Victory to you, O sage Agastya, praised by all the immortals, a treasury of virtues, most eminent and revered, together with your noble wife! We bow to you in reverence. Grant us your favor, O master; we have come to you for refuge, tormented by the unbearable suffering caused by the daughter of the mountain. O radiant one, relieve us! Thus praised by the gods, Agastya, the supremely righteous sage, replied with a gracious smile, his voice gentle and kind: “O gods, rulers of the three worlds, guardians of the realms, you are great souls, capable of both restraint and generosity. Śakra, the lord of Amaravati, wields the thunderbolt and has the eight siddhis at his door—he is the lord of the Maruts. Vaiśvānara, the sacred fire, tirelessly carries offerings to gods and ancestors; he is the mouth of all the immortals—what could be difficult for him? The formidable lord of the hosts of demons, the ever-watchful witness of all deeds, who wields the rod of justice—what could be impossible for him, O gods? Yet, if you, O lords of the gods, have a task that truly requires my power, then speak; I will accomplish it without doubt.” Hearing these words from the eminent sage, the foremost among the gods became both confident and anxious with affection, and each revealed their purpose: “O great sage, Mount Vindhya has grown so tall that it obstructs the path of the sun. Because of this, the three worlds are plunged into darkness and lifelessness. O sage, restrain the growth of that mountain by your ascetic power and glory; surely, by your radiance, Agastya, it will become humble. This is the task for you to accomplish.” Thus was the obstruction of Vindhya’s growth described. When the sage born from the pot accepted this task, all the gods became exceedingly joyful. Following the sage’s assurance, the gods returned to their own abodes. Agastya then turned to his wife, the royal maiden, and said, “O princess, an obstacle has arisen, bringing misfortune; by blocking the path of the sun, Mount Vindhya has created this impediment. I have understood the reason for this, and I remember the ancient saying of the seers who know the truth, regarding Kāśī: ‘Avimukta should never be abandoned by those who seek liberation; yet, obstacles will arise for the virtuous who dwell in Kāśī.’ Beloved, such an obstacle has come to me while residing in Kāśī.” Having spoken thus to his wife, the great ascetic sage bathed at Maṇikarṇikā and gazed upon the Lord of the Universe, the mighty Daṇḍapāṇi. He worshipped him and then approached King Kāla, saying, “O King Kāla, mighty-armed, remover of fear for devotees, how is it that you, the Lord, distance yourself from the city of Kāśī? You are the destroyer of obstacles for those dwelling in Kāśī, the protector of devotees. O Lord, remover of devotees’ suffering, why do you distance me? I have not spoken ill of others, nor slandered, nor lied; by what karma’s result do you distance me from Kāśī?” Thus praying to Kālanātha, the sage born from the pot went to Sākṣivighneśa, the Lord who removes all obstacles. Having seen, worshipped, and prayed to him, the illustrious Agastya, husband of Lopāmudrā, departed from the city, heading south. Afflicted by separation from Kāśī, the sage, a great repository of fortune, constantly remembered Kāśī as he journeyed with his wife. Mounting the vehicle of his ascetic power, the sage, in but half a moment, beheld before him the mighty Vindhya, towering and blocking the sky. At the sight of the sage standing before it, the mountain trembled and swiftly became lower, as if wishing to touch the earth. With devotion, the Vindhya mountain, that great lord of peaks, fell to the ground in full prostration, bowing low before Agastya. With a cheerful face, the sage Agastya addressed Vindhya: “Child, remain here just as you are until I return. I am unable to climb your lofty mountain, dear one.” Having said this, the sage, eager to continue, set out toward the southern direction. Ascending the peaks of that mountain and then descending them one by one, he journeyed southward, beholding Śrīśaila along the way. At last, reaching Mount Malaya, Agastya devoted himself to ascetic practice there. At that time, the Goddess, worshipped by Manu, came to Vindhya. In the worlds, O Śaunaka, she became renowned as Vindhyavāsinī, the Dweller in Vindhya. Sūta said: This is the supreme and excellent story, destroyer of enemies. The tale of Agastya and Vindhya mountain destroys sin, grants victory to kings, and increases knowledge for the twice-born. It bestows grain and wealth upon merchants, happiness upon servants; one who seeks righteousness attains righteousness, one who seeks wealth attains wealth. One who desires pleasures attains them, and by hearing this with devotion even once, all these blessings are obtained. Thus, Svāyambhuva Manu worshipped the Goddess with devotion, and he obtained the sovereignty of the earth and his own epoch as Manu. Thus, gentle one, I have described to you the story of Manu’s era and the first legend of the blessed Goddess. What more shall I tell you? Śaunaka then spoke, “You have described the first and most excellent epoch of Manu. Now tell me of the origin of the other radiant Manus.” Sūta said: Thus, having heard of the origin of the first Manu, Svāyambhuva, he asks about the birth of the others, one after another. Nārada, the supreme knower, expert in the truth of the Goddess, said: “O eternal one, tell me of the origin of the Manus.