Victory, victory to you—the supreme nectar distilled from the practice of the fivefold meaning! Victory to you, who are yourself the hymn, the very essence of the nectar of knowledge contained within the fivefold meaning! Hail to you, O supreme physician, healer of the dreadful disease of worldly existence! Victory to you, O moonlight that dispels the ancient darkness of impurity and ignorance! Victory to you, O fire that consumes the three cities and transcends the three times! Victory to you, O Tripurabhairavi! Victory to you, who are free from the three qualities, and who destroy them! Victory to you, the first knower of all, the awakener of all beings! Victory to you, adorned with countless divine limbs, bestower of all that is desired! O Lord, how far removed is your supreme abode from my feeble words! Yet, out of devotion, I utter these unworthy phrases; forgive me, O Lord, for my babbling born of love. Thus did Viśvakarman, the four-faced Brahmā, address Rudra and Rudrāṇī with words of such excellence, bowing again and again before them. This sacred and excellent hymn, spoken by Brahmā, is known as the Ardhanārīśvara hymn; it brings joy to both Śiva and Pārvatī. Whoever recites or teaches this hymn with devotion attains its fruit, for it delights Śiva and Pārvatī. To the two forms of Śaṃkara, creators and sustainers of all beings and worlds, whose forms know neither birth nor destruction—who bear the bodies of the noblest man and woman—I offer my constant reverence. At that time, the great god Mahādeva, his voice deep and resonant like a mighty cloud, spoke words that were sweet, profound, auspicious, and flawless. His speech, full of meaning and royal qualities, was pure and skillful, embracing all subjects without omission. With a charming, noble, and gentle smile, the Lord, greatly pleased, addressed Viśvakarman: “Child, child, most fortunate one, my son, O grandfather! I fully understand the depth of your words. You have performed great austerity for the growth of beings. By this tapas, I am pleased, and I shall grant you your desire.” Having spoken thus, the supreme god Hara, whose words are noble and sweet by nature, created the goddess from a portion of his own form. Those who know Brahman declare her to be the goddess, endowed with divine qualities, the supreme power of the transcendent, the very supreme soul of Bhava. In her, there is neither birth nor death, nor old age or decay; she, Bhavānī, emerged from the body of Bhava. Words, mind, and senses all fall short of reaching her; she appeared as if born from her lord’s own body. By her greatness, she pervades the entire world; though she seems embodied, she is seen in wondrous forms. Through her māyā, she deludes the whole world; though she appears to be born from the Lord, in truth, she is unborn. Even the gods cannot fathom her supreme nature; she is the sovereign of the universe, distinct yet arising from her lord’s body. Beholding this supreme goddess—the great ruler of all worlds, all-knowing, all-pervading, subtle, and beyond the dualities of existence and non-existence—the supreme Virāṭ, illuminating the world with her radiance, bowed before her and prayed earnestly: “O goddess, the god created me at the beginning; you are the very essence of all worlds. Appointed to the task of creation, I have brought forth the entire world. Yet, O goddess, all the gods and others whom I created by mind do not prosper or grow, despite repeated creation. Only by pairing them, according to the supreme creative principle, do I wish to nurture my offspring. But no lineage of women has ever emerged from you before; thus, I lack the power to create a race of women. All powers arise from you alone; everywhere, you are the bestower of all powers. Therefore, I pray to you, O bestower of boons, O goddess Māyā, ruler of the gods, for the increase of all beings—moving and unmoving—through a portion of yourself, O all-pervading one. Become the daughter of Dakṣa, my son, O destroyer of existence.” Thus did Brahmā, the source of Brahman, request the goddess. She then created from between her brows a single power, radiant as herself. Seeing her, the supreme god Hara smiled and said, “Worship Brahmā with austerity and fulfill his desired purpose.” Receiving this command from the supreme lord, the goddess bowed her head and accepted. By Brahmā’s word, the goddess became the daughter of Dakṣa, bestowing that incomparable power—the very form of Brahma—upon Brahmā himself. She entered his body, and Brahmā then disappeared. From that time forward, enjoyment with women was established in the world. And so, O best of Brahmins, from then on, the creation of beings proceeded through union; even Brahmā himself experienced joy and satisfaction. Thus has been told the origin of the goddess’s power, which brings increase of merit and is worthy of being heard, following the account of the creation of beings. Whoever recites daily this origin of the goddess’s power attains all merit and is blessed with auspicious sons. Having thus obtained the supreme and eternal power from the Lord, Prajāpati, desiring to create progeny through union, prepared himself. He became, by his own will, a wondrous being—half woman and half man. From his female half was born Śatarūpā. Brahmā then created Virāj, who also became half man; he is known as the original Svāyambhuva Manu, the first man. Thus unfolds the sacred story of the emergence of the goddess’s power and the establishment of creation through union, as revealed by the ancient sages.