Accompanied by her companions, the maiden gazed intently at the neck of the fallen demon. Gauri, swift in her actions, reached out and took the emblem that was situated on his throat. Yet, as soon as she did so, the emblem mysteriously reattached itself to her palm. The goddess was filled with amazement and wonder, pondering, “What is this?” In that moment of marvel, realization dawned upon her: “He is a devotee of Shiva.” Overcome with sorrow, she understood the gravity of her actions—without due reflection, she had begun the destruction of one who was devoted to Shiva. With a heavy heart, the maiden approached and confessed, “A rash act has been done by me.” She acknowledged that, though her actions were prompted by reverence and guided by righteousness, some unrighteousness had nevertheless been committed. “Out of ignorance,” she lamented, “I have harmed the demon Mahisha, who was devoted to Shiva. Though he had easily gained the grace of his Guru, he was afflicted by a hundred obstacles. Especially, it is known that Shiva greatly honors those who bear the liṅga. Those who were previously undefeated were destroyed by Shambhu only after abandoning the liṅga. How, then, can I remove the sin incurred from killing a devotee of Shiva?” Resolving to atone, she declared, “I will undertake a pilgrimage until Shambhu is pleased. By performing ritual baths at sacred places, I shall obtain purification from this sin.” Hearing her words, a knower of Shiva’s dharma, perceiving her distress and fear, gently spoke: “O daughter of the mountain, those who truly understand the subtle meaning of dharma are rare indeed. The scriptures expound twenty-eight crores of teachings, explained in five ways. Even the greatest sages attain these only by bowing in reverence. Among them, five are known as the great vows, the sources of Shiva’s path. Of all these, only one is supremely powerful and always attainable—Shiva himself. Those who are free from envy, devoted to Shiva, and obedient to his commands are ever graced by the Great God, who bestows all things and is always worshipped by them.” The sage continued, “Those who break the dharma of Shiva must be destroyed without hesitation. When Shiva’s dharma is violated, power immediately arises. O goddess, such a being cannot be conquered, and thus is honored by all the gods. Afflicted by the curse of the great sages, due to their devotion to Shiva, they cursed Mahisha, saying, ‘Let this wicked one become a buffalo, like the demon Mahisha of old.’ Humbled, he bowed before them, sought their favor, and begged for release from the curse. By their decree, even in the form of a buffalo, his destruction was destined to be at the hands of the Goddess herself, by Shiva’s command.” “Who is not troubled by disrespect shown to the Siddhas, who are themselves forms of Shiva? Through the grace of these Siddhas, you have obtained the removal of the curse. When the fault of the curse arose and the buffalo form was removed, one should behold the radiant liṅga known as Aruṇācala. While in the buffalo form, overcome by pride, Mahisha was united with the supreme liṅga. In previous times, in the three cities, three liṅgas were seen and worshipped by Rudra. It is said that a liṅga given without proper initiation and rites is to be destroyed. Yet, at some time, Mahisha gained true conviction from the teachings of mendicants. And by the touch of your lotus feet, he is freed—of this, there is no doubt.” Thus, the goddess’s remorse was met with the wisdom of Shiva’s devotee, and the story of Mahisha’s devotion, curse, and ultimate liberation was revealed in the light of dharma and grace.