Thus, urged by the wind, Indra gathered the assembly of gods and journeyed to the world of Brahmā, seeking out the great Lord himself. At that time, Sūcī, the needle, declared, “I am going to the summit of Himavat to receive a boon from Brahmā.” With Brahmā’s consent, Indra returned to heaven, his purpose fulfilled. In due course, Sūcī became purified through her own ascetic heat, dwelling among the immortals. Her eyes shone like sunbeams streaming through the tiny eye of a needle, and with her own clear shadow, she observed in wonder the changing flow of existence, from its beginning to its end. With a silken needle, she surpassed even Mount Meru in steadfastness, and, like an old woman skilled in her ways, she immersed herself in contemplation at the beginning and end of each day. At midday, fearing the heat, she would retreat into her mother’s interior, and at other times, out of reverence, she would watch from a distance with a respectful gaze. When that radiant eye observed her, she would plunge her body into the heat, and in her distress, she noticed how people, too, often forget the proper respect due to dignity when afflicted. There, with the shadow-needle, the ascetic-needle, and herself as the third, a sacred triangle was formed, sanctified by asceticism and made equal in holiness to Varanasi. Within this triangle, bordered by moats of three colors, even the winds and dust attained supreme liberation. In this place, by realizing the ultimate cause, one is born through self-awareness and reflection; according to one’s own contemplation and reasoning, the supreme teacher is truly the Self—there is no other, O Raghava. After a thousand years had passed, Sūcī’s grandfather, Brahmā, appeared and spoke to her from the sky: “Take a boon, daughter.” But Sūcī, possessing only the subtle faculty of life and lacking the organs of action, remained silent, turning her thoughts inward. She reflected: “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 own discernment has blossomed—what need is there for anything else? Just as I am established here, so I shall remain; having abandoned the subtlety of truth and untruth, what use have I for anything else? For all this time, I was troubled by lack of discernment, like a young girl bound by her own imagination. Now, I am at peace through my own contemplation; what purpose would imagined desirable or undesirable things serve for me?” Seeing Sūcī, resolute and devoid of the organs of action, standing silent, the blessed Brahmā observed 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 will then attain the supreme state; this is the firm decree of destiny, whose nature is unbroken continuity. By this austerity, may your noble resolve bear fruit; become again that same strong demoness of the snowy forest, from whom you were previously separated, in the form of a watery body—just as a seed becomes a great tree, O daughter. You will again unite with that body, which is in the form of a seed; with it, O daughter, you will delight, like 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 by play you become outwardly manifest, 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 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 in the body, you will be guarded solely by your own discernment.” Having spoken thus from the sky, the deity departed. Sūcī reflected, “Let this be mine.” What is dispassion or passion, she wondered, in grasping the meaning of the lotus-born’s words? Thus, within her, a subtle mental reflection arose. First, a span appeared, then a hand, then a branch, and then a garland of clouds; with swiftly rising shoots and tendrils, the form shone forth in an instant, as if sprouting from a wish-fulfilling tree. The subtle elements, endowed with undiminished power, emerged from her body, and then the sense organs; just as flowers blossom all around from the seed of the wish-fulfilling tree, so too did these arise, though previously concealed. Then Sūcī became Karkaṭī, the demoness, once again; remaining subtle, she attained grossness, like a streak of cloud thickening in the rainy season. Having regained her own form, she felt a measure of delight; through realization, she cast off the pride of the great demon, as one discards a cloak. There she remained, meditative, seated in the bound lotus posture, relying on pure awareness, steadfast like a mountain peak. After six months, through deep meditation, she attained awakening, like a peacock responding to the thunder of monsoon clouds. Awakened, her attention turned outward, and she became absorbed in hunger, for as long as one lives, this nature of the body does not cease. She began to ponder, “What should I consume?” Reflecting, she thought, “I must not take what belongs to another or what is not rightfully mine. That which is condemned by the noble, or not acquired justly—of such food, I consider death preferable for embodied beings here. If I abandon this body without obtaining what is rightfully earned, I will not eat anything unjustly; for wealth enjoyed without justice becomes impure. What is the use of consuming what is not obtained in accordance with the ways of the world? For me, there is no reason either for living or for dying.” Thus, Sūcī’s journey unfolded, marked by deep contemplation, transformation, and the unwavering pursuit of justice and self-realization.