Speech, fortune, patience, faith, wisdom, Svāhā, Svadhā, and other divine qualities—all these are but expressions of my great power, declared the Lord. This power is none other than Gaurī, the very illusion that veils the world, the mother from whom all creation arises. It is by this power that the processes of creation, preservation, dissolution, and even the movement of all beings come into being. Freed from delusion, one should contemplate this greatness. Endowed with my form, the Lord continued, he attained sovereignty over the earth, ruling in strength and virtue. Again, as Purandara, he enjoyed the pleasures of the heavens for a long time, basking in divine joy. When the Lord had thus spoken, Nandikeśvara recounted, he vanished from sight, leaving King Vajrāṅgada accomplished and steadfast. Thus, O holy one, I have narrated to you the flourishing of devotion to Śiva. Truly, what more need be said? Even a single circumambulation of the sacred Śoṇa mountain is enough to confer merit. Especially during the solstices, equinoxes, and other auspicious times, there is no holy place greater than Aruṇa, nor any deity superior to Aruṇeśvara. As Nandikeśvara spoke these words, the son of Mṛkaṇḍu was filled with delight, his whole being suffused with joy. Now begins the third section, the Arbuda-khaṇḍa. Vyāsa proclaims: Om! Homage to the infinite, the subtle, the one approached through knowledge, the creator. All the epochs of the Manus and the various kinds of creation have been recounted, but now, let us hear the supreme glory of the holy places. In ancient times, their number was vast—three and a half crores of sacred places, including fields, rivers, mountains, and streams. Among all these, Arbuda is renowned, O sinless one, as the remover of all sins. The holy places purify those who bathe, give, and perform rites there, as is proper. How, then, did the glory of Vasiṣṭha become renowned upon the earth? What are the principal holy places that exist on the mountain Arbuda? O best of the twice-born, listen to the greatness of Arbuda as it has been heard. There was a divine sage named Vasiṣṭha, born from the very mind of the Grandfather, Brahmā. He was disciplined, moderate in his food, and ever devoted to the welfare of all beings. Practicing the austere penance of the five fires during summer, intent on recitation and offerings, he was attended by a cow named Nandini, famed and auspicious, who granted all desires. One day, as Nandini wandered the earth, grazing on fresh grass, the blessed Sun, radiant and fierce, shone above. The sage, twice-born and wise, would always take her milk in the evening and morning. Yet, the brahmin, absorbed in thought, became anxious, fearing that some expiation might be required for his actions. Approaching a nearby chasm, he heard the earth itself groaning under its burden. From the depths, a voice arose: "I have come forth from the sacrificial fire, troubled, to look upon you. I have fallen here, O Lord! Save me from this terrible and unbearable distress." Moved, the sage meditated upon Sarasvatī, the river who purifies all three worlds. In response, Sarasvatī filled the chasm with her pure waters, bringing relief. Rejoicing with the sage, she went toward his hermitage. Yet, seeing the deep chasm, the great sage Vasiṣṭha pondered. A thought arose in his mind: "Therefore, I shall quickly go to Himavat, the best of mountains. That very lord of the earth will surely send a mountain here." With resolve, the sage journeyed to Himavat, the king of mountains. After honoring Himavat with offerings of water and other rites, he spoke his request. Himavat, pleased, welcomed the sage warmly: "Welcome to you, best of sages! Today my life is fulfilled.