As the king of the gods approached, the sage, though pleased within, outwardly showed displeasure and grew angry. In a fierce voice, he pronounced a powerful curse upon Indra: “Because you have shown me disrespect, O foolish lord of heaven, you will be cast down from your kingdom and dwell in another world.” Having spoken thus in anger to Indra, the sage turned to King Supratīka and blessed him: “O king, your son will be steadfast in valor. He will be glorious, resembling Indra in form, radiant, skilled in weapons, renowned for his prowess, learned in the arts and actions of Vidyutprabhā. Though fierce in deeds, he will be an unconquerable king, exceedingly strong.” With these words, the sage departed. King Supratīka, righteous and wise, caused his wife Vidyutprabhā to conceive, and in due time she gave birth to a son. The child was named Durjaya, mighty in strength. The sage himself, the ascetic Durvāsas, pure in body, performed the birth and other sacraments for Durjaya. By the power of Durvāsas’s actions, Durjaya grew gentle, mastering the meaning of the Vedas and scriptures, righteous and pure in conduct. The king’s second wife, Kīrtimatī, blessed and noble, bore a son named Sudyumna, who also mastered the Vedas and their branches. Time passed, and when King Supratīka saw his son Durjaya was fit to rule, he drew him near. As Supratīka grew old, the powerful lord of Vārāṇasī reflected on the matter of succession, and, being righteous, he gave the kingdom to Durjaya before retiring to the mountain called Citrakūṭa. Durjaya, now king, inherited a great realm filled with elephants, horses, chariots, and cavalry. He pondered how to further expand his dominion. Gathering a mighty army, he advanced toward the northern direction, claiming all the regions to the north, lands belonging to the Siddhas. He conquered Bhārata, a land difficult to overcome, and then subdued Kimpuruṣa. Continuing, Durjaya conquered Hari-varṣa, a delightful golden region, Kurubhadrāśva, and Ilāvṛta, the central region of Mount Meru, thus gaining mastery over all these lands. Having conquered the island called Jambū, Durjaya set his sights on the king of the gods himself, challenging Indra and all the deities. Ascending Mount Meru, the sage Narada, son of Brahma, proclaimed Durjaya’s victory over the gods, Gandharvas, Dānavas, Guhyakas, Kinnaras, and Daityas to Indra. Alarmed, Indra, urged by haste and accompanied by the guardians of the worlds, descended from Mount Meru to the mortal realm to confront Durjaya, who had swiftly conquered with weapons. Indra and the guardians of the worlds stationed themselves in the eastern region, awaiting a great event. Meanwhile, Durjaya, after defeating the gods, returned and established his camp on the slopes of Gandhamādana, arranging his supplies. At that moment, two ascetics approached him. When these two arrived, King Durjaya and the guardians of the worlds addressed them: “You have restrained everything; without the guardians, the world does not function. Therefore, grant us that supreme position.” Durjaya, wise in dharma, asked, “Who are you?” The two replied, “We are the Asuras named Vidyutsu and Vidyunna, O giver of honor. If you desire, we will carry out all the duties of the guardians of the worlds, in a righteous and well-arranged manner among the virtuous.” Agreeing, Durjaya established the two Asuras as guardians of the worlds in heaven; immediately, they became invisible. Their great deeds performed on the mountain would later be recounted, and King Durjaya would reside on Mount Mandara. Wandering joyfully in the divine forest of Dhanada, which resembled the celestial Nandana grove, Durjaya was delighted by its beauty. Beneath golden trees, he saw two maidens, exceedingly beautiful and wondrous to behold. Filled with astonishment, he wondered who these auspicious-eyed maidens were, and stood for a moment, observing two ascetics in the forest. Upon seeing the ascetics, Durjaya quickly approached them with great joy, dismounted from his elephant, and offered obeisance. Seated with them on a fine silk seat, he was asked, “Who are you? Where have you come from? Whose are you, and why are you here?” Durjaya, renowned as Supratīka’s son, laughed and replied, “A son has been born to me, named Durjaya. Desiring to conquer all the kings on earth, I have come here, O noble ones. You ascetics should always remember me. Who are you both? Tell me, for you seem to seek my favor.” The ascetics replied, “We are called Hetṛ and Prahetṛ, sons of Manu Svāyambhuva. We came to Mount Meru for the destruction of the gods. Our great army, crowded with elephants, horses, and chariots, defeated the hosts of all the gods by the hundreds and thousands.” Seeing their mighty army struck down and their lives threatened by demons, the gods sought refuge. They approached Lord Hari, the master of the gods, who rests in the ocean of milk, with reverence and supplication: “O God of gods, Hari, all our army has been defeated by the foremost of demons; protect us, for we are afraid and our senses are bewildered. In the past, O Keśava, you protected us in the battle between gods and demons against the cruel Kālanemi with a thousand arms. Now also, O Lord of the gods, these two demons, Hetṛ and Prahetṛ, thorns to the gods and possessing great armies—slay them and save us all, O God of gods, Lord of the universe.” Thus addressed, Lord Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, the supreme Lord, replied, “I will go to slay those two.” With these words, the Lord of the universe prepared to intervene.