Listen, O wise one, to the sacred account of the ancestors and the divine beings, as it was spoken. It is said that one should always honor the worthy with water, hospitality, and nourishing food, for from the ocean’s shores to the far north, the divine lords of yoga move unseen among men. In various forms, upholding righteousness, they protect the world. Therefore, it is good and proper to offer gifts to Brāhmaṇas and to guests. The types of gifts and the fruits they yield are many, and I shall speak of them. Indeed, to provide a dwelling for yogis is greater than performing a thousand horse sacrifices, a hundred royal consecrations, or a thousand lotus offerings. In this way, the first and most powerful group of ancestors has been described—those who sustain the cycles of time and remain ever established. Now hear of all the groups of ancestors, their lineages, their order, and the way they are contemplated. In the heavens, seven groups of ancestors are remembered, most eminent among the wise: four with form and three formless. Hear how their worlds were created. Their daughters and granddaughters are also remembered, and among them, those who embody the form of dharma are the three supreme groups. I will briefly tell you their names and how their worlds came to be, especially the worlds called Viraja, where the shining ones dwell. The hosts of the Pitṛs, the ancestors, are formless. They are the sons of Prajāpati Virajas and are known as the Vairājas. This is the first cycle of the Vairājas. Among them was born a mind-born daughter named Menā, of the great mountain. She became the wife of Himavat, the lord of the Himalayas. From her was born Maināka, who became the lord of all mountains, holding every jewel within himself—a most excellent and holy peak. His son was Krauñca. Himavat, the lord of mountains, begot three daughters by Menā: Aparṇā, Ekaparṇā, and the third, Ekapāṭalā. Aparṇā, seeking the highest truth, took to severe asceticism, living without a home. Ekaparṇā chose to dwell beneath a banyan tree, and Ekapāṭalā beneath a pāṭala tree. For one hundred thousand years, these three maidens performed austerities so difficult that even gods and demons would falter. Ekaparṇā sustained herself on just a single leaf, while Ekapāṭalā lived on a single pāṭala blossom. At the end of every two thousand years, they would take food, but one among them—Aparṇā—remained entirely without nourishment. Seeing her daughter thus, Menā was overcome with sorrow and, out of affection, forbade her, uttering only "U" in distress. Thus, by her mother’s words, Aparṇā became known throughout the three worlds as Umā, celebrated for her auspicious deeds. These three maidens, by the power of their penance, ensure the stability of the earth for as long as it endures. Their bodies, shaped by austerity, are ever youthful, radiant with yogic power, and blessed. All are speakers of Brahman and pure in celibacy, but among them, Umā is the foremost—supremely beautiful and most excellent. Endowed with great yogic power, Umā approached Mahādeva, and to her was born a son, Dantakāṇva. Ekaparṇā, steadfast and virtuous, was given by Himavat to Asita, the wise teacher of yoga, and bore him Devala, a mind-born son devoted to Brahman. The third maiden, Ekapāṭalā, approached Jaigīṣavya, the son of Śataśilāka, and bore two sons, Śaṅkha and Likhita, who were remembered as born not from the womb. Thus, these daughters of Himavat are regarded as auspicious. Umā, the foremost among Rudrāṇīs, excelled by her own virtues, and the love between Umā and Śaṅkara, the great lord, was as it should be. But when Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra, saw their union and attachment, he became suspicious and, fearing the birth of a powerful offspring, sent Agni to intervene. Indra instructed Agni, “O Fire, you must cause an obstacle to their union. Since you are present everywhere, there is no fault in this.” Thus, when Agni interrupted their union, Umā, unsatisfied, abandoned her body and released the seed upon the earth. In anger, the goddess cursed Agni, her words trembling: “Since you, O Fire, interfered and caused an obstacle to my union when it was not your place, you are misguided. Because you have carried this fierce, radiant seed, you will now bear the embryo as your punishment.” Cursed by Rudrāṇī, Agni bore the embryo within for many years. Troubled, he approached the river Gaṅgā and pleaded, “O supreme river, I am greatly afflicted by bearing this embryo. For my sake, bear this embryo. By my favor, your suffering will be lessened.” Gaṅgā, the great river, agreed joyfully, though her mind was burning with the effort. She bore the embryo with great endurance for a long time. At last, she placed the embryo in the pure womb of Himavat, in the beautiful place called Sharavana, adorned with blossoming trees. There, she released the embryo, shining like fire. Thus was born the son of Rudra, Agni, and Gaṅgā, radiant as the dawn, glowing like a hundred suns, endowed with immense energy and might. When this illustrious son of Jahnavi was born, the heavens were filled with celestial chariots, appearing like flocks of birds. Divine drums sounded sweetly in the sky, and the Siddhas and Charanas, dwelling in the air, showered flowers in celebration. Such was the wondrous birth of this radiant being, and such are the stories of the ancestors and the divine, as remembered in the sacred tradition.