Śukra, still a boy, lived in carefree delight, his days spent amidst beds of fragrant flowers, reclining on shining white lotuses, and swinging gently from the coral trees. In this youthful state, he had not yet reached the highest realization; his mind wandered between knowledge and ignorance, much like Triśaṅku suspended between earth and heaven, neither here nor there. One day, while his father was absorbed in the profound stillness of nirvikalpa samādhi, Śukra found himself alone, undisturbed, much like a king who has conquered all his enemies and sits in quiet sovereignty. In this solitude, Śukra’s gaze was lifted to the sky, where he beheld an apsaras passing gracefully, reminiscent of how Janārdana might glimpse Lakṣmī, stirred from the depths of the milk ocean. She was adorned with a garland of mandāra flowers; her hair moved softly in the breeze, her anklets tinkled with each step, and the air around her carried a gentle fragrance. She was like a creeper at the foot of the tree of beauty, her eyes rolling with intoxication, and the radiance of her moon-like body transformed that place into a nectar-like realm. Upon seeing this enchanting maiden, Śukra’s mind was stirred and restless, as if he were gazing at the clear, full moon reflected in the ocean. Struck in his heart by a hundred arrows of love, he strove to restrain his mind and thoughts. All other activities dissolved, and his being seemed entirely absorbed in the celestial maiden. Śukra realized: “This woman is indeed in the sky, in the abode of the thousand-eyed Indra. I have reached heaven, adorned with delightful celestial maidens.” He observed the gods, beautiful with soft mandāra flowers in their hair, their bodies shining like molten gold. He saw charming women whose glances showered blue lotuses, radiant and innocent, their eyes like those of gentle deer. He witnessed the winds, dazzling with the brilliance of the Kaustubha gem, reflecting each other, their forms resembling the cosmic form, intoxicated and bright. He heard melodies sung by the hosts of celestial beings—songs so sweet that even bees, indifferent to the fragrance of Airāvata’s trunk, were drawn to them. There was the divine maiden, resting in gardens along the banks of the Mandākinī, wandering among golden lotuses and Brahmā’s swans. He beheld the guardians of the worlds—Yama, the moon, Indra, the sun, wind, water, and fire—each shining with radiant, blazing flames. Airāvata, the mighty elephant, stood with a face marked by the weapons of gods and tusks that had pierced the circle of demon kings. He saw those who once dwelled on earth, now transformed into stars in the sky, celestial beings adorned with moving garlands, fans, and earrings. Rows of aerial palaces shone, adorned with gardens and jeweled temples, their golden canopies gleaming. Gods scattered by the spray from Mount Meru’s slopes mingled with waves of Ganges water, filled with mandāra flowers. He wandered the avenues of Indra’s gardens, swaying with groups of apsaras and colored by clusters of mandāra flower buds. Breezes fragrant with the nectar of kunda and coral tree blossoms drifted by, resembling moonbeams. The Nandana grove was filled with flowering creepers, eager with mist of pollen and filaments. Nārada and Tumburu played their lutes, resonant with sweet notes, delighting celestial maidens who danced joyfully to beloved songs. The doers of merit, adorned with ornaments, happily resided in aerial chariots soaring through the sky. Celestial women, intoxicated with pride and passion, attended the lord of the gods like vines clinging to trees. Wish-fulfilling trees bore flowers woven with moonbeams, clusters of gems, and branches heavy with ripe jewels. Śukra thought, “Here I shall respectfully greet Indra, seated on his throne, as one would honor a second lord of the gods.” With this thought, Śukra greeted the lord of Śacī, and was received with respect, like a second Bhṛgu. Indra rose, honored Śukra, took him by the hand, brought him near, and seated him close. Indra said, “Blessed is this heaven today, Śukra, made splendid by your arrival; please remain here for a long time.” Bhārgava, his face radiant, sat there, surpassing even the spotless moon in beauty and brilliance. Honored by all the hosts of gods, Śukra sat beside Indra and, for a long time, experienced incomparable satisfaction, having abandoned all human thoughts and becoming serene. After resting for a while at Indra’s side, Śukra, prompted by the celestial residents, rose to wander about heaven. He beheld its splendor, adorned with women of restless eyes, and went to see the assembly of women, like a swan approaching a lotus pond. There, at the edge of a grove, he saw her—the doe-eyed beloved, who had arrived and stood like a bee near a mango shoot. Seeing her, whose form was adorned with playful, graceful movements, Śukra felt his body melting away, like moonstone dissolving in moonlight. With all his limbs dissolving, he gazed upon the desiring woman, like a moonstone beholding the cool, playful moonlight in the sky. She, seen by him in this way, became wholly devoted to him, like a female chakravaka bird cooing for her beloved at the end of night. As both blossomed with delight and mutual affection, the radiance between them was like that of the morning sun shining upon a lotus pond. In that place, stirred by passion and granting the fulfillment of their imagined desires, she, overcome in every limb, wholly offered herself to Śukra.