For those who are tossed about in the perilous ocean of worldly existence, rising and sinking in its dreadful waves, the saints—peaceful and wise in the knowledge of Brahman—are like a sturdy boat, offering refuge to those submerged in suffering. Food sustains the life of all living beings, just as I am the shelter for those in distress; righteousness is the true wealth that follows people after death, and the saints are the safe haven for those who live in fear within this world. The saints, radiant like the rising sun, grant true vision to all. Indeed, the gods, relatives, the saints themselves, and even I—all are, in essence, saints. And so, Vaitasena, even after Urvashi, who was indifferent to all worldly realms and free from attachment, wandered the earth, delighting only in the bliss of her own self. Now, consider the nature of the elements: softness and hardness, coldness and heat—these are the qualities of touch, the subtle attribute of air. The actions characteristic of air include movement, gathering, acquisition, leadership among objects and sounds, and the very essence of all the senses. From the subtle element of touch belonging to air, and by divine influence, form arose. Thus, light came into being, and with it, the eye as the organ to perceive form. The state of being a substance, the possession of qualities, and the condition of being an individual entity—these are the functions of pure form, belonging to fire. Illumination, cooking, heating, burning, dispelling cold, as well as drying, and causing hunger and thirst—these are the functions of fire. From pure form, transformed by fire and impelled by the divine, pure taste arose; from that, water emerged, and the tongue became the organ for perceiving taste. Taste, though one, is differentiated as astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, and sour, according to the various combinations of the material elements. The functions of water are moistening, solidifying, providing satisfaction, sustaining life, nourishing, delighting, quenching heat, and abundance. From pure taste, transformed by water and impelled by the divine, pure scent arose; from that, earth was formed, and the nose became the organ for perceiving scent. Due to differing combinations of material components, the single scent is distinguished as earthy, putrid, fragrant, mild, strong, sour, and so forth. Earth itself serves as the ground for formation, the abode of Brahman, the support, and the source of true distinction, as well as the emergence of all qualities in beings. Hearing is that for which the special quality of space is the object; touch is that for which the special quality of air is the object. Sight is for form, the special quality of fire; taste for the special quality of water; and smell for the special quality of earth. A property is found in one thing and not in another, due to their combinations; thus, the distinction of entities is recognized only in earth. When these seven principles—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 the Virāṭ. This cosmic egg, surrounded by ten successive coverings—beginning with water and so on—and enveloped by primordial matter on the outside, is the very expanse where all these worlds exist, 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 opened, from which speech arose; from speech came fire. Then the nostrils opened, from which breath arose, and from breath, the sense of smell. From the sense of smell came air. Then the eyes opened, from which sight arose, and from sight, the sun. Next, the ears opened, from which hearing arose, and from hearing, the directions. Virāj then split open the skin, from which hair and body hair appeared; then, the plants emerged, and after that, the generative organ was formed. From semen, water arose; the anus was formed and opened. From the anus came apāna, and from apāna, death—the terror of the world. The hands were formed and opened; through them, strength arose, and from that, Indra. The feet were formed and opened; through them, movement arose, and from that, Viṣṇu. His veins were opened, and from them, blood filled the body, giving rise to rivers, and the abdomen was opened. Then hunger and thirst arose, finding their support in the ocean. 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; and from consciousness, the inner witness was born. However, even though all these deities had arisen, they were unable to make the Cosmic Person rise. Each 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 he did not rise. The sun entered the eyes as sight, but he did not rise. The directions entered the ears as hearing, but he did not rise. Herbs entered the skin with hair, but he did not rise. Waters entered the genitals with semen, but he did not rise. Death entered the anus with apāna, but he did not rise. Indra entered the hands with strength, but he did not rise. Viṣṇu entered the feet with movement, but he did not rise. Rivers entered the veins with blood, but he did not rise. The ocean entered the abdomen with hunger and thirst, but he did not rise. The moon entered the heart with the mind, but he did not rise. Even Brahmā entered the heart with intellect, but the Cosmic Being did not rise. Rudra entered the heart with ego, but he did not rise. At last, when the inner witness, the knower of the field, entered the heart with consciousness, then the Cosmic Being rose from the waters. Just as in a sleeping person, though the life-airs, senses, mind, and intellect are present, they cannot awaken him without his vital energy, so too did the Cosmic Person arise only when enlivened by that inner witness.