The radiant child born of Ganga, blazing with fiery energy, took it upon himself to create a golden sacrificial altar for the great souls. With reverence, he entered into the sacrifice conducted by those of immeasurable brilliance. When the Naimishiyas beheld this wondrous golden altar, their hearts filled with anger toward the king. Prompted by the gods themselves, the ascetics rose in opposition to him. Thus, a battle erupted on earth between the king and the descendants of Urvashi. Yet, amidst the sacred ablutions, the righteous king remained steadfast in dharma, undeterred by the conflict. In time, the knowers of Brahman calmed the king, acting in accordance with righteousness and restoring peace. Within their sacrificial assembly, these great souls observed strict celibacy, joined by their dear friends—the Vaikhānasas, the Vālakhilyas, and the Marīcis. The gathering included the Pitṛs, gods, Apsarases, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Nāgas, and Cāraṇas, all united in sacred rites. Through hymns, weapons, dwellings, and rituals performed for the gods, ancestors, and ancestral spirits, they honored the divine and remembered them in every act of worship and rite. The sages spoke only auspicious words, their speech adorned with varied syllables and meanings. In spirited debate, they vanquished their opponents with reasoned arguments. Nothing was lost in this assembly; even the Brahma-rākṣasas found a place among them. No penance nor poverty arose there—such was the harmony and abundance. For twelve years, the sacrificial assembly of the wise flourished. The officiating priests, led by the elders, performed the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifices individually. At the site of the completed sacrifice, Vasudeva, the great lord himself, was present. For the sake of his own lineage, the lord addressed the assembly. He was endowed with eight subtle powers, beginning with aṇimā and the rest. The branches of the assembly, sustained by seven ageless trunks, flowed eternally with water. The mighty one presided over the sacrificial assembly for the charioteers of the three divisions. The five vital functions, beginning with prāṇa, each carried out their own activities, all belonging to the dhāraṇās. This assembly, springing from space and possessing a double nature—endowed with sound and touch—was graced by gentle, pleasant speech that delighted all the sages. Long ago, O twice-born, the mighty one narrated this tale, revealing to the seers the supreme and excellent truth of the worlds—a teaching that grants complete liberation from all sins, for both gods and sages. Now, I shall recount this wondrous and profound account in proper order, as approved by the Vedas. By upholding one’s own lineage, one is honored in the heavenly world. Understand what is praised here, for it increases the glory of the ancients—those of steadfast fame and virtuous deeds. To that Hiranyagarbha—the Supreme Person, the Lord—I offer praise. Bowing to Brahma, the self-born ruler of the worlds, I begin this narration. What is established here rests upon five proofs, supported by six systems, and presided over by the Person. It is the unmanifest cause, eternal, possessing the nature of both being and non-being.