Daksha, the great progenitor, gave his thirteen daughters in marriage to the sage Kashyapa. Among them was Aditi, who became the mother of the gods—the radiant rulers of the three worlds. Diti and Danu, too, gave birth to fierce and powerful demons, proud in their might. The other wives, like Vinata, likewise brought forth many beings, both those that move and those that are stationary. In this way, O sage, the sons, grandsons, and descendants of these women and their husbands filled the entire world. Among the sons of Kashyapa, the principal groups of deities are known as sattvic, embodying purity and harmony; others are rajasic, filled with passion and activity; and yet others are tamasic, marked by inertia and darkness. Prajapati, the creator and supreme knower of Brahman, brought forth these gods—the enjoyers of sacrifice and the rulers of the three worlds. But the Daityas and Danavas, along with the children of their co-wives, arose in opposition to the gods. These asuras drove the gods away, seizing their places and shares of the sacrifice. When the three worlds were thus overrun and destroyed, Aditi, O best of sages, was greatly afflicted by hunger, for the gods had lost their due portions. To restore balance and worship Savitṛ, Aditi undertook the highest austerities. With single-minded devotion, she regulated her diet and maintained strict discipline, praising the radiant Sun who dwells in the sky. She saluted him as the bearer of supreme, subtle, and incomparable brilliance—the eternal foundation of all radiance, lord among those possessing light. For the benefit of the worlds, she praised him as the protector of cows and bowed to his intense forms: the one that absorbs the watery essence over eight months, the form united with Agni and Soma, shining through the unity of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas. She offered homage to that eternal radiance, the source of the threefold Veda, invoked by the syllable Om, whose form is subtle, gross, and pure. Day and night, fasting and steadfast, Aditi composed hymns to propitiate Vivasvat, the Sun. After a long time, the glorious Sun appeared before her, O twice-born sage. She beheld a vast mass of radiance, veiled in brilliant light, standing upon the earth and blazing with flames—so dazzling that it was exceedingly difficult to look upon. Overcome with fear at this sight, the goddess prayed: “O Lord of Cows, origin of the world, be gracious! I do not see you—grant me your favor so I may behold your form, O Sun, compassionate to devotees and protector of worshippers—please protect my sons.” Then, from that radiance, the shining Sun manifested, appearing like molten copper. The radiant lord spoke to the bowed goddess, who still could not see him, and said, “Choose a single boon from me, whatever you desire.” Bowing her head and pressing her knees to the ground, Aditi addressed Vivasvat, the bestower of boons: “O god, be gracious! My sons have lost the three worlds, and the Daityas and Danavas, who are stronger, have taken their shares of the sacrifice. For this reason, O Lord of Cows, grant me your favor: become their brother by a portion of yourself and destroy those enemies. Let my sons once more partake of the sacrificial shares and become rulers of the three worlds. O Sun, fulfill the desire of my sons according to this request; you are called the remover of distress—please accomplish this task.” The blessed Sun, the dispeller of darkness, addressed the bowed Aditi with a face full of grace: “By a thousandth part of myself, I will fully enter your womb; I will swiftly destroy your sons’ enemies, and you shall be content.” Having spoken thus, the radiant Lord disappeared, and Aditi, having obtained her desire, ceased her austerities. Then, from among the Sun’s thousand rays, the one called Suṣumnā entered Aditi. At the year’s end, her wish was fulfilled. The Sun took up residence in the womb of the mother of the gods, and she, with great concentration, performed difficult vows such as Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa. With purity, she bore that divine embryo, saying, “I sustain this divine child.” At this moment, Kashyapa addressed her, his words tinged with some anger. Aditi, ever fasting and now angered by her husband’s words, replied, “Why do you call this egg slain? Behold, this egg is here. It is not slain; only the death of the adversaries will come.” Thus incited, the goddess released the embryo, blazing with radiance. Kashyapa beheld the embryo, shining with the splendor of the rising sun, and, bowing with reverence, praised it with primordial words. As he praised, the divine being emerged from the egg, manifest and radiant like a lotus petal, his brilliance filling all directions. Then, from the sky, a bodiless voice, deep as a rain-cloud, addressed the eminent sage Kashyapa: “This egg, O sage, has been declared by you as slain; therefore, this son of yours, born of Aditi, will be known as Martanda. He will slay the asuras, those enemies who seize the shares of sacrifice.” Thus spoke the voice from the sky, heard by the gods. The Danavas, their strength destroyed, were filled with incomparable dismay. Indra then summoned the Daityas to battle. With the gods filled with joy, the Danavas approached, and between the gods and asuras a terrible battle ensued. In that great conflict, the whole world was set ablaze by showers of weapons and missiles, as the blessed Martanda looked on.