In the lineage of Ariṣṭanemi, there were sixteen notable offspring born of his wives. Among them, Bahuputra, renowned for his wisdom, had four sons known as the Vidyuts, or lightnings. From Pratyangiras, the Ṛc hymns were born—these sacred verses, revered by the Brahmarṣis, held a place of great honor. The divine sage Kṛśāśva was remembered for his descendants, the Devapraharaṇas. At the end of every thousand ages, all these groups of gods are born anew, dear Maitreya. Thirty-three deities emerge from the Vedic hymns, and with each cycle, their dissolution and reappearance are spoken of. Just as the sun rises and sets each day, so too do these hosts of gods come into being with every age. Now, it is told that Diti bore two mighty sons to Kaśyapa: Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa, both formidable and difficult to overcome. Siṃhikā was their sister, who became the wife of Vipracitti. Hiraṇyakaśipu, in turn, had four sons, all renowned for their strength: Anuhlāda, Hlāda, Saṃhlāda, and Prahlāda the wise. These valiant sons expanded the Daitya lineage, but among them, Prahlāda stood out—greatly fortunate and blessed with equal vision toward all. He spoke often of supreme devotion to Janārdana, the Lord of all. Though the king of the Daityas tried to destroy him, Prahlāda remained unharmed. When fire was kindled and applied to his limbs, it did not burn him, for Vāsudeva dwelled within his heart. Cast into the turbulent waters of the great ocean, the very earth trembled as he, bound by ropes, was tossed about. Weapons of all kinds, hurled by the Daitya king, could not break his body, which was hard as a mountain, for his mind was ever fixed on Acyuta. Serpent chiefs, their mouths blazing with poison, were set upon him by the Daityas, yet even their venom could not bring about his end—his energy was immense. When mountains were pressed upon his body, Prahlāda did not yield, for he remembered the Supreme Person and clung to life, sustained by thoughts of Viṣṇu. Thrown from high places, he was miraculously supported, and even when the drying wind was sent into his body by the Daitya king, it was instantly stilled by his unwavering focus on Madhusudana. Mad elephants, transformed by the Daitya lord, charged at his chest, but their tusks were broken and their pride shattered. The destructive sorcery conjured by the Daitya priests in ancient times failed to harm him, for his mind was steadfastly attached to Govinda. The thousand illusions of Shambara, master of magic, were unleashed against him, but the discus of Krishna rendered them powerless. Even the deadly halahala poison, brought by the slayers of the Daitya lord, was consumed and digested by Prahlāda, whose mind was free from pride and delusion. He regarded all beings equally, endowed with supreme friendliness, seeing others as himself. Righteous and steadfast, he was the supreme repository of truth, valor, and all virtues—a model for the virtuous. Maitreya, filled with wonder, addressed the sage Parāśara: "O great sage, you have recounted the lineage of Manu and revealed that Viṣṇu alone is the eternal cause of this world. You have told how the Blessed Lord protected Prahlāda, the foremost of the Daityas, so that neither fire nor weapons could harm him, nor could he be made to abandon his life. "When Prahlāda was cast into the waters, the earth itself trembled. Bound and tossed about, he was struck even by herds of cows. His body was pressed by mountains, yet he did not die; you yourself have spoken of his great might. I wish to hear, O sage, the full account of this devotee of Viṣṇu, whose wondrous deeds you have described. "For what reason did the Daityas strike him with weapons? Why was he cast into the ocean, pressed by mountains, attacked by serpents, thrown from mountain peaks, or into fire? Why was he made to lie on the tusk-ground of elephants, or subjected to the drying wind? What sorcery did the Daitya teachers employ? What were the thousand illusions of Shambara? Why was the deadly halahala poison given to him, and how did he survive it? "All this, O blessed sage, I long to hear—the deeds of the great-souled Prahlāda, which reveal his supreme greatness. Truly, it is no wonder that he was not slain by the Daityas, for who, with mind devoted solely to Viṣṇu, could ever be defeated? In him, ever devoted to righteousness and the destruction of Keshava's enemies, it was exceedingly difficult for the Daityas, his own kin, to even act against him or look upon him with hostility. "Even adversaries of great soul do not attack one so virtuous and truthful; how much less, then, would birds or other creatures? Therefore, O best of sages, narrate all this in detail. I wish to hear completely the glorious deeds of Prahlāda, lord of the Daityas." Parāśara replied: "O Maitreya, listen well as I recount the story of Prahlāda, the wise and noble soul, whose conduct was ever righteous and whose devotion to the Supreme was unwavering.