The gods, troubled and fearful because of the oppressive might of the demon, gathered and resolved, “Let us serve the Supreme Lady through meditation and yoga. If she is pleased, the Blessed Goddess will surely grant us her assistance.” Thus, following this counsel, they approached their revered teacher and journeyed together to the Lady of Jambunada, trusting that this most Auspicious One would protect them from the terror that gripped their hearts. Upon arriving, the gods undertook severe austerities with unwavering resolve. Their minds absorbed in the recitation of the seed-mantra of Māyā, they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the worship of the Goddess. Meanwhile, Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods, went swiftly to the presence of the demon king. When the eminent sage arrived, the demon, suspicious and proud, questioned him, “O sage, why have you come here? What is your purpose? Speak plainly, for I am not your ally—indeed, I am your enemy.” In response, Brihaspati calmly replied, “The very Goddess whom we serve is the one you yourself worship constantly.” The sage then asked, “How, then, could you not be partial to our side?” These words, imbued with divine illusion, bewildered the demon. Out of arrogance, the Daitya abandoned the supreme mantra, forsaking the sacred Gayatri. In doing so, he lost his brilliance and spiritual power. Having accomplished his mission, Brihaspati departed and narrated the entire event to Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. All the gods, now satisfied and hopeful, continued their worship of the Supreme Goddess. Time passed, and at a moment of divine grace, the Mother of the Universe, the bestower of auspiciousness upon the world, manifested before them. She appeared radiant like millions of suns, her beauty rivaling countless Cupids. The Goddess was adorned with wondrous ointments and splendid garments, marvelous garlands and ornaments graced her form, and in her hand she held a cluster of bees. Her presence was tranquil, her compassion as boundless as an ocean of nectar. She dispelled fear and granted boons, shining with garlands of flowers interwoven with many varieties of bees. Countless, diverse bees surrounded her, their humming a constant accompaniment, singing the sacred syllable “hrīṃ.” Ambika was encircled on all sides by millions upon millions of beings, adorned in every form of beauty, and praised by all the Vedas. She was the very essence of all, pervading everything, the embodiment of all auspiciousness—omniscient, mother of all, sovereign of all, all-encompassing. Seeing her, the gods led by Brahma, their hearts overflowing with joy, offered their praises to Shiva with expansive voices. The gods exclaimed: “Salutations to you, O Goddess, great wisdom, creator, sustainer, and destroyer! Salutations to you, lotus-eyed foundation of all. To you, who are the essence of cosmic intellect, the Virat, and the Sutra, who abides in the highest, we bow. O Durga, beyond creation and its beginning, who restrains the wicked and is accessible through boundless love, radiant Goddess, we salute you. O auspicious Kali, O blue Sarasvati, fierce Tara, greatly formidable one, our salutations are unending. To you, O Goddess clad in yellow, beauty of Tripura, Bhairavi, Matangi, Dhumavati, Chinnamasta, daughter of the ocean of milk, Shakambhari, O auspicious and red-toothed one, we bow again and again. You are the destroyer of Nishumbha and Shumbha, the annihilator of Raktabija, vanquisher of Dhumralochana, suppressor of the demon Vritra, fierce destroyer of Chanda and Munda, ender of demons, O victorious one! Salutations to you, O Ganga, O Sharada, O radiant-faced one. Homage to you in the form of earth, compassion, and light; in the form of life-breath, the great form, and as the essence of all beings. Again and again we offer our salutations to you as the universe itself, as compassion, as righteousness, as divinity, as light, as knowledge. O bestower of boons, Gayatri, Savitri, Sarasvati, Svaha, Svadha, O Mother, O Dakshina—our repeated salutations to you! You are described in all scriptures as ‘not this, not this,’ yet you are the direct form of all; you, the supreme goddess, we worship. Because you are surrounded by bees, you are remembered as Bhramari—constant salutations to you, ever and always. Salutations to you at your sides, at your back, and in front, O Ambika; above, below, and everywhere, our homage is unceasing. Show compassion, O great goddess, dweller in the jeweled island, sovereign of countless millions of universes, mother of the world. Victory to you, O mother of the world, transcendent among the transcendent, glorious sovereign of worlds, highest among the highest! O treasure-house of auspicious qualities and virtues, be gracious, O supreme ruler, be gracious at the gateway of the world.” Hearing these bold and sweet words, Sri Narayana said, the Mother of the World replied, her voice sweet as an intoxicated cuckoo. The Goddess spoke: “I am always pleased, O gods, O best among those who grant boons. Let all the wise ones speak whatever you desire to accomplish.” Hearing her gracious words, the gods described the cause of their suffering: the wicked deeds of the evil demon, which brought great distress to the world. With reverence, they recounted the insult and destruction suffered by the gods, brahmins, and Vedas, and the loss of their own positions. They explained in detail the boon that Brahma had granted the demon. Having heard all this, the great Goddess, at that time, prepared to act. Then Bhramari, the bee-clustered Goddess, sent forth the bees she held in her hands, as well as those by her sides and near the sacred fire, each taking on various wondrous forms—her divine response to the plea of the gods.