Once again, I approached the goddess with a question: “Where is the land of action established?” At that time, O Nārada, the sacred rivers Bhāgīrathī and Narmadā did not yet exist. Neither did the Yamunā, Tāpi, Sarasvatī, nor Gautamī; there was no ocean, no river, no pure lake or stream. That divine power spoke to me repeatedly, revealing the truth. She explained that on the southern side of Mount Sumeru, as well as south of the Himavat mountain, and also south of the Vindhya and Sahya ranges, the land of action arises, auspicious at its dawn, throughout all times and ages. Hearing these words, I departed from the great mountain Meru and journeyed to that region, uncertain where I should dwell. Then, a bodiless voice belonging to Viṣṇu spoke to me: “Go from here, stay here, or sit here; here, indeed, make your resolve for sacrifice. Your sacrifice will be completed.” With my resolve made, O best of gods, I performed all the rites as declared in the Vedas. The Itihāsas and Purāṇas, and everything within the range of words, emerged from my own mouth and entered the sphere of memory. In that very instant, the entire meaning of the Vedas was revealed to me, and I recalled the famous Puruṣa Sūkta. I prepared all the sacrificial implements described in that hymn, arranging the vessels as prescribed. Standing in that place, purified and self-controlled, initiated, O sage, that region became known by my name. My sacred place of worship is renowned as Brahmagiri, extending up to eighty-four yojanas. My place of worship lies to the east of Brahmagiri; in its midst is the altar, and to its south is the gārhapatya fire. There, I arranged the āhavanīya fire as well. Yet, without a wife, the sacrifice could not succeed, as indicated by the scriptures. So, O sage, I divided my own body in two; with one half, my wife was born for the accomplishment of the sacrifice. With the other half, I myself became the husband, as heard in the tradition. I prepared the excellent season of spring as clarified butter, O Nārada. I arranged the fuel as summer, autumn as the offering, and the season of rains as the sacrificial grass. The seven meters became the enclosing sticks, and the divisions of time—kalā, kāṣṭhā, and nimeṣa—served as the fuel, vessels, and sacred grass. Time itself, without beginning or end, manifested as the sacrificial post and the binding rope for the sacrificial animal. The cords of the three qualities—sattva and the others—became the bonds. Yet, there was no sacrificial animal present. Then, I spoke the Vaiṣṇava speech, bodiless: “Without a sacrificial animal, this sacrifice cannot be completed.” At that moment, the eternal and bodiless goddess spoke: “With the hymn of the Puruṣa, praise that Supreme Person with manly strength.” Saying “so be it,” I, as the Lord of gods, Janārdana—the source of my being—praised Him with devotion through the hymn of the Puruṣa. Then the goddess said to me, “O Brahman, make me the sacrificial animal, recognizing the Puruṣa as my eternal progenitor.” By the side of the sacrificial post of time, I sprinkled the Puruṣa, established there by the bonds of qualities and placed upon the sacred grass, who had appeared before me. In that very moment, from Him, all creation came into being: from His mouth were born the Brāhmaṇas, and from His arms, the Kṣatriyas. From His mouth came Indra and Agni; from His breath, the wind was born; from His ears, the directions; and from His head, the entire heaven was formed. From His mind, the moon was born; from His eyes, the sun; from His navel, the mid-space; and from His thighs, the people. From His feet, the Śūdra was produced, and the earth was born; from His hair follicles, the seers, and from His hair, the plants. Domestic and wild animals arose from His nails; from His anus and genitals came worms, insects, and flying creatures. All that is stationary and moving, visible and invisible, came from Him; and from me, the gods were again produced. At that moment, Viṣṇu’s very speech addressed me: “Everything has become complete; creation has arisen just as desired. Now offer the vessels, both ordinary and special, into the fire. Likewise, remove the sacrificial post, the prepared sacred grass, and all that is in the form of the officiating priests, the sacrifice, the objects of meditation, and contemplation. Release the ladle, the Puruṣa, the bonds—release everything, O Brahman.” As those words were spoken, I offered, in due order, into the fires of sacrifice—the gārhapatya, the dakṣiṇāgni, and so on, O great sage. Even in the previous fire, as one offers oblations in order, one should contemplate the Cosmic Person, the source of the universe, in every place. Purified by mantra and conduct, the deity of sacrifice—who is the embodiment of the universe, lord of the worlds, and creator of all—becomes present at those sacrificial pits. Viṣṇu, assuming a white form, is present in the Āhavanīya fire; as dark, He is in the southern fire; as yellow, He is in the fire of the householder, O sage. At all times, Viṣṇu abides in those places; there is nothing anywhere that is without Viṣṇu, the source of all. Having performed the leading forth of the consecrated water with mantras, that water is called ‘led forth’ (praṇīta); and the auspicious river is also called praṇīta. Having set forth that praṇīta water, after purifying it with kuśa grass, as the act of purification is performed, drops of praṇīta water fall. Thus, O Nārada, the ancient sacrifice was accomplished, and the sacred land established, filled with the presence of the Supreme Person and the blessings of all creation.