The seeker, eager to understand, asked the sage: “What is the true nature of that Goddess? What form does she take, and from where did she arise? O best knower of Brahman, I long to hear all of this from you.” The sage replied: “She is eternal, the very embodiment of the universe itself. By her, all that exists is pervaded. Yet, her origins are manifold and wondrous—listen as I recount them to you. Though she is said to be born whenever she appears to accomplish the purposes of the gods, she is always regarded as eternal throughout the worlds. “At the end of a cosmic cycle, when all had dissolved into one vast ocean, Vishnu, the Blessed Lord, spread out his Yogic Sleep upon the waters, and lay resting upon the great serpent Shesha. In that primordial stillness, from the dirt of Vishnu’s ears, two fierce demons arose—Madhu and Kaitabha, intent on destroying Brahma. “Brahma, the lord of all creatures, sat upon the lotus that sprouted from Vishnu’s navel. He beheld the two terrifying demons and saw Janardana (Vishnu) lying in deep sleep, unmoved. With his heart focused, Brahma began to praise that Yogic Sleep, the divine presence dwelling in Hari’s eyes, seeking to awaken him. “Brahma prayed: ‘O Lady of the universe, sustainer of all worlds, cause of both preservation and destruction, O blessed Sleep of Vishnu, O incomparable radiance of the Lord! You are Svāhā, you are Svadhā, you are truly the sacred Vaṣaṭ call, the very essence of sound. You are the nectar, O eternal and imperishable one, established as the threefold measure. You are also the eternal half-measure, mysterious and unutterable. You alone are the twilight, the Sāvitrī, O supreme mother. “‘By you, all things are sustained; by you, this world is created, protected, and ultimately dissolved, O Goddess. In creation, you are the very form of creation; in preservation, you are the form of preservation; and at the end, you are the form of dissolution, O embodiment of the universe. You are great knowledge, great illusion, great wisdom, great memory; you are also great delusion, the great Goddess, the supreme sovereign. “‘You are the primal nature manifesting the three qualities; you are the night of time, the great night, and the dreadful night of delusion. You are fortune, sovereignty, modesty, intelligence, shame, nourishment, contentment, peace, and forbearance. You wield the sword and spear, fierce in battle; you carry the mace and discus, the conch, bow, arrows, slingshot, and iron club as your weapons. “‘Yet you are gentle, gentler than all the gentle, supremely beautiful. You alone are highest among both the transcendent and the non-transcendent, O supreme Goddess. Whatever exists anywhere, whether real or unreal, O essence of all, the power of all things is you—what praise could suffice for you? By you, even the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the worlds are overcome by sleep. Who, then, O Goddess, is truly able to praise you? “‘Vishnu, who takes form, and the great Lord Ishana, are moved to action by you—who, then, could be capable of praising you? O Goddess, praised by your own magnificent powers, bewilder these two mighty demons, Madhu and Kaitabha. Awaken Achyuta, the Lord of the world, and bring awareness to him, so that he may destroy these two great enemies.’ “The sage continued: Thus praised by the Creator, the dark Goddess appeared there, her purpose to awaken Vishnu so that Madhu and Kaitabha might be slain. She emerged visibly from the eyes, mouth, nose, arms, heart, and chest of Brahma, who is of unmanifest birth. “Released by her, the Lord of the universe, Janardana, rose from his serpent couch upon the cosmic ocean and beheld the two demons. Madhu and Kaitabha, evil-minded and immensely powerful, their eyes red with fury, were intent on killing Brahma and radiated fierce energy. “Then the blessed Hari rose up and engaged them in battle. Armed with only his own arms, he fought those two for five thousand years. The demons, intoxicated by their own strength and deluded by the great illusion, arrogantly said to Keshava, ‘Choose a boon from us.’ “The Blessed Lord replied, ‘You two are pleased with me—let both of you be slain by me today. What other boon could I desire? This alone is my wish.’ “The sage said: Realizing they had been outwitted, and seeing that the whole world was nothing but water, the two demons were addressed by the lotus-eyed Lord. They pleaded, ‘Slay us where the earth is not covered by water; let us fall in battle by your hand, for you are praiseworthy, and our death is at hand.’ “‘So be it,’ said the Lord, bearer of the conch, discus, and mace. Then, with his discus, he severed their heads and hips. “Thus did the Goddess arise, praised by Brahma himself. Now, hear further of her great power as I continue this sacred tale.