Jāmbavat, recognizing Krishna’s true nature, bowed before him and spoke with humility, “You are that same Supreme One, now appearing here as Krishna. O Lord, please forgive my wrongdoings. Tell me what I must do, for I am ever your servant.” Hearing these words from the king of bears, the Lord of the universe replied gently, “O king of bears, we have come to your cave seeking the Syamantaka jewel.” Filled with joy, Jāmbavat honored Krishna. Together with his wife and the divine sage Nārada, he offered his own daughter, Jāmbavatī, in marriage to Krishna, and also presented him with the Syamantaka jewel. Krishna accepted Jāmbavatī as his wife and placed the radiant jewel around his neck. After respectfully bidding farewell to Jāmbavat, Krishna set out for Dvārakā. On the day this sacred tale was first told, noble Vasudeva celebrated by feeding the brāhmaṇas and satisfying them with generous gifts. As the brāhmaṇas bestowed their blessings, Krishna—Hari himself—arrived, adorned with the jewel and accompanied by his new wife. Seeing Krishna and his wife, with Vasudeva at the forefront, the people were overcome with joy; their eyes filled with tears of happiness as they attained supreme bliss. Delighted by Krishna’s arrival, the divine sage Nārada greeted Vasudeva. Krishna then proceeded to the assembly of Brahma. Whoever, with pure devotion and a purified mind, listens to or recites this sacred account of Hari—which destroys ill repute—will always be filled with happiness, attain success in all worldly desires, and, at the end of their life, obtain the path of liberation. Sūta now continued, “O best of sages, listen to another ancient story, one that sings the greatness of this Devī Bhāgavata.” Once, the sage Agastya—the husband of Lopāmudrā, born from a pot—worshipped Kumāra (Skanda) and asked him to narrate various stories. The blessed Skanda recounted many tales, filled with the glory of charity, sacred places, and vows. He described in detail the greatness of Vārāṇasī, the origin of Maṇikarṇikā, and the holy sites along the Gaṅgā. Pleased by these stories, Agastya again questioned radiant Kumāra for the welfare of the worlds: “O Lord, slayer of Tāraka, please tell me how one should properly hear of the greatness of the Devī Bhāgavata. This Purāṇa, called the Devī Bhāgavata, is supremely excellent, for in it the eternal Mother of the three worlds is directly praised.” Skanda replied, “Who can describe in full detail the greatness of the Śrī Bhāgavata? Listen, O Brahman, I shall tell you briefly. She, the eternal one—of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss—the Mother of the universe, is directly present within it, bestowing both worldly enjoyment and liberation. Therefore, O sage, the Devī Bhāgavata is the very embodiment of Her speech. By reading or hearing it, nothing in this world is difficult to attain.” Skanda then narrated a tale: There was a son of Vivasvat named Śrāddhadeva. Being childless, this king performed a sacrifice as instructed by the sage Vasiṣṭha. Śraddhā, the beloved wife of Manu, prayed to the priest, “O Brahman, let a daughter be born to me—please arrange for this.” The priest, holding this intention in his mind, offered a daughter in the sacrifice. Thus, through this irregularity, a girl named Ilā was born. When the king saw his daughter, he anxiously asked his guru, “O Lord, how has this discrepancy in the intention arisen?” Hearing this, the sage reflected, realized the priest’s error, and sought refuge in the Supreme Lord, desiring that Ilā be transformed into a man. By the power of the sage’s austerity and the grace of the Supreme Lord, Ilā, before the eyes of all, attained manhood. Consecrated by his guru, Sudyumna—the son of Manu—became a repository of knowledge, as the ocean is for rivers. In time, as Sudyumna reached his youth, he set out for the forest to hunt, mounting a Sindhu horse. Wandering from one forest to another with his retinue, fate led the prince to a forest at the foot of Mount Hemadri. At that very time and place, the god of gods, Shankara (Shiva), was delighting in the company of his wife, Aparna (Pārvatī). Sages, longing for a vision of Shiva, arrived there; seeing them, Girija (Pārvatī) became bashful. Witnessing Shiva and his consort engaged in pleasure, the ascetic sages respectfully withdrew and went to the abode of Vaikuntha. Desiring privacy with his beloved, Shiva then pronounced a curse upon the forest: “From this day, any man who enters here shall become a woman.” From that time onward, men avoided that region. However, Sudyumna, having entered the forest, was transformed into a woman of great beauty. He saw his horses turned into mares and his followers into women, and was astonished. Now a beautiful woman, Sudyumna wandered from forest to forest. One day, she came near the hermitage of Budha. Upon seeing her—lovely in every limb, with full and high breasts, lips like bimba fruit, teeth like jasmine buds, a beautiful face, and lotus-like eyes—Budha, the god, was struck by love. She, too, with her lovely brows, desired Budha, the son of Soma; thus she remained in his hermitage, delighting in his company. In time, Budha, born of Mitra and Varuna, begot upon her a son named Pururavas. After some years, she recalled her former life and became sorrowful. Leaving Budha’s hermitage, she went to the ashram of her guru, Vasiṣṭha. Bowing before him, she recounted all that had happened, seeking refuge and longing to regain her manhood.