Having received the boon from Śambhu, the great sage Vasiṣṭha bowed reverently before Jagadambikā, the goddess Maheśvarī, who stood ready to grant blessings. With deep devotion, he worshipped her—she who shone with the radiance of countless moonbeams, smiling with divine beauty. Vasiṣṭha praised her ceaselessly, his heart yearning for the restoration of manhood to Ilā. He proclaimed, “Victory to you, O great goddess, bestower of grace upon your devotees! Victory to you, worshipped by all the gods, the abode of endless virtues!” Again and again, he offered salutations: “O queen of the gods, affectionate to those who seek refuge, victory to you, Durgā, remover of suffering and destroyer of wicked demons!” He praised her as the great Māyā, accessible through devotion, the mother of the universe whose lotus feet are the boat that carries beings across the ocean of worldly existence. Vasiṣṭha acknowledged that even Brahmā and the other gods, by serving her lotus feet, attain lordship over creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. He pleaded, “Be gracious, O queen of the gods, giver of the four aims of life. Who is able to truly praise you, O goddess? I am but one who bows before you.” Thus, the sage Vasiṣṭha praised the supreme goddess Durgā Nārāyaṇī with unwavering devotion. The goddess, pleased by his prayers, revealed herself as the remover of distress for those who bow to her. She spoke to Vasiṣṭha, instructing him, “Go to the house of Sudyumna and worship me with devotion. Recite to Sudyumna, with affection, the Purāṇa dear to me, called the Devī Bhāgavata, over nine days, O best of the twice-born. Simply by hearing it, he will regain manhood always—so spoke Śiva and Pārvatī.” With these words, the divine couple vanished from sight. Vasiṣṭha, bowing in the direction where they disappeared, returned to his hermitage. He summoned Sudyumna and instructed him to worship the Goddess. In the bright fortnight of Āśvina, Vasiṣṭha performed the Navarātra rite, worshipping the Mother of the Universe, and had King Sudyumna listen to the sacred narration. Sudyumna, hearing the divine nectar of the Bhāgavata with devotion, bowed and worshipped his guru, and thus obtained uninterrupted manhood. Consecrated on the royal throne by the sage Vasiṣṭha, Sudyumna ruled the earth righteously, delighting his subjects. He performed many sacrifices with abundant gifts, entrusted the kingdom to his sons, and ultimately attained the same world as the Goddess. O brāhmaṇas, whoever reads or hears this entire story with devotion attains all desires here by the grace of the Goddess and, at the end, reaches her world and the supreme nectar. After this wondrous and divine tale was heard, Sūta narrated how Kumbhasaṃbhava, eager to listen further, humbly addressed Viśākha again. Agastya, too, asked, “O commander of the gods, I have heard this marvelous story; now tell me further about the greatness of the Bhāgavata.” Skanda replied, “O sage, listen to this story, born from Mitra and Varuṇa, wherein a portion of the glory of the Bhāgavata is revealed. Here is described the expanse of dharma, centering on the Gāyatrī; the greatness of Gāyatrī is recounted, and that is considered Bhāgavata. Because this belongs to the Goddess, it is known as Bhāgavata; for she, the supreme Goddess, is worshipped by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva.” He continued, “A sage of great wisdom named Ṛtavāk was renowned. In due time, at the end of Pauṣṇa, he had a son. He performed for him the birth rites and other ceremonies as prescribed, including tonsure and initiation. Yet from the time his son was born, Ṛtavāk became afflicted with grief and illness. His mind, and likewise the mother’s, became overwhelmed by anger and greed; she, filled with many attachments, was constantly distressed and deeply sorrowful.” Ṛtavāk, greatly troubled, pondered, “Why has my son become so utterly wicked?” The son, heedless and deluded, abducted the wife of another sage’s son by force, ignoring his father’s and mother’s teachings. With a heart full of sorrow, Ṛtavāk lamented, “For men, it is better to have no son at all than to have a wicked son. An evil son causes his ancestors to fall from heaven into hell; as long as he lives, he brings only suffering to his parents. The birth of a sinful son brings misery to his parents; he does no good to friends, nor does he harm enemies. Blessed are those people in whose house a good son dwells, who is devoted to helping others and brings happiness to his father and mother. By a wicked son, the family is destroyed, reputation is ruined, and both here and hereafter, suffering and torments of hell are endured. By a wicked son, the lineage is lost; by a bad wife, birth is wasted; by bad food, the day is ruined; with a false friend, how can there be happiness?” Thus, tormented day and night by the evil conduct of his son, Ṛtavāk went to the sage Garga and asked him, “O venerable one, I wish to ask you—please tell me, O master, what is the cause of my son's wickedness, according to the science of astrology? By serving my teacher, I have studied the Vedas properly; I have observed the vow of celibacy and performed marriage according to the prescribed rites. With my wife, I have always practiced the duties of a householder, and I have performed the five daily sacrifices as prescribed. Out of fear of hell, not out of desire for pleasure, I performed the rite of conception according to the rules, in order to obtain a son. This son of mine, by my fault or by his mother's, O sage, has been born as a source of sorrow, wicked in conduct, and a cause of grief to his relatives.” Thus the tale continues, revealing the trials and wisdom imparted through the greatness of the Goddess and the Bhāgavata.