Kāvyā, having pronounced his curse upon the Asuras, declared that they would lose their senses and suffer defeat. With these words, he departed just as he had arrived. Bṛhaspati, now aware that Kāvyā’s curse had taken effect, joyfully resumed his true form. His purpose accomplished and the Asuras fallen, Bṛhaspati vanished from their midst. When the Asuras realized Bṛhaspati had disappeared, confusion and despair overtook them. Bewildered, they lamented to one another, “Alas! We have been deceived! We have turned away and been struck down by the Creator. Through his cunning, we have been burned and robbed of our own well-being.” Fearful and desperate, the Asuras, led by Prahlāda, swiftly made their way to the gods, seeking out Kāvyā once more. Approaching Kāvyā, they assembled before him, facing the east in reverence. Seeing his followers return, Kāvyā addressed them: “I instructed you when the time was right, but you did not honor me. Because of your arrogance, your group has now met with defeat.” Prahlāda, ever wise, spoke respectfully to Kāvyā: “O Bhārgava, set aside your pride and care for your worshippers, especially those who remain devoted to you. We were deceived by the teacher of the gods whom you questioned. With your far-seeing vision, you should protect your devotees. If you, son of Bhṛgu, do not show us your favor, then, condemned by you, we have no choice but to descend to the netherworld.” Moved by their words, Kāvyā, his anger restrained and heart softened by compassion, addressed them with kindness: “Do not fear, nor should you go to the netherworld. What has come to pass was inevitable, and it happened even while I was present. It could not have been otherwise, for what is destined is more powerful than effort. The recognition and glory you lost today will be restored to you in due course. “The time appointed by Brahmā has arrived. By my favor, you once enjoyed the strength of the three worlds. For a full cycle of ten yugas, you surpassed the gods at their zenith; Brahmā himself declared this to be the span of your reign. In the era of Sāvarṇi, your kingship will return, and your grandson Bali will once again become lord of the worlds. Brahmā told me this about your grandson: when the worlds were taken from him, his austerity ceased, but because his actions were free from desire, the Unborn One, pleased with him, granted him the Sāvarṇi interval. “The Lord told me that Bali will become king of the gods; he now remains hidden from all beings, awaiting the destined time. By the grace of the Self-born, immortality has been granted to you as well. Therefore, do not grieve—endure this cycle with composure. I cannot go before you, for Brahmā, who knows the future, has forbidden it. These two disciples of mine are equal to Bṛhaspati; together with the gods, they will restrain you, even if you are enraged.” Thus addressed by Kāvyā, the Daityas, led by Prahlāda and accompanied by the two disciples, accepted his words. Hearing from Śukra that their defeat was inevitable, the Dānavas, still hoping for victory, accepted his counsel. Armed and prepared, they challenged the gods once more. Both sides assembled for battle, and the gods, donning their armor, engaged the Asuras in a fierce war that raged for a hundred years. In that conflict, the Asuras overcame the gods, leaving the defeated deities to consult among themselves. “We do not know the power of Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka among the gods,” they said. “For our own welfare, we must perform a sacrifice. By depriving those two of their knowledge, we can defeat the Asuras.” The gods summoned Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, planning to invite the two brahmins to their sacrifice, hoping they would abandon the Asuras. If not, they resolved to capture them after conquering the Dānavas. Ultimately, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka abandoned the Asuras, and the gods attained victory while the Dānavas were defeated. After this, the Six and the Sun approached, having vanquished both gods and demons, but under Kāvyā’s curse, they too became unsupported. As the gods continued to slay the Asuras, the vanquished demons entered the netherworld. Thus, from that time onward, those demons, rendered powerless by Śakra, suffered the effects of both the curse and Bhṛgu’s will. Whenever the sacrifice declined, Viṣṇu, the Lord, was born again and again—to restore righteousness and destroy unrighteousness. Those demons who did not heed Prahlāda’s command were declared by Brahmā to be fit for destruction at the hands of humans. From Dharma, Nārāyaṇa was born in the interval of Cākṣuṣa; he set the sacrifice in motion during the Vaivasvata interval, at the altar. At another manifestation, Brahmā himself was the priest, especially in the fourth age, when the demons arose. He was born within the ocean at the time of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s death; then, as Narasiṃha, he became Rudra, foremost among the gods. When Bali established himself in the worlds during the seventh age of the Tretā Yuga, as the demons conquered the three worlds, the third incarnation, Vāmana, appeared. Compressing his form into limbs, with Bṛhaspati at the forefront, the delight of the Aditya lineage, now a Brāhmaṇa at an auspicious moment, approached Bali, the son of Virocana. He addressed Bali, saying, “You are the king of the three worlds; in you, all things are established. Therefore, O king, you should grant me three steps of land.” Thus spoke the Lord, marking a new chapter in the unfolding cosmic order.