After tormenting the gods with his might, the great demon Andhaka, by chance, arrived at the beautiful cave of Mount Mandara. The lords of the gods, weakened and their bodies broken by Andhaka’s weapons, gathered with the Sādhyas and approached the great Lord Maheśa in his city. Bowing before him, they pleaded, “O Lord, our limbs are shattered, our strength spent. The king of the demons has cut us down with his weapons.” Hearing of the unparalleled arrival of the demon, the Blessed Lord Shiva, accompanied by the leaders of the divine hosts, set forth to confront Andhaka. The crowned gods, their voices ringing in hope, surrounded Shiva with joined palms, hailing him in victory from all sides. Then, Mahadeva unleashed his power, destroying countless millions of demons in that moment. With his trident, he pierced Andhaka himself. As Andhaka was impaled, his cloak of sin burned away by Shiva’s fire. Witnessing this, the grandsire Brahma bowed and roared aloud in exultation. Hearing Brahma’s triumphant roar, the gods resounded with joy, bowing to Shiva. All the sages danced in delight, and the leaders of the divine hosts rejoiced. Showers of flowers fell upon Shambhu from the gods, and the three worlds exulted together, resounding with happiness. Andhaka, burned by fire and impaled on Shiva’s trident, lay like a corpse. In that moment, his mind became pure and sattvic, and he reflected deeply: “Even in a past birth, I was burned by Shiva, the very god I once worshipped directly as Maheshvara. This fate has come to me—how could it be otherwise? For whoever remembers Rudra in their mind, even once at the end of life, attains union with Shiva. How much more so for one who remembers him many times! Brahma, the Blessed Vishnu, and all the gods with Indra have taken refuge in him. One should seek refuge in him alone.” Thus reflecting, Andhaka, destroyer of his own clan, found contentment in his heart. With his followers, Andhaka praised Shiva, the Lord, honoring him for his merit. Moved by his devotion, the Blessed Hara, remover of supreme distress, was pleased. The Lord of the gods, seeing the son of Hiraṇyanetra impaled on the tip of his trident, addressed Andhaka with compassion, his form shining blue and red: “I am pleased, child; blessings to you. What boon shall I grant you? Choose your wish, O lord of demons, for I am the giver of boons to you, Andhaka.” Hearing Shambhu’s words, the son of Hiraṇyanetra, his voice choked with joy, spoke to Maheshvara: “O Blessed One, Lord of gods, remover of devotees’ distress, Shankara—if you are pleased and wish to grant me a boon, may I have devotion to you.” Hearing the words of the great-souled Andhaka, Bhava, the resplendent one, granted him a rare and steadfast faith. He also bestowed upon Andhaka the leadership of the Gāṇapatya tradition, installing him in that role. The lords of the gods and others bowed to him, recognizing his new position. The sages then asked, “How was Andhaka’s father, the fierce demon Hiraṇyākṣa, slain by Vishnu? How did Vishnu take the form of a Boar? How did his tusk become the ornament of the great Lord Maheśa? Sūta, please tell us all this in detail.” Hiraṇyākṣa, remembered as the brother of Hiraṇyakaśipu and the father of Andhaka, was a terror among demons, as dreadful as Death itself. After conquering the gods, he bound the earth, carried her to the netherworld, and made her his captive, shining like a blue lotus. The gods, with Brahmā at their head, were oppressed, struck, and bound by Hiraṇyākṣa’s power. Distressed, they bowed their heads to Vishnu, the destroyer of millions of demons, and petitioned him about the earth’s captivity. Hearing their plea, the blessed Vishnu, Hari, learned of the earth’s plight. He took the form of a great sacrificial Boar, just as he had at the emergence of the Liṅga, and, accompanied by the gods, confronted the mighty demon king Hiraṇyākṣa. With the tip of his tusk, Vishnu slew the demon. Shining forth, the lord entered the netherworld, as he had at the beginning of the kalpa. He lifted the goddess Earth upon his lap, and then the god of gods, Pitāmaha Brahma, praised the Lord. Together with Indra and the others, his voice choked with joy, he offered homage to the eternal Boar, the Tusked One, the Wielder of the Staff: “Homage to Nārāyaṇa, the All, to Brahmā, the Supreme Self, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Uplifter of the Earth, the Destroyer of the enemies of the gods, the very leader and guide of the lords of gods, and the author of all scripture. You are the One with eight forms, you are the One with infinite forms, you are the primordial god, you are known by the infinite; all this is done by you—be gracious, Lord of gods, Lord of the world, Boar, Viṣṇu.” “In a moment, the chief demons, their sons, and servants were slain by you, O wish-fulfilling one, with just a fraction of the tip of your single-tusked mouth. By you, O Lord, the earth was lifted, O Lord of the earth, with the mountains held on your prominent tusk, attended by all beings, oceans, gods, and demons, your moon-like face served by them. By you alone, O Lord of gods, was victory achieved for the gods over the lords of demons; ah, the boon was granted—be gracious to the goddess of speech, born from the lotus. The earth, placed in the netherworld, was set behind you, along with all the stars and others. For the good of the worlds, O blessed one, you took the earth into the cavity of the netherworld, and then, O Lord, you alone lifted her up; indeed, you alone uphold all, O teacher of the world.” Thus, the lord of speech, having worshipped Vishnu with many kinds of praises and bowed down with the immortals, Prajapati obtained various boons from Hari, who bears the lotus from his navel, by Hari’s grace. Then, the gods and great sages, having lifted up the earth, placed her upon their heads and bowed in reverence before the wielder of the discus.