Then, Nārāyaṇa bestowed the offering upon the most worthy recipient, fulfilling the sacred act. As the vessel was now full, the Supreme Lord—He whose eyes are the moon, the sun, and fire, and who is adorned with the crescent moon—tapped the skull with his finger and declared, “The vessel is overfilled.” In that moment, the Lord of Hari, using his own finger, drew blood from his side. As this blood was churned, scum and bubbles gradually formed upon its surface. From this churning, a being with a thousand arms and red eyes emerged, his hands repeatedly touching the bowstring. Then, within the skull, a man appeared—his form reminiscent of Arjuna, radiant and blessed. This man, born in the skull, was called Nara, foremost among those who wield supreme weapons. It was foretold that both Nara and Nārāyaṇa would become renowned in the ages to come. Nara would be the companion of Nārāyaṇa, and in the world, their brilliance would serve as a test for discernment. Endowed with the power of Brahma, this radiance arose from the blood of Nārāyaṇa’s arm. Born from this union, it would strike terror into the hearts of enemies, becoming a source of fear even for Indra and the adversaries of the gods. In that very place, Hari offered praises to both Hara and Keshava, saying, “Salutations to you who hold the spear; salutations to you who wield the sword. Salutations to the lord of speech, to the bearer of fortune, again and again.” With hands joined in reverence, he swiftly took both hands in worship. The fierce man, born from Brahma’s sweat, was revealed. “Learn about him quickly,” it was said, and then Hara vanished from sight. In anger, the man struck the earth with his left foot and rose up, and with the sound of his drawn bow, he filled all beings with a resounding noise. Thus, an equal and divine battle took place upon the earth. O sage, as they fought, time passed for both the sweat-born and the blood-born warriors. Brahma, with the force of his arrows, pierced that supreme man. Yet, raised by my dust, your Brahma was cast down. A condition was set: if, in another birth, my man is defeated by Hari, then after a battle between the two, he will restrain them and speak. When that great battle arises, I myself will engage him. These two—by nature Rudras—must be protected as best as you can, for they are portions of yourself. At the end of Dvāpara Yuga, you must appoint them upon the earth. Then, the lord of the gods spoke sorrowfully to Viṣṇu, saying, “In this Manvantara, O god, when the Tretā Yuga arrives, Vāli of great arms was slain for the sake of Sugrīva. Afflicted by that grief, I do not accept your man.” Viṣṇu replied, “O Maghavan, for the alleviation of the earth’s burden—” Hearing these words, Indra became delighted. Having thus spoken, he sent forth the two, the Sun and the Moon, once again. Yet, a reprehensible deed was done, O Brahman, in the desire to slay the lord. Therefore, to purify from this sin, perform the highest expiation.