and truth and self-restraint, and succeeded in obtaining the fruition of many high desires.  That illustrious god is verily the vast receptacle of all energies and penances.  Projecting into existence and withdrawing once more unto himself all things fraught with good and evil, that inconceivable Deity whom thou seekest, O destroyer of foes, lives here with his spouse.  He who took his birth as the Danava named Hiranyakashipu, whose strength was so great that he could shake the very mountains of Meru, succeeded in obtaining from Mahadeva the puissance belonging to all the deities and enjoyed it for ten millions of years.  He who was the foremost of all his sons and who was celebrated by the name of Mandara, succeeded, through the boon he had obtained from Mahadeva, in fighting Sakra for a million of years.  The terrible discus of Vishnu and the thunderbolt of Indra were both unable to make the slightest impression, O Kesava, in days of yore, upon the body of that great cause of universal affliction.[40] The discus which thou bearest, O sinless one, was given unto thee by Mahadeva after he had slain a Daitya that was proud of his strength and used to live within the waters.  That discus, blazing with energy and like unto fire, was created by the great god having for his device the bull.  Wonderful and irresistible in energy it was given unto thee by that illustrious god.  In consequence of its blazing energy it was incapable of being gazed at by any person save Siva the wielder of Pinaka.  It was for this reason that Bhava (Siva) bestowed upon it the name of Sudarsana.  From that time the name Sudarsana came to be current in all the worlds.  Even the weapon, O Kesava, failed to make the slightest impression on the body of Hiranyakashipu’s son Mandara, that appeared like an evil planet in the three worlds.  Hundreds of Chakras like thine and thunderbolts like that of Sakra, could not inflict a scratch on the body of that evil planet endued with great might, who had obtained a boon from Mahadeva.  Afflicted by the mighty Mandara, the deities fought hard against him and his associates, all of whom had obtained boons from Mahadeva.  Gratified with another Danava named Vidyutprabha, Mahadeva granted to him the sovereignty of the three worlds.  That Danava remained the sovereign of the three worlds for a hundred thousand years.  And Mahadeva said unto him,—­Thou shalt become one of my attendants.—­Indeed, the puissant Lord further bestowed upon him the boon of a hundred millions of children.  The Master without birth, of all creatures further gave the Danava the region known by the name of Kusadwipa for his kingdom.  Another great Asura, of the name of Satamukha, was created by Brahma.  For a hundred years he poured on’ the sacrificial fire (as offerings unto Mahadeva) the flesh of his own body.  Gratified with such penances, Sankara said unto him,—­What can I do for thee?—­Satamukha replied unto him, saying,—­O thou that art most wonderful, let me have the power of creating new creatures and