As Indra, the king of the gods, gazed across the heavens, he saw the sage Narada approaching. Narada, radiant with humility and steadfast in his devotion to celibacy, was a sage who had witnessed the entirety of creation—the three worlds of earth, atmosphere, and heaven. Indra, recognizing Narada’s unparalleled wisdom and the fact that none equaled him in this world, addressed him with reverence. He spoke of Narada’s accomplishments, noting how the sage had pleased the Supreme Lord through yoga, austerity, and unwavering devotion. Indra, his mind filled with curiosity, expressed his wish to ask Narada something and requested that his resolve be revealed. Upon hearing Indra’s words, Narada entered deep meditation and contemplation. He reflected upon the sacred, supreme field remembered by the gods, and recalled the Mahakala field, which was said to be ten times greater in sanctity. After Narada shared his insights, Indra—the thousand-eyed one—described the field to the sage in detail. Jiṣṇu, another name for Indra, stood in the sky, visible to all the gods who gathered around him. They spoke of vast numbers—sixty crore thousands and sixty crore hundreds—emphasizing the magnitude of what was before them. Yet, a great fault arose from crossing over the nirmālya, the discarded offerings of the gods. Fearing the consequences of this transgression, the gods refrained from entering the sacred field. Instead, they remained at its edge, accompanied by various groups and serenaded by kinnaras singing diverse melodies. With wide-open eyes, the gods gazed in awe, wondering about the blessed one of great austerity before them. All the gods questioned, “Who is this group resembling Rudra?” Filled with wonder, they turned to Narada for answers. Before the assembly of gods, O Devi, Narada revealed everything in full detail at that moment. With joy, Narada recounted how he had been granted the rare status of a gaṇa by the divine, a privilege seldom bestowed. The gods, respectful and eager, asked Narada, the best among gaṇas, how he had crossed the sacred Mahākāla forest while wandering. Narada explained the means by which he had done so, standing as a portion of Īśāna, the lord god. He spoke of the great sin that arises from crossing the nirmālya. Yet, when all the groups of gods returned to the Mahākāla forest and beheld the liṅga that destroys all faults, their own transgression was absolved. Thus, they named the liṅga in honor of its power to destroy sin. This wisdom was imparted to them by the sage Nāgacaṇḍa. Having uttered his name, the gods ascended to their supreme heavenly abode, freed from the sin of stepping over discarded offerings. Those who behold Candeśvara, the god of the serpents, day by day receive joy, contentment, well-being, health, and beautiful form. They attain pleasures and blessings, even those difficult for the gods themselves to achieve. Narada concluded, “O goddess, this is the power I have told you, which destroys sin.” He continued, “By merely seeing Candeśvara, one becomes wealthy in this world. O goddess, in former times, because of Dakṣa’s wrath, you abandoned your life. At that time, overcome by love and afflicted by the arrows of Kāma, I began union with you.” Seeing this great passion between Rudra and Gaurī, the gods became agitated in their minds. Rudra and Gaurī, united in love, enjoyed their union for a divine hundred years. The gods realized that if the seed of these two were to unite, the son born from them would possess a power and energy that none among the gods could endure.