When the assembly gathered, a question arose: “O daughter, by whom has your matted hair been adorned with a red thread?” Hearing these words, Lord Hari himself spoke with gentle authority. “She has been brought here by us and appointed for the purpose of becoming a wife; Brahma himself has entrusted this girl. Do not speak vain words here. “She is virtuous and fortunate, a delight to her entire lineage. If she were not virtuous, how could she have entered this assembly? Therefore, O highly fortunate one, you should not grieve. This blessed girl of yours has attained the god Brahma himself. Even yogis absorbed in deep meditation, and Brahmins accomplished in the Vedas, do not attain the state your daughter has reached, though they desire it. “Because you are righteous, of good conduct, and devoted to dharma, I have given this girl to Virinchi. With this Abhira maiden, you shall cross over to the great and divine worlds, and your lineage, too, will serve the purpose of the gods. I will perform an incarnation here; that will be my divine play, when Nanda and others descend to earth. When they descend, I will dwell among them, and all your daughters will remain with me. “There will be no fault, no hatred, and no jealousy there. The cowherds will act, and men will have no fear. Nor will there ever be any fault in her because of this act.” Having heard these words of Vishnu, those present bowed down and prepared to depart. One among them prayed, “O god, let this boon you have granted truly come to pass for me. An incarnation must be made in our lineage for the establishment of dharma. By your very sight, we become dwellers in heaven, and this maiden, the giver of auspiciousness, will carry my lineage across.” Vishnu replied, “So be it, Lord of gods; your granting of this boon, O mighty one.” Thus, the cowherds were appeased by Lord Vishnu himself. In the same way, Brahma spoke, gesturing with his left hand. The beautiful maiden, modest before her relatives, was present there. She wondered, “By whom have I been named, and by whom have I come to this place?” Seeing her, Gayatri, the Abhira maiden, spoke out. With her left hand, she bowed before them all, saying, “Here I stand, mother, having approached Brahma. I have obtained as husband the god, the ancient lord of all the worlds. There is no need to grieve for me, neither you nor my father or relatives. “Let my circle of friends, my sisters and their children, depart. Convey my well-being to all, for I remain here together with the gods.” When all had departed, Gayatri of beautiful form, shining with Brahma, entered the sacrificial enclosure. Then, at the request of the brahmins—“Grant us the boons we desire”—Brahma gave them whatever boons they wished. And what was given by the goddess Gayatri was approved; she, the virtuous one, remained at the sacrifice, close to the deities. That sacrifice flourished for more than a hundred divine years. O Kapardin, you then arrived at the sacrificial enclosure seeking alms, holding a large skull adorned with five heads. You stood at a distance from the officiating priests and participants, shunned by them. “How have you come here, you who are condemned by those versed in the Vedas?” they asked, and the brahmins drove you away with harsh words. Maheshvara, smiling, spoke to all those brahmins: “At this ancestral sacrifice, which brings satisfaction to all—” Some still tried to drive him away, but the best of the brahmins said, “After eating food, then depart, Kapardin.” Kapardin replied, “O brahmins, after eating I shall depart.” Having said this, he sat down, placing the skull before him. Observing his actions, Ishvara acted with cunning; leaving the skull on the ground, he looked at the brahmins and said, “I am going to Pushkara to bathe, O best of brahmins.” Urged by them to go quickly, the Supreme Lord departed. Yet, remaining in the sky out of curiosity, he bewildered the gods as Kapardin went to Pushkara for his bath. The brahmins now wondered, “How is the oblation to be performed here, with a skull present in the assembly? Long ago, Prajapati declared that skulls are impure.” One brahmin of the assembly volunteered, “I shall remove the skull.” He lifted it and threw it away, but immediately another appeared in its place. Again it was removed, but yet another appeared. This happened a second time, a third, twenty times, thirty times—indeed, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand skulls appeared, with no end in sight. Finally, bowing to Kapardin, the god, the brahmins sought refuge in him. They reached the Pushkara forest and earnestly recited Vedic prayers. All together they offered praise, and Hara himself was pleased. Out of devotion, Shiva granted the brahmins a vision of himself. Then the god spoke to those foremost brahmins, who were bowed in devotion: “The completion of the puroḍāśa offering cannot be without the skull. Follow my instruction, O brahmins; the share of the sviṣṭakṛt belongs to me. If this is done, all my command will be fulfilled.” The brahmins replied to Shambhu, “So be it; we will carry out your command.” Then the Lord, holding the skull in his hand, approached the blessed Pitāmaha.