Horses, elephants, endless wealth, and abundant grain—such are the blessings that adorned the household. Yet, a question arose: “By what result of karma is my youth so firm and unchanging?” For youth is seen in the day, but come night, it disappears from sight. O Brahmin, please speak to me of the means to avoid evil deeds. “Listen, my daughter,” came the gentle reply, “to what happened long ago, out of childishness. Your husband is, without doubt, the son of Viduratha. In his youth, the prince consumed many chickens. Years went by as he continued this habit, and when asked why the chickens no longer came, there was no answer. Eventually, it was revealed that the prince himself had eaten all the chickens, without reason or restraint. Enraged by this, Tāmracūḍa pronounced a curse upon him for his evil-minded actions. From that moment, the prince began to waste away, growing weaker day by day. Driven by longing, he journeyed to the hermitage of the great sage Vāmadeva, bowing before him and asking repeatedly, ‘O Lord, by what sin is my body wasting away, day and night?’ Vāmadeva replied, ‘You have eaten chickens. Go to Tāmracūḍa for refuge; he will show you the means of deliverance.’ So the prince approached Tāmracūḍa with great devotion, hands joined. ‘O Lord,’ he pleaded, ‘the chickens were eaten out of ignorance, for the sake of nourishment.’ Tāmracūḍa replied, ‘Since you seek forgiveness, O king, listen well. The king, wielder of the rod, is ruler, teacher, and protector of the worlds. For this reason, my daughter, he is not seen in his true form, having taken on the form of an animal.’ Hearing the words of the great-souled sage Gālava, the daughter asked with utmost devotion, ‘How can the curse be ended?’ Gālava, perceiving through deep meditation, answered, ‘In the forest of Mahākāla, there is a liṅga known as “Liberator from the bird womb.” By merely seeing it, the curse will be lifted.’ She bowed to the sage and departed swiftly. Her eyes shone with happiness as she was reunited with her beloved, whose gaze was restless with anticipation. At that time, the king spoke to her, she of deer-like eyes. She said, ‘O great king, today I will go with you.’ Hearing her words, the king hurried, his heart filled with joy. Together, they worshipped the liṅga called “Liberator from the bird womb.” That night, the rooster that had always appeared did not come. Conquered by her beauty and the radiance of desire, the king wondered, ‘By what power am I freed from this curse, so difficult to overcome?’ He questioned his beloved, whose face was like the full moon, with great eagerness. She joyfully told him the entire story in detail. ‘O king, you have been freed from the curse by the power of this liṅga.’ With her, the king ascended to heaven, praised by the hosts of gods. “O goddess, this liṅga is renowned in the world as the bestower of all desired fruits. None who worship here will go to animal wombs, nor will they suffer separation. There will be no attainment of hell, nor suffering, nor old age, nor fear. In every age, they will be endowed with beauty and good fortune, and whatever ancestors are in their lineage—even those dwelling in hell, those who have entered the animal realm, those who have been born as beasts—by merely seeing this liṅga, animal birth is not perceived.” Thus, the story reveals the power of devotion, the consequences of one’s actions, and the liberating grace found in the sacred.