Terrified and glancing in all directions, he fled in fear and climbed up to the mighty fortress of the Himalaya. But soon, both Vishnu and the lord of the mountains, each armed for battle, rushed swiftly toward one another—Vishnu wielding the trident, and the mountain lord bearing the discus. In the heat of their encounter, one fell from the golden slopes of the mountain, shining like a pure star dropping from the heavens. It was at that very place, where Hara’s foot struck the cool mountain, that the sacred river Vitasta—renowned as the destroyer of sin—sprang forth. In time, after fasting with deep devotion, he journeyed to Himavat, seeking to behold the mountain lord Shiva, who was then concealed together with Vishnu. At the foot of the revered Himavat, he sought out the lofty sage Bhrigu. There, desiring to test the might of divine weapons, the great soul cut Shankara into three parts. A question then arose: for what purpose was the discus, revered by all the worlds, given as a weapon? The tale of the discus is intimately connected with a story that magnifies the greatness of Shiva. In that time, there was a blessed householder, free from anger, whose memory is cherished. His wife was renowned for her devotion—her husband was her very life, and her conduct was righteous. To this noble couple, a glorious son was born, known as Upamanyu. Though beset by great hardship, the devoted mother nourished her child with whatever milk she could find. Out of love, she even prepared a special dish for him from the juice of ground rice. Upamanyu ate the rice cooked in milk—it was delicious and nourishing, sustaining his very life-breath. But on the following day, when his mother offered him only flour-gruel, he refused to accept it. Distressed, his mother wept, her voice choked with tears, and spoke to her son: “When Virupaksha is displeased, how can there be food with milk?” She urged him, “Therefore, worship the Lord of the gods, Virupaksha, the wielder of the trident. By pleasing him, one attains even the nectar of immortality—how much more easily the simple joy of eating milk-rice!” Curious and innocent, Upamanyu asked, “Who is this Virupaksha whom you say should be worshipped?” His mother replied, “Listen, my child, and I will tell you. In ancient times, this Virupaksha subdued all the worlds and even brought Sri under his control. The mighty one once sought to seize the Srivatsa mark from Vasudeva. Knowing this, and desiring his destruction, Vasudeva approached Maheshvara. He stood upon the plateau of the Himalayas, on dry ground, and Hari himself worshipped the Supreme Self with utmost devotion. He praised that Supreme Brahman, knowable only by yogis and beyond all attributes.” Moved by his devotion, the glorious and divine Sudarshana discus, blazing and resplendent, appeared before him. Then Shankara spoke to Vishnu, saying, “This discus, resembling the wheel of time, has twelve spokes and six naves, and it moves swiftly in pairs. For the protection of the virtuous, the six seasons are also established within it. Indra, Agni, all the Visvedevas, and the Prajapatis are present there as well. The months, beginning with Caitra and ending with Phalguna, are established within this discus. This unfailing weapon, worshipped even by the king of immortals, has been held by me, placed in my eye through the power of austerity.” Vishnu then asked, “How, O Shambhu, shall I know whether it is truly unfailing or not?” Shankara replied, “For the sake of your inquiry, I will cast it here; accept it, O noble one.” Vishnu agreed, “If so, then cast it with a mind free from doubt.” Desiring to know the truth, Vishnu swiftly released the energy of the discus toward Shankara. In that moment, he caused the Lord of all—the Lord of sacrifice, the performer of sacrifice—to manifest in three forms.