The sun shone with a brilliance that was granted and approved by the supreme being, radiating his glory across the worlds. In the same manner, all the guardians of the worlds—those mighty deities entrusted with the universe—carried out his will, performing deeds that reflected his power and purpose. Then, at a certain time, all the gods gathered together in one place. Overcome with uncertainty and seeking guidance, they addressed their Lord, saying, “O Lord, what shall we do? Where shall we go, being without refuge?” Their voices were filled with concern, for they felt helpless in the face of a great threat. Hearing their plea, the revered guru, after meditating deeply on the nature of Time for a long while, spoke to them. He revealed, “There is one who is invulnerable to all the gods—no power can touch him, save for one exception: a woman. O gods, for the sake of austerity, let your accomplishment manifest there without delay. Seek her, the one by whom this entire universe is pervaded, and worship her in solitude. She alone will undertake the effort of manifesting an incarnation to address this crisis. I shall now reveal to you the supreme mantra of Śakti, the Divine Power.” Pulastya, the sage, continued: Hearing these words, all the gods were filled with great joy and hope. The lord of speech, Brahma himself, then initiated all those gods who were pure and had ritually bathed, preparing them for the sacred task ahead. There, together with their retinues, the three—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva—were consecrated in a holy rite. With various mantras and beautiful hymns, and with deep devotion, the gods performed their worship. They were free from possessiveness and ego, wholly devoted to their guru and the sacred purpose before them. As they stood there, O king, a wondrous radiance—like the light of a lamp—entered their bodies. Within six months, a brilliance equal to twelve suns arose within them, illuminating their beings with divine power. Brahma created a mandala, a sacred diagram, which bestows all accomplishments. The energy residing in the bodies of the gods, empowered by supreme mantras and their own inner strength, gathered and gave rise to a miraculous event: from that energy, a maiden composed entirely of radiant light was born, manifesting in her true and resplendent form. Indra, king of the gods, gave her his thunderbolt as a weapon. The Lord of Waters, Varuna, gave her his noose. All the other divine hosts, delighted and full of reverence, offered her their own weapons as well, bestowing upon her the means to vanquish any foe. With folded hands, they praised her: “Salutations to you, O lotus-eyed one! Salutations to you, Mother of the Universe! Salutations to you, who have the form of the universe itself, and to you, who are praised by the universe. You are Forbearance, Prosperity, Radiance, Svaha, Savitri, Kamala, and Sati. You are Bhairavi, of terrifying form, the wielder of the sword against Chanda and Munda. Ever fond of wine and meat, you are always devoted to the protection of your devotees.” The goddess, pleased with their devotion, spoke to them: “Choose any boon, O deities, and I will grant it.” The gods replied, “He, the asura, has been made invulnerable to all beings and even to the gods themselves—except for a woman. O Goddess, therefore, you must be the one to bring him down.” The goddess assured them, “When the appointed time arrives, I will slay him.” Delighted, the goddess remained there on the mountain slope, her presence radiant and powerful. There, as she devoted herself to pilgrimage, the mighty asura Mahiṣāsura saw her. At that moment, he also saw the sage arrive and, out of respect, bowed before him. Mahiṣāsura then worshipped the sage with offerings of madhuparka and arghya, as prescribed by tradition. He inquired, “From where have you come, and for what purpose, O eminent sage? I am here with my servants—what use is this to you, O best of the twice-born? I welcome all that you say, for it is fitting for you to speak. We are always free from desire, established in the discipline of sages.” The sage replied, “I have come here out of curiosity; it has been a long time since I saw you.” Thus, the stage was set for the unfolding of the divine purpose, as the gods awaited the triumph of the goddess over the invincible asura.