Pulastya spoke, and as his words reached the ears of the assembled gods, their hearts overflowed with immense joy. In that sacred place, the lord of speech—Brahma—began the initiation of all those who had purified themselves through ritual bathing, preparing them for the divine rites. With their retinues, the three—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva—were consecrated together, surrounded by the sounds of sacred mantras and beautiful hymns, all offered with deep devotion. The gods stood in that holy gathering, free from possessiveness and ego, their minds wholly devoted to their guru. As they remained there, O best of kings, a radiant light, as gentle and luminous as the flame of a lamp, entered their bodies. Within six months, their brilliance grew, shining with the intensity of twelve suns. A powerful mandala was created, one that bestowed all accomplishments. The divine energy residing in their bodies, empowered by supreme mantras, gathered and manifested. From this energy, a maiden of pure radiance appeared, revealing herself in her true form. Indra, the king of gods, bestowed upon her his thunderbolt, while Varuna, Lord of Waters, gave her his noose. All the other delighted hosts of gods offered her their own weapons. They saluted her, calling out: “Salutations to you, lotus-eyed one; salutations to you, Mother of the Universe. Salutations to you, who embody the universe; salutations to you, who are praised by the universe.” They honored her as Forbearance, Prosperity, Radiance, Svaha, Savitri, Kamala, and Sati. She was Bhairavi, the terrifying one, wielder of the sword against Chanda and Munda. Fond of wine and meat, she was ever devoted to protecting her devotees. The radiant goddess spoke to them: “Choose any boon, O deities, and I shall grant it.” The gods replied, “He—Mahiṣāsura—has been made invulnerable to all beings and even to the gods. Except for a woman, O Goddess; therefore, you must be the one to bring him down.” The goddess answered, “When the appointed time arrives, I will slay him.” Delighted, she remained upon the mountain slope. There, pilgrims devoted to their sacred journey beheld the goddess. Meanwhile, Mahiṣāsura, seeing the sage arrive, bowed respectfully before him. He worshipped the sage with offerings of madhuparka and arghya, as prescribed by tradition. He asked, “From where have you come, and for what purpose, O eminent sage? I am accompanied by servants; what use is this to you, O best of twice-born? I welcome all that you say; it is fitting for you, for 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. Whether by fate or human effort, O lord, the demons have been seized. Wherever it has been seen before, in the three worlds, among moving and unmoving beings…” He continued, “There is a mountain known as Arbuda on the surface of the earth. It is adorned with bakula, champaka, mango, ashoka, and karnikara trees, as well as sal, jackfruit, tinduka, and karavira. Many kinds of fragrant flowers of special varieties bloom there. There is no tree, creeper, nor herb on that land that does not flourish. Birds with sweet voices—chakora, peacock, and chataka—are found there, and hearing their songs, even sages become absorbed in delight. The mountain is graced with beautiful waterfalls and rivers of pure water.” Thus, the story unfolds, revealing the sacred events and the wondrous beauty of Arbuda, where the goddess awaited her destined task.