Thus it came to pass that Andhaka, reflecting deeply, understood: “This has happened to me; it could not have been otherwise. Whoever remembers Rudra, even once at the end of life, attains union with Shiva—how much more so if remembered many times!” He realized that Brahma, the Blessed Vishnu, and all the gods with Indra, having taken refuge, remain in Shiva alone; thus, one should seek refuge in him. With this insight, Andhaka, destroyer of the Andhakas, became content at heart. With his followers, Andhaka praised Shiva, the Lord, reverently acknowledging his merit. At Andhaka’s request, the Blessed Hara, remover of supreme distress, was pleased. The Lord of the gods, seeing Andhaka, son of Hiraṇyanetra, impaled on the tip of the trident, addressed the demon with compassion—he who is blue and red in form. “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 these words of Shambhu, Andhaka, his voice choked with joy, spoke to Maheshvara: “O Blessed One, Lord of gods, remover of devotees’ distress, Shankara—if you are pleased, Lord, and a boon is to be given to me, may I have devotion to you.” Hearing the words of the great-souled Andhaka, Bhava, the resplendent one, granted to the lord of demons a rare faith. He also granted Gāṇapatya to Andhaka, installing him; the lords of the gods and others bowed to him, established in Gāṇapatya. Then, a question arose: How was Andhaka’s father, the fierce demon Hiraṇyākṣa, slain by Viṣṇu? How did Viṣṇu take the form of a Boar? How did his tusk become the ornament of the great Lord Maheśa? Sūta was asked to tell all this in detail. Hiraṇyākṣa is remembered as the brother of Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the father of Andhaka, the lord of demons, terrible as Death itself. Having conquered the gods, Hiraṇyākṣa bound the earth and took her to the netherworld, making her his captive, shining like a blue lotus. The gods, along with Brahmā, their faces faded and distressed, were oppressed, struck, and bound by Hiraṇyākṣa. By that powerful, cruel, and wicked chief of the demons, they bowed their heads to Viṣṇu, the destroyer of millions of demons. All of them petitioned him regarding the binding of the earth; hearing this, the blessed Viṣṇu, Hari, learned of the earth’s captivity. He became the sacrificial Boar, just as at the emergence of the Liṅga, and together with the demons, confronted the mighty demon king Hiraṇyākṣa. With the tip of his tusk, Viṣṇu slew Hiraṇyākṣa; the lord, destroyer of demons, shone forth, and as before at the beginning of the kalpa, entered the netherworld. He brought up the goddess Earth, placed her on his lap, and then the god of gods, Pitāmaha, praised the Lord. Together with Indra and the others, with a voice choked with joy, Pitāmaha 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, along with their sons and servants, were slain by Viṣṇu, the wish-fulfilling one, with just a fraction of the tip of his single-tusked mouth. By him, the earth was lifted; O Lord of the earth, with the mountains held on his prominent tusk, attended by all beings, oceans, gods, and demons, with his moon-like face served by them. By him alone, victory was achieved for the gods over the lords of demons; the boon was granted—be gracious to the goddess of speech, born from the lotus. The earth, placed in the netherworld, was set behind Viṣṇu, along with all the stars and others. For the good of the worlds, he took the earth into the cavity of the netherworld, and then, O Lord, he alone lifted her up; indeed, he alone upholds all, the teacher of the world. Thus, the lord of speech, having worshipped Vishnu with many kinds of praises and having bowed down with the immortals, Prajapati obtained various boons from Hari, who bears the lotus from his navel, by Hari’s own grace. Then, the gods and great sages, having lifted up the earth, placed her upon their heads and bowed in reverence in the presence of the wielder of the discus. By this very Boar, the bestower of boons, the earth was lifted up—by Krishna, whose actions are effortless, by Vishnu of a hundred arms. “O Earth, of great form, you are the ground, the inexhaustible cow; you are the supporter of the worlds—O clay, remove our sin. O bestower of boons, lotus-eyed one, by mind, deed, and speech, through the destruction of sin by you, we live by your grace.” Thus addressed, the goddess Earth then spoke to the gods concerning the clay from the earth that had been pierced by the Boar’s tusks. “Whoever bears this clay on his head with this mantra is freed from sin, becomes long-lived, strong, fortunate, and blessed with sons and grandsons. Step by step, having attained heaven on earth at the end of his deeds, he rejoices with the gods; then, when the god departs, having left the Boar form, he enters the ocean of milk.” The earth again trembled as the sinless one in the form of the Boar, whose mighty chest was pressed by the weight of the tusks of the wise Lord of gods. By chance, Bhava (Shiva), seeing this, the Lord of the universe, took up the tusk, having seen it, for his own adornment. Mahadeva bore it at the end of his matted locks upon his great chest, and the gods, along with Indra, praised the glory of the Lord of gods. Thus, the earth was established by the Lord of gods in sport, both at the time of the deluge of beings and also the body of Vishnu.