4. He vanquished the Gods and Asuras, and reigned over the whole earth, as the elephant masters the lotus-bed, by expulsion of the drove of swans from it.
5. Thus the lord of the Asuras, having usurped the monarchy of the three worlds, begot many sons in course of time, as the spring brings forth the shoots of trees.
6. These boys grew up to manhood in time, with the display of their manly prowess; and like so many brilliant suns, stretched their thousand rays on all sides of the earth and skies.
7. Among them Prahláda the eldest prince became the regent, as the Kaustubha diamond has the pre-eminence among all other precious gems. (The Kaustubha gem was set in the breast-plate of Vishnu).
8. The father Hiranyakasipu delighted exceedingly in his fortunate son Prahláda, as the year rejoices in its flowering time of the spring (i.e. the father delights in his promising lad, as the year in its vernal season).
9. Supported by his son on one hand, and possessed of his force and treasures on the other; he became puffed up with his pride, as the swollen elephant emitting his froth from his triangular mouth. (Composed of the two sides of the tusks, and the lower part).
10. Shining with his lustre and elated by his pride, he dried and drew up the moisture of the earth, by his unbearable taxation; as the all-destroying suns of universal dissolution, parch up the world by their rays. (Here is a play of the word Kara, in its triple sense of the hand, tax and solar rays).
11. His conduct annoyed the gods and the sun and moon, as the behaviour of a haughty boy, becomes unbearable to his fellow comrades.
12. They all applied to Brahmá, for destruction of the arch demon; because the repeated misdemeanours of the wicked, are unbearable to the good and great.
13. It was then that the leonine Hari-Narasingha, clattered his nails resembling the tusks of an elephant; and thundered aloud like the rumbling noise of the Dig-hastes (the regent elephants of all the quarters of heaven), that filled the concave world as on its last doomsday.