In that celestial realm, there were enchanting women whose glances seemed to shower the sky with blue lotuses. Their innocence radiated through their gentle smiles, and their eyes, wide and soft like those of a deer, captivated all who beheld them. The winds that moved through this heaven shone with the brilliance of the Kaustubha gem, reflecting one another in dazzling forms that resembled the very shape of the cosmos itself, moving with a brilliance that intoxicated the senses. Songs filled the air—melodies so divine that even bees, who cared nothing for the famed fragrance of Airāvata’s trunk, paused to listen. These were the songs sung by hosts of celestial beings, resonating through the gardens along the banks of the Mandākinī. There, a divine maiden wandered, resting among golden lotuses and the swans of Brahmā, her presence gracing the sacred groves. The guardians of the worlds were present: Yama, the moon, Indra, the sun, wind, water, and fire—all shining with bodies of radiant, blazing flames. Airāvata, the mighty elephant, bore the marks of battle—his face scratched by the weapons of powerful gods, his roaring tusks having pierced the ranks of demon kings. Those who had once dwelled upon earth now sparkled as stars in the sky, adorned with garlands, fans, and earrings that moved with celestial beauty. Great rows of aerial palaces stretched across the heavens, adorned with gardens and jeweled temples, their golden canopies shining with unmatched loveliness. The gods themselves were scattered by the spray from the slopes of Mount Meru, while waves of the sacred Ganges, filled with mandāra flowers, flowed in splendor. In Indra’s gardens, avenues swayed with groups of apsaras, their presence coloring the air with clusters of mandāra buds. Breezes, fragrant with the nectar of kunda and coral tree blossoms, drifted softly, glowing like the rays of the moon. The Nandana grove overflowed with clusters of flowering creepers, heavy with the mist of pollen and filaments. There, Nārada and Tumburu played their lutes, sweet notes delighting the celestial maidens who danced with joy at the sound of beloved songs. The doers of merit, adorned with many ornaments, happily resided in aerial chariots soaring through the sky. Celestial women, intoxicated with pride and passion, attended the lord of the gods, clinging to him like forest vines entwining the trees. Wish-fulfilling trees bore flowers woven with moonbeams, their branches heavy with clusters of radiant gems and ripe jewels. It was in this wondrous place that Śukra resolved to pay his respects to Indra, the king of the gods, seated upon his throne like a second lord of all. With this thought, Śukra greeted the lord of Śacī, and was received with honor, much like Bhṛgu himself would have been. Indra, rising respectfully, took Śukra by the hand, brought him close, and seated him beside him, saying, “Blessed is this heaven today, Śukra, made splendid by your arrival; please remain here for a long time.” Śukra, his face radiant, sat there, surpassing even the spotless moon in beauty and brilliance. Honored by all the hosts of gods, the son of Bhṛgu sat beside Indra, finding incomparable satisfaction and serenity, having set aside all thoughts of the human world. After resting for a while at Indra’s side, Śukra, prompted by the celestial residents, rose to explore the wonders of heaven. As he wandered, he beheld the splendor of paradise, adorned with women whose eyes danced with restless beauty. Drawn like a swan to a lotus pond, he approached the assembly of women and there saw her—a doe-eyed beloved, standing at the edge of the grove like a bee near a tender mango shoot. Her form moved with playful, graceful gestures, and at the sight of her, Śukra felt his very being melt away, as moonstone dissolves in the gentle moonlight. All his limbs seemed to dissolve as he gazed upon her, his heart drawn irresistibly to her beauty, like a moonstone enchanted by the cool, playful light of the moon. She, too, seeing him in this way, was wholly devoted, like a female chakravaka bird calling for her beloved at the end of night. Both blossomed with delight and mutual affection, their radiance together like the morning sun shining upon a lotus pond. In that place, where passion stirred and fulfilled every imagined desire, she, overcome in every limb, was wholly offered to Śukra. Soft arrows of love fell upon her tender form, like fresh rain streaming upon lotus leaves. Agitated by love, her bangles and hair swayed, like a cluster of blossoms trembling in a gentle breeze. Madana, the god of love, stirred her heart, she of blue-black eyes and swan-like gait, just as a flood agitates a pond of lotuses. Seeing her thus, Śukra, having attained his heart’s desire, conceived of darkness, like the creator envisions dissolution at the end of an age. The region of heaven became filled with darkness, as the boundaries of the world are enveloped in deep gloom. In that circle of shadow, where shame and secrecy prevailed, the two stood together, overcome by love. When all the heavenly beings had departed to their own realms, the lovers left heaven and descended to the earthly world, like birds returning to their nests at the close of day. She, her glances long and bright, her passion grown strong, approached the son of Bhṛgu as a peahen approaches a raincloud. In a white chamber, upon a prepared couch, the descendant of Bhṛgu entered, like Mādhava entering the ocean of milk. She, with her lovely face, clung helplessly to his feet, shining like a lotus attached to the foot of the lord of the gods.