With reverence and devotion, I bow to Kalagni, the fierce fire of time, to Rudra, lord of the gods, and to the one clad in sacred hides. I offer my salutations to the thousand-eyed one, to Kokanada, and to Hari-Shankara. I bow to the eternal Brahma, and to the supreme being who transcends even Brahman. My salutations go to Dharmaraja, the upholder of righteousness, and to the mighty god who rides upon Garuda. I bow to the great yogi, the unmanifest, the destroyer of all sin. Again, I bow to the refuge of all, the destroyer of sin, in whom I seek shelter. By reciting, remembering, and hearing of these glories, one attains blessedness, fame, and the destruction of many sins. Now, hear the sacred tale. Vali, the mighty son of Virocana, came to the holy land of Kurukshetra with the intent to perform a grand sacrifice. Shukra, the illustrious sage of the Bhargava lineage, summoned the foremost of the twice-born for this sacred rite. Responding to his call, the Kaushikas and Angirasas departed from the lands of Kuru and Jangala. After performing their ritual baths in the pure waters of the Śātadru, they journeyed onward to the river Vipāśā. Their pilgrimage led them to the sacred Kiraṇā, a river radiant with the rays of the sun. Continuing their journey, they bathed in the supremely pure waters of the Airāvatī and then proceeded to Atheśvarī. O sage, Maitreya and the other sages descended together to bathe in this auspicious river. It was within these holy waters, O best of the twice-born, that a great and wondrous event occurred. After completing their bath, all the sages emerged from the water, their minds filled with amazement as they pondered, “What is this?” Before their eyes appeared a forest, dark as the neck of a peacock, echoing with the melodious calls of birds. With their matted locks spread wide, O Nārada, the sages saw the forest itself enter into the earth, displaying ten and a half pleasing colors, shimmering like the multitude of stars in the night sky. The forest was filled with kokanada lotuses, resembling a vast lake abloom with lotuses. Delighted in heart, the sages entered, just as swans glide into a great lake. To the west, they beheld forests rich with wealth, and to the north, a land shining with the pure luster of crystal, radiant and auspicious for liberation. At the end of the Dvāpara age and the beginning of Tiṣya, an āśrama dedicated to dharma was established there, solely for the sake of spiritual practice. In that unbroken, water-filled place, the sages found great joy. There, the Lord of the universe had already been established in four divine forms, worshipped through service, austerity, and celibacy, O Nārada. Yet, out of fear of the asuras, the sages took refuge within the unbroken mountain. After bathing in the sacred waters of the Kalindi, they proceeded southward. By the grace of Vishnu, even the mighty asuras found it difficult to enter that sanctified place. Taking shelter in the company of Rudra and his hosts, the celibate sages remained steadfast in their practice. O sage, Shukra, the descendant of Bhrigu, led all the sages in the performance of the sacrifice. He himself performed the proper sacrificial initiation for Bali, clothing him with a deerskin on his back and adorning him with various kinds of darbha grass. Alongside Bali were Hayagriva, Pralamba, Maya, Bana, and others, all gathered for the sacred rite. Among a thousand maidens present, the chief was the sage’s own daughter. Released to roam the earth, Tarakaksha followed after her. When three months had passed and the time came to offer oblations into the sacred fire, the mother of the gods gave birth to Madhava, who appeared in the form of Vamana.