xertions 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!'"

SECTION CCIII

"Markandeya said, 'The illustrious Dhundhu, O ki