The blessed Nārāyaṇa, with hands joined in reverence, offered heartfelt praise, joined by Brahmā and all the assembled sages. Together, they honored the one born from the elephant, extolling his greatness. Their voices rose in adoration of the Lord of gods, Nīlakaṇṭha—the blue-throated one, the Bull-bannered Mahādeva. Having bestowed his grace upon the gods, Bhava, the compassionate Lord, vanished from their sight. Now, you may wonder: how did Satī, the auspicious daughter of Himavat, come into being, and how did she come to wed the Lord of gods? Through her own will, Satī assumed the body of Menā and was born as Himavat’s daughter, radiant and virtuous, as a result of her dedicated austerities. The mighty Lord of the Mountain performed all the sacred birth rites and other ceremonies for his daughter. By her twelfth year, the auspicious child of Himavat, together with her younger sisters—one with a beautiful face, the other honored by all the worlds—undertook rigorous austerities. The sisters, Aparṇā the eldest, Ekaparṇā the beautiful-faced, Varārohā, and Ekapāṭalā, all practiced penance together, their devotion shining brightly. All the sages gathered around the goddess, the great Lady of all worlds, praising her from every side for her steadfast austerity. By the power of Pārvatī’s penance, the supreme Lord Mahādeva, the master of all beings, was drawn to her and came under her sway. At that very time, however, a formidable demon named Tāraka arose. He was the mighty son of Tāra, himself a radiant and powerful offspring of Diti. Tāraka had three sons: Tārakākṣa, the great demon; Vidyunmālī, illustrious and fierce; and Kamalākṣa, mighty and strong. Their father, Tāra, had gained immense power through severe austerity and the boon of Brahmā, the Lord of creation. Radiant with energy, Tāra conquered the three worlds—both the moving and the unmoving—and even defeated Viṣṇu in battle. A terrible, hair-raising war raged between Tāra and Viṣṇu for a thousand divine years, day and night without rest. In the end, Tāra seized Viṣṇu, chariot and all, and hurled him a hundred yojanas away, forcing the Garuḍa-bannered god to flee the battlefield. With the boon of strength a hundredfold, bestowed by the Grandfather Brahmā, Tāra ruled over the entire world. He subdued the gods led by Indra, binding them in every realm with his illusory power. Afflicted and terrified, the deities, including Indra, found no peace or refuge, overwhelmed as they were by fear of Tāra. In their distress, the glorious Indra gathered the chiefs of the immortals and approached Aṅgiras, seeking counsel. “O revered one,” Indra said, “Tāra, the foremost of demons, treats us as a herdsman treats his calves. Because of him, O illustrious Bṛhaspati, we wander homeless in this great war, like birds trapped in a cage. Our infallible weapons are rendered useless by the power of this enemy of the gods. For twenty thousand years, Viṣṇu himself fought him in battle, but even he could not slay Tāra. If Viṣṇu could not prevail, how can we hope to stand against him?” Thus addressed by Śakra, Jīva, along with the gods and Indra, approached the illustrious Kuśadhvaja and spoke their woes. Hearing their plight, the compassionate Pitāmaha, Brahmā, spoke words of reassurance to Jīva and all the gods. “I know your suffering, O lords of the gods,” Brahmā said. “But listen: Satī, born from Rudra’s body, once rejected Dakṣa. Now, as Umā, daughter of Himavat, she is revered by all worlds. Through her form, you gods shall find deliverance. When the great mind of Rudra was stirred by Viṣṇu, from their union was born Skanda—the mighty bearer of power. He is six-faced, twelve-armed, commander of the gods’ army, born of fire, son of Svāhā, known as Kārtikeya, son of Gaṅgā, born in the abode of reeds. He is the god Śākha, Viśākha, the valiant Naigameśa, the general Kumāra, honored by all the worlds. By his play alone, Mahāsena, though but a child, will single-handedly slay the mighty Tārakāsura and deliver the gods from distress.” Hearing these words from Brahmā, Bṛhaspati, Indra, and all the gods bowed in gratitude. They ascended to the summit of Meru, where the virtuous one remembered Smara, the god of love. At their remembrance, Smara appeared, accompanied by his wife Rati. Bowing with joined palms, Smara addressed the assembled gods: “Remembered by you, O Jīva, I have come. Tell me what I must do.” Then, the blessed Śakra honored Smara, the bannered one of desire, and said, “Today, unite Śaṅkara and Ambikā as you wish. By the path through which the Lord with the bull-banner delights with her, so too should you, with your wife Rati, follow that way. Then, pleased, Mahādeva will grant you an auspicious state. Once separated from her before, he will obtain that Girijā, Umā.” Thus addressed, Smara bowed to the lord of gods, the husband of Śacī, and resolved to go, together with Rati, to the hermitage of the lord of gods, determined to fulfill the gods’ hope and restore balance to the worlds.