The wise sages gathered before the daughter of the mountain, Parvati, and spoke to her with gentle counsel. “Daughter,” they began, “in this world, happiness is of two kinds: one is the fleeting enjoyment that comes from the body, and the other is the deeper contentment that arises within the mind.” They described the one she sought—Shiva—saying, “By his very nature, he is clothed only in the directions, fearsome to behold, lord of the cremation grounds, bearing skulls, wandering as a mendicant, unclad, with eyes that are not as others’, and steadfast in his actions. He appears intoxicated and mad, gathering dreadful things, living as an ascetic. What purpose could you find in seeking such a one, whose very form seems steeped in misfortune? “If you desire bodily enjoyment, why then do you long for the great god who is so fearsome and repulsive? He is adorned with ornaments smeared with oozing blood and fat, terrifying with the fierce serpent coiled around his arms. He dwells in the cremation grounds, followed by fierce spirits, and though the crowns of the lords of gods touch his feet, he is the slayer of enemies. “Consider instead: there is Hari, the sustainer of worlds, beloved of Shri, of infinite form; there is the lord of those who partake in sacrifice, and Indra, wielder of the thunderbolt. There is Agni, the treasure of the gods who fulfills all desires, and Vayu, the breath of all beings, sustaining the world. Likewise, there is King Vaishravana, all-knowing and supreme in every way. Why do you not wish to attain any one of these? “Or, by obtaining another body, you might have the happiness your mind desires. In this way, your birth could bring you the highest blessings of heaven and all auspicious attainments. All that is not found among the gods belongs to your father alone; therefore, striving for that is a hardship, and even then, it may be fruitless for you. “O blessed one, even when earnestly sought, such a union is very rare and difficult to obtain; the creator alone is the arranger and accomplisher of this for you.” Hearing these words, Parvati, daughter of the mountain, was angered by the eminent sages. Her eyes reddened in wrath, her teeth tightly clenched, she spoke: “What joy is there in false attachment? Where is the restraint in misfortune? Who has set those who misunderstand the true meaning on the path of righteousness? “You see me as foolish, attached to what is unworthy and false. I have no concern for myself, since you think I am devoted to such attachments. All of you are like Prajapatis, all-seeing, yet surely you do not know that eternal god, the lord of the world—unborn, lord of all, unmanifest, whose greatness and origin cannot be measured. “Let that wondrous realization of the true nature of dharma remain; for even the foremost of gods, beginning with Hari and Brahma, do not know it. Whatever has arisen in the worlds from his own power and is manifest among all beings—even that, do you not know here? “Whose is this vast sky? Whose is fire? Whose is wind? Whose is earth? Whose is Varuna? Who has the moon and sun as eyes? Whose emblem do gods and asuras worship with devotion in the worlds? Whom do the gods, beginning with Brahma and Indra, and the great sages call Lord? “Do you not know even their power and origin? Of whom is Aditi the mother? From whom was Janardana born? From Aditi and Kashyapa were born the gods, beginning with Narayana. Kashyapa is the son of Marichi, and Aditi is the daughter of Daksha. Marichi and Daksha are said to be sons of Brahma. Brahma, from the golden egg, possessed divine powers and perfections. “From whose meditation did the primordial elements arise, agitated? In the third stage of nature, the act of generating the slayer of Madhu occurred. He was born and created the six classes, each according to their own actions and intelligence. The Unborn became the creator, born from the unmanifest Brahma. “By his own yoga, having stirred up nature, he made this world. Brahma attained all perfections, lordship, and the role of creator of the worlds. What Vishnu and others always know by their own greatness is this: having assumed another body and vision, Hari again takes form. “He performs the deeds of the world—superior, inferior, and middling; thus indeed is the cycle of existence, whose nature is birth and death. And this is the fruit of action, arising in various forms. Then the god Narayana resorted to his own shadow. Impelled by that, he produces birth of various kinds; and that impulse, it is said, is due to action, for those whose selves are powerless. “Just as the mind of one possessed by madness and the like becomes such, so too does it regard as desirable or real even what is contrary. In the affairs of the world, in all created things, Vishnu alone is known to endure both the attainment of the fruits of righteousness and unrighteousness. “Moreover, this has beginninglessness, due to its universal nature; for nowhere has its life in a body been seen to be long. This is the law for embodied beings: for some, birth or death is seen by you; for others, it is not. Sometimes one perishes in the womb, sometimes lives afflicted by old age and disease; sometimes lives a hundred years, sometimes dies in childhood. “A man who lives a hundred years is called endless; one with a short life is not said to die at the outset, therefore he is called immortal. Those like Vishnu are considered to have unseen birth and death; who in this world attains such pure sovereignty in samsara? “There, due to the conjunctions of decay and other causes, various wonders appear; therefore, all celestial beings are impure and possess little glory. “O blessed ones, I desire nothing except Shiva, the wielder of the Pinaka. Established by gradation, this is the supreme among living beings.” Thus spoke Parvati, her heart unwavering, her devotion to Shiva shining above all else.