Year after year, those who offer gifts and enjoyments as best they can, and who listen even once to this noble account, find themselves deeply satisfied. Simply hearing the story of the Goddess’s birth washes away sins, grants health, and shields one from harmful beings. The recounting of her deeds, especially her battles and the destruction of wicked demons, dispels all fear caused by enemies. The hymns composed by you, by the Brahmarishis, and by Brahma himself, open the way to auspicious paths. No matter where one finds themselves—deep in the forest, at its edge, surrounded by wildfire, encircled by robbers in desolate places, or seized by enemies; whether pursued by lions or tigers, wild elephants, condemned by an angry king, imprisoned; whether tossed by winds while standing on a ship in the vast ocean, or caught in the midst of fierce and dreadful battles—whenever someone remembers the Goddess’s deeds in such terrible afflictions, even while tormented by pain, they are freed from distress. By her power, lions, wild beasts, enemies, and robbers flee from afar whenever her deeds are recalled. Having spoken these words, the Blessed Goddess Caṇḍikā, fierce in valor, vanished before the very eyes of the gods. Freed from danger by the Goddess, the gods, their enemies destroyed, resumed their rightful shares of the sacrifices as before. When the Goddess had slain Śumbha, the fierce and incomparable enemy of the gods—a destroyer of worlds—and also Niśumbha, of great strength, the remaining demons retreated to the underworld. Though eternal, the Blessed Goddess again and again takes form, O King, to protect the world. By her, the universe is deluded; she herself gives birth to the world. When propitiated, she bestows wisdom, and when pleased, she grants prosperity. O lord of men, the entire universe is pervaded by her—by Mahākālī, who is the very form of Mahākālī, the great doer. She alone, in time, becomes the great destroyer; she alone, unborn, becomes creation; she alone, eternal, brings about the existence of beings in time. In times of prosperity among men, she is Lakṣmī, bestower of growth in the home; in her absence, she becomes Alakṣmī, arising for destruction. When praised and worshipped with flowers, incense, fragrances, and the like, she grants wealth, sons, intelligence in righteousness, and an auspicious path. O king, this supreme glory of the Goddess has been told to you; such is the power of the Goddess by whom this world is sustained. Knowledge itself arises from the divine Māyā of Viṣṇu; thus, you and this merchant, and likewise others, are deluded, have been deluded, and others will also be deluded. Seek refuge in her, O great king, in the Supreme Goddess; when worshipped, she bestows enjoyment, heaven, and liberation upon people. Hearing these words, Suratha, the lord of men, bowed reverently to the illustrious sage, steadfast in his vows. Distressed by excessive attachment and the loss of his kingdom, he, along with the merchant, immediately set out to perform austerities. Desiring a vision of the Mother, they stayed on the riverbank; the merchant performed austerities, reciting the supreme hymn to the Goddess. There, they fashioned an earthen image of the Goddess and offered her worship with flowers, incense, fire, and libations. Fasting and self-controlled, their minds wholly intent, they also offered a blood-sacrifice, moistening the offering with blood from their own bodies. Thus, as they worshipped with self-discipline for three years, the Mother of the Universe, fully satisfied, appeared before them and spoke. “Whatever you desire, O King, and you, delight of your lineage—let all that be obtained from me; satisfied, I grant it all.” The king requested his kingdom in this very life, free from enemies by force, and in another birth, an unbroken sovereignty. The merchant, weary of attachment, asked for knowledge that severs the bonds of ‘mine’ and ‘I.’ Within a few days, the Goddess promised, Suratha would regain his own kingdom, having slain his foes, and his lost realm would be restored. And when he died, he would be born again on earth as Manu, named Sāvarṇi, son of the sun-god Vivasvat. To the merchant, she granted the boon of knowledge, as requested, so that he would find fulfillment. Having thus granted their boons, the Goddess disappeared, praised by them with devotion. Thus, Suratha, the foremost of warriors, having obtained the boon from the Goddess, would be born from the Sun and become the Manu named Sāvarṇi.