All the gods gathered to behold the eternal Lord. Along with them came the Siddhas, Brahmarshis, Yakshas, and great hosts of Gandharvas and Apsarases. Approaching the great-souled being, they offered their praises to Hari, the Supreme Person, acknowledging that by his grace, the three worlds had attained imperishable welfare. Addressed thus by the gods, Siddhas, and supreme seers, Viṣṇu spoke to them: “Listen, O best of gods, and I will reveal the cause by which, together with Brahmā, I created the worlds through māyā. Long ago, when the three worlds were shrouded in darkness and remained unmanifest by me, I assumed a form with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. From afar, I perceived a being of boundless radiance—a four-faced Person, supremely yogic, shining with golden brilliance. In a moment, that Supreme Person approached. I asked him, ‘Who are you? From where have you come? And why do you stand here? Tell me, O Lord.’ Thus addressed, Brahmā responded. As we conversed, each desiring victory over the other, suddenly a wondrous flame appeared, astonishing us both. That flame grew ever greater, piercing heaven and earth, forming a vast circle of fire. Within it stood an unmanifest liṅga, radiant and the size of a span—indescribable, inconceivable, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden. Its brilliance was immense, ever increasing, and its form was terrible, as if splitting apart the heavens and the earth. We resolved together: ‘Let us discern the end of this great liṅga.’ Having made this agreement, we journeyed upward and downward, seeking its limits. Yet I could not find its end, and fear overcame me. Returning, I arrived again at the great ocean. By his māyā, we were deluded, our awareness lost, lingering there in confusion. He is the origin and dissolution, the imperishable Lord of all worlds. We offered obeisance to the great, the unmanifest, saying: ‘Salutations to you, eternal master of accomplished yoga; salutations to you, foundation of all worlds. You are the eldest, Vāmadeva, Rudra, Skanda, Śiva, the Lord. You are the svāhā invocation, the act of homage, and the consecration of all rites. The Vedas, the worlds, and the gods—all these, O Lord, are entirely yourself. On earth, fragrance; in water, taste; and in fire, form—all these are you, O great Lord. In wind, touch; in the moon, form—these too, O Lord of the gods, are you. In intellect, knowledge; and, O Lord of the gods, the very seed of nature—these are you. You sustain the three worlds; you alone, O Lord, create them. With your southern mouth, you withdraw the worlds; with your northern mouth, you are Soma, O best of the gods. The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, and the twin Aśvins—all are your manifestations.