nether region, took up all the Vedas.  Returning to where Brahma was staying, he gave the Vedas unto him.  Having restored the Vedas unto Brahma, the Supreme Lord once more returned to his own nature.  The Supreme Lord also established his form with the equine head in the North-Eastern region of the great ocean.  Having (in this way) established him who was the abode of the Vedas, he once more became the equine-headed form that he was.[1896] The two Danavas Madhu and Kaitabha, not finding the person from whom those sounds proceeded, quickly came back to that spot.  They cast their eyes around but beheld that the spot on which they had thrown the Vedas was empty.  Those two foremost of mighty Beings, adopting great speed of motion, rose from the nether region.  Returning to where the primeval Lotus was that had given them birth, they saw the puissant Being, the original Creator, staying in the form of Aniruddha of fair complexion and endued with a splendour resembling that of the Moon.  Of immeasurable prowess, he was under the influence of Yoga-sleep, his body stretched on the waters and occupying a space as vast as itself.  Possessed of great effulgence and endued with the attribute of stainless Sattwa, the body of the Supreme Lord lay on the excellent hood of a snake that seemed to emit flames of fire for the resplendence attaching to it.  Beholding the Lord thus lying, the two foremost of Danavas roared out a loud laugh.  Endued with the attributes of Rajas and Tamas, they said.—­’This is that Being of white complexion.  He is now lying asleep.  Without doubt, this one has brought the Vedas away from the nether region.  Whose is he?  Whose is he?  Who is he?  Why is he thus asleep on the hood of a snake:  Uttering these words, the two Danavas awakened Hari from his Yoga-slumber.  The foremost of Beings, (viz., Narayana), thus awakened, understood that the two Danavas intended to have an encounter with him in battle.  Beholding the two foremost of Asuras prepared to do battle with him, he also set his mind to gratify that desire of theirs.  Thereupon an encounter took place between those two on one side and Narayana on the other.  The Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha were embodiments of the attributes of Rajas and Tamas.  Narayana slew them both for gratifying Brahma.  He thence came to be called by the name of Madhusudana (slayer of Madhu).  Having compassed the destruction of the two Asuras and restored the Vedas to Brahma, the Supreme Being dispelled the grief of Brahma.  Aided then by Hari and assisted by the Vedas, Brahma created all the worlds with their mobile and immobile creatures.  After this, Hari, granting unto the Grandsire intelligence of the foremost order relating to the Creation, disappeared there and then for going to the place he had come from.  It was thus that Narayana, having assumed the form equipt with the horse-head, slew the two Danavas Madhu and Kaitabha (and disappeared from the sight of Brahma).  Once more, however, he assumed the same form for the sake of causing the religion of Pravritti to flow in the universe.’