She who bestows every prosperity upon those who desire it, especially to householders, is also the giver of liberation to those who seek freedom, and brings happiness even to the already content. Among ascetics, she is the very essence of austerity; among kings, she is beauty itself. Her splendor shines in the moon, and among all lotuses, she is the most beautiful. It is she who empowers the self and endows the world with all its power. She is the eternal seed—the very origin—of the tree of worldly existence. Hunger and thirst, compassion and faith, sleep and drowsiness, forgiveness and fortitude—all these arise from her. Having been praised with devotion, this divine presence stood before the Lord of all. At that very moment, the Four-faced Brahmā appeared, accompanied by his consort. He bore a water-pot and radiated glory as an ascetic, foremost among the wise. His wife was of exquisite beauty, radiant as a hundred moons. Seated upon a splendid jeweled throne, she was revered as the cause of all things. Then, in that sacred assembly, Krishna manifested in two forms. One form was as clear as pure crystal, shining with the brilliance of ten million suns. The other glowed with the hue of molten gold, bearing matted locks and transcending all worlds. He was clad only in the directions, blue-throated, adorned with serpents as ornaments. With five faces, he chanted sacred hymns, embodying the eternal light of Brahman. He is known as the cause of all causes, the most auspicious among all that is auspicious. Praised as the Death of death, he became renowned as Mṛtyuñjaya. Śrī Nārāyaṇa then spoke: At the appointed time, this divine being suddenly became twofold in form. Amidst this, an infant appeared, shining with the brilliance of ten million suns. Abandoned by both father and mother, this radiant child floated unsupported in the midst of the cosmic waters. He was the grossest among the gross, and his name was Mahāvirāṭ, the mighty cosmic being. He was but a sixteenth part of Krishna’s supreme radiance. Within every pore of his skin existed all the worlds in their entirety. Just as the number of worlds cannot be counted due to the ceaseless activity of rajas, so too, in each universe, there exist Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others. Above these countless universes lies Vaikuṇṭha, which is beyond the cosmic egg. Higher still is a vast sphere, measuring fifty crore yojanas. The earth itself is made up of seven continents, encircled by seven oceans. Above are the seven heavenly realms, culminating in Brahmaloka. Beyond the earth is Bhurloka, then Bhuvarloka, followed by Tapoloka, and higher still, Satyaloka. All of this, both within and without, is but an artificial construct—impermanent, like bubbles in water, destined to dissolve. In every single hair pore of Mahāvirāṭ, there exists a cosmic egg, and within each cosmic egg are Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and all the other divine beings. There, too, are the guardians of the directions, the protectors of the quarters, the stars, the planets, and so on. As time passed, that great Virat, gazing upward again and again, was overtaken by thought. Afflicted by hunger, he wept repeatedly, longing for sustenance.