of an Asura.  While publicly offering unto the deities their shares of sacrificial offerings, he privately offered shares thereof unto the Asuras.  The Asuras, with their chief Hiranyakasipu at their head, then repaired to their sister, the mother of Viswarupa, and solicited a boon from her, saying,—­The son Viswarupa by Tashtri, otherwise called Trisiras, is now the priest of the deities.  While he gives unto the deities their shares of sacrificial offerings publicly, he gives us our shares of the same privately.  In consequence of this, the deities are being aggrandised, and we are being weakened.  It behoveth thee, therefore, to prevail upon him that he may take up our cause.  Thus addressed by them, the mother of Viswarupa repaired to her son who was then staying in the Nandana woods (of Indra) and said unto him,—­How is it, O son, that thou art engaged in aggrandising the cause of thy foes and weakening that of thy maternal uncles?  It behoveth thee not to act in this way.—­Viswarupa, thus solicited by his mother, thought that he should not disobey her words, and as the consequence of that reflection he went over to the side of Hiranyakasipu, after having paid proper respects to his mother.  King Hiranyakasipu, upon the arrival of Trisiras, dismissed his old Hotri, viz., Vasishtha, the son of Brahma, and appointed Trisiras to that office.  Incensed at this, Vasishtha cursed Hiranyakasipu, saying,—­Since thou dismissest me and appointest another person as thy Hotri, this sacrifice of thine shall not be completed, and some Being the like of whom has not existed before will slay thee!—­In consequence of this curse, Hiranyakasipu was slain by Vishnu in the form of a man-lion, Viswarupa, having adopted the side of his maternal relations, employed himself in severe austerities for aggrandising them.  Impelled by the desire of causing him to swerve from his vows, Indra despatched to him many beautiful Apsaras.  Beholding those celestial nymphs of transcendent beauty, the heart of Viswarupa became agitated.  Within a very short time he became exceedingly attached to them.  Understanding that he had become attached to them, the celestial nymphs said unto him one day,—­We shall not tarry here any longer.  In fact, we shall return to that place whence we came.  Unto them that said so, the son of Tashtri replied,—­Where will you go?  Stay with me.  I shall do you good.  Hearing him say so, the Apsaras rejoined,—­We are celestial nymphs called Apsaras.  We chose in days of old the illustrious and boon-giving Indra of great puissance, Viswarupa then said unto them.  This very day I shall so ordain that all the deities with Indra at their head shall cease to be.  Saying this, Trisiras began to recite mentally certain sacred Mantras of great efficacy.  By virtue of those Mantras he began to increase in energy.  With one of his mouths he began to drink all the Soma that Brahmanas engaged in Sacrifices poured on their sacred fires with due rites.  With a second mouth he