For the saint who has attained devotion, there is nothing left to strive for, for he finds boundless bliss in me—the infinite, the embodiment of Brahman and pure joy. Just as one who draws near a blazing fire is freed from cold, fear, and darkness, so too is one who associates with the holy. Saints, who are knowers of Brahman and peaceful by nature, are like a sturdy boat for those who are tossed about in the dreadful ocean of worldly existence. Food sustains the life of all beings; I am the refuge for those who are distressed; righteousness is the wealth people carry beyond death; and saints are the shelter for those who are fearful in this world. The saints give vision, like the rising sun illuminating all. Gods, relatives, saints, and I myself—all are saints. Thus, O Vaitasena, even after Urvashi, free from attachment and indifferent to worldly realms, wandered the earth, delighting in the self alone. Now, consider the nature of elements: softness and hardness, coldness and heat—these are qualities of touch, belonging to the subtle element of air. Movement, gathering, acquisition, leadership among objects and sounds, and the essence of all senses—these are the characteristic actions of air. From the subtle element of touch, belonging to air and through divine influence, form arose. Then, light emerged, and the eye became the means of perceiving form. The state of being a substance, the quality of being a property, and the condition of being an individual entity—these are the functions of pure form for fire, O virtuous one. Illumination, cooking, heating, burning, dispelling cold, drying, and causing hunger and thirst—these are the functions of fire. From pure form, transformed by fire and impelled by the divine, arose pure taste. From that, water came forth, and the tongue became the organ for perceiving taste. Astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, and sour—by various combinations, the single taste is differentiated due to the transformations of material elements. Moistening, solidifying, satisfaction, sustaining life, nourishing, delighting, quenching heat, and abundance—these are the functions of water. From pure taste, transformed by water and impelled by the divine, arose pure scent. From that, earth was formed, and the nose became the organ for perceiving scent. Due to the differing combinations of material components, the single scent is distinguished as earthy, putrid, fragrant, mild, strong, sour, and so on. Serving as the ground for formation, the abode of Brahman, support, true distinction, and the emergence of all qualities in beings—these are the characteristics of earth. That for which the special quality of space is the object is called hearing; that for which the special quality of air is the object is known as touch. That for which the special quality of fire is the object is called sight; that for which the special quality of water is the object is known as taste; that for which the special quality of earth is the object is called smell. A property is observed in one thing but not in another, due to their combination; thus, the distinction of entities is recognized only in earth. When these seven—beginning with the great principle—are combined, and endowed with time, action, and qualities, they entered into the primordial form of the universe. From these, when thus penetrated and joined together, the inert cosmic egg arose. From this cosmic egg, the Cosmic Person emerged, rising as Virāṭ. This particular cosmic egg, surrounded in order by ten successive coverings—water and so on—and enveloped by primordial matter on the outside, is where the expanse of worlds exists, which is the form of the blessed Hari. Rising from the golden cosmic shell and lying upon the waters, the great god entered it and split open the space in many ways. First, his mouth was opened, from which speech arose; from speech came fire. Then the nostrils opened, from which breath arose, and from these, the sense of smell. From the sense of smell came air. The eyes opened, giving rise to sight; from sight came the sun. Then the ears opened, from which hearing arose, and from hearing, the directions. Virāj split open the skin, from which hair and body hair appeared; then the plants emerged, followed by the generative organ. From semen came water; the anus was formed and opened. From the anus came apāna, and from apāna, death—the terror of the world. The hands formed and opened; through them, strength arose, and from strength, Indra. The feet formed and opened; through them, movement arose, and from movement, Viṣṇu. His veins opened, and from them blood filled; rivers then came into being, and the abdomen was opened. Then hunger and thirst arose, and the ocean became their support. Next, his heart was split, and from the heart, the mind emerged. From the mind, the moon was born; from intellect, the lord of speech. From ego, Rudra arose; from consciousness, the inner witness was born. These deities, having arisen, were not able to make him rise. They re-entered their respective places, seeking to awaken him in turn. Fire entered the mouth as speech, but the cosmic being did not rise. Air entered the nostrils as smell, but the cosmic being did not rise. The sun entered the eyes as sight, but the cosmic being did not rise. The directions entered the ears as hearing, but the cosmic being did not rise. Herbs entered the skin with hair, but the cosmic being did not rise. Waters entered the genitals with semen, but the cosmic being did not rise. Death entered the anus with apāna, but the cosmic being did not rise. Indra entered the hands with strength, but the cosmic being did not rise. Viṣṇu entered the feet with movement, but the cosmic being did not rise. Rivers entered the veins with blood, but the cosmic being did not rise. The ocean entered the abdomen with hunger and thirst, but the cosmic being did not rise. The moon entered the heart with the mind, but the cosmic being did not rise. Even Brahmā entered the heart with intellect, but the cosmic being did not rise. Rudra entered the heart with ego, but the cosmic being did not rise.