O wise one, listen as I recount the origin of the earth, with all its auspicious and inauspicious qualities. There are many opinions about how the earth came to be; some say it arose from the marrow of Madhu and Kaitabha. Long ago, these two demons, proud of their prowess in battle, approached Lord Vishnu, who was pleased by their valor. During their lifetime, it is said, the earth became manifest, and she was known as Medini. Hear now the view they proclaimed. I will share with you this origin, a meaningful account accepted by all. From the great cosmic body that lay in the waters for ages, Vishnu entered into every pore of its hairs. Within each pore, the earth remained firmly ensconced in the cavities. When the time of creation arrived, she emerged from those waters, manifesting herself. In every universe, the earth appears adorned with mountains and forests. She is joined with the Himalayas and Meru, and accompanied by the planets, the moon, and the sun. The earth is endowed with holy pilgrimage sites and the sacred land of Bharata. Beneath her lie the seven netherworlds, and above them is the world of Brahma. Thus, all the worlds are established upon the earth. Yet, all these worlds are perishable, whether artificially made or naturally formed. In the creation that began with the great cosmic being, everything was created by Krishna himself. The goddess who presides over the earth was worshipped by the gods in the form of Varahi. The scriptures recognize her as the wife of Vishnu in his boar incarnation. Narada spoke: By the Boar, Varahi, the very support of all, was united with Vishnu. The method of her worship and the order of her raising up are also described. Then Narayaṇa said: After slaying the demon Hiraṇyākṣa, Vishnu lifted the earth from the lower regions. He placed her gently upon the waters, like a lotus leaf floating on the ocean. Beholding the goddess there, Hari, filled with desire, prepared a delightful bed for pleasure and assumed a most enchanting form. From the touch of joyful union, the beautiful earth goddess fell into a swoon. Embraced by Vishnu’s body, she became oblivious to day or night. Vishnu then assumed both his former form and that of the boar, by his own playful will. He honored her with incense, lamps, offerings of food, and anointments with vermilion. Mahāvarāha declared: By sages, Manus, gods, Siddhas, humans, and others, at the rising of water, during the offering of water, at the beginning of house construction, and upon entering a house, the gods and all beings will worship you with great reverence. Vasudhā, the earth goddess, said: O Lord, by your playful will, the entire universe—both moving and unmoving—exists. For your worship, offerings include the sacred thread of sacrifice, flowers, books, tulasī leaves, gorocanā, sandalwood, and water from the Śālagrāma stone. The Blessed Lord said: For you, a divine span of a hundred years will pass as a single thread of time. Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord fell silent, O Narada. All beings then performed worship of the earth at Hari’s command. They offered food and other gifts with the root mantra. Narada said: This account is hidden in all the Purāṇas—I am eager to hear it in full.