Once, in ages past, a sacred knowledge was lovingly passed from father to son, given righteously and with deep affection, and also offered to Nārāyaṇa, the Lord. The sage Nārada, holding this treasure, bestowed it upon Vyāsadeva on the banks of the holy Jahnavi river. Vyāsa, in turn, gave it to me in the sacred land of Siddha, a place delightful and holy. This Purāṇa, composed of eighteen thousand verses, was handed down by Vyāsa himself, and its fruits are surely gained by those who listen to its chapters. Desiring to know the essence of this wisdom, Śaunaka spoke: “Tell me everything in detail, especially the supreme Brahma section.” With reverence, I bowed to Hari, the gods, and the twice-born, and declared: “I will reveal the eternal dharmas, that supreme Brahma section which I heard directly from the mouth of Vyāsa.” At the time of dissolution, O sage, nothing existed but a mass of radiant light. This great and resplendent light belonged to the Lord, who acts solely by His own will. Above all, there is Goloka, eternal and akin to the Lord Himself. Its form is pure brilliance, exceedingly great, composed of precious gems and utterly supreme. Sustained by the Lord through yoga, Goloka is excellent and situated in the sky, adorned with countless palaces fashioned from true jewels. Below Goloka, to the south and to the left, stretches a vast expanse fifty crore yojanas wide. There lies Vaikuntha, circular in form, spanning a crore yojanas in breadth. Vaikuntha is attended by four-armed companions, who are free from old age, death, and all such limitations. In dissolution, Vaikuntha becomes void; but in creation, it is endowed with Shiva and his attendants. Supremely delightful, it is the eternal source of the highest bliss, generating joy that is formless and transcends even the supreme. The Lord’s form is like a fresh raincloud, with eyes resembling red lotuses. His beauty surpasses a crore of Cupids; He is the abode of divine play, enchanting all. Adorned with a multitude of true jewel ornaments, He is ever loving toward His devotees. His chest shines with the mark of Śrīvatsa and is radiant with the Kaustubha gem. Seated upon a jeweled throne and adorned with a garland of forest flowers, He is formed by His own will, the seed and support of all, transcending even the supreme. Endowed with the radiance of a crore full moons, He bestows grace upon His devotees. At the center of the circle of the rāsa dance, He sits peacefully, the supreme Lord of the rāsa. He is the seed of supreme bliss—true, imperishable, undecaying; the Lord of all perfections, embodying and bestowing perfection. He is the supreme Lord beyond nature, without qualities, of eternal form—true, independent, one alone, the essence of the supreme self. Thus, bearing this supreme form, the Blessed Lord alone exists. In the beginning, the world was barren of creatures, waterless, dreadful, windless, and enveloped in darkness. It was devoid of trees, mountains, oceans, and all such features, appearing distorted and desolate. Having considered all this in His mind, the Lord, alone and without companion, began the work of creation. From the southern side of the Man, beings emerged at the dawn of creation. Then arose the great ego and the five subtle elements. Afterwards, Nārāyaṇa Himself, the Lord, manifested. He appeared holding the conch, discus, mace, and lotus, His lotus-face smiling gently. Bearing the mark of Śrīvatsa on His chest, He was the abode and origin of Sri, the source of all prosperity. His form was beautiful and charming, shining with the radiance of Kamadeva.