Surrounded by his delighted allies, Mahendra—the lord of the gods—recovered the stolen cows, and his heart overflowed with joy. In celebration and gratitude, Indra performed thousands of diverse sacrifices, and through these ongoing rites, his divine strength grew ever greater. Empowered by this increase, Indra addressed the assembled army of gods, urging them, “Let the gods quickly arm themselves for the task of slaying the demons.” Responding to his command, the gods immediately armed themselves and, together with Indra, marched forth to destroy the asuras. A fierce battle ensued, swift and decisive. The gods overcame the demon army, and the surviving asuras, terrified and bewildered, fled and plunged into the depths of the ocean. Victorious, the king of the gods, accompanied by the guardians of the worlds, ascended to heaven. Indra, the divine lord, resumed his sovereignty as before, enjoying the fruits of his triumph. It is said that whoever listens daily to this excellent account in its entirety, O mortal, attains the merit of the Gomedha sacrifice. And if a king who has lost his kingdom listens to this tale with a focused mind, he will regain his realm, just as Indra regained heaven. At this point, the Earth herself inquired, “O god, those noble men who were born among the jewels at that time—what boon did the Blessed One grant them in the Treta Yuga? Who will those kings be, and how will they arise? What deeds did they perform? Tell me their separate names.” Śrī Varāha replied, “O Upholder of Beings, listen as I recount to you the origin of Suprabha, the jewel-born king of great mind. In the beginning, during the Krita Yuga, there was a mighty-armed king named Śrutakīrti, renowned throughout the three worlds for his strength. O Earth, Suprabha, the jewel-born, became his son; that powerful Śrutakīrti was also known as Prajāpāla. One day, Prajāpāla ventured into the forest to hunt wild beasts. There, he came upon the blessed hermitage of a sage. This sage, named Mahātapas, was devoted to a higher dharma, practicing severe austerities, fasting, and reciting the eternal Brahman. The illustrious king Prajāpāla, intent on entering, made up his mind and stepped into the hermitage of the great ascetic. The hermitage was wondrous: trees of many kinds grew from the earth, the paths were well-trodden, and creeper-houses shone with moonlight. Bees, lords of their hives, moved about effortlessly. Divine maidens, with tender, reddish lotus-like fingers and nails, walked in rows beneath the trees, their beauty surpassing even Indra’s slayer of Vṛtra. Nearby, delighted birds and intoxicated six-legged creatures dwelled, and the branches, richly flowered and of varying sizes, intertwined gracefully. Grove-houses of kadamba, nīpa, arjuna, and śāla trees were filled with sweet-voiced birds, well-disposed to good people, undisturbed, and steadfast in their duties. From all sides, the smoke of sacrificial fires rose, tended by householders and twice-born sages. Among them, the best stood out, fierce and splendid like a lion tearing apart a lawless elephant. As the king observed these features of the excellent hermitage, he entered further and beheld the great ascetic. Blazing with intense energy, chief among the virtuous, seated on a silken seat, radiant like the sun, foremost among knowers of Brahman, the sage’s presence caused the king, victorious among deer, to forget his intent. Yet, having attained the sage, the king redirected his mind toward righteousness. The sage, seeing the sinless protector of the people, performed the rites of welcome for the king, offering him a seat and hospitality. After being seated, the king bowed to the eminent sage and asked him a most difficult question concerning the earth: “O venerable one, you whose vows are renowned, please tell me, who have come to you in reverence, what should be done by those who, afflicted by the suffering of worldly existence, wish to cross over it?” The great ascetic replied, “For those sinking in the ocean of worldly existence, a steadfast and reliable boat must be fashioned through worship, charity, offerings, various sacrifices, and meditation. Fasten it with the pegs of liberation, tie it with great cords of breath and life-force—O king, now make the Lord of the three worlds your boat. Whoever worships with devotion and bows to Nārāyaṇa, the destroyer of hell and lord of the gods, becomes free from sorrow and attains that supreme, sorrowless, imperishable abode of Viṣṇu.” The king then asked, “O venerable one, knower of all dharma, how is the eternal Viṣṇu to be worshipped by those who desire liberation? Please tell me truly.” The sage answered, “Listen, O wise king, to how Viṣṇu is pleased—so too Hari, the lord of all yogis, for both men and women. All the gods, along with the ancestors and Brahmā and those within the cosmic egg, are born from Viṣṇu—so declares this Vedic revelation. Agni, the Aśvins, Gaurī, the elephant-faced one, serpents, Kārttikeya, the sun, the Mothers, and Durgā as well; the directions, the lord of wealth, Viṣṇu, Yama, Rudra, the moon, and the ancestors—all these have arisen chiefly from the Lord of the universe. All have originated from the body of Hiraṇyagarbha; yet, each, bearing pride, went their separate ways in all directions. Among them, a great sound arose in the assembly of the gods, like the roaring of the ocean: ‘I alone am worthy, I alone am to be worshipped.’ As they disputed, Agni arose and said, ‘Sacrifice to me, meditate on me,’ thus addressing them. ‘Surely this body of the progenitor would perish without me, for I am the great I,’ he declared. Having spoken thus, Agni left the body and departed; yet, even after he had gone, that body did not decay. Then the two Aśvins, embodying the vital breaths dwelling in the body, said, ‘We are the foremost, the best to be worshipped.’ Having said this, they too left the body and went elsewhere; but even after their departure, the body remained, sustained by the field-dweller.” Thus, the story unfolds, revealing the greatness of the gods and the supreme power of Viṣṇu, as told by the sage to the king, and as heard by the Earth from Varāha.