The evening comes and Annaiah says, ‘Today I will tell you all the tale of how Kamadeva fooled Siva, the gods all had a big laugh and how the land that we till came to be fertile.’ The villagers quickly settle around. This promises to be interesting.

Visnu, says Annaiah, takes the form of the most beautiful woman possible, Mohini, to destroy a very difficult demon called Basma. The villagers frown till a child pipes up to ask the question uppermost in all their minds: more than Ramani? Isn’t she the most beautiful? Annaiah is unperturbed. This is the most beautiful kolli devva. Ramani is like us, he says. That satisfies everyone.

Basma, says Annaiah, was a Siva devotee and Siva had given him a boon that anything he touched would be turned to ashes, which he could offer to Siva, who always rubs them on his body to cool himself.

Basma uses this boon to destroy all around him and acquire power through brute force. The other gods, unhappy that Siva has unwittingly given his devotee such power over them, ask Visnu for help. Visnu ponders and decides that Basma is a foolish man and only a strong and beautiful woman can destroy him. Oorama refuses to help him – she is still upset about what she had to do to Mayisa. So Visnu himself becomes Mohini.

As soon as Mohini appears in front of Basma, he is desperate to touch her. Kamadeva dances around him, roaring with laughter. And Mohini, joining in, says: ‘No, Basma. If you touch me, I will turn into ashes.’ Basma is agonized, his body turning as taut as Kamadeva’s bow, yearning for Mohini. His own boon is now his biggest bane.

‘Tell me how to go get around this,’ he begs her.

She says, ‘Dance with me. Mime all the gestures I do. I will help you find the way out.’

Basma looks at her with hopeful eyes.

Kamadeva strings his sugarcane bow, turns it into his sonorous 100-stringed veena and plays raaga Shivaranjini in the khanda chaapu tala. Mohini sways and swirls in rhythm. Basma, intoxicated beyond measure, matches every move and step of Mohini’s cosmic dance. Kamadeva’s strumming inflames the air, overpowering Basma’s senses. As the hour reaches twilight and the music reaches a crescendo Mohini smiles and, in a bewitching movement, places her hand very gracefully on her own head. Basma follows and instantly turns to ash.

Siva appears on the scene, drawn by the need for ash. As he smears it on his body, he sees Mohini and is as entranced as his devotee was. Kamadeva feels laughter bubbling up inside him, but is too scared to say anything or stop Siva as he reaches out to Mohini.

The rapture of Kamadeva’s music is still in the air. The watching gods are convulsed with mirth due to Siva’s increasingly ardent gestures, but like Kamadeva, they too are scared to intervene.

Mohini realizes that things are getting out of hand. What was funny with Basma is dangerous with Siva. He is, after all, stronger than her and she cannot really repulse a man who has no negative intentions at all. As she rapidly transforms into Visnu, Siva realizes that it is not a woman. He cannot reverse Kamadeva’s impact and stop himself in time. By a strong effort of will, he desists from touching Mohini-Visnu. His seed, though, falls to the ground just as Visnu turns back into a man.