From Jambavati, the radiant and noble wife of Krishna, was born the exceedingly handsome Samba, famed as the composer of the solar scriptures and the builder of the temple’s sacred image. At the original holy site, Samba, that great soul, laid the foundation, and by the grace of the Lord of gods, the affliction of leprosy was eradicated there. Among Krishna’s sons were also Sumitra, Charumitra, and Mitravinda; from Nagnajiti were born Mitrabahu and Sunitha. In this way, there were thousands upon thousands of sons, and it is said that Vasudeva had as many as eighty thousand sons. Pradyumna, Krishna’s illustrious heir, had a son by Vaidarbhi—a most intelligent child named Aniruddha, renowned as a mighty warrior in battle and also called Mrigaketana. Kamya, the daughter of Supārśva, received from Samba a powerful son. Among these descendants, the supreme five deities of pure sattva-nature are especially celebrated. The Yadava clan flourished with thirty million noble souls of great strength, along with another six hundred thousand powerful and mighty warriors. All these, endowed with tremendous energy, were born as portions of the gods themselves—those who had once been felled in the ancient battles between gods and demons, including mighty asuras. Now born among humans, these beings brought trouble to all mankind. It was for their deliverance that they took birth in the Yadava lineage. Among the Yadavas, there were one hundred great clans, and Vishnu himself was established as their leader and lord. Under his command, all the Yadavas prospered. Bhishma then spoke, asking about the presence of the seven sages, Kubera, the Yaksha Manidhara, Satyaki, Narada, Shiva, Dhanvantari—the primeval god—and Vishnu among the Yadavas. He asked: For what purpose did these divine beings, born of the gods, suddenly appear on earth? How many future descents of this great soul will there be? In all places and times, for what reason is he born here? And why did Vishnu incarnate in the Vrishni and Andhaka clans? Again and again, among humans—tell me the reason for this. Pulastya replied: “O King, listen as I reveal to you the most secret of secrets—how Vishnu, of divine form, is born among men. At the end of an age, when time has grown weak and the world declines, the Lord Hari incarnates among gods, demons, and humans. “In ages past, Hiranyakashipu, the terrible asura, ruled the three worlds. After him, Bali succeeded to that throne. For ten ages, there was a profound friendship between gods and demons, and the world knew peace. Both sides remained obedient to their respective commands. But when Bali was bound, a fierce and terrible conflict erupted. “In the midst of this great destruction among gods and demons, the order of dharma had to be restored, and so such events unfolded among humans. Due to a curse from Bhrigu, for the sake of both gods and demons, Hari took form. “Bhishma asked: How did Hari obtain a body for the sake of gods and demons? How did these divine and demonic events unfold? “Pulastya continued: For the victory of the gods, fierce battles were fought. In the course of the Manvantaras, ten pure incarnations are remembered. Hear now their names: “The first is Narasimha; the second, Vamana; the third, Varaha; the fourth, the churning of nectar. The fifth is the fierce battle for Taraka; the sixth is known as Adibaka; the seventh, the conflict of Tripura. The eighth incarnation is the slaying of Andhaka; the ninth, the killing of Vritra; the tenth is the banner, and then comes the event of Halahala. The twelfth, renowned among them, is the dreadful Kolahala. “Hiranyakashipu, the asura, was slain by Narasimha. Bali was bound by Vamana during his conquest of the three worlds. Hiraṇyakṣa was killed in a duel, opposing the gods. By the tusk of Varaha, the one in the ocean was split in two. Prahlada was defeated in battle by Indra during the churning of nectar. Virocana, son of Prahlada, ever intent on slaying Indra, was himself slain by Indra in the battle for Taraka. “When the gods could not endure the demonic Tripura, after deceiving the demons and drinking the nectar, the enemy of the demons took the form of a cow. The demons who had drunk the nectar were not revived again and again, and all the Danavas in the three worlds were slain by Tryambaka. “In the slaying of Andhaka, the demons, spirits, and Danavas were destroyed by the gods, humans, and ancestors. Vritra, allied with the Danavas, was slain in the dreadful Kolahala—struck down by Mahendra with the help of Vishnu. “Then, concealed by illusion and skilled in yoga, Vipracitti and his followers were slain by Mahendra, who struck with the thunderbolt in a moment. The Daityas and Danavas, united together, were all destroyed in these ten great battles between gods and asuras. “Bringing destruction to both gods and asuras, and for the welfare of all beings, King Hiranyakashipu shone for a hundred million years. For seventy-two hundred million years more, plus eighty thousand, he held sovereignty over the three worlds. In turn, King Bali ruled for a hundred million years, plus sixty thousand and twenty million more. During Bali’s reign, as described, Prahlada enjoyed happiness together with the asuras.” Thus, the cycle of divine incarnations and battles unfolds, each event restoring dharma and guiding the destinies of gods, demons, and men alike.