In the vastness of creation, there exists a cosmic egg—this universe—surrounded in succession by ten coverings, beginning with water and others, all encased by primordial matter. Within this cosmic shell lies the expanse of worlds, which itself is the wondrous form of the blessed Lord Hari. From within the golden shell, the great god arose and reclined upon the cosmic waters. Entering the egg, he split open its space in manifold ways, initiating the unfolding of creation. First, his mouth was revealed, and from it arose the power of speech, followed by the birth of fire. Next, his nostrils opened, giving rise to breath and the sense of smell, from which air was born. His eyes manifested, and with them the faculty of sight, from which the sun emerged. His ears appeared, granting hearing, and from hearing came the directions. The skin of this cosmic being was split, from which hair and body hair arose, and then the plants came into being. After that, the generative organ was formed. From the semen, water appeared, and then the anus was formed and opened, giving rise to apāna—the downward breath—and from apāna came death, the terror of the worlds. His hands were formed and opened, producing strength, from which Indra was born. His feet were shaped and opened, giving rise to movement, from which Viṣṇu emerged. The opening of his veins brought forth blood, and thus the rivers came into existence, followed by the opening of the abdomen. Hunger and thirst then arose, with the ocean as their support. The heart was split, and from it the mind was born. From the mind, the moon took birth; from intellect, the lord of speech; from ego, Rudra; and from consciousness, the inner witness—the indwelling knower—was born. Yet, though all these deities and powers had arisen, none could animate the cosmic being. Each re-entered their respective place, seeking to awaken him. Fire entered the mouth as speech, air entered the nostrils as smell, the sun entered the eyes as sight, the directions entered the ears as hearing, herbs entered the skin with the hair, waters entered the genitals with semen, death entered the anus with apāna, Indra entered the hands with strength, Viṣṇu entered the feet with movement, rivers entered the veins with blood, the ocean entered the abdomen with hunger and thirst, the moon entered the heart with the mind, Brahmā entered the heart with intellect, and Rudra entered the heart with ego. Still, the cosmic being did not rise. Only when the inner witness—the knower of the field—entered the heart with consciousness did the cosmic being arise from the waters. Just as a sleeping person’s life-airs, senses, mind, and intellect cannot awaken him without his vital energy, so too was it for the cosmic being. Therefore, with a mind engaged in yoga, one should discern and contemplate within oneself that innermost self through devotion, detachment, and knowledge. In another time, when Krishna had lifted the great mountain to shield the people of Vraja from the torrential downpour, the divine cow Surabhi and Indra, king of the gods, came to Krishna in his celestial abode, Goloka. Indra, humbled and ashamed of his earlier offense, approached Krishna privately and bowed, touching Krishna’s feet with his radiant crown. Having witnessed Krishna’s boundless power, Indra’s pride as ruler of the three worlds was shattered. With folded hands, he spoke: “Your abode, O Lord, is pure existence, tranquil, composed of austerity, untouched by passion or darkness. The flow of qualities shaped by illusion cannot bind you, nor do you have any attachment. How then could greed and such causes, born of ignorance, touch you? Yet you wield punishment to protect righteousness and restrain the wicked. You are the father, teacher, and ruler of all worlds; you are insurmountable time, bearing the rod of chastisement. For the good of all, you take on forms of your choosing, removing the pride of those who deem themselves lords of the world. Those like me, who ignore your command and imagine themselves as sovereigns, soon lose their arrogance when they encounter you. Even the wicked are corrected by your instruction. Therefore, O Lord, please forgive my offense, born of ignorance and pride in my own power. May such unworthy thoughts never arise in me again. Your descent, O Adhokṣaja, is to relieve the earth’s burden, to destroy armies of the unrighteous, and to benefit those devoted to your feet. Salutations to you, O Supreme Person, Great Soul, Vāsudeva, Krishna, Lord of the Sātvatas! Salutations to you who assume a body at will, whose form is pure knowledge, all-pervading, the seed and soul of all beings. It was I, deluded by pride and anger, who tried to destroy this cowherd settlement with storms and winds when the sacrifice was interrupted. By your grace, I am freed from pride and my futile effort is destroyed; I now seek refuge in you, Lord, teacher, and self.” Hearing Indra’s words, Krishna, the Blessed One, smiled, his voice deep as thunderclouds. He said, “O Maghavan, I disrupted your sacrifice to show you favor, so that you would always remember me and not be intoxicated by the glory of your position. One blinded by pride in wealth and power cannot see the true Lord; I take away such prosperity whenever I wish to show mercy. Go now, Śakra; may all be well with you. Follow my instruction, remain in your duties, free from pride and properly engaged.” Then Surabhi, thoughtful and full of devotion, approached Krishna, the Lord in the form of a cowherd, along with her offspring, and offered her respects. She spoke: “Krishna, Krishna, great yogi, soul of the universe, origin of all, by you, the Lord of the worlds, we are protected, O infallible one.