In the celestial lineage, Vivasvān, Savitṛ, Pūṣā, Aṃśumān, and Viṣṇu shone among the illustrious. During the era of Vaivasvata, the Ādityas, sons of Aditi, were renowned for their power and virtue. Among the Asuras, Hiraṇyakaśipu was the eldest, followed by his brother Hiraṇyākṣa. Witnessing the divine boons that had been granted, Hiraṇyakaśipu offered praises and hymns, seeking favor from the powers above. Yet, when the gods were afflicted and struck by the might of the Asuras, they sought refuge and went together to the god of gods, the Grandfather—Brahmā. They approached the eternal, unchanging Lord, the ancient and supreme person who is the essence of all worlds. For the welfare of the gods, Brahmā, the lotus-seated one, journeyed to the northern shore of the Milk Ocean, where Hari, the Supreme Lord, resides. With deep reverence, Brahmā bowed at the Lord’s feet, his head touching the ground, palms joined in prayer. He addressed the all-pervading, eternal great yogi, whose very form is the essence of all the gods—detached, sovereign, beyond passion, stainless. “O infinite Lord,” Brahmā prayed, “you alone are worthy to protect; for the Supreme Lord is indeed the protector.” Then, the lotus-eyed Lord Viṣṇu, awakened from his cosmic slumber, clad in yellow garments and ever the foe of the Asuras, spoke: “Having come here, what task do you wish me to perform?” Brahmā replied, “O Lord, a demon is oppressing all the gods together with the sages. You alone ought to slay him; you are the protector of all, the very embodiment of the universe.” For the destruction of this foremost demon, the Lord himself created a Man. To this being—bearing conch, discus, and mace, and whose banner was Garuḍa—the Lord said, “By your might, you should quickly come to this place.” That great, unmanifest Man journeyed to the mighty city of the demon. Mounted upon Garuḍa, he appeared resplendent, like another great mountain Meru. Out of fear of the demon king, the gods reported the arrival with a resounding sound. “Emitting a terrifying sound, we recognize him, O destroyer of immortals,” they declared. Hiraṇyakaśipu, with his sons led by Prahlāda, armed and armored, marched forth to confront this foe. There he beheld a Man, mountain-like in form—another Nārāyaṇa. “This is that god, the protector of the gods, Nārāyaṇa, our enemy,” he realized. The Lord, with effortless might, destroyed all the Asuras completely. Prahlāda, Anuhrāda, Saṃhrāda, and Hrāda were among them. Saṃhrāda’s sons were Kaumāra and Āgneya, and Hrāda had sons as well. Yet none among them could harm Viṣṇu, Vāsudeva, in any way. The Lord seized Hiraṇyakaśipu by the feet, hurled him, and roared mightily. With a powerful strike of his foot to the demon’s chest, he subdued him. Hiraṇyakaśipu then reported all that had transpired in full. It was then that the Lord assumed a wondrous form—half man, half lion—and suddenly appeared, bewildering the foremost of the Daityas. Nārāyaṇa, the infinite, shone forth like the midday sun. In desperation, the Asura sent Narasiṃha for the act of destruction. Yet, by the power of Maya, Narasiṃha and all his followers were swiftly destroyed. Though he fought with all his might, Narasiṃha was defeated by the Lord. In his final effort, Hiraṇyakaśipu meditated upon the weapon of Paśupati, released it, and roared, but the Lord’s supremacy could not be overcome. Thus, the gods were delivered, and the might of the Asuras was vanquished by the infinite Lord.