Those who behold the imperishable deity, the Supreme Person, especially on the sacred twelfth day, attain the world of Vishnu and never fall from it. Therefore, O best of the twice-born, one should journey with devotion during the month of Jyeshtha and, after performing the five sacred waters, strive to see the Supreme Person there. Even those who are far away, if they praise the Supreme Person with pure, devoted minds day after day, will also reach the city of Vishnu. Whoever undertakes a pilgrimage to Krishna with faith and concentration, freed from sin, will reach Vishnu's world. Even seeing Hari’s discus atop the temple from afar and bowing with devotion releases one instantly from all sins. Now, O best of sages, let me tell you what happened at the time of the great destruction, when the cycle of the world drew to its close. The sun and moon vanished, the wind ceased, and everything—whether stationary or moving—was destroyed. The fierce dissolution sun rose, thunderclouds roared, and trees and mountains were shattered by lightning strikes. The whole world was absorbed; meteors swept away all things, and the waters in lakes and rivers dried up. Then, O Brahmins, the fire of dissolution, together with the wind, entered the entire world, blazing forth with the brilliance of many suns. Afterward, this fire broke through the earth and entered the underworld, terrifying gods, demons, and yakshas alike. It burned up the realm of serpents and everything below the earth, destroying all in an instant. The swift wind and dissolution fire consumed hundreds of thousands of yojanas. That blazing lord burned everything—the worlds of gods, demons, gandharvas, yakshas, serpents, and rakshasas. This terribly fierce fire, known as the dissolution fire, roared with great flames and brilliance, shining like ten million suns. It swiftly burned the three worlds, consuming gods, demons, and humans alike. In the midst of this dreadful dissolution, a sage of supreme righteousness was absorbed in meditation and yoga. Alone stood the renowned Markandeya, bound by the snares of delusion, his senses disturbed by hunger and thirst. Seeing the great fire, his throat, lips, and palate parched, tormented by thirst, Markandeya stumbled, overcome with fear. He wandered the earth, disoriented and aimless, unable to find a savior, his mind restless and searching. He found no comfort, nor a place of rest for Brahmins. In despair he wondered, “What shall I do? To whom should I turn for refuge? How can I see that eternal Lord of beings?” Thus reflecting, Markandeya concentrated his mind on the eternal God. He attained a divine state, the cause of the great dissolution—the Lord of beings—known as the eternal banyan tree. Driven by urgency, the sage went to the vicinity of the banyan tree and, upon reaching it, sat at its root. There, he found no fear of the fire of time, nor any shower of embers, nor the arrival of dissolution, nor thunderbolts and lightning. Then, wondrous clouds appeared in the sky, resembling herds of elephants and adorned with garlands of lightning. Some were dark as blue lotuses, some white as water lilies, some like pollen, and some yellow as rain clouds. Some were green as grass, some like crow eggs, some shone like lotus petals, and some were vermilion. Some took the shape of cities, some resembled great mountains, some were dark as collyrium, and some shone with emerald brilliance. These mighty clouds, bound with lightning, rose up, resounding with terrifying voices. Soon, all the rain clouds covered the sky, and with them, the entire earth—mountains, forests, and lakes. All directions were filled, flooded by torrents of water. These fierce clouds inundated everything with water, urged by the Supreme Lord. They poured forth great waters, filling the earth and extinguishing the dreadful, fierce fire. For twelve years, the rain clouds prevailed in the deluge, filling everything with streams of water. The oceans overflowed their shores, mountains were shattered, and the earth sank beneath the waters. Everywhere, the great clouds bewildered the sky, until swept up by the wind, they vanished. Then, that terrible wind was restrained by Vishnu. The god who dwells in the primeval lotus, having drunk the waters, slept upon the dreadful single ocean, where all that is moving and unmoving was destroyed. With gods, asuras, men, yakshas, and rakshasas all perished, Markandeya, having rested, meditated upon the Supreme Person. Opening his eyes, he beheld the earth filled with water. He saw neither the banyan tree, nor land, nor directions, nor sun. There was neither moon nor sun, nor fire nor wind, nor gods, asuras, or serpents—only that dreadful, single ocean, pervaded by darkness, without any support.