असुराणां पुराण्यासंस्त्रीणि वीर्यवर्तां दिवि । आयसं राजतं चैव सौवर्णमपि चापरम्
asurāṇāṃ purāṇy āsan trīṇi vīryavatāṃ divi | āyasaṃ rājataṃ caiva sauvarṇam api cāparam ||
Wika ni Vāyu: “Noong unang panahon, ang makapangyarihang mga Asura ay may tatlong kuta-lungsod na lumilipad at gumagala sa kalangitan. Ang isa’y yari sa bakal, ang isa’y yari sa pilak, at ang ikatlo’y yari sa ginto.”
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse highlights how immense power and dazzling wealth (iron, silver, gold citadels) can become grounds for arrogance; in dharmic storytelling such grandeur is ultimately subordinate to moral order and is not a secure foundation for righteousness.
Vāyu describes an ancient episode: the Asuras had three moving aerial fortresses in the sky, distinguished by their metals—iron, silver, and gold—introducing a mythic setting that typically precedes their confrontation with divine forces.