O King, within the wondrous form of Narasimha, the lion-man, the entirety of the three worlds could be seen, along with the eternal laws that govern them. The whole universe was manifest in him. Prajapati, the great-souled Manu, the planets, the powers of yoga, the trees, the time of calamity, steadfastness, intelligence, pleasure, truth, austerity, and self-restraint—all were present within Narasimha. Sanatkumara, famed among sages, all the gods, all the rishis, wrath, desire, joy, righteousness, delusion, and all the ancestors, too, were encompassed in his being. When Prahlada spoke, Hiranyakashipu, the lord of the Daityas, addressed the Danavas and their leaders. He commanded, “Let this lion, whose form is unprecedented, be seized. If there is any doubt, let him be slain, for he roams the forest.” With great enthusiasm, the hosts of Danavas surrounded Narasimha, the lion of terrible prowess, seeking to frighten him with their strength. But then, Narasimha, of immense power, unleashed a mighty lion’s roar, shattering the divine assembly, his mouth wide and dreadful like Death itself. As the assembly was being destroyed, Hiranyakashipu, wild with anger, hurled weapons at the lion. He used every weapon he possessed: the dreadful staff-mantra, the fierce time-wheel, the supreme Vishnu-disc; the weapon of the grandsire, a great fire burning the three worlds, and the wondrous thunderbolt, both dry and wet. He unleashed the fierce and terrible trident, the skeleton, the mace, bewildering weapons, drying and burning missiles, and those that cause lamentation. He used the wind weapon, the churning weapon, the skull weapon, the servitor weapon, the irresistible spear, and the Krauncha weapon. He released the Brahmashiras missile, the Soma missile, the Shishira, Kampana, and Shatana missiles, as well as the Tvastra and Subhairava. The Kaalamudgara, the unshakable Akshobhya, the mighty Tapana, the Samvartana and Mohana, and the supreme Maya-dhara followed. He cast the Gandharva missile, the beloved Asiratna, the Nandaka, the Prasvapana, the Pramathana, the excellent Varuna missile, and the Pashupata missile, whose course none can withstand. The Hayashiras missile, the Brahma missile, the Narayana missile, the Indra missile, and the wondrous Serpent missile were released too. The invincible Paishacha missile, the Shoshana, the Shamana, the mighty Bhavana, and the Prasthapana and Vikampana—all these divine missiles Hiranyakashipu sent forth against Narasimha, shining like offerings cast into a blazing fire. With these blazing missiles, the foremost of asuras enveloped the lion, much as the sun’s rays envelop Himavat in the heat of summer. Then, the ocean of the Daityas’ army, stirred by the wind of wrath, surged forth in a moment, like the sea overwhelming Mount Mainaka. Spears, nooses, swords, maces, pestles, thunderbolts, whips, flaming logs, and great trees rained down. Mallets, sling-stones, boulders, mortars, mountain peaks, blazing shataghnis, and dreadful clubs were hurled. The Danavas, grasping nooses in hand, moved with the speed of Indra’s thunderbolt, standing all around with arms upraised, like triple-headed naga-nooses. Their bodies were adorned with golden garlands, their forms radiant in yellow garments, their waists encircled with pearl necklaces—they shone like swans with broad wings. Among them, those of wind-like energy wore splendid armlets, crowns, and bracelets; their heads shone with brilliance equal to the rays of the rising sun. Some had faces of donkeys, others of crocodiles and venomous serpents; some bore the faces of antelopes, others of a boar. Some had faces like the rising sun, others like comets; some had half-moon, half-formed faces, and others faces blazing like fire. Some had faces of swans and cocks, their mouths wide open and terrifying; some had lion faces, licking their lips, and others had the faces of crows and vultures. Some had two tongues, crooked heads, and faces like meteors; others, mighty Danavas, had the faces of great sharks, proud in their strength. Though their bodies were as massive as mountains, and they rained down arrows upon Narasimha, that unconquerable king of beasts felt no distress in battle. Again, the lords of the Danavas, enraged, unleashed other fierce weapons upon the lion, their breath like serpents. Yet, those dreadful Danava arrows, launched by their king, vanished in the sky like fireflies on a mountain. The Daityas, filled with wrath, swiftly hurled divine, blazing discs in every direction at the lion. By those discs flying everywhere, the sky was illuminated, as if at the end of an age, by radiant moon and sun-like planets. All those discs, blazing like tongues of fire, were devoured by the great-souled lion at that moment. As they entered his mouth, they shone like lunar and solar eclipses in the caverns of clouds. Hiranyakashipu, the Daitya, once more released a formidable, blazing spear, terrifying, with the brilliance of lightning on polished weapons. Seeing the spear rushing toward him, the lion, with a fierce roar, shattered it at once. The broken spear shone on the earth, sparkling and blazing like a great meteor fallen from the sky. A line of arrows reached the lion, gleaming nearby, like a radiant garland of blue lotuses and palāśa leaves.