Brahmā, the creator, gazed upon the Goddess and spoke with reverence: “O Mother, from the words of the Vedas I have learned that you are indeed the cause of this universe. Even Viṣṇu, the sustainer and the source of discernment in all worlds, has now been rendered powerless, subject to sleep by your will, O Supreme Person. Who can fathom the play of your delusion and wonder, O Mother? I am bewildered, and even Hari lies helpless. You dwell within the minds of all beings, and when you manifest in this way, even the wisest among gods cannot comprehend you, O qualityless One. The Sāṃkhya philosophers speak of Puruṣa and of you as Prakṛti, devoid of consciousness yet the doer of all worldly actions. How is it, then, that you, being such, have established the abode of the world, bereft of consciousness, today? You enact the drama of the world, endowed with countless qualities and in manifold ways; none know the method of your actions. The sages meditate on you ceaselessly, imagining you as Sandhyā, O Bhavānī, adorned with your attributes. You are ever the intellect and the faculty of knowledge for all beings; you are the fortune that brings happiness to the gods. Likewise, you are fame, wisdom, steadfastness, beauty, faith, and love in all people, O Mother. Despite all my pondering, passing through suffering and reasoning with hundreds of arguments, I have found no further proof. Truly, you are the mother of all worlds, and it is clear that Hari has been made to sleep by your power. O Goddess, you are difficult to comprehend even for those learned in the Vedas; indeed, the Veda itself does not know you fully. For the Veda arises from you, and all your deeds are directly manifest. Who among the wise on earth knows your entire conduct? Neither I, nor Hari, nor Bhava, nor the other gods, nor even the sages or my own sons. Your greatness is truly unspeakable in all the worlds. O Goddess, even when the learned recite the Vedas and perform sacrifices, if they do not invoke you with the sacred ‘Svaha,’ the gods do not receive their share of offerings; you alone, even among the gods, are the giver of sustenance. O Blessed One, you were our first protector from the fear of the enemies of the gods, and now again you are the same. Seeing the terrible Madhu and Kaitabha, I am afraid, O Goddess, granter of boons, and I have taken refuge in you. Now, even Vishnu does not know my suffering, for his body has been rendered powerless by you. Whether you release the supreme god or slay these two lords of the demons, do as you wish, O greatly powerful one. Those who do not know your supreme power, O Goddess, and who meditate only on Hari or Hara, are of dull mind. Today, O Mother, I have clearly understood, for even Vishnu lies here utterly helpless. Even Lakshmi, born from the ocean, is unable today, by your power, to awaken her husband Hari, for she too is under your sway. I think, O Blessed One, that you have forcibly put even Rama to sleep, so that she, rendered powerless, cannot awaken him. Blessed indeed are those on earth who are devoted to your feet, who have abandoned the worship of other gods and are absorbed in you. Knowing you as the universal mother and the wish-fulfilling cow, they worship you with all their heart. Where now are those virtues, good conduct, and auspicious qualities that bring fame, which belonged to Vishnu? All have departed; for here, even Hari has been subdued by your power, O exceedingly glorious Goddess, and bound by sleep. You alone are the power of the universe, the source of all might; all that exists is but a manifestation created by you. You play within the net of illusion you have woven, just as an actor delights in a drama of his own making. At the beginning of the age, Vishnu was revealed by you, and you gave him pure power for the work of preservation. Now, having rendered him helpless, you have protected everything; O Mother, you surely do as you wish. O Blessed One, since you have created me here, you must not wish to destroy me; show mercy and set aside your silence. Why have these two, forms of Time, been manifested? Or, O Bhavani, do you wish to laugh at me? I have understood your wondrous actions; having created this entire world, you delight in your freedom. In the same way, you can dissolve everything, or destroy me—O Bhavani, what is strange in that? Do as you wish, slay me today, O Mother; O Mother of the world, I do not grieve for death. It is you who first made the creator, and now this one is slain by the demon; thus, the greatest disgrace is his. Arise, O Goddess, take on a wondrous form here; either kill me or these two as you please, in your childlike play. Or, if not, awaken Hari, so that he may slay these two; for all these deeds are accomplished only through you.” Suta then narrates: Thus praised by the creator, the Tamasic Goddess emerged from Hari’s body and stood at his side. Having left all the limbs of Vishnu, whose energy is unequalled, that Yoga-Nidra departed then, for the destruction of those two demons. When Janardana’s body began to stir, Brahmā attained supreme joy upon seeing Hari awaken. The sages, listening, spoke to Suta with wonder: “O greatly fortunate one, there is a marvelous doubt in this story, for it has always been established by the wise through the Vedas, Shastras, and Puranas that Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra—these three gods—are eternal. O wise one, there is nothing greater than them in this universe. Brahma creates the worlds, Vishnu sustains the entire universe, and Rudra destroys at the proper time; these three are the causes here. There is one form, yet three gods: Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara; united with rajas, sattva, and tamas, they are agents and instruments of action. Among them, Hari is the foremost—Madhava, the Supreme Person, the primordial deity, Lord of the universe, capable in all actions. No one else is capable like Vishnu, whose power is unmatched; how then was the Lord made to sleep, rendered powerless by yogic illusion? Where did his knowledge go, and how did his actions cease while living? This doubt, O illustrious one, tell us as it truly is. What is that power spoken of before, by which Lord Vishnu was overcome? From where did it arise, how is it potent, what is its nature? Tell us, O virtuous one. He who is the Lord of all—Vishnu, Vasudeva, the teacher of the world, the supreme self, supreme bliss, whose form is existence, consciousness, and joy— Who does all, sustains all, is creator, unstained, all-pervading, pure—how was he led into sleep, made dependent, though supreme among the supreme? This is indeed a wondrous doubt for us, O scorcher of foes; dispel it with the sword of knowledge, Suta, disciple of Vyasa, wise one.” Suta replied, “Who in the three worlds, among moving and unmoving beings, can break this doubt? Even the ancient sons of Brahma, the sages, are bewildered by it. Narada and Kapila, O best of sages, are present in this inquiry; what can I say, O illustrious ones, in this difficult discussion? Among the gods, Vishnu is described as all-pervading, protector of all; from whom this entire universe, moving and unmoving, has arisen. All of them worship, bowing to the supreme Lord, Narayana, Hrishikesha, Vasudeva, Janardana. Likewise, some worship Mahadeva, Shankara, crowned with the moon, three-eyed, five-faced, holding the trident, with the bull as his banner.” Thus the story unfolds, revealing the profound mystery of the Goddess’s power, the interplay of the divine, and the wonder that even the greatest gods are subject to her will.