Brahmā addressed Nārada, saying, “Indeed, she is truly our Mother. Listen, and I will recount what I experienced before, for recognition has dawned within me.” He continued, “After this realization, the blessed Vishnu—Janardana—spoke again with reverence: ‘Let us go to her, bowing again and again at her feet. This great Māyā, the bestower of boons, will surely grant us blessings. Let us approach her presence, praising her fearlessly at her sacred feet. And if the attendants at her door prevent us from entering, we will remain there and, with focused minds, recite hymns to the Goddess.’ “When Hari spoke these words, both of us—Shiva and I—were filled with immense delight. Our hearts became firmly resolved, eager to draw near to her. Uttering the sacred syllable ‘Om,’ the three of us—Brahmā, Vishnu, and Shiva—quickly descended from our celestial chariot and stepped towards her doorway, our minds tinged with apprehension. “At that moment, the Divine Goddess, seeing all those stationed at her door, smiled gently. Instantly, she transformed the three of us into the forms of young women. We found ourselves as youthful maidens, beautiful and adorned with exquisite ornaments, filled with wonder at this marvelous change. Thus transformed, we again reached her presence. “The Goddess beheld us standing at her feet in our new forms. Her graceful figure radiated with divine light, and her eyes shone with boundless love as she gazed upon us. We bowed before that great Goddess and stood in front of her, glancing at each other in astonishment, each of us appearing as a woman adorned with splendid jewels. “We stood there, our eyes drawn to her footstool, resplendent with myriad gems and shining with the brilliance of ten million suns. All around her, thousands of companions were present—some clad in red garments, others in blue, and still others in auspicious yellow. The Goddesses, radiant in their diverse attire and ornaments, stood on either side, wholly absorbed in serving her. “Some among them sang and danced joyfully, others worshipped her, while many played the vīṇā, flutes, and wind instruments, filling the air with music. Nārada, listen as I tell you of the wondrous vision I beheld: within the mirror-like surface of the Goddess’s lotus feet, I saw the entire universe reflected—all that moves and does not move. There, too, were Vishnu, Rudra, Vāyu, Agni, Yama, the Sun, Varuṇa, the Moon, Tvaṣṭṛ, Kubera, Indra, the mountains, oceans, rivers, Gandharvas, and Apsarases. “I saw Viśvāvasu, Citraketu, Śveta, Citrāṅgada, you, Nārada, Tumburu, and also Hāhā and Hūhū. The Aśvins, Vasus, Sādhyas, Siddhas, Pitṛs, all the Nāgas including Śeṣa, Kinnaras, Uragas, and Rākṣasas were present as well. Even Vaikuṇṭha, Brahmaloka, Kailāsa—the supreme mountain—were all contained within the middle of her nail. “There, upon the lotus of water, I saw myself—the four-faced one—along with the Lord of the universe reclining on Shesha, and also Madhu and Kaitabha. I was astonished to see all this established at the nail of her lotus foot, and I wondered in amazement, ‘What is this mystery?’ “Vishnu, too, was filled with wonder, as was Shankara. In that moment, we all regarded her as the Mother of the universe. As we stood there, a hundred years seemed to pass in that blissful, auspicious island, where we enjoyed various delights. “In that time, the goddesses, adorned with splendid ornaments and filled with joy, welcomed us as their companions. We, too, were utterly captivated by the supreme beauty around us, our minds delighted by the charm of those divine forms. “Once, Bhagavan Vishnu, still in the form of a youthful woman, began to praise the great Goddess, Shri Bhuvaneshvari, with heartfelt devotion: ‘Salutations to the Goddess, to Prakriti, to the Creatrix—unceasing salutations! To the Auspicious One, the Bestower of desires, to Growth and Success—again and again, salutations! Salutations to You, whose form is Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss, in this forest of worldly existence! To You, the Creatrix of the five acts, Mistress of the worlds—salutations, salutations! Salutations, salutations to Her who is the form of all abodes, who is immutable; to Her who is the essence of the half-syllable, to Hrllekha—salutations! ‘Now I understand that all this is established in You; from You arise the creation and dissolution of this world, O Mother. Your power, manifest in all actions, is truly the very essence of all worlds. You expand all, both the mutable and immutable, and reveal it flawlessly to the Purusha in due time; by means of the sixteen and the seven principles, You appear, like a magical illusion, for our delight. Without You, nothing at all appears to exist; pervading all, You are ever established. Without Your power, even the Purusha is incapable of action—so declare the wise, O Mother. ‘You constantly delight the entire universe with Your powers, and by Your radiance, You reveal everything. O Devi, at the time of dissolution, You swiftly absorb all—who indeed knows Your deeds, O Devi, in this world? O Mother, we have been protected by You from Madhu and Kaitabha, and the worlds have truly been shown to be spread out by You. We have been led to the abode of happiness and to the highest bliss, by the vision of You, O Bhavani, of great power. ‘Neither I, nor Bhava, nor Virinchi, O Mother, have known Your inscrutable deeds; who else indeed can know them? How many worlds exist here, O greatly powerful Bhavani, in this creation composed by You? Here, in this world, we have seen only Hari, Shiva, and Kamalaja, renowned for their power; but in other worlds, O Devi, are there not others? What do we know, O Devi, of Your vast and supreme power? ‘I beg of You, Mother, bowing to Your lotus feet, this one desire: may this form of Yours always dwell in my heart; may even Your name ever be in my mouth, and may I always behold the vision of Your lotus feet. This servant is always to be devoted to you; in my mind, I constantly reflect, “You are the Mistress.” Indeed, O Goddess, let this unbroken connection between us ever increase, like that between a mother and her child. ‘You know all, the entire expanse of the worlds; your omniscience reaches the highest and most complete state. O Mother of the Universe, what could a mere mortal like me declare to you? Do what is fitting, O Bhavani; let your intention be done.’ “In this way, O Nārada, we experienced the wondrous presence of the Divine Mother, and our hearts overflowed with devotion and awe.