In the sacred land of Bharata, it was proclaimed that the divine powers must be worshipped with earnest effort and honored in every possible way, for they grant all desires to those who revere them. Even in their images, humans would worship these powers, and the fame of both the deities and the Lord of gods would spread far and wide, reaching every corner of the earth and all seven islands. The highly fortunate Hari, too, would be worshipped by mortals, who, seeking fulfillment of their wishes, would offer devotion in many forms—through images, offerings, and rituals. People would recite mantras prescribed in the Vedas and chant the names of Madhusudana, thereby glorifying his greatness in both earthly and heavenly realms. Through such worship, humans would attain prosperity and growth. After granting these boons, the goddess born of the sky ceased her speech. The Blessed Lord Hari, his heart filled with joy as if he had heard something delightful, completed the sacrifice according to the prescribed rites. Then, dismissing the assembled gods, the sons of Brahma, and the sages, Hari—whose banner bears Garuda—departed for Vaikuntha with his attendants. The gods and sages, astonished by these events, returned to their own abodes, discussing among themselves what had transpired, and joyfully retired to their pure hermitages. The supremely clear, celestial, and delightful voice that had been heard inspired devotion in all towards the Primal Nature. The twice-born sages, filled with reverence, performed worship of Her according to the scriptures, knowing it would bestow all desired fruits. Janamejaya, eager to learn more, addressed Vyasa: “O twice-born, I have heard in detail of the sacrifice performed by Hari and the glory of the Mother. Tell me of these events in full detail. Having heard of the Goddess’s deeds, I wish to perform an excellent sacrifice myself, and by your grace, O best of Brahmins, I too shall become purified.” Vyasa replied, “Listen, O King, I shall recount the supreme deeds of the Goddess, narrating 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 all engaged in their proper duties and lived righteously. There were no thieves, slanderers, or cheats; deceitful, ungrateful, or foolish people did not dwell among men. While King Dhruvasandhi ruled, he had two wives, both beautiful and sources of great joy. Manorama, the chief wife, was exceedingly wise and beautiful; 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 too gave birth to a handsome son on a bright and auspicious day. The king performed the birth rites and ceremonies for both sons, and, delighted, gave gifts to the Brahmins. He showed equal affection to both, never making any distinction between them in his heart. The king performed the cūḍā-karma—the hair-tonsure ceremony—for both sons according to proper rites and with great affection. With their ceremony completed, the two handsome boys 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. He was gentle in speech, beautiful in appearance, and became beloved of the people and the ministers. Thus, the king favored him for his virtues, but not so much Mandabhaga, who was of lesser fortune and disposition. As time passed, King Dhruvasandhi, ever fond of hunting, ventured into the forest. There, he sported, hunting deer, antelopes, boars, wild oxen, hares, buffaloes, sarabhas, and rhinoceroses. While the king was thus enjoying himself in that dreadful and terrifying forest, a very enraged lion emerged from a thicket. Struck first by the king’s arrow and overcome by anger, the lion roared with a sound like thunder upon seeing the king. Raising its tail and spreading its great mane, the furious lion leapt from the sky, intent on killing the king. Seeing this, the king swiftly took up his sword and shield, standing firm like another lion. All his attendants, filled with anger, shot arrows separately at the lion. A great outcry arose, and a fierce battle ensued. The dreadful lion leapt upon the king, and as it fell upon him, the king struck with his sword, but the lion came near and tore him with its cruel claws. Struck by the lion’s claws, the king fell and died. The soldiers cried out in grief and then killed the lion with arrows. Thus ends this episode of the tale, as recounted by Vyasa to King Janamejaya.