In the inner region of the navel, the god of fire abides, sustaining the vital forces within. The mind is recognized as Prajapati, the lord of creation, while phlegm is understood to be Soma, the nourishing essence. Bile itself is the very fire, and these two—fire and Soma—are said to be the fundamental essences of the world. From their union, the embryo develops, resembling a mass of water in its earliest state. Then, the wind, united with the supreme self, enters the body. It exists within in fivefold form, giving rise to growth and vitality. These five vital airs are known as Prāṇa, Apāna, Samāna, Udāna, and Vyāna. Prāṇa, increasing the presence of the supreme self, moves within; Apāna moves downward in the lower body; Udāna rises upward; Vyāna pervades all throughout; and Samāna is present in all the joints, balancing the energies. From this arrangement, perception of the elements arises, accessible to the senses—earth, air, space, water, and fire. All the senses are established within this body, each performing its own unique function. This is called the earthly body, while the vital self is said to be the wind. From space are born the openings of the body, and the flow of fluids is set in motion. Fire becomes sight, and its brilliance is called light; from its power arise the senses and their domains. Thus, the eternal Person creates all these worlds. But how, in this mortal world, did Viṣṇu, the preserver of all, take on human form? This is our doubt, O wise one—it is truly a great wonder: how did He who moves among the movers come to possess a human body? We are eager to hear, in due order, of Viṣṇu’s deeds, for the Vedas and sages describe Him as possessing wondrous qualities. Tell us, O great-minded sage, the marvelous origin of Viṣṇu; recount this wondrous story, which brings happiness to all who hear it. Let the being of Viṣṇu, renowned for strength and valor, His manifestations and wondrous deeds, be described here. Now, I shall recount the manifestation of the great-souled one—how that blessed One, steadfast in austerity, was born among men. Seventy-seven births have been spoken of, arising from the curse of Bhṛgu, in which Viṣṇu is born at the end of each age to accomplish the purpose of the gods. Hear from me about the divine body of Viṣṇu: when the law of the age declines and time grows weak, the Lord appears. To establish righteousness, He is born among men—due to the curse of Bhṛgu, and the deeds of gods and asuras. But how did He, on account of the deeds of gods and asuras, obtain another birth? We wish to know how the conflict between gods and asuras came to be. Listen, as I recount the story of the gods and asuras as it happened: the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu once ruled the three worlds. After him, Bali became the ruler of all, and during their reigns, there was great friendship between the gods and asuras. There existed an unbroken age of tenfold mixture, and the world was undisturbed; in those days, gods and asuras remained obedient to command. But then, a mighty and terrible conflict arose, bringing great destruction to both gods and asuras. For the sake of their inheritance, many battles were fought. In this Boar epoch, twelve battles are remembered as the six northern of the Sun. Now, listen briefly to their names as I declare them: the first is the Narasimha battle, the second is the Vāmana; the third is the Varāha, the fourth is the Churning of the Nectar; the fifth battle is the terrible Tāraka war. The sixth is the Ādibaka among them, the seventh is known as the Tripura; Andhakāra is the eighth, and Dhvaja is remembered as the ninth. The tenth is Vartta, then Hala is the eleventh; the twelfth among them is the dreadful Kolahala. In these battles, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu was slain by Narasimha; Bali was subdued by Vāmana when he sought to conquer the three worlds. Hiraṇyākṣa was killed in single combat, challenged by the gods—mighty in strength and valor, undefeated in battle. By the tusks of the Boar, the earth was raised from the ocean. Prahlāda was defeated in battle by Indra during the churning of the nectar. Virocana, son of Prahlāda, ever intent on killing Indra, was himself slain by Indra in the Tāraka war. Having attained invulnerability from you and equipped with special weapons, Sanjaba was slain in the sixth battle by Viṣṇu, who had entered Śakra. Unable to protect the triple city among the gods, all the Dānavas were slain by Tryambaka in the destruction of Tripura. In the eighth battle, the Asuras and Rākṣasas, bringers of darkness, gathered with the Pitṛs who had conquered gods and men. The assembled Dānavas, gathered together in their entirety, were destroyed by Mahendra with the aid of Viṣṇu. Dhvaja was slain by Mahendra, fighting while concealed by illusion; the mighty-armed Vipravartin, entering the mark on the banner, was overthrown. Raji, surrounded by the gods, conquered all the Daityas and Dānavas assembled in the Kolahala; Śandamarka was conquered by the gods with the nectar of sacrifice. These are the twelve Daiva-Asura battles that have occurred, bringing destruction to gods and demons, and misfortune to living beings. King Hiraṇyakaśipu ruled for a hundred million years; then for seventy-two hundred thousand more, and for eighty thousand he was lord of the three worlds. After him, in succession, Bali became king for another hundred million years, and for sixty thousand and thirty hundred thousand more. Thus, O seekers, is recounted the wondrous origin and deeds of Viṣṇu, who descends among mortals at the turning of the ages, ever upholding righteousness and restoring balance to the worlds.