When the two mighty demons seized power, they did not merely conquer the gods—they assumed the very roles and dominions the gods had held. One took the place of the sun, another became the moon; they claimed the thrones of Kubera, Yama, and Varuna, just as those deities had before them. The wind and the ocean, too, came under their command, and they usurped the office of fire. Every celestial position was filled by the demons themselves. Thus, the gods were cast out, stripped of their kingdoms, and utterly defeated. Bereft of their authority, the gods found themselves in deep distress. In their hearts, they remembered the unconquered Goddess, recalling the boon she had once granted: “Whenever you remember me in times of calamity, I will instantly destroy your greatest misfortunes.” With this hope, the gods gathered their resolve and journeyed to Himavat, the lord of mountains. There, at his sacred heights, they began to praise the Goddess, the very power of Vishnu. Their voices rang out in devotion: “Salutations to the Goddess, to the Great Goddess, to Shiva’s beloved consort—unceasing salutations! Salutations to Prakriti, the auspicious one; we, ever devoted, bow to her. Salutations to the fierce one, the eternal, the fair, the supporter of all; again and again we offer our obeisance. Salutations to the very foundation of the world, to the doer of all—unceasing salutations. “We bow to her who is radiant, who has the form of the moon, who is blissful and auspicious, who increases the blessings of those who bow, who accomplishes all—repeated salutations! Salutations to Nairriti, to the fortune of the lords of earth, to Sharvani; to Durga, who carries us across difficulties, to the essence, to the doer of all; to Khyati, to Krishna, to Dhumra—unceasing salutations. “To her who is exceedingly gentle and exceedingly fierce, to her who is always revered, to the mind itself, to the very foundation of the world, to the Goddess, to the doer—salutations again and again. “To that Goddess who abides in all beings as the power of Vishnu, we bow to her, again and again. To that Goddess who is called consciousness in all beings, we bow to her, again and again. To that Goddess who dwells in all beings as intelligence, as sleep, as hunger, as shadow—we bow to her, again and again. “To that Goddess who abides in all beings as power, as thirst, as forbearance, as birth, as modesty, as peace, as faith, as beauty, as prosperity, as fortitude, as sustenance—salutations to her, again and again. “To that Goddess who dwells in all beings as memory, as compassion, as righteousness, as contentment, as nourishment, as mother, as delusion—salutations to her, again and again. “Salutations to the Goddess who presides over the senses, who pervades all beings, who abides constantly as the power of pervasion. To her who, as consciousness, fills and dwells throughout the entire universe—salutations, again and again. “May that sovereign Goddess, whom the gods once praised as their cherished refuge, who was even served by the lord of the demons in days long past—may she grant us auspiciousness, bring about our welfare, and drive away all misfortune. Now, afflicted by the arrogance of these present demons, we worship her as our sovereign, knowing that when remembered, she immediately destroys our calamities, manifesting in forms shaped by devotion.” As the gods, longing for relief, offered such ardent praise, Parvati herself approached them at the sacred waters of the Jahnavi to offer her protection. The fair-browed Goddess looked upon the gods and asked, “Who is being praised here by you?” And from the very sheath of her own body—born from Shiva—came the reply.