"Then, when the human world was already full, O bull among the Bharatas, asuras were born into the line of kings, O lord of men. For the daityas, repeatedly defeated in battle by the Adityas (the gods) and cast down from their dominion, began to be born here on earth. Desiring to attain divinity here, the proud asuras began to be born among various creatures on earth, O sovereign: among cows, horses, O king of kings, donkeys, camels, buffaloes, among beasts of prey, elephants, and wild animals. From the demons born and being born, O lord of the earth, this earth could no longer hold itself up by itself. Some, the mighty sons of Diti and Danu, cast down from that world, were born here as kings. Powerful, arrogant, assuming many forms, crushers of their foes, they roamed over this earth, bounded by the ocean. They oppressed with their might the brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras, and other creatures; terrifying and slaughtering those multitudes of beings, they wandered the earth by the hundreds of thousands, O king. Assaulting the great sages dwelling in their hermitages here and there, scorning the brahmins, intoxicated with the pride of their might and the strength of their intoxication — thus oppressed by these great asuras, swollen with might and strength, this earth took refuge with Brahma. For this earth, trampled by the force of the danavas, could no longer be upheld by wind, nagas, or mountains. Then the earth, tormented by its burden and afflicted by fear, went for refuge to the god, the grandsire of all beings [Brahma]."