As the great god appeared suddenly before them, the assembled gods gathered and approached him with awe and reverence. Brahmā himself, bowing low, addressed the mighty one with a question: “O Lord, by whom was this earth restrained, she who so often brings disturbances upon the world?” Śiva, pausing in meditation for a moment, then spoke gently to Brahmā and the assembled deities. At that moment, Soma, the radiant lord, arrived with the gods and his retinue. Śambhu, supremely pleased and smiling softly, addressed them all: “You who are the support of all, who oversee everything—what could possibly be difficult for you? I have undertaken austerities for the welfare of the worlds. Now, having beheld your divine presence, O Lord of the world, I am fulfilled.” Śiva continued: “There, where the sacred Gaṇḍakī river—foremost among rivers—arises from the sweat of the cheek, there is no doubt that in whose womb it will be, I, Brahmā, the gods, and the sages together, O Keśava, shall always remain. O Lord of the world, in the Gaṇḍakī, anyone freed from all sins shall surely attain liberation. Where, by bathing, people obtain the same merit as bathing in the Gaṅgā, what other river, apart from the Gaṅgā, could equal its virtue?” He went on: “Another river, Devikā by name, joins with the Gaṇḍakī. There, for the sake of creation, a separate hermitage was established, and from that arose Brahmā’s daughter, holy and foremost among rivers. That place, the Triveṇī, is supremely sacred, rare even for the gods themselves.” Śiva then recounted an ancient tale: “Long ago, from the ocean of the Vedas, two sons were born—Jaya and Vijaya. Likewise, from Tṛṇabindu, two sons were born, sinful in action but virtuous in appearance. These two, with minds and senses fixed on Hari, worshipped him with deep devotion. During their worship, Hari, pleased by their unwavering devotion, granted them his favor. After being honored by the king at the completion of a great sacrifice, the two were set forward to divide the offerings. However, a rivalry arose between them. Vijaya said to the other, ‘That which you have obtained belongs to him.’ In anger, he continued, ‘You do not return what you have taken; therefore, become a crocodile!’ The other retorted, ‘Become an elephant, blinded by pride, since you speak to me in this way!’ Thus, by the power of their mutual curses, one was born as a crocodile in the Gaṇḍakī river, remembering his former life, and the other as a mighty elephant roaming the forests, playing with young elephants and their keepers. Bound by their fate, the two, deluded by the curse, wandered the earth together in the wilderness. One day, the elephant approached the sacred Triveṇī, intent on bathing in its holy waters. He led his companions to drink and played joyfully with them. But the crocodile, recalling their ancient enmity, attacked the elephant and dragged him into the river’s depths. A fierce struggle ensued, with many tuggings and the breaking of tusks, as they battled each other relentlessly. Many creatures, caught in their conflict, perished there. In his desperation, the elephant, afflicted and weary, appealed to the blessed god, compassionate to his devotees. Again and again, he hurled stones, striking them together in the presence of Hari, seeking deliverance from his suffering.