Honored and worshipped by the assembled gods, the glorious Lord Hari joyfully granted them the boons they desired. As he did so, the celestial Gandharvas and graceful Apsarases sang his praises, their voices filling the heavens. The great sages, too, offered their adoration, and then, in a wondrous moment, the Lord vanished from their sight. It is said that whoever, with devotion, rises early each morning and praises Varāha’s glory will be blessed with abundant earth, rich in crops and fruits for a long time. Thus ends the account of Varāha’s greatness. Now, O radiant goddess, listen as I recount the story of Nārasiṃha. Rudra spoke: After his brother’s death, the mighty asura Hiraṇyakaśipu was consumed with grief and fury. Seeking power, he journeyed to the slopes of Mount Meru and began severe austerities, directing his penances toward me, Rudra. For thousands of divine years, he subsisted on nothing but air, his strength unwavering, chanting the sacred five-syllable mantra with relentless focus. Pleased by his devotion, I appeared before him and said with delight, “O Daitya, choose a boon; whatever lies in your heart, ask and it shall be granted.” Hiraṇyakaśipu replied, “Grant me invulnerability, O Lord—let no god, asura, human, gandharva, serpent, rākṣasa, cattle, bird, wild animal, or perfected being harm me. Protect me also from yakṣas, vidyādharas, kinnaras, from all diseases, weapons, and the most eminent sages.” “So be it,” I declared, granting him the boon. Empowered by this extraordinary favor, Hiraṇyakaśipu conquered Indra and the gods, seizing lordship over all three worlds. He forcibly took all the shares of the sacrificial offerings for himself, leaving the gods defeated and without protector. The gandharvas, devas, and dānavas became his servants, and even the yakṣas, nāgas, siddhas, and sādhyas fell under his dominion. In time, the mighty Daitya king married Kalyāṇī, the virtuous daughter of Uttānapāda, in accordance with sacred rites. From their union was born the radiant Prahlāda, noble among the Daityas. Even while still in his mother’s womb, Prahlāda was devoted to Hari, the Lord Hṛṣīkeśa. In all circumstances—by thought, word, and deed—he recognized none but the eternal Lord of the gods. His heart was pure, and even as a young child in his teacher’s house, he was humble and wise. Prahlāda mastered the Vedas and many treatises. After some time, he returned with his teacher to his father’s court. Bowing respectfully, he was embraced by Hiraṇyakaśipu, who seated him fondly on his lap and asked, “Prahlāda, you have spent long in your teacher’s house. Tell me, steadfast one, what knowledge have you gained there?” Prahlāda, filled with affection and purity of heart, replied, “He who is the essence of all the Upaniṣads, the Supreme Person, the Lord—I bow to that all-pervading Viṣṇu and speak to you.” Hearing his son’s praise of Viṣṇu, Hiraṇyakaśipu was astonished and furious. He turned to the teacher and thundered, “Why have you taught my son to praise Hari? This is improper for a brāhmaṇa and unworthy of you. Such praise of my enemy should never be spoken before me! Even if a child speaks it, it is your doing, O lowest of the twice-born!” Overcome with anger, he ordered a demon to bind the teacher, the son of Bhrigu. Seeing this, Prahlāda, who held Brahmins in high regard, spoke gently to his father: “Father, my teacher is not responsible for these words. Out of compassion for the Lord of gods, I have been instructed by Hari himself. No other is my teacher; only Hari guides me. He is the listener, thinker, speaker, seer, and all-knowing Lord—the eternal creator and controller of all beings. Therefore, O master, the Brahmin is innocent and should be released.” Astonished by his son’s words, Hiraṇyakaśipu released the Brahmin and questioned Prahlāda further: “Child, why do you speak such confusion? Who is Viṣṇu? What is his form? Where is Hari established? I alone am the Lord of the world, the ruler of the three realms. Worship me, Govinda; abandon that difficult enemy. Or, if you must, worship Śaṅkara, the god Rudra, teacher of the world, master of the demons, Śiva, who grants all prosperity. Apply the three lines of ash as the demons do, and worship Mahādeva according to the path of Pāśupati.” At these words, the demon priests spoke: “So be it, O fortunate one. Obey your father. Abandon the enemy who slew Kaitabha and worship the three-eyed one. There is no god higher than Rudra; he grants all to men. Even your father became a lord by his grace.” Hearing their counsel, Prahlāda, steadfast in the Vaiṣṇava lineage, replied: “Ah, how wondrous is the Supreme Lord, whose māyā deludes the world! Those learned in Vedānta are honored everywhere, yet even Brahmins, swayed by fickleness and pride, speak such things. Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Brahman; the essence is Nārāyaṇa, the highest. Nārāyaṇa is the supreme object of meditation; meditation itself is Nārāyaṇa, the highest. He is the eternal, auspicious, unchanging refuge of the universe and the world.” Thus unfolds the sacred tale as preserved in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the Uttara Khaṇḍa, in the chapter named “The Story of the Varāha Incarnation,” and the beginning of the tale of Nārasiṃha.