Once, there lived Kaśyapa, a sage who was a portion of Brahmā himself, and his beloved wife Aditi, who was likewise a portion of the earth. In time, the mighty-armed Lord fulfilled all the desires cherished by Devakī for her unborn, great-souled child. That divine being descended to earth, entering a human body through his yogic power and illusion, bewildering all living beings. When righteousness had waned, Viṣṇu was born into the Vṛṣṇi clan, manifesting as the Lord to restore dharma and destroy the demons. He took many wives: Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā, Satyā, Nāgnajitī, Subhāmā, Śaibyā, Gāndhārī, Lakṣmaṇā, Mitravindā, Kālindī, the goddess Jāmbavatī, Suśīlā, Mādrī, Kauśalyā, Vijayā, and thousands more—sixteen thousand goddesses in all. Rukmiṇī bore sons renowned for their prowess in battle: Cārudeṣṇa, heroic and skilled in war, and Pradyumna, famed for his strength. She also bore Sucāru, Bhadracāru, Sudeṣṇa, Bhadrā, Paraśu, Cārugupta, Cārubhadra, Sucāruka, Cāruhāsa the youngest, and a daughter, Cārumatī. From Satyabhāmā came Bhanu, whose eyes resembled bees, Rohita, radiant in appearance, Tamra, Chakra, and Jalandhama. Four younger sisters were also born to them. From Jāmbavatī, the son Samba was born, shining in battle. The noble Mitravinda gave birth to Mitravan, Mitrabahu, and Sunitha, and herself was counted among her offspring. Nāgnajitī bore these children. Now, hear of the vast progeny: a hundred thousand sons were born to that wise one. Vasudeva himself had eighty thousand sons, and some say there were even one hundred thousand, O best of the twice-born. Among the descendants, Upasangha had two sons: Vajra and Sankshipta. Gaveshana had Bhurindrasena and Bhuri as sons. Pradyumna, through Vaidarbhi, begot the wise Aniruddha, whose sons were Aruddha and Mrigaketana, both valiant in battle. Kashya, daughter of Supārśva, bore to Samba five mighty sons, famed for their truthfulness and valor. There were three crore valiant Yadavas of great soul, and sixty hundred thousand powerful and mighty ones. All these were born as portions of the gods, endowed with great energy, those who slew gods and asuras, and those asuras of great might. Born among humans, they afflicted all mankind; for their destruction, one was born in the Yadava lineage. There were one hundred clans of the great-souled Yadavas, and all these clans continued in the Vaishnava lineage. Among them, Viṣṇu is the leader, established in authority, and all the Yadavas abide by his command. The seven sages, Kubera, the Yaksha Manicara, Shalaka, Narada, the Siddha, and Dhanvantari were also present. The primordial god Viṣṇu, together with these deities—why are these beings remembered as groups, and how many are their origins? How many future and other manifestations of the great soul will there be? When Brahmins and Kshatriyas are peaceful, for what purpose is he born here? For what purpose did Viṣṇu, the foremost among Vrishni and Andhaka, manifest among humans again and again? Tell us, who ask. Having abandoned his divine form, Viṣṇu is born among humans when the age turns and time is weakened, O Lord. In the battles between gods and asuras, Hari, the Lord, is born. The Daitya Hiraṇyakaśipu once ruled the three worlds. When Bali presided over the worlds in succession, there was supreme friendship between gods and asuras. The world became agitated, filled with asuras known as Yugākhyas, and gods and asuras, under their command, were equal. A terrible and intense conflict arose for the sake of Bali's might—a great and dreadful battle bringing destruction to gods and asuras alike. To establish the order of righteousness among humans, Viṣṇu is born; then, due to Bhṛgu's curse, the gods and asuras acted thus. How did he himself come to engage in these activities concerning gods and asuras? Tell us, as we ask, how the affair of gods and asuras transpired. For the sake of dividing their shares, those battles were exceedingly fierce; the ten, beginning with Varāha, and two more are remembered between Śaṇḍa and Amarka. Now, hear briefly their names: the first is Narasiṃha, and the second is Vāmana. The third is Varāha, the fourth is the battle of Amṛta-churning, the fifth is known as the Tārakāmaya war. The sixth is called Āḍībaka, the seventh is Tripura, the eighth is Andhaka, the ninth is the slaying of Vṛtra. The tenth is Dhātra, then Hālāhala is remembered; the twelfth among them is the dreadful Kolāhala, renowned as well. The Daitya Hiraṇyakaśipu was slain by Narasiṃha; Bali was bound by Vāmana when he sought to conquer the three worlds. Hiraṇyākṣa was killed in single combat, struck down by the gods; by the tusk of Varāha, the ocean was split in two. Prahlāda was defeated in battle by Indra during the churning of nectar; and Virocana, son of Prahlāda, was ever intent on slaying Indra. Thus, the divine manifestations, the mighty progeny, and the fierce battles between gods and asuras unfolded, all guided by the purpose of restoring righteousness and balance in the world.