After much anticipation, the sage recounted to the king a remarkable prophecy. He explained that earlier, he had approached Agni and asked, “Who will be her husband?” Agni had replied with certainty: “King Durdama will be her husband.” With this divine assurance, the sage turned to King Durdama and said, “Therefore, O King, accept this maiden whom I give to you. She was previously addressed as ‘dear’; do not hesitate, O King.” Hearing the sage’s words, King Durdama fell silent, pondering deeply. Meanwhile, the sage began to prepare for the marriage ceremony. As these preparations unfolded, the maiden approached the sage and addressed him, “Father, you should perform my marriage under the Revati constellation.” The sage responded gently, “Child, there are many auspicious constellations suitable for marriage, but how can your wedding be performed under Revati, which is not present in the sky?” The maiden insisted, “Without the Revati constellation, the time is not proper for my marriage. Therefore, I request you to perform the wedding under the constellation of Puṣya.” The sage explained, “Previously, the constellation Revati was cast down from the sky by the sage Ṛtavāk. If you are not pleased with another, how can your marriage take place?” The maiden pressed further, “Did Ṛtavāk perform austerities, or was it only his words? Have you not performed such austerity with speech, body, and mind?” With reverence, she declared, “I know your power of austerity, for you are able to create the universe. Place the Revati constellation in the sky and perform my marriage, father.” The sage, moved by her faith, replied, “So be it, good fortune to you, as you have spoken to me. For your sake, I will today place the Puṣya constellation on the lunar path.” Skanda narrates that, with his own power of austerity, the sage swiftly restored the Puṣya constellation to its former place on the lunar path. Under the auspicious presence of the Revati constellation, the sage performed the marriage rites, giving Revati in marriage to King Durdama, the great-souled one. After the ceremony, the sage turned to the king and said, “O hero, tell me what you desire; I will fulfill it.” The king replied, “O sage, I am born in the lineage of Svāyambhuva Manu. By your grace, I desire a son who will be the lord of a Manvantara.” The sage advised, “If this is your wish, then worship the Goddess. You will surely have a son, a Manu, lord of a Manvantara. If you hear the fifth Purāṇa, called the Devī Bhāgavata, five times, you will obtain the son you desire. Revata’s daughter Revati will bear a son named Raivata, the fifth Manu, who will be learned in the Vedas and scriptures, knower of truth, righteous, and unconquered.” King Durdama ruled his kingdom inherited from his forefathers with wisdom and righteousness, protecting his subjects as if they were his own children. One day, the renowned sage Lomaśa arrived at his court. The king welcomed him with reverence, worshipped him, and spoke with joined palms, “O venerable one, by your grace, I wish to hear the Purāṇa called Devī Bhāgavata, desiring a son.” Sage Lomaśa, pleased by the king’s devotion, said, “You are blessed, O king; devotion to the Mother of the Three Worlds has arisen in you. She who is the supreme Mother, worshipped by gods, demons, and humans—if devotion to her has arisen, your aim will be accomplished. Therefore, O king, I will recite to you the glorious Bhāgavata. By merely hearing it, nothing is unattainable.” On an auspicious day, the sage began the narration. The king and his wife listened to the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa five times, observing all proper procedures. When the recitation was complete, the king, filled with joy, worshipped both the Purāṇa and the sage, offered oblations with the Navārṇa mantra, fed maidens and married couples, and gave gifts to all. By the grace of the Goddess, Revati conceived a child destined for the welfare of the world. At the auspicious hour, with favorable planetary positions and all signs of good fortune, Revati gave birth to a son. The king, overjoyed, performed the birth rites with water mixed with gold, gave gifts to please the Brahmins, and, after the initiation ceremony, had the complete Vedas taught to his son. This son, Raivata, was born as the repository of all knowledge—righteous, foremost among masters of weapons, speaker and doer of dharma, and powerful. Brahma himself appointed Raivata to the position of Manu, and as the illustrious ruler of the Manvantara, he governed righteously. Thus, the power of the Goddess was revealed in brief; for who can fully describe the greatness of the Purāṇa? Suta continued, saying that after hearing the greatness and procedure of the Bhagavata from the womb-born one and worshipping Kumara, he returned to his own hermitage. “O Brahmins,” Suta declared, “I have spoken to you the greatness of the Bhagavata; whoever listens or recites it here with devotion, after enjoying all pleasures, attains liberation at the end.” The sages then asked Suta, “O most fortunate one, we have heard the supreme greatness; now we wish to hear the procedure for listening to the Purāṇa.” Suta replied, “Listen, O sages, to the procedure for hearing the Purāṇa, by which those who listen attain fulfillment of all desires. First, summon an astrologer and determine an auspicious time; beginning in a pure month, let it continue for six months, bringing auspiciousness. Under the stars Hasta, Ashwini, Mula, Pushya, Brahma, Maitra, Indu, and Vaishnava, on auspicious days and times, the hearing of the Purāṇa is auspicious. By the qualities of Guru, Bhadra, Veda, Abja, Sharanga, Abhidhiguṇa, in sequence, one attains dharma, prosperity, success in the narrative, and supreme happiness.” Thus, the sacred story and its procedures were revealed, guiding all who seek fulfillment and liberation through devotion and proper observance.