When Soma, the radiant moon-god, had completed his acts of worship, the blessed Narayana Hari, pleased with his devotion, appeared before him. The Supreme Lord Janardana, the very Self of all, spoke kindly: “Choose a boon, O Soma.” Soma, his heart filled with desire, made his requests: “May I conquer the world of Indra; may those who enjoy my realm be manifest before me. At my Rajasuya sacrifice, may the hosts of gods—Brahma and all the others—be my priests, and may Shiva, the trident-bearing Lord, be our protector.” Hari, the Supreme, replied, “So be it.” With that blessing, Soma performed the grand Rajasuya sacrifice, with Vishnu himself present. The sage Atri served as the Hotṛ priest, Bhrigu as the Adhvaryu, and Brahma, the Four-faced One, as the Udgātṛ. Soma thus attained the status of Brahma, with Hari as the overseer of the rite, and the great sages Sanaka and his brothers taking part as members of the ritual. At this magnificent sacrifice, the ten Vishvedevas served as priests, acting as Camas and Adhvaryus. In gratitude, the three worlds themselves were given as sacrificial fees to the officiating priests. When the ritual ablutions were completed, nine goddesses, their hearts inflamed by the arrows of desire and eager to behold Soma’s divine form, attended upon him. In their longing, Lakshmi abandoned Narayana, Sinivali left Kardama, Dyuti departed from Vibhavasu, and Tushti left the imperishable Dhata. Prabha left Prabhakara, Kuhū deserted Havishmat, Kirti departed from her husband Jayanta, and Vasu left Marichi Kashyapa. Even Dhriti abandoned Pita and Nandi, and in that time, devoted herself to Soma. Soma, in turn, desired all these goddesses as his own. Though their husbands had been wronged, the gods were powerless to retaliate, neither with curses nor with weapons. Soma ruled supreme, fostering the ten directions. Through great austerity, he attained a rare sovereignty, sanctified by sages, and became the sole lord of the seven worlds. One day, as Soma wandered through a celestial garden, he saw Tara, the wife of Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods. She was adorned with many flowers; her limbs, delicate and lovely, were wearied by the weight of her broad hips and breasts—so tender that even the breaking of a flower seemed to tire her. Her enchanting eyes were wide and beautiful, and she, too, was struck by the arrows of love. Overcome by passion, the moon-god seized Tara by her hair in a secluded spot. She, equally smitten, delighted in his company. Her mind captivated by his radiant beauty, she spent a long time with Soma, who then took Tara to his own abode. Even there, Soma’s desire was insatiable; he remained ever-attached to Tara and the pleasures she brought. Meanwhile, Brihaspati, consumed by the fire of separation, could think only of Tara. He was unable to curse Soma, nor could he recover his wife by any means—neither by mantras, weapons, fire, poison, nor by spells or sorcery could he undo what had happened. Tormented with longing, Brihaspati pleaded with Soma to return his wife. But Soma, bound by pleasure, would not give Tara back, no matter how earnestly he was entreated. Even when the great Four-faced Brahma, the Sādhyas, the Maruts, and the guardians of the worlds all together requested him, Soma refused to relent. At this, Shiva became exceedingly angry. Shiva, famed as Vamadeva, worshipped by countless Rudras, dweller of the mountains and wielder of the bow, was moved by affection for Brihaspati. Taking up his mighty Ajagava bow, attended by the lords of spirits and perfected beings, he advanced to battle against Soma, his third eye blazing, his visage terrifying like fire. With him went Ganesha and others, accompanied by mighty hosts—twenty-four and sixty groups of attendants. The Lord of the Yakshas, with countless crores, followed, all riding on chariots. Soma, too, arrived with his own formidable army: hosts of Vetalas, Yakshas, serpents, and Kinnaras, numbering in the millions, with three hundred and twelve thousand chariots. He was joined by Nakshatra-demons, Daityas, and Asuras, empowered by Shani and Mangala. The seven worlds were seized with fear, and the earth, with its continents and oceans, trembled. Pinaki, Shiva, grasping blazing weapons, advanced straight toward Soma, and a dreadful, terrible battle broke out between the two armies, fierce as Bhimasena. The conflict grew ever more intense, weapons blazing and sharp, destroying all beings. Flaming missiles fell, burning heaven, earth, and the underworld. In his wrath, Rudra released the Brahmashiras missile, while Soma unleashed the unfailing Soma missile. The fall of these two mighty weapons caused fear to arise in the sea, on earth, and in the sky. Seeing the swelling power of these missiles, threatening the very destruction of the worlds, even Brahma, the Grandfather, was alarmed. Somehow, Brahma entered between them, together with the gods, and restrained the combatants. He addressed Soma: “Why have you done this, Soma, bringing destruction to the worlds without cause? Because you waged this terrible war for the abduction of another’s wife, you shall become a malefic planet among people, bringing harm even when calm. Now, at the end of this conflict, return this wife to Vākpati—there is no dishonor in restoring what belongs to another.” “So be it,” said the moon-crested Soma, pacified at last, and withdrew from the battle. Brihaspati, regaining Tara, joyfully returned home, accompanied by Rudra. Then, at the end of a year, a radiant boy appeared, shining like twelve suns, clad in divine yellow garments and adorned with celestial ornaments. This son, wise in all sciences and the founder of the science of elephants, emerged from Tara’s womb, his brilliance like that of the moon. His name, renowned as the royal treatise on elephants, was Gajavaidya; but because he was the son of King Soma, he was remembered as Budha, the royal prince. As soon as he was born, Budha’s radiance surpassed all others. Brahma and the gods, along with the divine sages, came to witness his birth. During the ceremony in Brihaspati’s house, all the gods questioned Tara: “By whom was this boy born?” Embarrassed before them, Tara remained silent, though questioned repeatedly. At last, she declared, “By Soma.” The moon-god then joyfully took his son, named him Budha, and gave him sovereignty over the earth. After performing the consecration, Soma made Budha chief, granting him equality of household. Brahma, together with the brahmarshis, blessed him. While all the gods looked on, Soma vanished from that place. In time, Budha begot a righteous son in the womb of Ila, continuing the divine lineage.