The great god, now fully aware of the power of Viṣṇu’s illusion, the wisdom of Nārada, and the unrighteousness of the Daityas, addressed the assembled deities: “O excellent gods, I shall accomplish the destruction of the three cities.” At his resolve, the gods, joined by Brahmā, Indra, and Upendra, gathered together in anticipation. Hearing the Lord’s words, the gods bowed before him and sang his praises. Amidst this, the goddess beheld her lord and, filled with wonder, playfully struck Vṛṣadhvaja with a lotus. She said to him, “Behold, Lord, your son—six-faced, radiant as the sun—is playing before you. See your son, best among sons, adorned with auspicious ornaments: crowns, armlets, earrings, and beautiful bracelets. His ankles are encircled with anklets, his garments are artfully concealed, and a golden girdle, hung with many bells and asvattha leaves, graces his waist. He is bedecked with flowers from the wish-fulfilling tree, his lovely locks falling over necklaces inlaid with lotus-hued gems and brilliant armlets. Pearl necklaces, shining like the full moon, adorn him, and his brow is marked with tilakas. O great god, see your splendid son, marked with saffron and sacred powders, his form created of holy ash. Look, Lord, upon his face, blooming like a cluster of lotuses. “See, O Lord, his beautiful, auspicious eyes, adorned with various collyriums lovingly applied by the mothers for his welfare. He is addressed by Gaṅgā, the Kṛttikās, and especially by Svāhā herself.” Thus did the Mother of the World speak to Śiva. As Śiva gazed upon Skanda, drinking in the nectar of his son’s face, he found himself insatiable, forgetting even the gods who suffered under the Daityas’ weapons. Overwhelmed with joy, he embraced and smelled Skanda, dancing with delight and exclaiming, “My son!” The playful child, the remover of suffering, danced along with him. In that moment, the other lords of the gaṇas joined their Lord in the dance, and, by his command, the entire three worlds swayed in joyous movement. The nāgas danced, as did the gods led by Indra; the gaṇas praised Skanda, and the mothers rejoiced. Flowers showered down from above, and the Gandharvas and Kinnaras sang melodiously. Having tasted the nectar of dance, Pārvatī, Parameśvara, Nandi, and the lords of the gaṇas were deeply satisfied. Afterwards, Nandi, together with Ṣaṇmukha and the daughter of the mountain king, entered the divine abode. Bhava, whose form was like a raincloud, merged into it as one cloud merges into another. At the threshold, the gods stood by the wise Lord, praising Mahādeva, though their hearts were troubled and anxious. Looking at each other in confusion, some lamented, “We are sinners,” while others bewailed, “We are unfortunate.” Among the lords of the gods, some remarked, “The Daitya chiefs are truly fortunate,” while others said, “This is the fruit of their worship,” and yet others denied even this. Amidst their many voices, the brilliant Kumbhodara struck the gods with his staff. Seized by fear, the gods fled, crying out in distress; some sages and other gods even fell to the ground. The sages, such as Kaśyapa, seeing both the Lord of gods and their adversaries, sighed, “Ah, such is the power of fate!” Some among the twice-born, hearts only faintly devoted, murmured, “Because of misfortune, our task remains unfinished. Salutations to Śiva.” Then Kapardī, the sage Nandi beloved of Mahādeva, adorned with trident, garland, club, earrings, bangles, and mace, mounted the beautiful white bull and, at the Lord’s command, set forth. Seeing Nandi, the host Kumbhodara bowed his head and quickly joined him. Nandi, radiant atop the bull—the banner of the bull—shone with brilliance, accompanied by his hosts. Bhava, commander of the gaṇas, moved as if upon a cloud, traversing ten yojanas, adorned with strings of pearls. A white parasol from the mountain shone above, radiant as the sky, with a garland of auspicious pearls within it. It gleamed on the Lord’s head like the Ganges descending from heaven. At the sight of the chief of the gaṇas, auspicious divine drums resounded. At the command of the thunderbolt-wielder, all the eminent sages raised their voices in praise, offering auspicious words to the Lord of the gaṇas, bestower of desired boons. Just as the gods beheld Bhava and felt their skin bristle with joy, so too did the celestial beings, at Indra’s command, shower flowers upon his head. Fragrant offerings rained down from the sky upon Nandi, who, pleased by the shower, shone with true satisfaction and strength. Nandi and Bhava, bathed in perfumed water from the moon, shone resplendent, the bull’s back adorned with many kinds of flowers. The sky was crowded, as if filled with stars; Nandi, adorned with flowers, gleamed upon the bull’s back. Just as the moon is surrounded by stars in the night sky, so did the gods, along with Indra and Upendra, behold Nandi in that radiant form. They praised the lord of the hosts, the god of gods, as another Rudra: “Salutations to you, devotee of Rudra, ever intent on reciting Rudra’s praises. Salutations to you who dispel the suffering of Rudra’s devotees, who delight in fierce deeds, lord of the Kūṣmāṇḍa hosts, master of yogis. Salutations to you, ever the refuge, all-knowing remover of distress, lord of the Vedas, and the one to be known through the Vedas. To the wielder of the thunderbolt, with thunderous fangs, who restrains thunderbolts and is adorned with thunder, worshipped by those who wield the thunderbolt—salutations to you!