He is known by many names—Śākha, Viśākha, the valiant Naigameśa, Kumāra the general—Mahāsena, honored by all the worlds. This divine child, by his very play, would one day single-handedly defeat the mighty Tārakāsura and liberate the gods from their oppression. At that time, when Brahmā, the supreme lord, spoke thus, Bṛhaspati, Indra, and the other gods bowed reverently to Kumāra. They journeyed to the summit of Mount Meru, where the virtuous one remembered Smara, the god of love. By this act of remembrance, Smara—also known as Kāma—was summoned, appearing together with his wife, Rati. With palms joined in devotion, Kāma and Rati approached, accompanied by Śakra (Indra), and addressed the living soul of the world. Kāma, honored by the gods, said, “O Jīva, since you have remembered me, I have come before you. Tell me, what is your wish?” Then the blessed Śakra paid homage to the bannered god of desire and spoke: “Today, unite Śaṅkara (Śiva) and Ambikā (Pārvatī) as you wish. In the same way that the Lord, whose banner bears the bull, delights with her, so too should you, with your wife Rati, follow that path.” Śakra continued: “When you do this, Mahādeva will be pleased and grant you an auspicious state. Once, separated from her, he obtained Girijā, Umā.” Hearing these words, Kāma, together with Rati, bowed to the lord of gods, the husband of Śacī, and resolved to go to the hermitage of Śiva. There, joined by Rati and aided by the gentle arrival of Spring, Kāma set his mind on influencing Lord Śiva. But when Kāma came before Śiva, the three-eyed god regarded him with a smile and, with a glance from his third eye, looked upon him with disdain. Instantly, fire sprang forth from that eye, and Kāma was reduced to ashes in an instant, while Rati wailed in grief. Hearing Rati’s lament, the compassionate lord Śiva, the bull-bannered one, looked upon her and spoke gently: “O blessed one, though your husband is now formless, he will still accomplish all acts at the time of union—there is no doubt.” Śiva foretold: “When Viṣṇu, through the curse of Bhṛgu, is born as Vāsudeva for the good of all worlds, your husband will return. At that time, your son and your husband will be restored to you.” Consoled, Rati, pure and smiling, bowed to Rudra, and with Madana restored, she departed, accompanied by Vasanta, the spirit of Spring. Meanwhile, through the great austerity of goddess Pārvatī, the blessed Śarva (Śiva) was pleased, just as Brahmā had foretold. For the welfare of the hermitages and out of divine play, Bhava, the blessed one, married the golden-born goddess Pārvatī according to sacred rites. Brahmā himself, along with Marīci and other great sages, traveled to the forest of Pārvatī’s austerities. Circumambulating the goddess, Brahmā, the fire-stick of the worlds, asked her, “O daughter of the mountain, why do you afflict the worlds with your austerity?” He continued: “O Mother, you alone have created all the worlds. Do not destroy them. You sustain all these realms with your own radiance. Bhava, the glorious lord of all gods, is the master of all. We, the gods, are but his servants. That supreme lord, by whom you were created, will choose you, O giver of boons. Without you, O Ambikā, he does not exist. There is no doubt—he will be your husband.” Having spoken thus and bowing repeatedly, Brahmā gazed at Pārvatī and departed. Then, the supreme lord himself, in the guise of a twice-born (brāhmaṇa), came to the hermitage to bestow his grace. Pārvatī recognized the lord by his signs and bowed to the bull-bannered one. Honoring the boon-giving god in disguise, she praised Parameśvara, the supreme lord. Blessing her, Śiva spoke with a smile, upholding the family duty of the great mountain. “For the joy of the virtuous, O goddess of divine beauty, the lord of all gods will attend your svayaṃvara. Assuming a gentle form, I will come together with you.” With these words, the god gazed at her with divine sight, then departed to his desired celestial city, while Pārvatī also returned home. Seeing her, Menā and Himavat, her parents, rejoiced, embracing and honoring their daughter, though the mountain-king did not know she had been enchanted by the god of gods. At that time, the self-choice ceremony—svayaṃvara—of the goddess was proclaimed in all the worlds. The venerable Brahmā and Viṣṇu, the very Janārdana, arrived, as did Indra, Agni, Sūrya, Bhaga, Tvaṣṭṛ, Aryaman, Vivasvān, Yama, and Varuṇa. Vāyu, Soma, Īśāna, the Rudras, sages, the Ashvins, the twelve Ādityas, Gandharvas, and Garuḍa also assembled. Yakṣas, Siddhas, Sādhyas, Daityas, Kimpuruṣas, serpents, oceans, rivers, the Vedas, mantras, hymns, and the moments of time themselves were present. Nagas, all the mountains, sacrifices, the Sun and other planets, the thirty-three gods, and three times three hundred more gathered. Three times three thousand and countless other gods likewise came to witness the unparalleled svayaṃvara of the daughter of the mountain king, Pārvatī.