“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