Brahma, the creator, approached the great Lord Shiva, the remover of fear for his devotees, and spoke with urgency: “O God of gods, Tripura, lord of the demons, has become a fierce destroyer of the gods. He has established three vast cities and now roams freely, bringing ruin to all beings, both moving and unmoving. The hermitages of sages and the dwellings of ascetics have been destroyed; the gods, deprived of their kingdoms, have been defeated. Now, because of the wicked Tripura, the gods wander as mortals do. Therefore, every possible effort must be made to bring about his destruction.” Shiva listened to Brahma’s resolute words and replied, “I will devise a means of victory over this wicked demon. All of you should undertake austerities, desiring your own triumph.” Having spoken thus, Shiva vanished from their midst. For the sake of victory over the demon Tripura, Shiva, the Bull-bannered One, worshipped the Goddess with great sacrificial buffaloes, offerings of animals, flowers, water, and libations. He then praised her—Durgā, the Blessed One, the Auspicious, who ferries beings across the difficult ocean of worldly existence. Shiva extolled her as Rakta, intoxicated by the blood and marrow of demons, with blood-red teeth; as the dark-hued one who rides a buffalo, attended by yakṣas and seated upon their throne. With his mind serene and established in meditation, Shiva worshipped Caṇḍikā, the gracious-faced Goddess. She appeared before him and spoke: “I grant you everything you have asked for, which brings benefit to the worlds. By me shall the great demon Tripura, the thorn of the gods, be slain. O best of gods, I have given the supreme weapon for the destruction of demons.” Taking the great Pāśupata weapon in his hand, Shiva—Śaṃkara—swiftly raised it for the destruction of the demon. Having offered praise, he departed with words, and the gods followed behind him. Through magical warfare, Śaṃkara split the sorcerer Tripura into three. The sages, siddhas, and celestial beings bestowed blessings of victory. Apsarases danced and gandharvas sang sweetly. Cries of victory arose in every household among living beings. Sacrifices commenced, accompanied by great festivals and generous gifts. Because the demon was slain, fame spread throughout the three worlds. The city called Avanti, or Ujjayinī, destroyer of sin, was thus named. From that day onward, Vyāsa, those who take refuge in the city of Ujjayinī are freed from any sin or evil deed arising from wrongdoing; none remains in their bodies. A seeker of knowledge approaches Lord Śiva, a seeker of wealth approaches the Lord of Wealth, a seeker of children approaches the Lord of Children, a seeker of happiness approaches the Lord of the Sun. Whoever, O most fortunate one, always dwells in this city remains there for more than a hundred million aeons. Whoever reads or listens to this sacred story— Now, Vyāsa, listen attentively to this tale of great merit. Once, all the jewels were lost because of evil-minded beings. Then, all the gods and demons together churned the ocean. They made the tortoise’s back the base and extracted the jewels. Because of this, sorrow arose among the gods and demons at that time.