As the gods gathered, a divine proclamation was made: the Supreme Lord would fulfill the desires of all the gods, becoming the chief and most worshipped in every sacrificial rite. In every offering, all sacrificers would honor Him above all. People would turn to Him, seeking boons, and whenever the gods were troubled by demons, they would seek refuge in Him. He would be the shelter for all beings, the supreme person revered throughout the Puranas and the vast expanse of the Vedas. His fame would spread far and wide, for whenever righteousness waned on earth, He would descend in a portion of Himself to swiftly restore dharma. His incarnations, each a part of His divine essence, would become renowned across the world. These avatars would be honored by the great souls, taking on many forms in various ages, O Madhava. In every incarnation, O Madhusudana, His power would accompany Him, celebrated in all worlds. The goddess declared that through her own portion, she would act alongside Him, accomplishing divine tasks as Varahi, Narasimhi, and in numerous other forms. Adorned with ornaments and bearing auspicious weapons, she would unite with Him, O Vishnu, always fulfilling the work of the gods. All this would be accomplished through the boons she granted, and He must never disregard them, not even slightly. These powers must be worshipped with effort and honored in every way. In the land of Bharata, they would grant all desires. Humans would worship them, even in their images, and the fame of both the Lord of gods and His powers would spread everywhere. Their renown would reach all seven islands and across the earth, and humans, O highly fortunate one, would worship Him. Desiring their wishes, people would always worship Hari—in images, with offerings, and in various forms. They would use the mantras prescribed in the Vedas and recite His names, and His greatness, O Madhusudana, would be celebrated in both the earthly and heavenly realms. Through such worship, O Lord of gods, humans would attain prosperity. Vyasa then narrated that, having granted these boons, the goddess born of the sky fell silent. The Blessed Lord, his heart filled with joy at her words, completed the sacrifice as prescribed—He, Lord Hari. Dismissing the gods, the sons of Brahma, and the sages, the Garuda-bannered Lord departed for Vaikuntha with His attendants. The gods and sages, astonished, returned to their own abodes, discussing these wondrous events among themselves. Joyful, they went to their pure hermitages. Having heard the supremely clear, celestial, and delightful voice, devotion arose in all toward the Primal Nature. The twice-born sages, filled with devotion, performed worship of Her as prescribed in the scriptures, which bestows all desired fruits. Janamejaya then spoke: “O twice-born, I have heard in detail of the sacrifice performed by Hari and the glory of the Mother. Tell me of it in full detail. Having heard the deeds of the Goddess, I wish to perform an excellent sacrifice. By your grace, O best of Brahmins, may I too be purified.” Vyasa replied, “Listen, O King, I shall recount the supreme deeds of the Goddess. I will narrate the ancient history and Purana in full detail.” He began: In the land of Kosala, there was a foremost king of the Solar dynasty, the illustrious son of Pushya, named Dhruvasandhi. Righteous and true to his word, devoted to the welfare of all social orders and stages of life, he ruled the prosperous city of Ayodhya, observing pure vows. In his kingdom, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and other twice-born, each engaged in their proper duties, lived righteously. There were no thieves, slanderers, or cheats; deceitful, ungrateful, or foolish people did not dwell among men. While this noble king ruled, he had two wives, both endowed with beauty and bestowers of pleasure. Manorama, the chief wife, was exceedingly wise and beautiful, while Lilavati, the second, was also endowed with beauty and virtues. The king enjoyed their company in palaces, gardens, pleasure hills, ponds, and various mansions. At an auspicious time, Manorama gave birth to an excellent son, Sudarshana, who bore royal marks. Within a month, Lilavati also gave birth to a handsome son on an auspicious day in the bright fortnight. The king performed the birth rites and other ceremonies for both, and, delighted at the birth of his sons, gave gifts to the Brahmins. He showed equal affection to both sons, never making any distinction between them in his heart. The best of kings performed the cūḍā-karma, the hair-tonsure ceremony, for both, with affection and according to his wealth. With these rites completed, the two handsome sons delighted the king’s heart as they played together, charming all the people. Of the two, the elder was Sudarshana, the auspicious son of Lilavati, who was called Shatrujit and was sweet-spoken by nature. Pleasing to the king, gentle in speech and beautiful in appearance, he became beloved of the people and the ministers. Thus, the king showed affection to him because of his virtues, but not so much to Mandabhaga, who was of lesser fortune and disposition.