Long ago, after the gods had been defeated in a great war by Bali and other asuras, they were cast down from heaven and stripped of their positions. Seeking refuge, the gods turned to Hari, the Supreme Lord, for deliverance. Moved by their plight, Aditi and Kaśyapa, for the sake of the gods, brought forth Hari in a form untouched by illusion. Praising him, the gods beheld Hari take the form of Vāmana, the dwarf. Vāmana went to Aditi’s sacrifice and, arriving at the gate of King Bali—the mighty sacrificer—he recited the sacred Vedic hymns. Hearing the hymns, Bali, ever generous, asked Vāmana to name his wish, even though his teacher Śukra tried to dissuade him. Vāmana requested from Bali just three steps of land, saying it was for the sake of his teacher. Bali, unwavering in his word, agreed. As water was poured into Vāmana’s hand to seal the gift, the dwarf form vanished, and Vāmana expanded to cosmic proportions. With three great strides, he claimed the earth, the mid-region, and heaven itself. Bali was consigned to the realm of Sutala, and Indra was restored to his rightful place as the lord of the worlds. The gods, together with Indra, praised Hari, now joyous and restored to their former glory. Now, hear also of the descent of Paraśurāma. When the kṣatriyas grew arrogant and burdened the earth, Hari descended as Bhārgava—born to Jamadagni and Reṇukā, and masterful in the use of weapons. By Dattātreya’s grace, Kārtavīrya became king, endowed with a thousand arms and dominion over the earth. Once, while hunting in the forest, the weary king was welcomed by the sage Jamadagni, who, by the power of the wish-fulfilling cow Kāmadhenu, fed the king and his vast retinue. Desiring Kāmadhenu for himself, Kārtavīrya asked for her, but when refused, he seized her forcibly. Rāma, the son of Jamadagni, was enraged and slew the king with his axe, returning the sacred cow to the hermitage. But vengeance followed: Kārtavīrya’s son killed Jamadagni while Rāma was away. When Rāma returned and saw his father slain, he was seized by a fury born of grief. In his wrath, Rāma purged the earth of the kṣatriyas three times seven, performing five great sacrifices at Kurukshetra to appease his ancestors. Having given the earth to Kaśyapa, Rāma retired to Mount Mahendra. Thus did Hari appear as the Tortoise, the Boar, the Man-Lion, and the Dwarf, to restore balance in the world. To hear of the descent of Rāma is to attain heaven. Now, said Agni, I shall relate the Ramayana as once told by Nārada and recited by Vālmīki, a tale that bestows both worldly enjoyment and final liberation. Nārada recounted: From Viṣṇu was born Brahmā; Brahmā’s son was Marīci; from Marīci came Kaśyapa; from Kaśyapa, the Sun; from the Sun, Manu, son of Vivasvat. From Manu came Ikṣvāku, and in his lineage was Kakutstha; from Kakutstha, Raghu; from Raghu, Aja; and from Aja, Daśaratha. For the destruction of Rāvaṇa and other rakṣasas, Hari himself took birth in four forms as the sons of King Daśaratha: Rāma was born to Kausalyā; Bharata to Kaikeyī; and to Sumitrā, the twins Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna—all born after Daśaratha’s queens partook of the sanctified payasa given by the sage R̥śyaśṛṅga. These sons, beginning with Rāma, spent their youth by their father’s side. When the sage Viśvāmitra requested help to protect his sacrifice from demons, King Daśaratha sent Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with him. Rāma, guided by the sage, learned the use of celestial weapons and slew the fearsome demoness Tāḍakā. He then drove away Mārīca with the Māṇava missile and killed Subāhu and his forces, protectors of sacrificial obstructions. Dwelling at Siddhāśrama with Viśvāmitra and others, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa journeyed to Mithilā for King Janaka’s great sacrifice, to see the renowned bow. There, through the arrangement of Śatānanda and the power of Viśvāmitra, the sage narrated the tale to Rāma and the assembled kings. Effortlessly, Rāma strung and broke the mighty bow. As a reward for his valor, Janaka gave his daughter Sītā—born not from a womb—to Rāma. In the presence of his father and all, Rāma married Janakī, and Lakṣmaṇa wed Urmilā. The daughters of Kuśadhvaja, Śrutakīrti and Māṇḍavī, were given in marriage to Śatrughna and Bharata, honored by Janaka. With these unions complete, Rāma, having overcome Jamadagnya, departed with Vasiṣṭha and others. Later, Rāma paid respectful homage to Vasiṣṭha, his mothers, the sages Atri, Anasūyā, Śarabhaṅga, and Sūtikṣṇa. Bowing also to his brother Agastya, and receiving from him a powerful bow and sword, Rāma entered the Dandaka forest. He dwelled at Janasthāna, in Pañcavaṭī, on the banks of the Godāvarī. There came Śūrpaṇakhā, the terrifying rakṣasī, intent on devouring them. Seeing the handsome Rāma, she approached and asked, “Who are you? Why have you come? Become my husband as I desire.” When she threatened to devour Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, at Rāma’s command, Lakṣmaṇa cut off her nose and ears. Bleeding and humiliated, Śūrpaṇakhā ran to her brother Khara and cried, “Khara, I will die without my nose; I can only live if you make me drink the warm blood of Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa.” Khara, roused to fury, set out with thousands of fierce-eyed rakṣasas, accompanied by Dūṣaṇa and Triśira, to do battle. Rāma met them in combat. With his arrows, he struck down the rakṣasas, sending their armies of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers to the abode of Yama. Thus, the righteous prevailed, and the tale of Rāma’s valor continued to unfold.