As the blazing fire consumed his garment, its flames rose fiercely, O lord of the gods. Witnessing this intensification, Krishna, through his divine play, brought forth water. With but a drop from his mouth, he flooded the entire universe, O twice-born one, quenching the fire’s fury. From that moment onward, water gained the power to extinguish fire. Out of these primordial waters, a single man emerged, known as Varuna. Meanwhile, from the left side of the fire, a maiden appeared, and likewise, from the left side of the lord of waters, another maiden was born. Then, the glorious wind arose, born from the breath of the Supreme. From the left side of that wind, yet another maiden came forth. By Krishna’s arrow of desire, a discharge of seed occurred. After a thousand years, this seed took the form of a water-bubble, within a single pore of whose body the entire universe resided. Yet, this being was but a sixteenth part of Krishna, the Supreme Soul. He lay upon the great ocean, like a lotus leaf floating upon water. From these waters, beings arose, intent on slaying Brahma. And from the very marrow, the entire earth came into existence. Seeking clarity, the listener humbly requested, “For the removal of my doubt, you ought to explain this to me.” The account of creation at the beginning, as related, was recounted, O twice-born one. At the dawn of all creation, Narayana and Maheshvara were established. At the very beginning of the Brahma-kalpa, this narrative was told, O twice-born one. There are three main kalpas: Brahma, Varaha, and Padma. The four yugas—Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali—mark the passage of time. A manvantara consists of seventy-one divine yugas, and a year of Brahma is made up of three hundred and sixty such days. Yet, all this is but the blink of an eye in the time of Krishna, the Supreme Soul. Many lesser kalpas exist, known as cycles of dissolution and creation. A single day of Brahma is described as a kalpa, and three kalpas are designated: Brahma, Varaha, and Padma. In the Brahma kalpa, the Creator fashioned the earth and performed creation. In the Varaha kalpa, he lifted the earth, which had been lost and submerged in the netherworld. In the Padma kalpa, creation arose from the lotus springing from Vishnu’s navel. Thus, the enumeration of time was explained in the context of creation. The listener then asked, “After creating these, what did he do? You ought to explain that to me.” After creation, the Lord went to the delightful circle of the rasa, amidst enchanting, wish-fulfilling trees, exceedingly captivating. The place was beautifully adorned with sandalwood, aloe, musk, and saffron, furnished with silk threads and knots, fresh sandalwood leaves, and three crores of pavilions made from the essence of precious gems. Surrounded by collections of objects fit for enjoyment and love, the Lord of the world resided there together with them.