A great calamity had befallen the gods. In their distress, they gathered around the Lord, their voices trembling with grief and astonishment. "Alas, Lord! What has happened, O Master?" they cried. "This is most astonishing and inhuman—a disaster for all the gods, O eternal God of gods! By whose magic has your head been taken today? You are always uncut, unbroken, unburnable. How could this be?" Their sorrow deepened as they gazed upon the Lord in his state of loss. "With you like this, O Lord, the gods will perish. What kind of affection do we truly have for you, that we weep only for our own sake? This obstacle was not caused by demons, nor by yakshas or rakshasas; it was made by the gods themselves. O Lord of Lakshmi, whose fault is this?" They were utterly powerless. "What can we do, and where can we go? O Lord of gods, there is no refuge for the deluded-minded gods. Nor is this the sāttvic, nor rājasic, nor tāmasic māyā by which your head, O Lord of Māyā, Teacher of the world, was severed today." Seeing the gods, led by Shiva, weeping in despair, Brihaspati, the wise preceptor who knew the Vedas, spoke gently to calm them. "O blessed ones, what is the use of crying and wailing? Some means must surely be devised, within the reach of our understanding. Both fate and human effort are equal; a means must be undertaken, for results always arise from destiny." But Indra, king of the gods, replied, "I consider fate supreme; shame on human effort, which is useless. Even Vishnu's head was cut off before the very eyes of the gods." Then Brahma, the Creator, spoke gravely, "Whatever is brought by time must certainly be experienced, whether good or bad; who can ever surpass fate? There is no doubt that one with a body must experience pleasure and pain, just as, in the past, my own head was cut off by Shiva, under the power of time. In the same way, the fall of the linga happened by the curse of Mahadeva; and so today, Hari's head has fallen into the salt ocean. The thousandfold division, the suffering of Shachi's lord, the fall from heaven, and the dwelling in the lotus-filled Manasa lake—all these have occurred. Who here does not undergo pain? In this world, O blessed ones, let us abandon sorrow." He then urged them, "Let us contemplate the Great Māyā, the eternal Goddess of Knowledge; she, the supreme, attributeless Nature, will accomplish our purpose. She is the knowledge of Brahman, the supporter of the universe, the mother of all beings; by whom this entire world, the three realms with all that moves and does not move, is pervaded." Having thus spoken, the Creator instructed the Vedas themselves, present before him in embodied form, to act for the accomplishment of the gods’ purpose. "Let them praise the supreme Goddess, the eternal knowledge of Brahman, the one with hidden limbs, the Great Māyā, who accomplishes all aims," Brahma said. Hearing his words, the Vedas, beautiful in every part, began to praise the Great Māyā, who is realized through knowledge and upholds the world: "Salutations to you, O Great Māyā, O auspicious one, creator of the universe; attributeless, ruler of all beings, mother, fulfiller of Śaṅkara’s wish. You are the earth of all beings, and the life of the living; you are intelligence, prosperity, beauty, forbearance, peace, faith, wisdom, fortitude, and memory. You are the half-syllable of the Udgītha, the Gāyatrī, and the sacred utterances; you are victory, success, the supporter, modesty, fame, aspiration, and compassion. We praise you, O Mother, skilled in the ordering of the three worlds, full of the essence of compassion, mother of all beings, knowledge, auspicious, beneficent to all worlds, most excellent, expert in the seed of speech, and destroyer of fear." They continued, "Brahmā, Hara, Śauri, the thousand-eyed one, the lord of speech, fire, the sun, and the rulers of the worlds—all these exist because of you, therefore they are not primary, for you are the mother of all that is moving and unmoving. When you, O Mother, wish to create all the worlds, you produce the gods, with Viṣṇu and Rudra at their head; through them, you bring about creation, preservation, and destruction, though you remain one—indeed, O Goddess, there is not the least trace of worldly bondage in you." "In all the worlds, who is skilled enough to know your form? Who is worthy to recount the number of your names? If a man is unable to grasp even a small portion, how could he, though clever, measure the ocean with his mind? Among the gods, O Blessed One, not even one knows your infinite powers; you alone are the mother of the world. How do you, being one, create this entire illusory universe? The authority for this, O Goddess, is declared in the words of the Vedas." "You are indeed without desire, yet the cause of all the worlds—O Blessed One, your conduct is wondrous, and our minds are not disturbed. How can your qualities and powers, which are beyond the reach of all the Vedas, be described? For you do not know your own supreme nature." "O Mother, do you not know the fall of Madhu’s slayer from his crown? Or, knowing it, do you wish to test the power of the slayer of Madhu? Or, is this force of misfortune that has befallen Hari very strong? Is this your indifference toward the assembly of gods, which is exceedingly harsh? The destruction of Hari’s head is, in our view, a cause of great wonder. O Mother, you are skilled in cutting the thread of birth, yet this is a great sorrow." "O Goddess, perhaps you know the fault that has arisen in all the gods, or perhaps some sin committed by Viṣṇu in a previous birth has caused this fall; or was there some overwhelming pride born of battle in Viṣṇu? We do not know, O Mother, the intention behind your play in this matter. What is the use of demons conquered in battle, or of sacred places in beautiful lands, when those who have undergone fierce austerities and received boons from the Goddess Bhavani have vanished? Now, Vishnu's head is gone—has he disappeared, or is there some delight in seeing Vasudeva bereft of his head?" "Why are you angry, O Daughter of the Ocean? Why do you look upon her, the First One, who is now without a protector? Forgive your own portion's offense; revive him and make me joyful. These gods, renowned for their power, always bow to you and are foremost in action. O Goddess, lift up the Lord of all, and rescue the gods from the ocean of sorrow. Mother, we do not know where Hari's head has gone. Truly, today there is no other way for his life. Just as nectar gives life and the power to act, so too, O Goddess, you grant life to the world." Thus praised at that time, the Great Goddess—beyond all qualities, supreme Māyā—was pleased, she who is known through the Vedas and their branches and the Sāmagas. Then, a voice came forth from the sky, bodiless, addressing the gods with words that brought happiness and joy to all. "Do not be anxious, O gods; let the immortals remain at ease. I have been praised with the Vedas as desired—I am satisfied, without doubt. Any man in the world of humans who always praises me with this hymn, with devotion, will obtain all his desires." Thus, the gods were comforted by the assurance of the Great Goddess, their hearts made light by her grace.