Yajna and others are Avatâras of Purusha. Guided by them, Manu and others lead the course of the universe. _Rishis_: — At the end of every four Yugas, the Srutis become devoured by time. (The human races have a life period timed to the four Yugas. They have their infancy, as it were, in Satya Yuga, and they have to be guided by wise sayings, which form the Srutis of those races. The Srutis become better understood with the growth of racial intelligence and other texts take the place of old ones. When the races do not require the help of the earlier texts, those texts become lost in time. When the races begin another life cycle, they require again the help of teachings, which become revealed to the Rishis. The Rishis then give those teachings to the races.) The Rishis find out the Srutis, by means of Tapas. The eternal Dharma proceeds from the Srutis. (People know their duties from the scriptures.) _Manus_. — The Manus then take up the Dharma, and each in his own time devotedly promulgates it on the earth. _Manu’s sons_. — The sons of Manu preserve the Dharma, generation after generation, till the end of the Manvantara. _Devas and Indra_. — Indra, with the Devas that participate in sacrificial offerings, protects the three Lokas and gives rains. (Besides this general administration, there are other ways also of managing the affairs of the universe and these are mentioned incidentally in the following slokas. _Śridhara_.) Hari appears as the Siddhas (Sanaka and others) and expounds divine wisdom (Jnâna) in every Yuga. He appears as Rishis (Yâjnavalkya and others) and expounds Karma. As Lords of Yoga (Dattâtreya and others), He expounds Yoga. THE STORY OF BALI. *SKANDHA VIII. CHAPS. 15-23.* Bali, son of Virochana and grandson of Prahlâda, was once defeated by Indra. His Guru, Sukra, advised him to perform the Visvajit sacrifice. When _ghee_ was offered at the sacrifice, one chariot, some green coloured horses, one lion-marked flag, one golden bow, two quivers with an inexhaustible store of arrows, and one divine _kavacha_ (protective charm) arose from the fire. Bali gladly accepted these things. Prahlâda also gave him a fresh garland and Sukra gave him a conch. Equipped with these things Bali attacked Svarga. Brihaspati told Indra the time was inauspicious and the Devas could not succeed without the help of Vishnu. He advised them to give in and to remain concealed somewhere, till the time came for their ascendancy. The Devas followed the advice of Brihaspati and Bali became the king of Trilokî. Sukra advised Bali to perform one hundred Asvamedha sacrifices. Aditi became disconsolate at the down-fall of her sons. She asked her husband Kasyapa what to do for her sons. The Prajâpati advised her to observe Payōravata in honor of Vishnu (for details, see the original). She observed the Vrata for 12 days when Vishnu appeared before her and assured her He would incarnate as her son.