As Śukra spoke, Prahlāda, his heart overwhelmed and voice trembling with tears, pleaded, “Do not abandon us, Bhārgava.” He implored Śukra to honor those who sought refuge in him, the devotees who depended on his guidance. Prahlāda expressed his anguish, saying that when Śukra was unseen, the Asuras were deceived by the divine teacher, and urged him to recognize his devotees with his vision born of long asceticism. If Śukra did not show them favor, Prahlāda declared, condemned as they were, they would enter the netherworld that very day. Moved by their earnest entreaty, Kāvyā—another name for Śukra—understood the truth, and out of compassion and mercy, restrained his anger. He reassured them, “Do not fear, do not go to the netherworld.” He explained that the destined events would unfold as decreed, for fate is most powerful and cannot be altered, even while he remained vigilant. He promised that the awareness lost that day would be regained, and that after defeating the gods once, the Asuras would indeed enter the netherworld. When the appointed time arrived, Brahmā spoke, “By my grace, you have enjoyed the three worlds with great power.” Brahmā had ruled for ten complete cycles, called yugas, having surpassed the gods during that period. He foretold that in the era of Sāvarṇi, kingship would again belong to Prahlāda’s lineage, and his grandson Bali would once more become lord of the worlds. It was said that Viṣṇu himself addressed Bali when the worlds were taken from him, granting him boons. Because Bali’s undertakings were resolved with clarity and his conduct was virtuous, the Self-born, Brahmā, granted these blessings. The Lord had told Śukra, “Bali will become king of the gods,” and thus Bali remained invisible to beings, awaiting the proper time. Another boon was also given to Śukra by the Self-born, out of satisfaction, so he and the Asuras should remain unconcerned until the appointed time. Śukra revealed that he had not been able to share these secrets before, for Brahmā, knowing the future, had forbidden him. He also said, “These two disciples of mine, both from Bṛhaspati, have come to me; together with the gods, they will sustain all beings.” Thus addressed, all the Asuras, along with Kāvyā whose deeds were pure, departed joyfully, accompanied by the great-souled Prahlāda. Having heard Śukra’s words about what must come to pass, and their hopes for victory rekindled, the armed Asuras challenged the gods. Seeing the Asuras assembled for battle, the gods gathered their forces and engaged them in combat. A great battle ensued between the gods and Asuras, lasting a hundred years. The Asuras defeated the gods, who then consulted among themselves and decided, “Let us summon those two by sacrifice; then we shall defeat the Asuras.” Thus, the gods invited Śaṇḍa and Amarka. Summoning them to the sacrifice, the gods said to these two Brahmins, “Abandon the Asuras; we will honor you both after we have conquered the Dānavas.” Śaṇḍa and Amarka agreed and sided with the gods, who then gained victory, defeating the Dānavas. Abandoned by Śaṇḍa and Amarka, the Dānavas became powerless, and thus, in ancient times, the Daityas were struck down by Kāvyā’s curse. Overcome by this curse, deprived of all support, and expelled by the gods, they entered the netherworld. Thus, having been restrained by the gods, the Dānavas were subdued with great difficulty, and from that time onward, by the incidental curse of Bhṛgu, this order prevailed. Again and again, whenever righteousness declined, Viṣṇu was born, establishing the order of dharma and bringing about the destruction of the Asuras. By Prahlāda’s command, those Asuras who would not remain, and all destined to be slain by men, were declared by the Lord to be ‘Brahmins.’ From dharma, a portion of Nārāyaṇa arose in the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, and the gods maintained the sacrifice in the Vaivasvata Manvantara. At the manifestation of that one, Brahmā was the chief priest; in the fourth Yuga, when the gods were afflicted, this was so. At the end of the ocean, for the slaying of Hiraṇyakaśipu, in the second incarnation known as Narasiṃha, Rudra was the chief priest. When Bali ruled the worlds in the seventh Tretā Yuga, and in the third, for the sake of Vāmana, the chief priest acted according to dharma. These three are remembered as his divine manifestations, O twice-born. The other seven, which are human and born of a curse, now listen to them: In the first Tretā Yuga, Dattātreya appeared; when a fourth part of dharma was lost, he was accompanied by Mārkaṇḍeya and others. In the fifteenth Tretā Yuga, the fifth manifestation occurred: King Māndhātā, the universal sovereign, together with Uttaṅka and others. In the nineteenth Tretā Yuga, the sixth was the mighty Jāmadagnya, destroyer of all Kṣatriyas, accompanied by Viśvāmitra and others. In the twenty-fourth Yuga, Rāma was born, with Vasiṣṭha as his chief priest; the seventh, for the sake of Rāvaṇa, was the son of Daśaratha. In the eighth Dvāpara, Viṣṇu appeared; in the twenty-eighth, Vedavyāsa was born from Parāśara, accompanied by Jātūkarṇya and others. To establish the order of dharma and destroy the Asuras, the ninth, Buddha, was born through austerity, lotus-eyed, in a form beautiful as a god, accompanied by Dvaipāyana and others. In that very age, when it declines and only the twilight remains, Kalki will arise, famed as Viṣṇu, accompanied by the son of Parāśara. The tenth, to be born in the future, accompanied by Yājñavalkya, will utterly destroy all beings, the wicked and heretics alike. Thus, through the cycles of time and the unfolding of fate, the divine incarnations arose to restore dharma, subdue the Asuras, and guide the worlds, as ordained by the Self-born and witnessed by the wise.