He who thinks himself the most beautiful among all, and who sees himself as distinct from others, falls into a subtle pride. Even those who do not believe are not disturbed by such notions—how much less, then, are those who have faith? O daughter of the mountain, though you consider yourself wise, O Mṛḍā, you do not truly know the self. Hardness and suffering arise again and again from the elements, each blow shaping the experience of pain. Thus, O goddess, I have addressed you, and you, in turn, have spoken your words. From the serpents comes the possession of many tongues, and from ashes, the absence of affection. Those who dwell in the cremation ground become fearful, and their nakedness is not born of shame. In this way, at that time, a fierce quarrel arose, striking fear and agitation into all present. The gods, Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Rakshasas were all seized by terror. Amidst this turmoil, from the very heart of the liṅga, an auspicious and joy-bringing voice arose. The lords of the gods then named him 'Kalakala-īśvara.' Whoever worships the god Kalakaleshvara with devotion, O beautiful one, will receive the blessings of the brahmins, and discord will never enter their household. Such a devotee’s wife will be virtuous, attractive, and fortunate, O beloved. Those who behold the god Kalakaleshvara on the fourteenth day will never fear enemies, O daughter of the mountain. Thus, O Devi, I have revealed to you this power that destroys sin. By seeing him, one is freed from the sins incurred even by crossing over discarded offerings. Now, O fortunate one, I shall tell you in detail of his splendid power. Once, the divine sages, Gandharvas, Charanas, and Guhyakas were present. At that time, Indra saw the sage Narada, radiant with humility and devoted to celibacy. Indra, recognizing Narada’s knowledge of all—the earth, the atmosphere, and heaven—praised him, declaring that none in the three worlds were his equal. He acknowledged that by yoga, austerity, and devotion, Narada had pleased the supreme lord. Desiring to know more, Indra asked Narada to reveal his wish. Hearing this, Narada entered into meditation and deep reflection. He spoke, "O king of the gods, the sacred and supreme field is remembered." Therefore, the field of Mahakala is said to be ten times greater than any other. Having heard this, the thousand-eyed Indra described the greatness of this field to the sage. Jiṣṇu, the victorious one, appeared in the sky, visible to all the gods. There were sixty crore thousands and sixty crore hundreds—vast multitudes present. A great fault certainly arises from crossing the nirmālya, the discarded offerings, and fearing this transgression, the gods did not enter the field. Accompanied by various groups and praised by kinnaras with diverse songs, the gods gazed with wide eyes, wondering, "Who is this blessed one, of great austerity?" They questioned, "Who is this group that resembles Rudra?" Filled with curiosity, the gods inquired further. Before all the assembled gods, O Devi, everything was revealed in full at that time. With joy, the supreme granted me the rare status of a gaṇa, a leader among Shiva’s attendants.