The mighty lord entered the assembly hall and beheld a wondrous sight: everywhere, trees of countless varieties flourished, their fragrant flowers and flavorful fruits filling the air with sweetness. Lakes shimmered, neither too cold nor too hot, and all the sacred waters gathered in the hall’s heart. Their surfaces were covered with lotuses, water lilies, hundred-petaled blossoms, red kuvalayas, and blue kumudas, forming a tapestry of color and scent. Birds of beauty filled the lakes and trees: dhārtarāṣṭra birds, royal swans, kāraṇḍavas, chakravākas, sārasas, and kuraras—all graced the scene. Spotless birds, crystal-like and pale-plumed, mingled with the swans, while the cries of sārasas echoed through the hall. Auspicious, fragrant creepers climbed the mountain peaks, their abundant clusters of blossoms adding to the splendor. The trees themselves were a festival of life: ketaka, aśoka, sarala, puṃnāga, tilaka, arjuna, mango, nipa, prasthapuṣpa, kadamba, bakula, and dhava stood tall and proud. Priyaṅgu, pāṭala, śālmalī, haridra, sāla, tāla, tamāla, and delightful campaka trees added their own colors and fragrances. Coral trees and others glowed as if lit by blazing fire, while sturdy-trunked trees with beautiful branches towered like palms, their varied hues—from ebony to ashoka—painting the hall. Varuṇa, vatsanābha, jackfruit, sandalwood, kadamba, sumanasa, neem, peepal, and tinduka trees flourished alongside pārijāta, lodhra, jasmine, bhadradāru, amalaki, jambū, kucā, and śailavāluka. Date palms and coconut trees mingled with harītakī, vibhitaka, kālīyaka, drukāla, asafoetida, and pāriyātraka. Mandāra, kunda, lakta, pataṅga, kuṭaja, red kuraṇṭaka, blue trees, and agaru completed the grove. Kadamba and bhavya trees, pomegranates, bījapūraka, saptaparṇa, and bilva trees buzzed with bees. Ashoka and tamāla trees were draped in shrubs and vines, while madhūka, saptaparṇa, and milky-sapped trees stood nearby. Creepers of every form bore leaves, flowers, and fruits, and many other forest-born trees filled the hall. Adorned with flowers and fruits, they shone all around, accompanied by chakora birds, lotuses, intoxicated cuckoos, and starlings. The great trees, their tips heavy with blossoms, were alive with birds perched on their branches, their plumage red, yellow, and crimson. Among them, jīvajīvika birds looked at one another in delight, and in this assembly hall, the lord of the Daityas, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was present. He was surrounded by thousands of women, adorned with wondrous ornaments and garments, his crest blazing with priceless jewels and diamonds, and flaming earrings shining from his ears. He sat upon a splendid seat—modest in size, radiant like the sun, divine, and covered with celestial cushions. A gentle wind, carrying divine fragrance, blew pleasantly as Hiraṇyakaśipu sat with his blazing earrings. At that moment, the foremost Gandharvas sang celestial songs to honor the great Daitya king. Renowned apsaras—Viśvācī, Sahajanyā, Pramlocā, Saurabheyī, Samīcī, Puñjikasthalī, Miśrakeśī, Rambhā, Citralekhā, Śucismitā, Cārukeśī, Ghṛtācī, Menakā, and Urvaśī—joined in the celebration. Thousands more, skilled in dance and song, attended upon King Hiraṇyakaśipu. Seated in majesty, Hiraṇyakaśipu was worshipped by all the sons of Diti, who had received boons. To him, whose deeds were unparalleled, hundreds and thousands gathered: Bali, Virocana, Naraka the son of earth, Prahlāda, Vipracitti, Gaviṣṭha the great asura, Surahantā, Sunāmā, Pramati, Sumati, Ghaṭodara, Mahāpārśva, Krathana, Piṭhara, Viśvarūpa, Surūpa, Svabala, Mahābala, Daśagrīva, Vālī, Meghavāsā, Ghaṭāsya, Akampana, Prajana, Indratāpana, and many others. All these hosts of Daityas and Dānavas, adorned with blazing earrings and garlands, eloquent and steadfast in their vows, heroic and granted boons, freed from death, attended upon Hiraṇyakaśipu. Possessing divine ornaments, they worshipped the great-souled one, arriving in radiant aerial chariots of various forms, shining like fire. Their bodies, like Mahendra’s, adorned with wondrous armlets, the sons of Diti decorated themselves and worshipped him in every way. In that divine assembly, the asuras, massive as mountains, all with golden bodies, shone with brilliance like the sun. Never before had such majesty been heard or seen—the greatness of Hiraṇyakaśipu, lion of the Daityas, was unmatched. Upon a platform adorned with gold and silver, with gem-studded avenues, the lord of beasts beheld the assembly, radiant with windows inlaid with celestial gems. He saw the son of Diti, his body adorned with pure golden garlands, shining with the brilliance of the sun, attended by thousands and hundreds of Daityas.