The formidable demon Mura once approached the Grandsire, Brahmā, seeking a boon. He requested that by the mere touch of his hand, even an immortal would be rendered mortal. Granted this fearsome power, the mighty Mura, brimming with energy, made his way to the sacred mountain of the gods. O Nārada, none could stand against Mura on equal terms; his strength was unmatched. Even Purandara, the lord Indra himself, did not dare to confront him in battle. None among the gods could halt Mura as he made his entrance, unopposed and unstoppable. With great arrogance, Mura challenged the thousand-eyed Indra, demanding, “Give battle, O thousand-eyed one, or else abandon heaven!” Pressured by this threat, Indra relinquished his kingdom of heaven and wandered the earth, accompanied by his kin, the other gods, and his son. Meanwhile, Mura took up residence in heaven, reveling in immense pleasures. Those virtuous souls who arrived in heaven found themselves in the company of Mura, enjoying as the righteous ought. One day, Mura, alone and mounted upon an elephant, journeyed toward the banks of the river Sarayu. There, he saw Raghu, who was engaged in a sacred sacrificial rite. Mura declared that unless the sacrifice was halted, the deities should not be worshipped by Raghu. At that moment, the wise Brahmin Vasiṣṭha, foremost among ascetics, spoke. He counseled, “If you wish to strike at him, you must also restrain Antaka, the Lord of Death. For if you conquer him, it is as if you have conquered all the earth.” Taking this to heart, Mura set out to subdue Dharmarāja, the wielder of the staff. Mounting his buffalo, he approached Keśava. He announced, “Go now; send forth the great asura to me.” As these events unfolded, Mura himself arrived at the city, and a challenge was issued: “Speak your intent, O lord of the Dānavas. What action will you take? Otherwise, today I will strike off your head and cast it to the ground.” Confident and resolute, Mura declared, “Having defeated him, I will restrain him—there is no doubt. Yet, he who dwells in Śvetadvīpa, the imperishable one, restrains me.” Determined, Mura proclaimed, “I myself will go there, prepared to restrain him.” In Śvetadvīpa abides the blessed Lord Viṣṇu, master of the worlds and very essence of the universe. But Mura was warned: “You must not restrain those men who uphold dharma—not yet. When the proper time comes for restraint, then you may engage in battle.” There, where Janārdana, the four-formed one, rests upon the serpent couch of Śeṣa, he remains all-pervading and, in some measure, unmanifest. Thus is it said. Now, listen to how the Lord of the universe, the four-formed one, is akin to Brahman. The unmanifest, known as Vāsudeva, is remembered as the twelve-petaled one. Curious, the question arose: “Which are those twelve petals? Tell me their names.” Sanatkumāra once heard this question and related the answer to me. He also conveyed it to you; now, recount it to me in proper order. O best of sages, you have become one who examines the teachings of yoga. Among those twelve, the third is named Sanaka, and the fourth is Sanandana. When Pañcaśikha, the foremost, endowed with yoga and a treasury of austerity, was seen—freed from pride, established in great yoga, and attended by Kapila and others—the teachings and mysteries of the universe were revealed in their proper order.