In this present age, the auspicious Varaha Kalpa unfolds, marking the current cycle of creation. Between the end of one such cycle and the beginning of another lies an intermediate state, a pause before the universe is born anew. When a fresh cycle commences, the realms such as Janaloka and others arise once again, and the cosmic order is reestablished. Yet, at the end of each cycle, all beings—without exception—are utterly dissolved. Throughout the Manvantaras, the transitions between the Yugas proceed without interruption, maintaining the rhythm of cosmic time. The cycles previously mentioned were described to give a sense of the vast, repeating order of creation. Long ago, there was a cycle that existed before the great half-period had elapsed. Of those ancient cycles, the first is the very one we now inhabit, O twice-born sage. This is a time of stability, but it is remembered that eventually, withdrawal—dissolution—will come. In former times, a thousand sets of four Yugas, together with their respective Manvantaras, rolled by. During those ages, the gods who dwell in the celestial realms existed in great numbers: twenty-eight crores of these virtuous beings, and even more—three hundred crores, and ninety-two crores besides. In each cycle, these gods, known as celestial beings, are remembered. Alongside them were the ancestors, the seers, the immortals, and those who lived beyond the bounds of caste and stage of life. In that era, the gods who resided in the sky, as dissolution approached, all became equal in their steadfastness and composure. The gods inhabiting the three worlds—those identified by their divine forms—remained until the very end of the cycle. But as the great dissolution drew near, they became disturbed and focused their minds on ascending to the world of Maharloka. There, abundant in purity, they attained perfection through the power of their minds. With them were brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and people of many births. Troubled by the impending dissolution, they too turned their minds toward Janaloka. Thus, thousands of ages of the gods passed, one after another, as these beings, together with those who endure for an entire cycle, reached the world of Janaloka. Some, having ascended even further, attained Brahmaloka, the supreme abode from which there is no return. There, they became equal to Brahma in both form and experience. Having achieved the bliss of union with Brahma, they were liberated along with Brahma himself. Yet, even in these exalted states, beings remained bound by the measures of time and the acts of worship appropriate to their station, influenced by the conditions prevailing in each age. When thus affected, they continued to perform their duties, and in this way, joy arose among them. Their actions and the means by which they acted increased in harmony with the unfolding of the cycle. Those whose authority had come to an end remained steadfast in their own duties, endowed with natural faculties, settled in their own true selves. Because of the multitude of individual beings, their various activities were perceived within creation. For the liberated, and for those who truly know, the nature of reality is understood as a union with all that exists. Eventually, non-existence arises once more, like the dying flames of those who have found peace. Along with these great souls, Maharloka is then attained as a final refuge. Gandharvas and other celestial beings, Piśācas, humans, brahmins, and the rest—all, while dwelling among the inhabitants of the earth during this time, undergo transformation. Then, at the appointed hour, each becomes one of the seven rays, and each one becomes a sun, continuing the eternal cycle of creation, dissolution, and rebirth.