Having journeyed together, we arrived at the vast and wondrous chariot, and from there reached the presence of the sacred lotus. It was in the midst of the great cosmic ocean, the very place where the formidable demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha had been vanquished by the enemy of Mura—Viṣṇu himself—whose might is difficult to overcome. In that profound setting, Brahmā spoke of a remarkable vision: “Thus, I beheld that goddess of supreme power, and so did Viṣṇu, and Śiva as well. Each of us, O blessed one, perceived those goddesses separately, according to our own understanding.” Hearing his father’s words, the wise sage Nārada, filled with joy and curiosity, respectfully addressed Prajāpati Brahmā: “O Grandfather, please tell me about that primal Person—imperishable, without qualities, unchanging and unfailing—who is both seen and experienced. O Lotus-born, what is the true nature of that qualityless power, which appears as threefold? Reveal to me the real form of that power and of the Person as well. “For what purpose did I perform such severe austerity on Śvetadvīpa? There, I saw great souls—ascetics free from anger, accomplished in their paths. Yet, O Prajāpati, the Supreme Self did not come within the range of my vision, though I performed intense austerities again and again. “Father, you have witnessed the delightful power with qualities; please explain to me what the qualityless power and the qualityless Person are like.” Thus questioned, Prajāpati Brahmā smiled gently and answered truthfully: “O sage, the form of the qualityless cannot be an object of sight. Whatever is seen is perishable—how, then, can the formless be perceived by the eyes? “The qualityless power and the qualityless Person are both exceedingly difficult to reach; they are to be known through true knowledge and contemplated by the wise. Know that both Prakṛti (Nature) and Puruṣa (Spirit) are without beginning or end; they are attained through faith, never through doubt or lack of faith. “The consciousness present in all beings, O Nārada, is the Supreme Self—an eternal light that pervades everywhere, manifesting in countless forms. Both Prakṛti and Puruṣa are all-pervading and omnipresent; in this world, nothing exists apart from them. “They are always to be contemplated within the body, ever united and imperishable. Both are of one essence—conscious, without qualities, and pure. That power is the Supreme Self, and the Supreme Self is considered that power; O Nārada, no one truly knows any subtle distinction between them. “Even after studying all the scriptures and the Vedas with their branches, unless one is detached, the subtle difference between them remains unknown. All this world, moving and unmoving, arises from ego; how could it exist without that, even after hundreds of aeons? “How can one who is bound by qualities perceive the qualityless with the eyes? O wise one, reflect with your mind on the one with qualities. Just as when the tongue is covered by bile, it tastes only bitterness and not true flavor, so too the eyes perceive only form, not the formless. “How can a mind enveloped by qualities know the qualityless? That very mind is born of ego—how can it transcend itself? As long as the separation from qualities does not occur, that vision cannot arise; one perceives it in the mind only when ego is absent.” Nārada, eager to understand further, asked: “O Lord of gods, please describe in detail the nature of the three qualities and the nature of ego, which assumes three forms. Sattva, rajas, and tamas—these are the three, O Supreme Person; explain their distinct natures. By knowing which I may be freed, tell me that knowledge, O Lord. Please explain to me the characteristics of the qualities, set forth distinctly.” Brahmā replied: “The powers of the three qualities are also threefold, O sinless one: the power of knowledge, the power of action, and the power of substance. Sattva is associated with the power of knowledge; rajas with the power of action; tamas with the power of substance—these three I will explain to you. “Now listen to their functions, O Nārada. From the power of substance, which belongs to tamas, arise sound and touch. Form, taste, and smell are called the subtle elements. Ether has sound as its single quality; air has touch as its quality. Fire is known by form, water by taste, and earth by smell—these are subtle, O Nārada. “These ten, when combined and endowed with the power of substance, constitute the creation of the tamasic ego, which is its continuation. “Now hear from me the products of the rajasic power of action: the ear, skin, tongue, eye, and nose as the fifth. These are the five sense organs, and likewise there are five organs of action: speech, hands, feet, anus, and genitals. Prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, samāna, and udāna—the five vital airs—these fifteen, when united, are called the rajasic creation. These are the instruments, composed of the power of action; their material basis is said to be the continuation of consciousness. “Those endowed with the power of knowledge, arising from sattva, are: the directions, air, the sun, Varuṇa, and the Ashvins. The five sense organs have five presiding deities: the moon, Brahmā, Rudra, and the knower of the field as the fourth. Thus, for the internal organ called intellect and so forth, four presiding deities are also mentioned. Together with the mind, these are certainly fifteen in number; this creation is called the sattvic creation. “Due to the distinction between gross and subtle, there are two forms of the Supreme Self: the form of knowledge, which is formless, is said to be the cause.” In this way, Brahmā revealed to Nārada the profound truth of the Supreme, the qualities, and their manifestations—guiding him toward the subtle understanding that lies beyond all qualities and forms.