O King, a conversation unfolded among the gods and the great ones. One of the queens, steadfast in her resolve, declared, “O lord of men, I do not wish for sons born of a mortal. Let my children be born by the favor of the gods alone.” Hearing her desire, Śakra—Indra, lord of Śacī—was told, “When Kuntī requests, you must provide her a man, and by my word, let it be so.” But Indra was troubled. He turned to Vishnu and spoke with distress, recalling the events of a previous age: “O Vishnu, in the past Manvantara, within the cycle of twenty-four yugas, you descended into the Raghu dynasty, in the house of Dasharatha, to bring about the destruction of Ravana and to restore peace to the gods. Taking the form of Rāma, you wandered the forests for the sake of Sītā. Yet, in seeking the welfare of the son of the Sun, you harmed my own son. Vali, king of the monkeys, was slain by you for Sugrīva’s sake. Grieved by this, I cannot accept a human son.” When Indra, offering further reasons, continued to refuse, Vishnu—Hari—spoke to Shunāsīra about the need to relieve the earth’s burden: “I myself will descend to the mortal world, O lord, to destroy the son of the Sun and grant victory to your son. I will serve as charioteer and bring about the destruction of the Kuru dynasty.” Hearing these words, Indra’s heart was gladdened. He joyfully accepted and said, “May your words be fulfilled.” Thus, after sending Achyuta, the god departed. Pundarīkākṣa—Vishnu—then approached Brahma and addressed him: “O grandsire, you have created all the three worlds, with their moving and unmoving beings. We two, O lord, are your helpers in fulfilling your tasks. Yet, though you have created, you do not see that you must also bring about destruction. In your anger, you created a man from the lord of the gods to slay Shambhu—a deed to be shunned. For the purification of this sin, perform the highest atonement: take up the three sacred fires and offer the agnihotra sacrifice.” Vishnu instructed further: “In a holy place, or sacred region, or forest, perform the sacrifice with your wife, accepting us as your priests. All the gods, the Adityas, and even the Rudras will follow your command, for you are our master. Let there be three fires: the household fire, the southern fire, and the offering fire, each established in its own pit. In the circular pit, worship yourself as the sun; in the bow-shaped pit, worship Hara in the four-cornered pit, invoking the names of the Rig, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas. When you have kindled these fires through austerity and offered oblations for a divine thousand years, you will pacify the fires and purify the sin. Nothing is purer than the agnihotra—by it, the twice-born are purified on earth. These are the paths to the realm of the gods, revealed by the Brahmins. A householder of the twice-born must always maintain a single fire, for without it, the fruits of household life cannot be attained.” At this, Bhīṣma questioned the sage: “That one born from the skull, called Nara, wielder of the bow—was he born from Madhava, or by his own actions? Or was he produced by Rudra, or by deliberate intent? And Brahma, Hiranyagarbha, the four-faced one born from the egg—how did his wondrous fifth face arise? In sattva, rajas is not seen, nor is sattva found in rajas—how did Brahma, established in sattva, acquire excess? By whom was that man, with a deluded mind, sent to slay Hara?” Pulastya replied: “Maheshvara and Hari alone walk the path of righteousness. Nothing is unknown to these two great souls, whether accomplished or not. Brahma’s fifth face was above, belonging to the great soul. But then Brahma, deluded and emboldened by rajas, began to think creation was his alone. ‘There is no other god besides me who sets creation in motion, along with the gods, Gandharvas, animals, birds, and beasts,’ he thought. Thus, blinded by pride, the five-faced Virinchi arose anew: his front face gave rise to the Rig Veda, the second to the Yajur Veda, the third to the Sāma Veda, and the fourth to the Atharva Veda. With his fifth upward-gazing mouth, he recited the Vedas in all their limbs, histories, secrets, and collections. Before this wondrous, radiant face, neither gods nor demons could shine, like lamps at sunrise. Even in their own abodes, disturbed and bewildered, none dared approach or outshine the lotus-born lord. Unable to come near, all the gods, frightened, kept their distance. Feeling overwhelmed and their radiance eclipsed, they gathered to deliberate for their own welfare. ‘Let us seek refuge with Shambhu, for we are powerless before this brilliance.’ So the gods prayed: ‘Salutations to you, lord of all beings, Maheshvara! You are the source of the world, the supreme Brahman, the eternal one among beings, the foundation of all worlds, the cause along with Vishnu.’ As the gods, sages, ancestors, and demons praised him, Shambhu vanished and spoke: ‘O gods, ask for whatever you desire.’ The gods replied, ‘Having granted us your direct vision, O Lord, bestow upon us whatever you wish. Show us compassion, and grant us a boon.