The sages, eager to hear of Viṣṇu’s divine exploits, approached the great-minded narrator. “Tell us,” they implored, “of Viṣṇu’s wondrous deeds, as described by the Vedas and the wise—of his marvelous origin, his renowned strength and valor, his many manifestations, and the stories that bring happiness to those who listen.” The sage replied, “I shall recount for you the manifestation of the great-souled Viṣṇu—how, through immense austerity, the blessed one took birth among men. Due to the curse of Bhṛgu, it is said Viṣṇu has been born seventy-seven times, at the end of each age, to fulfill the purposes of the gods. Whenever righteousness declines and the power of time wanes, Viṣṇu assumes a divine form and appears among mortals, compelled by Bhṛgu’s curse and by the deeds of gods and asuras alike. “Do you wish to know how the deeds of gods and asuras led Viṣṇu to take birth again? And how the great conflict between these two races came to be? Listen, then, as I recount their tale. “Once, the mighty asura Hiraṇyakaśipu ruled the three worlds. In time, Bali succeeded him, and there was a period of great friendship between gods and asuras. In that age, all beings obeyed the established order, and peace prevailed throughout the world. Yet, this harmony did not last. A terrible conflict arose, shattering that peace and bringing destruction to both sides, as gods and asuras fought many battles for the right to rule. “In this Boar epoch, twelve great battles are remembered, each corresponding to the six northern courses of the Sun. Let me name them for you: the first is the battle of Narasimha, the second of Vāmana, the third is Varāha, and the fourth is the Churning of the Nectar. The fifth is the dreadful war with Tāraka. The sixth is called Ādibaka, the seventh is the battle of Tripura, the eighth is Andhakāra, and the ninth is known as Dhvaja. The tenth is Vartta, the eleventh is Hala, and the twelfth, the fearsome Kolahala. “Hiraṇyakaśipu was slain by Narasimha, Viṣṇu’s man-lion form. Bali was subdued by Vāmana, the dwarf, when he sought to conquer the three worlds. Hiraṇyākṣa, mighty and undefeated, was killed in single combat. The earth itself was raised from the ocean by the tusks of Viṣṇu as the Boar. During the churning of the nectar, Prahlāda was defeated by Indra. Virocana, son of Prahlāda, always plotting against Indra, was slain by him in the war with Tāraka. “Sañjaba, who had become invulnerable by your grace and was armed with special weapons, was slain by Viṣṇu, who entered the body of Śakra, in the sixth battle. When the triple city of the asuras could not be defended, all the Dānavas were destroyed by Tryambaka during the destruction of Tripura. In the eighth battle, the asuras and rākṣasas, bringers of darkness, joined with the Pitṛs, who had overcome gods and men. Yet, when the Dānavas assembled in full force, they were destroyed by Mahendra (Indra) with Viṣṇu’s aid. “Dhvaja was slain by Mahendra, who fought 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 in the Kolahala battle. Shandamarka was overcome by the gods with the nectar of sacrifice. “These, then, are the twelve great Daiva-Asura battles, which brought destruction to both gods and demons and misfortune to all beings. “Hiraṇyakaśipu ruled for one hundred million years, then for seventy-two hundred thousand more, and for eighty thousand years he was lord of the three worlds. After him, Bali ruled for another hundred million years, and for sixty thousand and thirty hundred thousand more. As long as Bali held the right to rule, Prahlāda maintained control; during that time, the asuras possessed the kingdom. “These three—Hiraṇyakaśipu, Bali, and Prahlāda—were renowned as the Indras of the asuras, ruling over all the Daityas for ten yugas. For those ten yugas, their dominion was unchallenged. But then, as time turned, mighty Indra protected the three worlds, and the realm passed from Prahlāda. When the destined moment arrived, Indra, the slayer of Pāka, ruled the three worlds. “Then, the gods abandoned the asuras and went to perform sacrifice. Seeing this, the asuras spoke to Kāvya, their wise preceptor: ‘Our kingdom has been taken from us before our eyes. The gods, having abandoned the sacrifice, have returned again. Today, we are powerless—let us descend to the netherworld.’ “Kāvya, distressed, consoled them: ‘Do not fear, asuras. I will sustain you with my own power. The rain, the plants, the waters, and all wealth—all these exist in me. The gods receive their share only through my feet. For your sake, I will grant you all this; I will sustain it all.’ “But when the gods saw the asuras supported by the wisdom of Kāvya, they became anxious and eager for victory. They conferred among themselves, saying, ‘This Kāvya is taking everything from us by force. Let us act quickly; when the asuras’ food is exhausted, we shall revive them and, by force, send the remaining ones to the underworld.’ “Thus unfolded the wondrous deeds of Viṣṇu, and the fate of gods and asuras in the cycles of time.