Because Daksha had failed to worship Tryambaka, the god of gods, a curse was pronounced upon him: his lineage, now corrupted, would be destroyed. Sati, filled with anger toward her father, fearlessly renounced her body and departed to the mountain Himavat. Himavat, devoted and radiant, performed severe and difficult austerities for a long time, seeking only to gain Sati as his daughter. By her own will and the power of her yoga, the goddess favored Himavat and made him her father, thus choosing her own rebirth. When Sati, grieved and condemning Daksha, gave up her body, the sacred mantras vanished, and Daksha’s great sacrifice was ruined. News of Sati’s departure reached the destroyer of the three cities—Mahadeva himself. Overcome with wrath toward Daksha and the assembled sages, he cursed them. He declared that, because Sati, though innocent, had been insulted by Daksha for his sake—while all the other daughters were honored with their husbands—Daksha’s sons-in-law would, in the age of Vaivasvata Manu, be born together, not from a womb, at the Brahma sacrifice. Furthermore, Mahadeva foretold that Daksha would be reborn as a human king in the lineage of Cākṣuṣa, the grandson of Prācīnabarhis and son of the Pracetas. Even in that birth, Rudra vowed, he would repeatedly create obstacles for Daksha in all his endeavors—whether they concerned righteousness, wealth, or desire. Having pronounced this curse, Rudra of immeasurable brilliance caused Daksha to abandon his Svāyambhuva body, and Daksha fell to earth, overwhelmed with distress. As foretold, Daksha, son of Pracetas, was born again during the Cākṣuṣa period, the grandson of Prācīnabarhis. Bhṛgu and other sages too were born during the sacrifice of Brahma, who upheld the Vāruṇī form, in the interval of Manu Vaivasvata. In this new life, when Daksha undertook another great sacrifice, Maheśa, for the sake of righteousness, again caused an obstacle, while Manu Vaivasvata was present. How did Maheśa create this obstacle in Daksha’s sacrifice? The sages wished to know. By the power of her austerity, the goddess—mother of the universe—attained the status of Himavat’s daughter, rejoicing on the snowy mountain. When the gods arranged her marriage atop Himavat, after much time had passed, she delighted in union with her divine consort. In the era of Vaivasvata Manu, Daksha, son of Pracetas, undertook a grand Aśvamedha sacrifice. This sacrifice was performed on the slopes of Himavat, at Gaṅgādvāra, a sacred place frequented by sages and siddhas. All the gods, led by Indra, gathered and resolved to attend the sacrifice. The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sādhyas, Maruts, Ūṣmapās, Somapās, Ājyapās, and Dhūmapās assembled there. The Aśvins, the Pitṛs, and many great sages—all accompanied by Vishnu—came as honored guests. But when the entire assembly was present, Īśvara was absent. The sage Dadhīci, angered by this omission, confronted Daksha. He declared that if one who is worthy is not worshipped, or if the unworthy are honored, great sin is incurred. Where the wicked are approved and the good are disregarded, the gods’ punishment falls swiftly and terribly. Dadhīci pressed Daksha: “Why do you not worship the Lord, the master of beings, who is to be honored? There are many Rudras of mine—eleven in number—bearing tridents and matted hair, ever ready. I know no other Great Lord. What use are these other gods, honored in the sacrifice, if you do not worship Rudra here? He is the imperishable Lord, the creator of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara; from Brahma down to the spirits, all are his servants. He is beyond the elements and the person, contemplated by yogis and seers of truth. He is the supreme, imperishable Brahman—neither existent nor non-existent, without beginning, middle, or end, inconceivable and eternal. He is the creator, destroyer, and sustainer—Maheshvara. Therefore, I see no other self of Shankara in the sacrifice.” Dadhīci then declared that the entire oblation, purified by rite and mantra, should be brought in a golden vessel as the share of the matchless Lord Vishnu, the master of the sacrifice. But because Rudra, the Lord of all gods, had not been worshipped, Daksha’s entire sacrifice would fail. Having said this, the great sage Dadhīci, enraged, left for his hermitage. Yet, even after the sage’s departure, the gods did not abandon Daksha, for they were compelled by destiny to experience the misfortune that awaited them. At that very moment, knowing all that had transpired, the goddess urged the Lord to burn up Daksha’s sacrifice. Prompted by her, the god, wishing to destroy the sacrifice, suddenly created the mighty Virabhadra, lord of the hosts. Virabhadra appeared with a thousand faces, a thousand lotus-like eyes, a thousand clubs, and a thousand quivers of arrows. He wielded a trident, axe, and mace, bore a blazing bow, held a discus and thunderbolt, was terrifying to behold, and wore the crescent moon as his crest.