Adorned by flocks of birds of every kind and attended by the gods, the Lord of the universe—the imperishable creator of all worlds—stood radiant. This was Vāsudeva, the eternal, the source from whom all creation springs. Drawn by compassion for all beings, the goddess approached him, bowed her head in reverence, and addressed the lotus-born Lord with a question that weighed upon her heart. “O Lord of all worlds,” she said, “a deep doubt lingers within me about the wondrous and rare field of action in the mortal realm. Tell me, when someone is overcome by greed, delusion, and the influences of the planets—when they are tossed about in the vast ocean of desire and anger—by what means, O Lord of gods, may they be freed from this endless ocean of worldly existence? Please speak, if you deem me worthy, for I bow before you. Apart from you, there is no one in this world who can resolve such doubts.” Hearing her words, Janārdana, the god of gods, replied with supreme affection. His words, filled with the highest wisdom, were like nectar. “He is easy to worship, easy to attain, delightful, and grants the best of results. The Supreme Person, O goddess, dwells in the foremost of sacred places, renowned everywhere. There is no one like him in the three worlds. By praising him, O goddess of the gods, one is freed from all sins. Even the immortals, the demons, the Dānavas, and the great sages like Marīci do not truly know him, for I keep him concealed, O beautiful-faced one. Therefore, I shall now tell you about the king of sacred places. Listen, O lovely one, with undivided attention.” He continued, “When a new cycle of creation began, and all that was movable and immovable was destroyed, the gods, gandharvas, demons, vidyādharas, and serpents were all dissolved. Everything became enveloped in darkness; nothing could be seen. In that state, only the soul of beings—the Supreme Soul, the teacher of the world—remained awake. The glorious Lord, the creator of the Trimurti, the great Lord who fashioned the universe, is known as Vāsudeva—he is the soul of yoga, Hari, the Supreme Lord. When his yogic slumber ended, he created Brahmā, the imperishable being, who appeared in the center of the lotus that arose from his navel, shining like the filaments of a lotus flower. Brahmā, thus born, became the great Lord of all worlds and gradually created all things, endowing them with the five elements. All beings, gross and subtle, born from various wombs and sources—of four kinds, both stationary and moving—were brought forth. Brahmā, the Lord of creatures, created everything that moves and does not move. Reflecting with his mind upon himself, he produced various kinds of beings. He created all the sages beginning with Marīci, as well as gods, asuras, ancestors, yakṣas, vidyādharas, and others, and also rivers such as the Gaṅgā. He created humans, monkeys, lions, and various birds, as well as those born from wombs, from eggs, O Goddess, and those born from sweat and from splitting. He created the four classes—Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras—and separately, various outcastes and foreigners. Whatever is known as living—grass, bushes, ants—Brahmā, having become all, created the entire world, both moving and unmoving. Then, contemplating himself, he formed a male from his right side and a female from his left, thus dividing himself in two. From that time onward in this world, beings are born from sexual union—of lower, middle, and higher kinds, as are all my fields. Thus reflecting, that ancient god, born from the waters, entered into meditation and assumed a form composed of Vāsudeva. By mere meditation, Janārdana himself arose in that very moment, with a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. The thousand-headed Puruṣa appeared, with eyes like lotuses, dark as a rain-cloud over the waters, glorious, and marked with the Śrīvatsa. Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds, saw him suddenly and welcomed him with all honor: seats, water for washing feet and hands, and unbroken grains. With composed mind, Viriñci praised him with supreme hymns. Then I addressed the god, Brahmā born from the lotus: ‘Tell me, dear one, the reason for my meditation at this time.’ Brahmā replied, ‘For the welfare of the world, O Lord of gods, and for mortals who rarely attain it, the paths to heaven—sacrifices, gifts, and vows—yoga, truth, austerity, faith, and various sacred places—setting aside all these, tell me the means by which happiness is attained. O Lord of the universe, tell me of that supreme place which is said to be the most excellent, the highest abode of all, O Supreme Person.’ Hearing these words of the Creator, I then spoke: ‘Listen, O Brahman, I shall declare that pure and rare place on earth. It is the highest of all sacred fields, blessed, a means to cross over worldly existence, meritorious, beneficial to cows and Brahmins, and brings happiness to all four orders. That field, exceedingly rare, grants both enjoyment and liberation to people, is supremely meritorious for all, and bestows success, O Ancestor. From there arose the eternal king of sacred fords, renowned as the supreme field, honored in all four ages. It is revered by all the gods, sages, celibates, demons, Dānavas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, serpents, and Rākṣasas, as well as by Nāgas, Vidyādharas, and all beings, moving and unmoving. Because the Supreme Person abides there, he is called the Supreme Person. On the southern shore of the ocean stands a banyan tree; there is a field, ten yojanas wide, supremely rare. Whoever, at the beginning of a cosmic cycle, remains established there is not destroyed, even when the great dissolution occurs. By merely seeing that banyan tree, or repeatedly standing in its shade, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin; what need to speak of other sins?