressed, helpless, and who have sought refuge in You. O Lord, my worship has now been hindered by the curse upon my son. All authority in the universe was formerly given by You.” Then Mahadeva spoke: “Long ago, in Pushkara, through the merit of a hundred Manvantaras of austerity, whether it be lordship, or wealth, or knowledge, or even valor—all that is unknown, all that is hidden, the highest and most difficult to attain—such things are possible. Yet the power of a devoted wife surpasses the brilliance of all others.” Dharma added, “Such is the dharma that You Yourself established in former times, O Lord. By the merit of austerity performed for seven Manvantaras, O Supreme Lord—” The gods then said, “O Mādhava, now, by the curse of a woman, all that is lost.” Having spoken thus, all of them stood there, restrained and overcome by fear. Then a voice instructed, “You must all go to the root cause; Janārdana Himself has taken the form of a Brāhmaṇa.” Hearing these words, the gods, their minds delighted and eager, set forth. There, they beheld the very goddess, Mālāvatī, steadfast in virtue. She was adorned in garments purified by fire, her forehead marked with a dot of vermilion. Her radiance, long accumulated through the great virtue of devoted service to her husband, shone forth. She was seated in a yogic posture upon the chest of a corpse, holding a pure crystal rosary between the tips of her index finger and thumb. She glowed with the lovely hue of champaka flowers, her lips like bimba fruit, and she was adorned with precious jewels.