When the goddess is worshipped with offerings of liquor, meat, and a variety of foods and delicacies, and especially when she is honored with the sacrifice of a buffalo on the great Navamī, such acts of devotion are considered powerful and sacred. Desiring to understand the true significance of these rituals and the stories behind them, a devotee respectfully asked, “O destroyer of all sins, I wish to hear all of this.” Sanatkumāra began his narration: “In ancient times, at the dawn of the Kṛta Yuga, Brahmā, the grandsire of all worlds, stood in deep contemplation. At that moment, the blessed Night herself appeared before him, manifesting in all her glory. Brahmā addressed her, saying, ‘O Goddess, listen carefully to what you must do, and to the true meaning of these events.’ He continued, ‘There is a mighty demon king named Tāraka, a fierce and unconquered enemy of the gods. O auspicious one, if Mahesha, the great Shiva, is pleased and grants a boon, he will beget a son capable of defeating Tāraka. Shiva’s wife was Sati, the daughter of Daksha, but she will be reborn as the daughter of the snowy mountain—Himalaya—becoming the purifier of the worlds. In the sacred cave of the snowy mountain, a place frequented by accomplished sages, she will undertake severe austerities. From the intensity of her penance, the great lord will be born. When she first appears in this world, the radiant goddess will possess only a faint awareness of her true nature. Yet, her union with Shiva, both of them deeply devoted to austerity, will be well-matched and harmonious. For the sake of the gods, O Goddess, you must act as instructed by the sages. Mother, while she is still in the womb, delight her with your own divine form. She will laugh and be known as Kālī, but Sati will then become angry. Eventually, she will give birth to Sharva, the lord, radiant like the moon and the sun. You too, O Goddess, must take it upon yourself to slay the demons who are otherwise invincible in the worlds. By uniting with her, you will gain the power to destroy these demons. When Gauri completes her vows and penances, she will become known as Gauri. At that time, a natural portion of yourself will arise as well. O giver of boons, the world will worship you as Ekānaṃśā, in many forms and with various distinctions, as the fulfiller of all desires. You alone are Gāyatrī, whose very mouth is the sacred syllable Oṃ, the voice of the Vedas. Among people, you are worshipped as the goddess Kamalā; among the Śūdras, you are revered as their very mother. You are the fame of the renowned, the prosperity of all embodied beings, the beauty of the adorned, and the peace of those whose deeds bring them joy. You are the great boundary of the oceans and the playfulness of the playful. Thus, O goddess, being worshipped in countless forms throughout the worlds, all desires will surely be fulfilled for you—there is no doubt. In this way, Brahmā himself praised the goddess who had arisen before him.’ In the sacred place where Pārvatī was taken and where Shiva—Hara—achieved his success, two powerful Dānavas were born, named Caṇḍa and Pracaṇḍa. There, the Lord of Mountains was seen holding dice and a dice-cup in his hands, perhaps engaged in a game. Calling out, ‘O goddess of gods!’ and declaring, ‘I am your servant,’ he showed his devotion. At that time, when Shiva became enamored, those two demons—thorns in the side of the gods—appeared. They attacked Nandī, Shiva’s devoted attendant, piercing him with their tridents. Seeing Nandina, the son of Śilāda, struck down, Shiva declared, ‘Let those two great demons be slain; let them be killed!’ When the goddess saw those two powerful Dānavas lying slain by her hand, she became renowned throughout the world by the name Harasiddhi. Thus, at the sacred place of Mahākāla, she was celebrated as Harasiddhi, the goddess whose power brings success to Hara himself.