After much reflection, the righteous King Supratīka decided to entrust his kingdom to his son, Durjaya. Leaving behind the affairs of the realm, Supratīka journeyed to the sacred mountain called Citrakūṭa, seeking peace and solitude. Durjaya, now sovereign, inherited a vast and splendid kingdom, complete with elephants, horses, chariots, and cavalry. His mind turned to thoughts of expansion, pondering how to further increase his domain. With wisdom and determination, Durjaya gathered a formidable army—elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry—and set his sights on the northern regions, the lands of the Siddhas, those great souls. He began his campaign by conquering Bhārata, a land renowned for its difficulty to subdue. Victorious, he pressed on to the region called Kimpuruṣa, and from there to other wondrous lands: Hari-varṣa, golden and delightful, Kurubhadrāśva, and Ilāvṛta, the central region of Mount Meru. Durjaya conquered them all, his fame growing ever greater. His ambition led him further, to the island of Jambū, which he also subdued. Emboldened by his successes, Durjaya then confronted the king of the gods himself, along with all the celestial deities. Atop Mount Meru, the sage Narada, son of Brahma, announced Durjaya’s astonishing victory—not only over the gods but also over Gandharvas, Dānavas, Guhyakas, Kinnaras, and Daityas—to the king of the gods. Indra, king of heaven, was stirred to action. Urged by haste and accompanied by the guardians of the worlds, he descended from Mount Meru, intent on destroying Durjaya, who had so swiftly conquered with his weapons. Indra and the guardians took their position in the eastern region, awaiting a momentous event. Meanwhile, Durjaya, having defeated the gods, returned and established his camp on the slopes of Gandhamādana, carefully arranging his supplies. At this time, two ascetics approached him. When they arrived, Durjaya and the guardians of the worlds addressed them, saying, “You have restrained everything; without the guardians, the world does not function. Therefore, grant us that supreme position.” Durjaya, wise and versed in dharma, inquired, “Who are you?” The two, destroyers of enemies, replied, “We are the Asuras Vidyutsu and Vidyunna, O giver of honor.” They offered, “If you desire, O Durjaya, we will carry out all the duties of the guardians of the worlds, in a righteous and well-arranged manner among the virtuous.” Durjaya accepted their offer, and the two Asuras were established in heaven as guardians of the worlds, immediately becoming invisible. Their great deeds upon the mountain would be recounted, and Durjaya himself would go to Mandara. While on Mandara, Durjaya beheld the divine forest of Dhanada, reminiscent of Nandana, the celestial grove. Filled with joy, the excellent king wandered amidst its delights. Beneath golden trees, he saw two maidens, astonishingly beautiful and wondrous to behold. Struck by their radiance, Durjaya wondered who these auspicious-eyed maidens might be. As he pondered, he noticed two ascetics in the forest. Filled with joy, the king approached them, quickly dismounting from his elephant and offering them obeisance. Seated with them on a fine silk seat, the ascetics 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 revealed themselves: “We are 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.” They recounted how, seeing their mighty army struck down and their lives taken by the demons, the gods sought refuge. They approached Lord Hari, master of the gods, who rests in the ocean of milk, supplicating him with reverence: “O God of gods, Hari, all our army has been defeated by the foremost of demons; protect us, for we are afraid and bewildered. In the past, O Keśava, you protected us against the cruel Kālanemi with a thousand arms. Now also, O Lord, these two demons, Hetṛ and Prahetṛ, possessing great armies—slay them and save us all, O God of gods, Lord of the universe.” Thus addressed, Lord Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, promised, “I will go to slay those two.” The gods departed for Mount Meru, contemplating Janārdana in their minds. As soon as they thought of him, the god bearing the discus and mace entered the demon army, alone yet of immense might. By his own power, the Lord made himself one, ten, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand, and ten million forms. As he stood in the army, any demon who relied on their strength was struck down, falling lifeless to the earth. In an instant, the entire fourfold army—horses, elephants, foot soldiers—was destroyed by the wondrous power of the universal form. Having slain the entire army, the god bearing the discus vanished from sight, leaving only devastation behind. Hetṛ and Prahetṛ, having witnessed this divine deed, sought refuge in the bow-bearing god and worshipped him. They then addressed Durjaya: “You, O king, are the son of our friend Supratīka; these are our daughters—accept them, O lord of men. Hetṛ’s daughter is Sukeśī, and Prahetṛ’s is Miśrakeśī.” Thus invited, King Durjaya lawfully took both auspicious maidens as his wives. Filled with great joy, Durjaya returned swiftly to his own kingdom, surrounded by his victorious army.