A boundary has been set by the creator for all beings bound to this world. For anything that is born from a seed, if the one who initiates its birth is absent, then that birth has no meaning. Yet, it is evident that no one is truly the creator of what is born; rather, the many kinds of living beings are produced by their own actions and deeds. An egg-born creature arises from another of its kind; a human may be born again, and from a human, one may even be reborn among reptiles, still carrying human nature. Amidst all these forms of birth, the highest state is attained through the excellence of righteousness; the rest remain as those who have not produced offspring. Among these beings, there are humans who do not follow the duties of householders; in due order, they pass through the stages of life, beginning with the student’s vow. By the command of the agent who causes worldly existence to grow, how could the world continue if everyone were excessively restrained? Thus, the scriptures praise the begetting of sons, as ordained by the creator, both as a means to delude beings and as a refuge from the torments of hell. Living beings cannot be created without women. By nature, the female is pitiable and often speaks of her own suffering, and the creator has deprived her of the ability to discern the meaning of scripture. Yet, it is stated clearly and repeatedly in the scriptures, and with great reward, that a daughter who is virtuous is equal to ten sons. Still, this statement brings no real fruit and only causes distress for men, for a daughter is seen as pitiable and lamented, increasing her father’s sorrow. Even if she is endowed with all qualities—husband, sons, wealth, and more—what of the unfortunate one who is deprived of these blessings? You have said that my daughter is a collection of bodily faults; alas, I am bewildered, I wither, I am exhausted, I sink, O Nārada. It is not proper to speak what is unfit or unattainable at this time; by your compassion, O sage, please cut off the sorrow that has come to me through my daughter. Even when the mind is clear and undoubting, it becomes a seat of humiliation; craving, rooted in the desire for results, seizes and corrupts it. For women, the highest birth in both noble and ordinary families is said to bring happiness here and hereafter, and is known as the attainment of a worthy husband. But a worthy husband is rare for women; even an unworthy husband is said to be hard to obtain. Without merit, a husband is never attained by a woman. Wherever righteousness is without means, pleasure is without measure, and wealth is only sufficient for life, the wife’s foundation is established in her husband. Even a husband who is destitute, unfortunate, foolish, and lacking all marks is always declared by the gods to be supreme for a woman. O divine sage, you have said that for her, no husband is born; this unparalleled misfortune is countless, weighty, and hard to endure. In the creation of moving and unmoving beings, O sage, you say that even now he is not born; because of this, my mind is troubled. Among humans and gods, the signs that reveal auspicious and inauspicious outcomes are indeed established by marks on the hands and feet. This one is called "with upturned hands," as you have said, O foremost sage; the state of upturned hands is always spoken of as belonging to those who beg. As for those born with auspicious fortune who never give, you have said that her feet, by their own shadow, are adulterous. Even there, O sage, hope for the best does not appear to us; other bodily marks separately indicate different results. The signs of good fortune, wealth, sons, lifespan, and the acquisition of a husband—all these, O foremost sage, you have said she is deprived of. You know everything about me and always speak the truth; O tiger among sages, I am bewildered, and my heart seems to be breaking. Having spoken thus, Śaila, the mountain king, ceased from pondering his great sorrow. Hearing all this from the lotus face of the mountain, Nārada, prompted by the gods, spoke with a gentle smile. “Even in a place of great joy, you describe sorrow; with the meaning of your words unclear, you fall into delusion, O great mountain. Listen now to my words, established in secret, O Himācala, with your mind attentive, regarding what I have spoken. What I said—that no husband is born for this goddess—means that the great god, Mahādeva, origin of past, present, and future, the eternal refuge, teacher, Śaṃkara, the supreme lord, is not born. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra, and the sages, all afflicted by birth, death, and old age, are mere playthings of that supreme lord, O mountain. Brahmā exists, born from his own wish, lord of the worlds; Viṣṇu is born in every age, of various forms and great power. You think that Viṣṇu is born by illusion in every age, but there is no destruction of the self, even at the end of all that is immovable, O mountain. For one born and carried in the cycle of existence, only the body perishes here; destruction of the self is not spoken of. This cycle of existence, which extends from Brahmā down to the immovable, is afflicted by birth, death, and suffering, and helplessly revolves. But Mahādeva is unchanging, steadfast, unborn, the originator, ageless; he will be the Lord, the Master of this universe, free from all affliction. And as for what I said, O goddess, about the absence of marks on your daughter—listen now to the proper understanding of that, too. A divine mark is a sign based on bodily features, revealing the measure of one’s lifespan, wealth, and fortune. For this fortune, O mountain, which is endless and immeasurable, no mark or sign is established on the body. Therefore, O wise one, there is no mark on her body, as I have said; yet she always displays the open-handed gesture.