Hearing the words spoken to him and witnessing his weapon rendered powerless, the challenger once again unleashed all his missiles from every direction. At this critical moment, the imperishable gods rallied to Vishnu’s side, the mighty ones preparing to do battle against the Brahmin alone. Dadhicha, the sage, took a handful of kusa grass and, remembering Bhava, fashioned from it the thunderbolt-bone for all the gods—a weapon sovereign in every way. Suddenly, a divine trident appeared, blazing like the fire of destruction at the end of an age, intent on consuming the gods like another cosmic conflagration. All the weapons abandoned by Indra, Narayana, and the other gods bowed in reverence to the trident. Overwhelmed, the gods found their strength shattered and fled, but the blessed Vishnu, supreme among men, created from his own body countless divine hosts, hundreds of thousands in number, each resembling himself. Yet Dadhicha, the best of sages, burned them all in an instant. For the sake of wonder, Hari then revealed himself as the universal form, and the sage beheld that cosmic vision directly. Dadhicha saw the hosts of gods, the multitudes of Rudras, and their various groups. He also witnessed the cosmic eggs within the body of the universal form. Cyavana, seeing all this, was amazed. He addressed Vishnu, Lord of the universe, unborn and all-pervading, and sprinkled water upon Vishnu’s universal form. “Abandon illusion, O mighty-armed one,” he said. “Appearances are deceptive. O Madhava, thousands of kinds of knowledge are difficult to comprehend. See the whole world in me, together with yourself, O blameless one, as well as Brahma and Rudra; I grant you divine sight.” Having spoken thus, the sage revealed everything within his own body and addressed Hari, the god, origin of all the gods: “Is this by means of illusion, or by the power of mantra, or by the power of substance, O Lord, or again by the power of meditation, O Vishnu? Therefore, abandon this illusion and strive to fight.” Hearing these words and witnessing such wondrous greatness, the gods again fled, but the Lord of the World, Brahmā, the Lotus-born, restrained Nārāyaṇa, who stood motionless. Hearing Brahmā’s words, by whom he had been overcome, the blessed Vishnu approached the great sage and bowed to him. Kṣupa, afflicted by sorrow, honored the best of sages, quickly bowed to Dadhīca, and, distressed, began to plead: “Dadhīca, forgive me, O god; what was done by me was out of ignorance, O friend. What is there for you, devoted to Rudra, from Vishnu or even the other gods? Be gracious, Supreme Lord; devotion is rare among the wicked. Among those like me, the lowest of kṣatriyas, devotion is hard to find.” Hearing and accepting him, Dadhīca, the foremost of sages, cursed the king and the excellent gods: “By the fire of Rudra’s wrath, may the gods, along with Indra and the great sages, be destroyed by the god, together with Vishnu.” At the auspicious sacrifice of Dakṣa, the great-souled lord of creatures, having thus cursed Kṣupa, the best of twice-born spoke again, looking at him: “O king of rulers, the gods are to be worshipped by kings and by various groups, but the brāhmaṇas alone are powerful and capable.” Having spoken thus, the illustrious sage entered his own hermitage. The king, having bowed to Dadhīca, returned to his own abode. That very place became a sacred ford, known as Sthāneśvara; one who reaches Sthāneśvara attains union with Śiva. Thus, in brief, the dispute between Kṣupa and Dadhīca has been told, as well as the greatness of Dadhīca and of Bhava. Whoever recites this divine dispute between Kṣupa and Dadhīca, conquering premature death, attains Brahmā’s world at the end of the body. Whoever, having recited this battle, enters combat, for him there will never be fear of death, and he will always be victorious. At this point, the question is raised: “How did you approach the great god, the consort of Umā? I wish to hear all of that; you ought to tell me everything, O lord.” “My father, Śilāda,” the speaker continues, “desired offspring. He, blind for a long time, performed severe and difficult austerities. As he performed his penance, the Lord, wielder of the thunderbolt, was pleased and said, ‘I am pleased, choose your boons.’ Then, bowing to the Lord of gods, the thousand-eyed one, along with the immortals, the tiger among sages, with joined palms, addressed Hari: ‘O Lord, destroyer of the gods’ enemies, thousand-eyed bestower of boons, I desire a son who is not born from a womb, who is free from death, O virtuous one.’ O sage among the twice-born, the Lord replied, ‘I will give you a son born from a womb, who is subject to death; otherwise, I will not give you a son, for there are truly none who are free from death. Not even the blessed Grandfather, Brahmā, will give you here a son who is not born from a womb and is free from death—how much less, O great sage, would others? Even that god Brahmā himself is not free from death, nor is the Lord; he is born from a womb, of great splendor, born from an egg, and sprung from the lotus. Even the mighty son of Maheśvara, born from his body, the son of Bhavānī, his lifespan too is declared to be equal to two parārddhas. The hundreds of billions of days that have passed, which are the duration of kalpas—such is the remaining lifespan in the three worlds.