Sūta was asked by the sages to recount the tale of how Hiraṇyākṣa, the fierce demon, met his end at the hands of Viṣṇu, and how Viṣṇu took the wondrous form of a Boar. They wished to hear, too, how the Boar’s tusk became the ornament of the great Lord Maheśa, and implored Sūta to narrate these events in detail. Hiraṇyākṣa, remembered as the brother of Hiraṇyakaśipu and the father of Andhaka—the terrible lord of demons, as dreadful as Death itself—had conquered the gods. With his might, he bound the earth and took her to the netherworld, making her his captive, radiant like a blue lotus. The gods, along with Brahmā, became distressed and their faces faded, for they were oppressed, struck, and bound by Hiraṇyākṣa. Overwhelmed by the power and cruelty of this wicked demon chief, they bowed their heads to Viṣṇu, the destroyer of millions of demons, and petitioned him regarding the earth’s captivity. Hearing their plea, the blessed Viṣṇu, Hari, learned of the earth’s plight. He then assumed the sacrificial form of a Boar, just as he had done at the emergence of the Liṅga, and confronted the mighty demon king Hiraṇyākṣa, together with the demons. With the tip of his tusk, Viṣṇu slew Hiraṇyākṣa. The lord, destroyer of demons, shone forth, and, as he had at the beginning of the kalpa, entered the netherworld. He lifted up the goddess Earth and placed her gently on his lap. At this, Pitāmaha, the god of gods, praised the Lord. Indra and the other deities, their voices choked with joy, offered homage to the eternal Boar, the Tusked One, the Wielder of the Staff. They extolled Nārāyaṇa, the All, Brahmā the Supreme Self, the Creator, Sustainer, and Uplifter of the Earth, destroyer of the gods’ enemies, leader and guide of the lords of gods, and author of all scripture. They praised him as the One with eight forms, the One with infinite forms, the primordial god known by the infinite. They acknowledged that all is done by him, and beseeched him to be gracious—Lord of gods, Lord of the world, Boar, Viṣṇu. In but 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 his power, the earth was lifted, mountains held aloft on his prominent tusk, attended by all beings—oceans, gods, and demons—with his moon-like face served by them. By Viṣṇu alone, victory was achieved for the gods over the lords of demons. The boon was granted, and he was gracious to the goddess of speech, born from the lotus. The earth, placed in the netherworld, was set behind him, along with all the stars and others. For the good of the worlds, the blessed one took the earth into the cavity of the netherworld, and then, O Lord, he alone lifted her up; indeed, he alone upholds all, teacher of the world. Thus, the lord of speech, having worshipped Viṣṇu 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 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, O bestower of boons, the earth was lifted up—by Krishna, whose actions are effortless, by Viṣṇu of a hundred arms. The gods addressed the Earth, extolling her as the ground, the inexhaustible cow, the supporter of worlds, and beseeched her, O clay, to remove their sin. They praised Viṣṇu, the bestower of boons, lotus-eyed one, for through mind, deed, and speech, by the destruction of sin by him, they lived by his grace. Thus addressed, the goddess Earth spoke to the gods about the clay from the earth that had been pierced by the Boar’s tusks. She declared that whoever bears this clay on his head with the proper mantra is freed from sin, becomes long-lived, strong, fortunate, and blessed with sons and grandsons. Step by step, such a one attains heaven on earth at the end of his deeds, rejoices with the gods, and when the god departs, having left the Boar form, he enters the ocean of milk. Once more, the earth 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 (Śiva), seeing this—the Lord of the universe—took up the tusk for his own adornment. Mahādeva 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 Viṣṇu. Likewise, by the play of Brahmā and the other gods, the Lord is adorned by the division of their bodies, unless the Lord himself does not wish it. For, how else would there be liberation for the Brahmins, unless Maheśvara bore the tusk? Sūta continued: Formerly, the elder brother of Hiraṇyākṣa—Hiraṇyakaśipu—was slain by Narasiṃha, as is heard. Let us now tell how Hiraṇyakaśipu was destroyed by him. Hiraṇyakaśipu’s son, Prahlāda, was wise in righteousness, endowed with truth, an ascetic, and of excellent intellect. From birth, he worshipped the imperishable Lord of gods—Viṣṇu, the all-knowing, all-pervading, source of all the gods. That primeval person, embodiment of the Supreme Brahman, the lord of Brahmā, the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction, Prahlāda worshipped with devotion. Even seeing his son in such a state—composed and focused—Hiraṇyakaśipu heard him repeatedly utter, “Salutations to Nārāyaṇa! Salutations to Govinda!” Seeing him praising thus, the enemy of the gods, burning with wicked thoughts, rebuked him: “You do not know me, fool, the eternal lord of all Daityas and gods.” “Hear me, Prahlāda, misguided son, cause of distress to twice-born and gods! Who is Viṣṇu, or the lotus-born, or Indra, or even Varuṇa?” “Vāyu, Soma, Īśāna, Pāvaka—whoever is equal to me—worship me alone with devotion; always disregard Nārāyaṇa as insignificant.” Thus, the tale of Viṣṇu’s wondrous deeds, the rescue of the earth, the glory of the Boar’s tusk, and the devotion of Prahlāda, unfolds in reverent praise and awe.