Let me tell you the story as revealed in these sacred verses. The third form of Hari, whose quality is rajas, is ever engaged in creating the world. She, intent on protecting all creatures, unfailingly establishes righteousness upon the earth. Whenever arrogant asuras attempt to destroy dharma, she rises to check their pride and annihilate them. The gods and gandharvas, who are steadfast in defending righteousness, find their protector in her. Whenever dharma wanes and adharma gains strength, she manifests herself to restore balance. In ages past, she took the form of the Boar, driving away the waters with her snout and lifting the earth upon a single tusk, as one would raise a lotus. As Narasiṃha, she destroyed the tyrant Hiraṇyakaśipu. Many others, such as Vipracitti and the foremost Dānavas, met their end at her hands. Assuming the form of Vāmana, she subdued Bali through her power of illusion, and after conquering the sons of Diti, she traversed the three worlds. Born in the lineage of Bhṛgu, she became the mighty son of Jamadagni—Rāma—who, remembering his father’s murder, destroyed the kṣatriyas. Likewise, as the son of Atri, the glorious Dattātreya appeared, teaching the eightfold yoga to the noble Alarka. Then, as the son of Daśaratha, she incarnated as Rāma, who slew Rāvaṇa, the terror of the three worlds. When the Lord of the universe, the god of gods, rested in the single ocean, he lay upon the serpent-bed, entering yogic sleep for a thousand ages, established in his own glory. All that moves and is still, the three worlds entire, he placed within his belly, and the perfected beings from Janaloka, along with the great sages, praised him. From his navel arose a lotus, its petals facing every direction and joined by filaments of wind—a most excellent ancestral abode. There, Brahmā, the four-faced god of gods, was born. From the wax of his ears emerged the mighty Dānavas Madhu and Kaiṭabha, who sought to slay Brahmā. But the Lord, rising from the ocean-bed, destroyed those formidable ones. In this way, and in countless other forms, the unborn one descends into the world. Now, the present descent is in Mathurā. That sattvic form also incarnates as Pradyumna, whose purpose is protection. Whether among the gods, as a human, or in the animal realm, the Lord always takes the form appropriate to the situation, by the will of Vāsudeva. When worshipped, O best of the twice-born, she grants the wishes of devotees. Thus have I described the Lord, who, though accomplished, took human birth as Viṣṇu. Now, hear further. Listen, O best of sages, as I briefly recount the incarnation of Hari, undertaken to relieve the burden of the earth. Whenever unrighteousness increases and righteousness declines, Janārdana takes incarnation, dividing his own form in two, to protect the virtuous and establish dharma. For the destruction of the wicked and the enemies of the gods, and for the protection of beings, he is born age after age. Long ago, the earth, oppressed by a heavy burden, went to Mount Meru, to the assembly of heavenly beings. There, bowing to all the gods along with Brahmā, the earth spoke with compassion and distress, recounting all her woes. She explained that while Agni is the teacher of gold and Sūrya teaches about cows, for herself and all the worlds, Nārāyaṇa alone is the venerable teacher. She lamented that the Daityas, led by Kālanemi, had come to the mortal world and oppressed the people day and night. Kālanemi, who had once been slain by mighty Viṣṇu, was now reborn as Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, a most powerful asura. Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka, Keśī, Pralamba, Naraka, Sūnda, and Bāṇa, son of Bali—along with many other evil-hearted warriors born in royal palaces—could not even be counted. Many divisions of gods, assuming divine forms, had come to assist her, but they were opposed by the proud and mighty lords of the Daityas. Overwhelmed by this heavy burden, the earth confessed she could no longer sustain herself and implored the gods to act, lest she sink into the netherworld. Hearing these words, all the gods, wishing to relieve her burden, prompted Brahmā, who spoke: “What the earth has spoken is true, O dwellers of heaven. I, Bhava, and all of you are, in essence, forms of Nārāyaṇa. Among his manifestations, there exists mutual superiority and inferiority, governed by dominance and subordination.” “Come, let us go to the excellent shore of the Milk Ocean. There, worshipping Hari, we shall disclose everything to him. For the sake of the world, he, the soul of all, pervading the universe, descends to earth with but a small portion of himself and establishes dharma.” Having spoken thus, the grandsire departed with the gods to the shore of the Milk Ocean. Concentrating his mind, he praised the bearer of the Garuḍa banner: “Salutations to you, O thousand-formed, thousand-armed, many-faced and many-footed; salutations to you, inscrutable one, devoted to the origination, dissolution, and preservation of the world.” Thus, the gods appealed to Hari, seeking relief for the earth, and awaited his divine response.