O Earth, listen as Śrī Varāha speaks of a wondrous and fearsome power: the goddess who journeyed to the blue mountain, Nīlagiri, steadfast in her fierce asceticism, born of the depths of darkness. Hear of her vow and the might that arose from it. For a long time, she performed severe austerities, sustaining the entire world by her radiant penance. In her devotion, she accomplished the formidable five-fire practice, her brilliance shining forth. At another time, as this supreme goddess continued her intense austerities, a powerful asura named Ruru, radiant and formidable, having received a boon from Brahmā himself, arose. In the heart of the ocean stood a city glittering with jewels, encircled by a vast forest. There, Ruru, the terror of all the gods, ruled as king among the demons. Ruru was not alone; he was surrounded by countless hundreds of thousands, tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of asuras, glorious and formidable, rivaling the mighty Namuci. Gathering his immense army, Ruru set his sights on conquering the ancient cities of the guardians of the worlds, striking fear into the hearts of the gods. As this great asura rose up, the ocean’s waters surged and swelled, flooding the mountain slopes, teeming with countless crocodiles, sharks, and fish. From the churning depths, a vast and splendid army emerged, clad in dazzling armor and bearing diverse weapons. Groups of mighty enemies of the gods, skilled in battle, filled the ranks. Islands teeming with the foremost daityas, their forms terrifying and adorned with masses of bells, came forth on every side, displaying themselves with thunderous noise. Horses, resplendent in golden ornaments and shining like red fish in the water, stood ready in their hundreds of thousands and millions. Chariots, swift as the sun’s own, equipped with fine wheels, strong poles, and triple yokes, crowded with warriors and fluttering banners, sped forth without hesitation. Warriors, closely arrayed, eager to cross over and swift-handed, shone as the foremost followers of the asuras, victorious in battle after battle. When the gods were defeated, the demon army, organized in fourfold divisions, emerged from the ocean and advanced toward the city of Indra. Ruru, lord of the daityas, fought alongside his heroes, wielding maces, clubs, spears, arrows, and staves. The daityas struck the gods in battle, and the gods fought back fiercely. Yet, after a brief, intense struggle, the gods, along with Indra, were overwhelmed by the asuras and fled in great disarray. Scattered and broken, the gods were pursued relentlessly by the mighty Ruru. Overwhelmed by terror, the hosts of gods fled to the great blue mountain, where the goddess, absorbed in her austerities, resided. This fierce and supremely powerful goddess, the destroyer, is known as Kalaratri. Seeing the gods terrified and bewildered, Kalaratri addressed them in a loud, reassuring voice: “Do not be afraid.” She asked, “Why are you so troubled, O gods? What danger threatens you? Quickly, tell me the cause of your fear.” The gods replied, “O supreme goddess, Ruru, king of the daityas, of terrible might, is coming. Protect us, for we are frightened.” Hearing their plea, the goddess of terrible power, beautiful and radiant, laughed with great delight before the gods. As she laughed, countless goddesses emerged from her mouth, pervading the whole world, each taking on fierce and powerful forms. These goddesses, all holding nooses and goads, bearing spears and bows, with full breasts and terrifying beauty, stood ready for battle. Numbering in the millions, they surrounded Kalaratri, steadfast and mighty. Together, they fought the armies of the demons, and in a moment, destroyed all the demon forces. The gods—Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Visvedevas, and the Ashvins—assembled and joined the battle, taking up weapons and fighting valiantly against the demons. The combined power of Kalaratri and the gods drove the demon army to the realm of Yama, the lord of death. Yet one great demon remained: Ruru. Standing alone in the mighty battle, he unleashed a most terrible and fearsome illusion. This illusion grew vast and dreadful, deluding all the gods, who, under its spell, fell immediately into sleep. But the goddess, wielding her trident on the battlefield, struck Ruru. From the stricken demon, two beings emerged, separate and distinct: Charma and Munda. Thus, from Ruru, the lord of the demons, Charma and Munda arose, and the goddess who overcame them became known as Chamunda. This supreme goddess, the most terrible among all beings, destroyer and ruler, is Kalaratri. Her attendant goddesses, countless in number, surrounded her, standing by her side. Those hungry for demon flesh, those ravenous ones, addressed the goddess: “We are hungry, O auspicious one. Give us food, O goddess.” Contemplating how to feed them, the goddess searched but found nothing suitable nearby. She then meditated upon Mahadeva, Rudra, the lord of all creatures, the all-pervading one. Responding to her call, Rudra, the supreme Self, the three-eyed one, arose from his meditation and swiftly addressed the goddess: “What task do you wish to accomplish? Speak, O beautiful one, and tell me what is on your mind.” The goddess replied, “O lord of the gods, you must give something here for these ones to eat. These mighty beings are forcefully demanding food from me. Otherwise, O lord, they will even consume me.” Rudra said, “Listen, O queen of the gods, to the food I have prepared for them. Hear as I declare it, O Kalaratri, O greatly radiant one: Any woman who, while pregnant, wears the clothing of another woman, or puts it on, or even touches it—especially that of a man—” Thus, the story unfolds, revealing the fierce compassion and power of the goddess, her victory over the asuras, and the origin of Chamunda, all witnessed by the gods and declared by Śrī Varāha.