Long ago, the river goddess Gaṇḍakī beheld the glorious form of the Lord who bears the conch, discus, and mace. Overwhelmed, she exclaimed, “O Lord, I have seen you—so difficult for even the greatest yogis to behold!” In that wondrous moment, the Lord entered her, and thus he came to be called Puruṣa. This Puruṣa is truly the Brahman described in the Vedas—without beginning or end, infinite. The supreme power, remembered as the primal mother of the world, is, in truth, his own. The Puruṣa is without qualities, unmanifest, pure consciousness, and utterly stainless. Through his own yogic power, he assumes the role of the agent, and though this world is created through the interplay of the three natural qualities, it is only by his will. Just as a red hibiscus flower appears in a clear crystal, so too does his true nature remain hidden; even Brahma and other wise ones do not know him as he is. In this world, deluded as it is, knowledge is but partial. Therefore, greatness is sought only through his grace. He is compassionate to the afflicted and never turns away those who seek him. The Lord spoke: “O beautiful-hipped one, ask for any boon you desire—even that which is unattainable. Who, having received my audience, could have any wish left unfulfilled?” With joined palms and a bowed head, Gaṇḍakī spoke sweetly, “O Viṣṇu, enter my womb and become my son.” The Lord, moved by her devotion, asked, “What is it that you, O river, ever eager for my presence, truly desire?” Out of compassion, he resolved in his heart to grant her wish. Assuming the form of the sacred Śālagrāma stone, he entered her womb. “By my presence, you will become the most excellent among rivers. You shall remove great sins arising from speech, mind, and body. Whoever satisfies his ancestors through you will deliver them and lead them to heaven. He too shall attain my abode, where sorrow does not exist.” Having thus bestowed these boons upon the goddess, the Lord vanished from that place. Viṣṇu himself, assuming a form by the will of his devotee, illuminated and cleansed the limbs of the lord of stars. As the Moon watched, Viṣṇu disappeared then and there. The stream revealed by Rāvaṇa bestows great merit. To the east of the lord of Soma lies the hermitage of Rāvaṇa. There, by his dance, the lord of gods was pleased and granted him a boon. Bathing in the Bāṇa Gaṅgā and beholding Lord Bāṇeśvara, the sage of the Ālaṅkāyana lineage swiftly attained supreme status in that sacred field. Now, O Earth, listen as I reveal another supreme and secret matter. Understanding the highest intent, the god Maheśvara, through his yogic illusion, became the son of Ālaṅkāyana. Endowed with the power of illusion, the three-eyed one, bearing the trident, was born but remained unrecognized, even as he continued to worship me. Then, a voice declared, “Arise, O tiger among sages; your desire has borne fruit. Through your austerity, undertaken together with the Lord, you have obtained a son.