Marvelous indeed was the austerity of the venerable needle. So profound was her penance that even the wind, pausing in awe at the wonder of her great tapas, ceased its wanderings and soared into the sky, contemplating nothing but her steadfastness. With swift resolve, the wind leapt across the pathways of the clouds, transcending the very currents of its own kind. Leaving behind the hosts of siddhas below, it pressed onward, ascending toward the radiant path of the sun. Rising ever upward from its wanderings, the wind at last reached the inner city of Indra. There, Purandara—Indra himself—embraced the wind, honoring it for the merit of beholding the needle’s ascetic power. When questioned by Indra and Sahadeva’s retinue, the wind began to recount all it had seen: “In Jambudvīpa, there stands a mighty mountain called Himavat, lofty and vast. Upon its northernmost peak dwells a most beautiful ascetic woman named Sūcī, engaged in the most severe austerities. She is the daughter-in-law of the blessed one who bears the crescent moon.” “Why speak at length? To overcome the pangs of hunger brought by the wind and other forces, she has closed the cavity of her stomach, compressing it tightly. For warmth and to calm the contraction within, she opens her mouth and, by inhaling the finest dust particles, blocks out the cold wind and hunger alike. Through the intensity of her austerity, she has set aside the nature of cold and taken on the very nature of fire, becoming so formidable that even the gods find it difficult to approach her.” “Let us go quickly to the grandsire, for her severe austerity is surely for the sake of a boon, and such a boon may bring misfortune upon us all.” Urged thus by the wind, Indra, accompanied by the assembly of gods, traveled to the world of Brahmā to seek the lord’s guidance. Meanwhile, Sūcī herself declared, “I am going to the summit of Himavat to receive a boon from Brahmā.” When Brahmā agreed, Indra returned to heaven, content that the matter was in the grandsire’s hands. In due course, Sūcī—purified and scorched by the heat of her own austerity—came to dwell among the immortals. Her eyes, shining like sunbeams through the eye of a needle, gazed with wonder upon the ever-changing world, observing all from beginning to end with her own clear shadow as witness. With a silken needle she surpassed even Mount Meru in steadiness. Like an old woman skilled in her ways, she immersed herself in contemplation at dawn and dusk. At midday, fearing the heat, she would retreat into her mother’s interior; at other times, out of reverence, she would watch from afar with a respectful gaze. When observed by that all-seeing eye, she would plunge her body into the heat—reminding all that, in distress, people often forget the respect due to dignity. With the shadow-needle, the ascetic-needle, and herself as the third, Sūcī formed a triangle sanctified by ascetic power, making it as sacred as Varanasi. That triangle, bordered by three-colored moats, became a place where even the winds and dust attained supreme liberation. By realizing the ultimate cause through self-awareness and reflection, one is truly born; for it is through one’s own contemplation and reasoning that the supreme teacher—the Self—reveals itself. There is no other, O Raghava. After a thousand years had passed, Sūcī’s grandfather, Brahmā, appeared in the sky and spoke: “Take a boon, daughter.” Sūcī, now possessing only the subtle faculty of life and lacking any organs of action, did not reply aloud but reflected inwardly: “I am fulfilled and free from doubt; what would I do with a boon? I will rest, attain final peace, and simply sit in happiness. All that is to be known has been known; the net of doubts is quieted, and my discernment has blossomed—what more could I need? Just as I am established here, so shall I remain; having transcended the subtlety of truth and untruth, what use have I for anything else? For so long I was troubled by lack of discernment, like a young girl bound by her own imagination. Now, at peace through my own contemplation, what purpose would imagined desirable or undesirable things serve for me?” Seeing Sūcī standing silent, firm in resolve and devoid of action, Brahmā perceived her state. With a mind clear and free from passion, he spoke again: “Daughter, choose a boon for yourself and remain on earth for some time. After enjoying pleasures, you shall attain the supreme state—such is the firm decree of destiny, whose nature is unbroken continuity. By your austerity, may your noble resolve bear fruit. Become again the strong demoness of the snowy forest, from whom you were once separated, taking the form of a watery body—just as a seed becomes a great tree. You will again unite with that body in the form of a seed; with it, O daughter, you will delight, as a creeper delights in the state of a sprout. Because you are known to be free from affliction, you will not cause harm in the world; inwardly pure, with peaceful airs, like an autumnal cluster of clouds. Absorbed in inner meditation, if ever you manifest outwardly through play, you will be the very form of meditation on the Self in all. You will be the support of concentration rooted in practical activity, and, like the subtle nature of wind, you will sport as the subtle movement of the body. Then, daughter, you will become an opponent, restraining the impulses of your own actions; by rightful means, you will inflict suffering upon beings for the sake of curbing their misconduct. You will act in accordance with justice in the world, yet you will also obstruct justice; as a jīvanmukta embodied, you will be guarded solely by your own discernment.” Having spoken thus from the sky, Brahmā departed. Sūcī thought within herself, “Let this be mine.” What is dispassion or passion in the grasping of the meaning of the lotus-born’s words? So a subtle reflection arose within her mind. Then, in that very moment, a span appeared, then a hand, then a branch, then a garland of clouds. Swiftly, shoots and tendrils sprang forth, shining in an instant—like the wondrous sequence of sprouts from the wish-fulfilling tree.