"Markandeya said, 'Thus addressed by Utanka, that unvanquished royal
sage, with joined hands, O thou foremost of the Kuru race, replied unto
Utanka, saying, "This visit of thine, O Brahmana, will not be in vain.
This my son, O holy one, known by the name of Kuvalaswa is endued with
steadiness and activity. In prowess also he is unequaled on earth.
Without doubt he will accomplish all this that is agreeable to thee,
aided by all his brave sons endued with arms like unto iron maces. Give
me leave to retire, O Brahmana, for I have now given up my weapons."
Thus addressed by the king, that _Muni_ of immeasurable energy replied
unto him, saying, "So be it." And the royal sage Vrihadaswa then, having
commended his son to obey the behest of the high-souled Utanka saying,
"Let it be done by thee," himself retired into an excellent forest.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'O holy one, O thou possessed of the wealth of
asceticism, who was this _Daitya_ of great energy? Whose son and whose
grandson was he? I desire to know all this; O thou possessed of the
wealth of asceticism I never heard of this mighty _Daitya_ before. I
desire to know all this truly, O holy one, and with all particulars in
detail, O thou of great wisdom and ascetic wealth!'
"Markandeya said, 'O monarch, know everything as it happened, O ruler of
men, as I narrate the particulars truly, O thou of great wisdom! When
the world became one broad expanse of water and creatures mobile and
immobile were destroyed, when, O bull of the Bharata race, the entire
creation came to its end, He who is the Source and Creator of the
Universe, viz., the Eternal and unfading Vishnu, He who is called by
_Munis_ crowned with ascetic success as the Supreme Lord of the
Universe, that Being of great holiness, then lay in _Yoga_ sleep on the
wide hood of the Snake Sesha of immeasurable energy, and the Creator of
the Universe, that highly-blessed and holy Hari, knowing no
deterioration, lay on the hood of that Snake encircling the whole Earth
and as the Deity lay asleep on that bed, a lotus, endued with great
beauty and effulgence equal unto that of the Sun, sprang from his navel.
And from that lotus possessed of effulgence like unto the Sun's, sprang
the Grandsire _Brahma_, that lord of the worlds who is the four _Vedas_,
who hath four forms and four faces, who is invincible in consequence of
his own energy and who is endued with mighty strength and great prowess
and as the Lord Hari of wondrous frame, possessed of great lustre and
decked with a crown and the _Kaustubha_ gem and attired in purple silk,
lay stretched for many a _yojana_ on that excellent bed furnished by the
hood of the snake itself extending far and wide, blazing, O king, in his
beauty and the lustre of his own body like a thousand Suns concentrated
in one mass. He was beheld some time after by two _Danavas_ of great
prowess named Madhu and Kaitabha and beholding Hari (in that posture)
and the Grandsire with eyes like lotus-leaves seated on that lotus, both
Madhu and Kaitabha wandered much and they began to terrify and alarm
Brahma of immeasurable prowess, and the illustrious Brahma alarmed by
their continued exertions trembled on his seat, and at his trembling the
stalk of the lotus on which he was seated began to tremble and when the
lotus-stalk trembled, Kesava awoke. And awakened from his slumber,
Govinda beheld those _Danavas_ of mighty energy, and beholding them the
Deity said unto them, "Welcome, ye mighty ones! I am gratified with you!
Therefore, I will grant you excellent boons!" And thereupon both those
proud and mighty _Danavas_, O king, laughingly replied unto Hrishikesa,
saying, "Ask boons of us, O Divine one! O thou that art the Supreme
Deity, we are disposed to grant thee a boon. Indeed, we will grant thee
a boon! Therefore, ask thou of us anything that cometh to thy mind."
Thus addressed by them the holy one spoke, "Ye brave ones, I will accept
a boon from you. There is a boon that I desire. Both of you are
possessed of mighty energy. There is no male person like unto any of
you. O ye of unbaffled prowess, submit ye to be slain by me. Even that
is what I desire to accomplish for the good of the world." Hearing these
words of the Deity, both Madhu and Kaitabha said, "We have never before
spoken an untruth; no, not even in jest; what shall we say of other
occasions! O thou foremost of male Beings, know that we have ever been
firm in truth and morality. In strength, in forms, in beauty, in virtue,
in asceticism, in charity, in behaviour, in goodness, in self control,
there is no one equal unto either of us. A great danger, O Kesava, hath
approached us. Accomplish thou, therefore, what thou hast said. No one
can prevail over Time. But, O Lord, there is one thing that we desire to
be done by thee. O thou best and foremost of all Deities, thou must slay
us at a spot that is absolutely uncovered. And, O thou of excellent
eyes, we also desire to become thy sons. This is the boon that we
desire, know then, O chief of the gods! Let not that, O Deity, be false
which thou hadst at first promised to us." The Holy One then replied
unto them saying, "Yes, I will do as ye desire. Everything will be as ye
wish!"
"Markandeya continued, 'Then Govinda began to reflect but uncovered
space found he none and when he could not discover any spot that was
uncovered on earth or in the sky, that foremost Deity then beheld his
thighs to be absolutely uncovered. And there, O king, the illustrious
Deity cut off the heads of Madhu and Kaitabha with his keenedged
discus!'"