In the midst of a radiant assembly, a chief among sages appeared—enchanting and resplendent. All eyes turned to him as he recited the supreme Brahman: Kṛṣṇa, the Self, the Lord of all. Suddenly, another sage rose from his seat, embraced the newcomer with warmth, and blessed him with the highest benediction. He then honored Nārada, the best of sages, by seating him upon a beautiful throne adorned with jewels. Addressing the eternal Lord, the sage spoke reverently: “O Lord, having attained knowledge and the sacred mantra from Śaṅkara, chief of yogis, I have now fixed my mind upon your lotus feet and beheld them within. Where the narration of Kṛṣṇa’s divine qualities is told, there, birth, death, and old age are dispelled. O Lord, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and all the other deities, as well as the lord of the gods—tell me, from what does creation arise, and where does it dissolve? O Lord of the universe, what is his form, and what are his deeds?” Hearing these heartfelt questions, the blessed sage Nārāyaṇa smiled gently. Thus concludes the thirty-ninth chapter, “Nārada’s Question to Nārāyaṇa,” in the Brahma-khaṇḍa of the great Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, as narrated in the dialogue between Sūta and Śaunaka. Śrī Nārāyaṇa then spoke: “One should always contemplate the lotus feet of the Lord, worshipped by Vāṇī (Sarasvatī), Śivā (Pārvatī), Gaṅgā, Lakṣmī, and others. The ocean of worldly existence is deep and terrifying, its limbs tormented as if encircled by wildfire and serpents. Even the fame of lifting Govardhana has grown weary; the earth is upheld, and yet moisture clings even to the tips of his teeth. By the rays of fame that shine forth from the mouths of the Vedas and their branches, Hari—the creator of the Vedas—is revealed. He is like a bee at the lotus faces of the cowherd maidens, the Lord of the rāsa dance, the supreme enjoyer. The creator of worlds, he performs wondrous deeds in the mere blink of an eye—O child, who on earth could recount them all? You, I, the Manus, and the great sages are but tiny portions of his infinite power. With a thousand heads, he upholds the universe upon a portion of his head, no larger than a mustard seed. The pure fame of the Lord of Goloka is not clearly proclaimed in the Vedas or Purāṇas. In every world and every abode, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra are always present. He, the creator of Brahmā, brings forth creation after establishing eternal nature, the mother of all. Nature, the very form of Brahman, is not different from him; through her, the eternal one creates. She is Nārāyaṇī, the supreme and eternal power of the Supreme Person, the Supreme Self. Now, dear child, go and perform the marriage; you must act according to your father’s command. He who worships his wife with garments, ornaments, and sandalwood paste—she, in the form of a woman, appears in every universe through her power of illusion. That divine woman, when worshipped, becomes a devoted wife and mother, faithful to husband and children. She is the one original nature, embodying the fullness of Brahman. She is the goddess who presides over life-breath, belonging to Krishna, the Supreme Self. Lakṣmī, beloved of Nārāyaṇa, is the embodiment of all prosperity. Savitri, mother of the Vedas, is worthy of worship and dear to Brahmā.” Thus ends the thirtieth chapter, “Description of the Nature of the Lord’s Praise,” in the Brahma-khaṇḍa of the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, in the dialogue between Sauti and Shaunaka. Next, with reverence, the narration opens with salutations to Śrī Gaṇeśa. Savitri, in the act of creation, is remembered as nature in her fivefold form. Who gave rise to her, and who is she, the best among those who know? What is the story of all these forms, and how should worship be properly performed? Nārāyaṇa replied: “Even so, I shall speak a little of what I have heard from the mouth of Dharma. The prefix ‘pra’ signifies excellence, and ‘kṛti’ means creation.