From the cosmic beginning, Virāj, the primordial being, split open his own skin, and from this act, hair and body hair arose, followed by the emergence of plants. Thereafter, the generative organ was formed. From his semen, water came into existence, and as the anus was formed and opened, the apāna—the downward-moving vital air—emerged, and from apāna, death itself, the great terror of the world, was born. The hands of Virāj were then formed and opened, giving rise to strength, from which Indra, the king of the gods, manifested. His feet took shape, and with them came movement, from which Viṣṇu arose. The veins of the cosmic being opened, filling with blood, and from them, rivers sprang forth. His abdomen was formed next. With the formation of the abdomen, hunger and thirst arose, finding their support in the ocean. The heart of Virāj was then split, and from his heart, the mind emerged. From the mind, the moon was born; from intellect arose the lord of speech; from ego, Rudra was manifested; and from consciousness, the inner witness, the knower within, was born. Yet, even as these deities and powers arose, they could not animate the cosmic being. Each, in turn, entered their respective places within him, seeking to awaken him. 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. Finally, when the inner witness—the knower of the field—entered the heart with consciousness, then, and only then, did the cosmic being arise from the waters. Just as in a sleeping person, the life-airs, senses, mind, and intellect remain but cannot awaken him without the vital energy, so too, with a mind absorbed in yoga, one should discern and contemplate the innermost self within, through devotion, detachment, and knowledge. *** Śuka then spoke of another wondrous event. When Krishna had lifted the mountain to shelter the people of Vraja from the torrential downpour, Surabhi, the divine cow, and Indra, the king of heaven, came to Krishna in Goloka. Approaching him in solitude, Indra, ashamed of his offense, bowed low, touching Krishna’s feet with his crown that shone like the sun. Having witnessed Krishna’s boundless power and heard of his deeds, Indra, his pride as ruler of the three worlds now humbled, spoke with folded hands: “Your abode is pure existence, O Lord—peaceful, composed of austerity, untouched by passion and darkness. The flow of qualities shaped by illusion does not bind you; you have no attachment. How, then, could causes like greed arise in you, O Lord? Yet, you wield punishment for the protection of righteousness and the restraint of the wicked. “You are the father, teacher, and ruler of all worlds, insurmountable time itself, who takes up the rod of chastisement. For the welfare of all, you assume forms of your own will, removing the pride of those who consider themselves lords of the world. Those like me, who ignore your command and imagine themselves as sovereign, quickly lose their arrogance when they see you at the right time. Even the wicked are corrected by your instruction. “Therefore, O Lord, forgive my offense, committed out of ignorance and pride in my own power. My mind was deluded—may such thoughts never arise in me again. Your descent, O Adhokṣaja, is for the removal of the earth’s burden caused by powerful rulers, for the destruction of armies, and for the welfare of those devoted to your feet. “Salutations to you, O Blessed One, Supreme Person, Great Soul—Vāsudeva, Krishna, Lord of the Sātvatas. Salutations to the one who assumes a body at will, whose form is pure knowledge, the all-pervading, the seed and soul of all beings. It was I, driven by pride and anger, who sought to destroy this cowherd settlement with storms and winds, after the sacrifice was interrupted by arrogance. By your grace, my pride is gone and my effort destroyed. I take refuge in you, Lord, teacher, and self.” Śuka continued: Thus praised by Maghavan, Krishna, the Blessed One, smiled and spoke with a voice deep as thunder. “O Maghavan,” Krishna said, “I disrupted your sacrifice to show you favor, so that you would always remember me and not be intoxicated by Indra’s glory. One blinded by pride in wealth and power does not see the wielder of the rod; I deprive such a person of their prosperity whenever I wish to show mercy. Go now, Śakra; may all be well with you. Follow my instruction. Remain in your own duties, free from pride and properly engaged.” Then Surabhi, thoughtful and accompanied by her offspring, approached Krishna, the Lord in the form of a cowherd, 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. You are our supreme deity, not Indra, O Lord of the world. For the welfare of cows, brahmins, gods, and the virtuous, you exist. Prompted by Brahmā, we shall anoint you, O Indra. You have descended, O Soul of the Universe, to remove the burden of the earth.” Śuka narrated: Thus, after inviting Krishna, Surabhi bathed him with her own milk, while Airāvata, Indra’s elephant, brought waters from the celestial Gaṅgā. Indra, together with the sages among the gods and prompted by the mothers of the gods, anointed Krishna, the descendant of Daśārha, addressing him as Govinda—the protector and friend of the cows and all beings.