With a single, wondrous stride, Madhusūdana, the slayer of Madhu, expanded his divine form and covered the entire world—seas, islands, and all beings, whether gods, asuras, or humans—nothing escaped the reach of his foot. Then, the eternal one addressed Bali, the king of the Daityas, and asked, “What shall I do now?” This was the Trivikrama form of the Lord, immeasurable in power, who had assumed this cosmic size. Such was the radiance and majesty of that form that even the gods and the greatest sages could not perceive it—not Brahmā, nor Śaṅkara himself. O beautiful Girijā, when the Lord’s foot spanned the whole earth, it extended a hundred yojanas beyond, surpassing all comprehension. Out of compassion, the eternal one granted divine sight to Bali so he might behold this cosmic form. Janārdana revealed himself, and upon seeing the universal form of the Lord, Bali, the mighty king of the Daityas, was overwhelmed with joy. Tears of happiness flowed from his eyes as he gazed upon the Lord. His heart overflowing, Bali bowed low and praised the Lord with hymns. With a voice choked by emotion, he spoke, “I am truly blessed and have fulfilled my purpose, for I have seen you, O Supreme Lord. You alone are worthy to possess these three worlds.” Śaṅkara continued: Then Viṣṇu, Lord of all, raised his second, imperishable step upwards, reaching even to the world of Brahmā. Accompanied by stars, planets, and all the gods, that step of Acyuta filled all space, leaving nothing untouched. The Grandfather, Brahmā, his heart brimming with joy, beheld the foot of the Lord of gods, marked with the auspicious symbols of the wheel and the lotus. Exclaiming, “I am blessed,” Brahmā took his water pot and, with great devotion, washed the Lord’s foot with its sacred water. By Viṣṇu’s power, that water became inexhaustible. Flowing from the summit of Meru, it fell as a pure and holy stream for the purification of the worlds. First, it was known as Sitā, then Ālakanandā, and then Cakṣurbhadrā, each in their turn. To the south of Meru, the blissful river is revered as Alakanandā, but she is also known by three names: Tripathagā, Trisrotā, the purifier of the worlds. In heaven she is called Mandākinī, below the earth she is Bhogavatī, and in the middle realms, she is the swift-flowing Gaṅgā, auspicious and purifying. O beautiful-faced one, seeing her spring forth from the midst of Meru, I, Śaṅkara, for my own purification, bore her upon my head. Having held the pure waters of Gaṅgā for a divine thousand years, O goddess, I attained great auspiciousness and became worshipped in all the worlds. Whoever bears upon his head the water of Gaṅgā, which arose from Viṣṇu’s feet, or drinks it, will surely be revered throughout the world—of this there is no doubt. Even one who utters “Gaṅgā! Gaṅgā!” from hundreds of yojanas away is freed from all sins and attains the realm of Viṣṇu. Later, King Bhagīratha and the great sage Gautama, having worshipped me through austerities, requested that I release Gaṅgā to them. For the welfare of all the worlds, O goddess, I gladly gave them that most excellent and auspicious river, Gaṅgā, beloved of Viṣṇu. Brought by Gautama, she became known as Gautamī; and because she was chosen by King Bhagīratha, she became renowned as Bhāgīrathī. Thus, O goddess, the matchless origin of Gaṅgā has been revealed in its context. Afterwards, the glorious Nārāyaṇa, the Lord, granted to Bali, king of the Daityas, the splendid realm of Rasātala, out of affection for his devotees—for all the Dānavas, Nāgas, and Yādavas as well. He made Bali their king until the great dissolution, having accepted the worlds from him while in the form of a dwarf, the slayer of Daityas. Then Viṣṇu, the imperishable, joyfully restored the worlds to Mahendra, the son of Kaśyapa. The gods, Gandharvas, and mighty sages praised the Lord with divine hymns and worshipped him. For their benefit, the Lord condensed his great form to one they could behold. Honored by the gods, Hari vanished from their sight. Thus was Indra protected by the mighty Viṣṇu. The lord of the three worlds regained his sovereignty, and so, O goddess, the glorious story of Vāmana has been told to you. Whatever remains of his glory, I will recount in due order. Thus ends the two hundred and fortieth chapter, called “The Manifestation of Vāmana,” in the sacred dialogue between Umā and Maheśvara, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa. Now, Rudra continued: After the wise Mucukunda had slain the Yavana and granted him the boon of liberation, the descendant of Yadu departed from that place. When Jarasandha, of wicked intent, heard that the Yavana had been killed, he engaged in battle with Balarāma and Krishna, leading his own formidable army. But Krishna destroyed the entire force of that evil-minded king, and Jarasandha, king of Magadha, fell unconscious upon the earth. After a long time, he regained consciousness, his limbs trembling with fear. Overwhelmed, he found himself unable to face Balarāma in battle. Turning away, he fled swiftly with the remnants of his defeated troops, convinced that Rama and Krishna were invincible and possessed of immense strength. Abandoning further conflict, he returned to his own city. Then, those two sons of Vasudeva, together with their army, left the city of Mathura and entered the city of Dvārakā. There, Indra sent Vāyu to the assembly of the gods. Out of affection, Indra bestowed upon Krishna a magnificent hall, crafted by Viśvakarma, adorned with diamonds and beryl, and furnished with many seats. Radiant with divine gems of every kind and golden canopies, this splendid hall was received with joy by Ugrasena and the other kings.