Surrounded by a thousand attendants, the great lord Maheśvara was engaged in play. Some of his followers, eager for contest, seized clods of earth and fought fiercely, while others, proud of their strength, wrestled hand-to-hand, displaying their might. In the midst of this vibrant scene, Maheśvara delighted in sport with the goddess. At that very moment, Brahmā himself arrived swiftly, accompanied by the gods. Seeing Brahmā’s arrival, Maheśvara and his attendants honored him with proper rites. Then, the supreme god Rudra addressed the imperishable Brahmā, asking, “Brahmā, tell me quickly the reason for your coming. Why have the gods, filled with urgency, come into my presence?” Brahmā replied, “There is a great demon named Andhaka, by whom all the gods have been tormented. Knowing this, they have come to me for refuge.” He continued, “Therefore, I told all these gods, ‘Let us go to you, O Lord of gods,’ and so they have all come here.” Having spoken thus, Brahmā gazed at Pinākin (Maheśvara) and, in his mind, remembered Nārāyaṇa, the supreme lord. At that moment, Nārāyaṇa appeared, standing between Brahmā and Maheśvara. Now, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara stood together, gazing at one another with subtle vision and joy. From their threefold gaze, a single vision arose, and from that vision, a maiden of divine form was born. She was dark as the petal of a blue lotus, with blue, curly hair, a fine nose, a beautiful forehead, a lovely face, and a well-proportioned form. All the auspicious marks described by Tvaṣṭṛ as belonging to the tongue of Agni were united in her. Seeing this maiden, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara asked her, “Who are you, O auspicious one? Tell us your purpose, O wise one.” The maiden, who was three-colored—black, white, and yellow—replied, “O best of beings, I have arisen from your combined gaze. Do you not recognize me, the beautiful-hipped, your own supreme power?” Pleased with her, Brahmā and the others granted her a boon: “By name, you shall be the Goddess of the Three Times; always protect the universe. You will also have other names, arising from your qualities, O highly fortunate one, and all will grant success. And, O goddess with a beautiful face, another reason you are three-colored: with your three forms and three colors, quickly manifest your own triple form.” Thus addressed, the goddess assumed a threefold body—white, red, and black—becoming the triple-formed. The auspicious white form, known as Brāhmī, gentle in appearance and beautiful-hipped, creates beings, bringing forth creation according to Brahmā’s ordinance. The red form, beautiful and slender-waisted, holding conch and discus, is the Vaiṣṇavī aspect, protector of the universe, called Viṣṇumāyā. The black form, fierce, bearing a trident and protruding fangs, is Raudrī, the destroyer of worlds. The radiant white goddess, creation of Brahmā, blessed and lotus-eyed, addressed Brahmā and then vanished from that place. She, the granter of boons, disappeared and went to the White Mountain to perform intense austerity, desiring to become all-pervading. The Vaiṣṇavī maiden, with Keśava’s permission, went to Mandara Mountain for severe austerity. The black, fierce goddess with wide eyes and protruding fangs went to the Blue Mountain to perform auspicious austerity. After a long time, the Lord of Creatures, Brahmā, began to create beings, and his power increased. Yet, when his mind-born creation did not flourish, Brahmā wondered why his creation was not growing as it should. Contemplating through yogic practice, Brahmā discerned the maiden on the White Mountain, her sins burned away by her great penance. Brahmā went to her and said, “What is this austerity you perform, O gentle one? It is fitting to act with purpose. I am pleased with you, O wide-eyed maiden; what boon shall I grant you?” The goddess Srishti replied, “O Lord, remaining in one place, I am unable to stay easily; therefore, I ask you for the boon of omnipresence, desiring to be everywhere.” Brahmā granted her wish, saying, “You shall become all-pervading.” Thus spoken to, Srishti, the lotus-eyed goddess, entered his lap. From that moment, Brahmā’s creation began to flourish. The seven mind-born sons of Brahmā, some ascetics and others divided into four groups, became the collection of beings, establishing the creation of stationary and moving beings everywhere. Whatever is spoken in the world, whether stationary or moving, all was established by Srishti—past, future, and always. Sri Varaha then said, “Hear further, O beautiful one, the great ordinance of that goddess, who is called the triple power, as declared by Shiva, the supreme lord. There, creation was formerly described as white in form, known as the single syllable, auspicious, and composed of all syllables. She is called Vāgīśa in some places, the goddess Sarasvati; she is the goddess of knowledge, elsewhere called Amitākṣarā; elsewhere she is the ordinance of wisdom, and elsewhere the goddess Vibhāvarī. Whatever gentle names there are, and those arising from knowledge, O wide-eyed one, O beautiful-faced, those should be regarded as hers. She who is Vaiṣṇavī, red in form and beautiful, is also called Raudrī, both supreme and non-supreme. These three are accomplished by one who knows Rudra in truth; all that is to be sung, O beautiful one, is remembered as one, though threefold.