You must not reveal this to the gods or the celestial nymphs. Yet, as the radiance of the event spread in every direction, the gods themselves began to gather, surrounding the sacred place with their divine presence. Indra, king of the gods, ascended his wish-fulfilling chariot, accompanied by the Maruts, his loyal storm companions. Varuṇa, the great bestower of boons and sovereign of the aquatic beings, arrived as well, encircled by his splendid retinue. His form shone with a brilliance like molten gold and was adorned with dazzling jewels. He came in the midst of hundreds of thousands of aerial cars, accompanied by Yakṣas and Rākṣasas, his entourage vast and wondrous. Attended by the virtuous, Varuṇa advanced, bearing a resemblance to Vaivasvata, the lord of the dead. The sky was soon filled with aerial cars blazing like fire, as the assembled hosts descended from the heavens to the sacred mountain. The two divine Aśvins, celestial physicians, also journeyed to the great mountain Mauñjavant. Swift as thought, they approached, their movement veiling the path of Airāvata, Indra’s elephant. They reached that excellent mountain, which echoed with the vibrant cries of hundreds of peacocks. Alongside them came Hāhā and Hūhū, and all the foremost Gandharvas, the celestial musicians. Anila and Anala—the winds and fire—joined them, as did Dharma, Satya, and another Dhruva. The great-souled Guhyakas, the mysterious guardians of treasures, gathered there as well. Among the assembled were the illustrious apsarases: Urvaśī, Menakā, Rambhā, and Pañcasyā, each radiant in their beauty. The revered sages Pulastya, Atri, Marīci, Vasiṣṭha, and Bhṛgu arrived, joined by Bhāradvāja, Agniveśya, and the aged Parāśara. Marīci, Jamadagni, Bhārgava, and Cyavana came as well, their wisdom illuminating the gathering. Even the sacred rivers themselves attended: Śatadrū, Vipāśā, and the excellent Gaṇḍakī; Godāvarī, Veṇī, and Tāpi, the foremost among rivers; Nandā, Paranandā, and Carmaṇvatī; Sindhu, Puruṣa, Prabhāsa, and Soma. All the holy fords and shrines of the earth arrived, manifesting in their own forms, so that many sacred places were present in spirit. The greatest mountains, too, assembled: Mahāmeru, Kailāsa, Gandhamādana, Vindhya, Mahendra, Sahya, Malaya, and Dardura—all the lords of mountains, dwellers of the forests, came together in reverence. All the sacrifices, all the branches of knowledge, and the four Vedas themselves were present, as if to witness and sanctify the occasion. Vāsuki, the most fortunate and nectar-eating king of serpents, arrived, along with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Kirmīrāṅga, and the king of nāgas. Nahuṣa, wise and renowned throughout the three worlds, the lord of the sleepless, appeared—his form adorned with a hundred hoods, many-shaped, like a mountain with countless peaks. Vinata, the king of nāgas, came as did Kambala and Aśvatara, along with the serpent lords Karkoṭa and Dhanañjaya. Even the very cycles of time—day and night, the lunar fortnights, the months, and the years—were present, bearing witness to the gathering. Thus, with all the gods, yakṣas, and siddhas assembled, a beautiful assembly was formed upon the summit of the lord of mountains. There, the gods and gandharvas sang melodious hymns, while the hosts of apsarases danced in joy. The winds that blew through this gathering were fragrant and pleasing to the touch. Amidst this wondrous assembly, he stood together with the king of the gods and all other deities, in a moment of divine convergence upon the sacred mountain.