Hearing the earnest words of Mālāvatī, Janārdana—who was concealed in the guise of a brāhmaṇa—listened attentively. In that sacred assembly, Sauti recounted, a conversation sprang up among the gathered ones. The gods, present there, did not recognize that Śrī Hari Himself stood among them, hidden in the simple form of a brāhmaṇa. With gentle and sweet words, the brāhmaṇa addressed both the gods and the assembly, drawing their attention. He spoke of a virtuous lady, worn by grief, who had pleaded with her master for the restoration of life. He questioned the assembly, "What is the proper course of action here? What should certainly be done in such a matter?" This radiant and virtuous lady, overwhelmed by sorrow, was on the verge of cursing all the gods. The brāhmaṇa reminded the assembly, "You have all offered praises even to Hari on Śvetadvīpa." At that moment, a celestial voice resounded from the sky, declaring, "Keśava will come later." Hearing the brāhmaṇa’s words, Brahmā himself—the great teacher of the worlds—responded. He explained, "By the power of yoga, he gave up his life, but it was also by my own curse. For a span of a hundred thousand ages, his existence continued on earth. Of that time, O best of the twice-born, only a little now remains. I myself shall grant him the gift of life, but only by the grace of Viṣṇu." Turning to the brāhmaṇa, Brahmā continued, "As you have said, 'Hari has not come here'—know that the Supreme Brahman is of the nature of free will, the very embodiment of compassion for His devotees. The word 'viṣi' denotes His pervasiveness, and 'nu' signifies His universality everywhere. Whether one is impure or pure, or in whatever state, at the beginning of action, in the middle, or at the end—whoever remembers Viṣṇu is blessed." Brahmā then declared, "I am the creator of worlds, the arranger of all, and Hara is the destroyer. Time itself dissolves the worlds, and Yama is the ruler of the sinful. Prakṛti, the original source and essence of all, existed before everything else." At this, Maheśvara spoke, "Who, having studied the Vedas, has truly understood their essence? Whose disciple are you, O best of sages? What is your name, O twice-born one? You seem to mock the gods and Viṣṇu, our Lord." He continued, "When the body falls, the soul enters the Supreme Self. The living being, its reflection, the mind, knowledge, and consciousness—sleep, compassion, drowsiness, hunger, thirst, and nourishment—all these are powers that proceed forth when the Lord is about to depart. When the Lord abides, the embodied one is capable in all actions." "Brahmā himself is the arranger of worlds and the cause of all actions. For the sake of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the creator performed a hundred thousand pairs of austerities. For countless ages, I, too, have performed severe austerities for Hari. Now, with my five mouths, I praise His name and qualities. By chanting My name and qualities, even death retreats from Me. Though I am known as the destroyer of all universes, I am also the Conqueror of Death. At the proper time, I dissolve into nothingness and then manifest again." "He who resides in Goloka is the same One present in Vaikuntha and also in Śvetadvīpa. A Manvantara consists of seventy-one divine ages (yugas). This is the measure of Brahmā’s lifespan, who lives for a hundred such years." Thus, in that assembly, the gods, sages, and the disguised Lord Himself discussed the mysteries of life, death, and the supreme reality, their words filled with reverence for the boundless compassion and universality of Viṣṇu.