You are the supreme, unchanging One—neither diminished nor increased, self-dependent, without beginning or end, sovereign and untouched by fatigue, sloth, fear, anger, or desire. Faultless and beyond all attainment, you are the imperishable order, the Lord of all, the supreme support and the very essence of all radiance. O Supreme Person, your meditation is free from all coverings and supports, and your abode is one of great majesty. To you, we offer our salutations. Your taking of a body is not caused by anything, nor does it happen without cause; nor is it a result of both cause and non-cause. You incarnate solely for the protection of dharma. Having heard such praise, the unborn Lord revealed his universal form, and with delight in his heart, spoke to Brahmā. The Blessed Lord said, “O Brahmā, if you and the gods desire anything from me, speak it fully and know that it is already accomplished.” Then, Brahmā, beholding Hari’s divine universal form, praised him again amidst the gods, whose hearts overflowed with awe and reverence. Brahmā said, “Salutations, salutations a thousand times to you, O thousand-armed One with many faces and feet! Salutations to you, immeasurable One, who brings about the creation, destruction, and maintenance of the worlds. O Lord, subtler than the subtlest, vaster than the vastest, heavier than the heaviest, supreme soul beyond matter, intellect, and senses—be gracious to us. This earth, bound by mountains and oppressed by great demons born of the earth, now seeks refuge in you, the unfathomable remover of burdens. We are here—Indra, the enemy of Vṛtra, the two Aśvins, Varuṇa, the Rudras, the Vasus, the Sūryas, Vāyu, Agni, and others who bring happiness. All the gods, O Lord of gods, are ever ready to fulfill your commands; whatever task you assign, we shall carry out, remaining always at your service.” Thus praised, the Supreme Lord drew from himself two hairs—one white and one black. He said to the gods, “These two hairs of mine, descending to the earth, will relieve the world of its burden. Let all the gods descend to earth with their own portions and wage war against the mad, powerful demons who have arisen. Those demons on earth will be utterly destroyed—there is no doubt—by my descent. The wife of Vasudeva, Devakī, who is like a goddess, will bear the eighth embryo—my hair, O gods. Descending there, he will slay Kaṃsa on earth and the reborn Kālanemi.” Having spoken thus, Hari vanished. When the Lord became invisible, the gods bowed to the great sage and went to the summit of Meru, then descended to earth. Nārada, the sage, declared to Kaṃsa that the eighth embryo of Devakī would be born. Hearing this from Nārada, Kaṃsa became enraged and imprisoned Devakī and Vasudeva in his house under strict guard. As Vasudeva had promised Kaṃsa before, so now did he hand over his sons to him. The six sons, known as the offspring of Hiraṇyakaśipu, were, by the will of Viṣṇu, drawn into Devakī’s womb through the power of sleep—Yoganidra, the great illusion belonging to Viṣṇu, who deludes the world through ignorance. Then the Blessed Hari addressed her. The Lord said, “O Sleep, by my command, go to the lower realms and, one by one, transfer the six sons into Devakī’s womb. After these six are slain by Kaṃsa, then a portion of mine, called Śeṣa, will become the seventh in her womb, as a partial manifestation. In Gokula, Vasudeva’s other wife, Rohiṇī, resides; the embryo from Devakī should be transferred by you, O goddess, into her womb at the same time. Because of fear and oppression by the Bhoja king, people will say that Devakī’s seventh child was miscarried. Due to this transfer, that hero, shining like the peak of the white mountain, will be known in the world as Saṅkarṣaṇa. Then I shall be born in the auspicious womb of Devakī; but you must quickly go to Yaśodā, carrying my brilliance. In the rainy season, on the eighth night of the dark fortnight, I will be born at night; but you, O goddess, will give birth on the ninth day. On Yaśodā’s bed, I will be placed, and you, O faultless one, will be placed by Devakī; Vasudeva, impelled by my power, will carry this out. Kaṃsa, taking you, O goddess, will throw you upon the rocky summit of a mountain, and you will attain your own divine form. Then the thousand-eyed wielder of the discus, out of respect for me, will bow to you and accept you as his sister. You will slay thousands of demons like Śumbha and Niśumbha, and you will adorn the entire earth with many abodes. You are prosperity, humility, forbearance, beauty, the sky, the earth, steadfastness, modesty, nourishment, and even wrath—whatever else exists, you are that as well. Those who call you Aryā, Durgā, Vedagarbha, Ambikā, Bhadra, Bhadrakālī, Kṣema-dā, or Bhāgya-dā—morning and afternoon, these devoted ones will praise you with bowed forms; whatever they desire will be granted to them by my favor. When honored with offerings of liquor, meat, and various foods, you will graciously grant all the wishes of people without exception.” Then, just as the Lord of gods had spoken, she who sustains the world arranged the transfer of the embryo and the extraction of another, setting in motion the divine plan for the world’s deliverance.