When Vasudeva beheld the Supreme Lord, marked with the auspicious Śrīvatsa, surrounded by the gods and their divine emblems, awe filled his heart. He bowed before the Lord and spoke with humility, “O Lord, please withdraw this wondrous form. I am tormented by fear of Kaṃsa. It is out of dread that I speak so—six of my sons, the strongest and noblest, have already been slain by him.” Hearing Vasudeva’s plea, Acyuta—the infallible one—at once concealed his celestial form. With the Lord’s permission, Śauri (Vasudeva) took the newborn child and carried him secretly to the house of Nandagopa. Placing the divine child in Nandagopa’s care, Vasudeva implored him, “Let him be protected. Through this act, all auspiciousness will come to the Yadavas.” He then declared, “This child of Devakī will be the one to destroy Kaṃsa. Until that time, the earth shall find supreme relief from its burdens. When the great battle of the Kauravas gathers all the kṣatriyas, he will slay the wicked kings. This very Lord will become Arjuna’s charioteer, and after ridding the earth of unrighteous kṣatriyas, he will enjoy the world at its end. He will also lead the entire Yadu clan to the realm of the gods.” At this point, Bhīṣma asked, “Who is this Vasudeva, and who is the illustrious Devakī? Who is Nandagopa, and who is the devoted Yaśodā, who raised Viṣṇu and whom he addressed as mother? Who bore him, and who nurtured him?” Pulastya replied, “Vasudeva was none other than Kaśyapa, and Devakī was his beloved Aditi. Kaśyapa is a portion of Brahmā, and Aditi is of the earth. Nanda is known as Droṇa, and Yaśodā became the earth herself. Thus, the mighty-armed Lord fulfilled the desires of Devakī, those she had cherished in her heart. By his own yogic power, the great God entered a human body, deluding all beings. When dharma and sacrifice had declined, Viṣṇu, the mighty one, was born in the Vṛṣṇi clan to restore righteousness and destroy the asuras. Among his consorts were Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā, Satyā, Nāgnijitī, Sumitrā, Śaibyā, Gāndhārī, Lakṣmaṇā, Subhīmā, Mādrī, Kauśalyā, and Vijayā—altogether, among the goddesses, there were sixteen thousand. Rukmiṇī bore sons skilled in every art: the valiant Cārudeṣṇa, mighty Pradyumna, Suchāru, Cārubhadra, Sadaśva, Hrasva, Cārugupta, Cārubhadra, and Cāruka. Satyabhāmā’s children were Charuhasa, Kanistha, Kanya, the lovely Charumati, Bhanu, Bhimaratha, and Kshana. Rohita, radiant as the sun, Tamrabandha, and Jalandhama were also her sons, with four younger sisters. From Jambavatī was born the exceedingly handsome Samba, who composed the solar scriptures and established the temple’s image at the original site, where, by the grace of the Lord of gods, leprosy was destroyed. Sumitra, Charumitra, and Mitravinda were also born; Mitrabahu and Sunitha were the sons of Nāgnajitī. Thus, thousands of sons were born to the Lord, and Vasudeva himself had eighty thousand sons. Pradyumna’s heir, most intelligent, was born of Vaidarbhi—Aniruddha, also called Mrigaketana, a hero in battle. Kamya, daughter of Supārśva, bore a mighty son from Samba. The supreme five deities of sattva-nature are thus proclaimed. There were thirty million noble Yadavas of great soul, and six hundred thousand powerful warriors among them. All these energetic souls were incarnations of gods—those who had perished in battles between gods and demons, and mighty asuras. Born on earth as humans, they troubled mankind, and for their deliverance, they took birth in the Yadava lineage. There were one hundred clans among the great-souled Yadavas, with Viṣṇu himself established as their leader and lord. All the Yadavas flourished under his command. Bhīṣma then asked, “Who are the seven sages, Kubera, the Yakṣa Manidhara, Satyaki, Nārada, Śiva, Dhanvantari, and Vishnu? Why did these divine beings descend to earth? How many future manifestations will this great soul have? For what purpose is he born again and again among humans, especially in the Vrishni and Andhaka clans?” Pulastya replied, “O king, hear the deepest secret: how Viṣṇu, of divine form, is born among men. At the end of an age, when time itself grows weak, the Lord Hari takes birth among gods, demons, and humans. Hiraṇyakaśipu, the asura, once ruled the three worlds, and after him, Bali governed them. There was great friendship between gods and demons, and for ten ages, the world remained undisturbed. The gods and demons obeyed their rulers, yet Bali was eventually bound, and a fierce conflict ensued. From this arose a great and terrible destruction among gods and demons. To restore the order of dharma, such events unfold here among humans.