Having pondered deeply and reached a firm decision, Brahmā fixed his mind in unwavering concentration and began to praise Yoga-Nidrā, the Divine Sleep. He reflected within himself, “This Power alone is truly capable of protection—She, by whom even the insentient Viṣṇu Himself has been rendered motionless.” He considered further: “Just as one without life cannot perceive sound or any other quality, so too does Hari, with his eyes closed in sleep, perceive nothing. Though praised in countless ways, He does not abandon His slumber; it seems that sleep is not under His command, but rather, He is subdued by it. “Whoever falls under the sway of another indeed becomes that other’s servant—thus, Yoga-Nidrā is the mistress of Lord Hari. She, who has subdued even the Lord of Lakṣmī, born of the ocean, surely brings the entire world under her control. I, Viṣṇu, Śambhu, Sāvitrī, as well as Lakṣmī and Umā—all of us are under her power; of this there is no doubt. Even Hari lies powerless, just like any ordinary being; if He is overcome by her, what need is there to speak of other great souls? “Today I offer my praises to Yoga-Nidrā, through whom Janārdana may be released, so that the eternal Vāsudeva can accomplish battle.” Resolving thus, Brahmā, seated upon the lotus stalk, began to praise Yoga-Nidrā, who rested upon the limbs of Viṣṇu. Brahmā addressed her: “O Goddess, you are indeed the cause of this universe—this I have learned from all the words of the Vedas, O Mother. Even Viṣṇu, the creator of discernment in all worlds, today lies subject to sleep, O Supreme Person. Who truly knows, O Mother, your play of delusion and wonder? I am bewildered, and even Hari lies powerless. When you, who dwell in the minds of all beings, are thus, even the wisest among countless gods cannot comprehend you, O qualityless One. “The Sāṃkhyas speak of Puruṣa and of you as Prakṛti, devoid of consciousness, yet the doer of the world. How is it that you, being such, have established the abode of the world, bereft of consciousness, today? You enact the drama of the world, endowed with qualities, in manifold ways; no one knows the method of your actions. The groups of sages constantly meditate on you, imagining you as Sandhyā, O Bhavānī, adorned with all qualities. “You are always the intellect, the faculty of knowledge for all beings; you are ever the fortune that brings happiness to the gods, O Goddess. Likewise, you are fame, wisdom, steadfastness, beauty, faith, and love in all people, O Mother. Beyond this, I have found no further proof, though I have suffered and pondered with hundreds of arguments. Truly, you are the mother of all worlds, and it is evident here that Hari has been made to sleep by you. “O Goddess, you are difficult to comprehend even for those learned in the Vedas; indeed, the Veda itself does not know you in your entirety. For the Veda itself arises from you, and all your deeds are manifest before us. Who among the wise on earth knows your entire conduct? Neither I, nor Hari, nor Bhava, nor the other gods. Nor are the sages or my own sons able to know; your greatness is truly unspeakable in all the worlds. “O Goddess, even when the learned recite the Vedas and perform sacrifices, if they do not invoke you with ‘Svaha,’ the gods do not receive their share in the offerings; you alone, even among the gods, are the giver of sustenance. O Blessed One, you were our first protector from the fear of the enemies of the gods, and now again you are the same; seeing the terrible Madhu and Kaitabha, I am afraid, O Goddess, granter of boons, and I have taken refuge in you. “Now, even Viṣṇu does not know my suffering, for his body has been rendered powerless by you; whether you release the supreme god or slay these two lords of the demons, do as you wish, O greatly powerful one. Those who do not know your supreme power, O Goddess, and who meditate only on Hari or Hara, are of dull mind; today, O Mother, I have clearly understood, for even Viṣṇu lies here utterly helpless. “Even Lakṣmī, born from the ocean, is unable today, by your power, to awaken her husband Hari, for she too is under your sway; I think, O Blessed One, that you have forcibly put even Rāma to sleep, so that she, rendered powerless, does not awaken. “Blessed indeed are those on earth who are devoted to your feet, who have abandoned the worship of other gods and are absorbed in you; knowing you as the universal mother and the wish-fulfilling cow, they worship you with all their heart. “Where now are those virtues, good conduct, and auspicious qualities that bring fame, which belonged to Viṣṇu? All have departed; for here, even Hari has been subdued by your power, O exceedingly glorious Goddess, and bound by sleep. You alone are the power of the universe, the source of all might; all that exists is but a manifestation created by you; you play within the net of illusion you have woven, just as an actor delights in a drama of his own making. “At the beginning of the age, Viṣṇu was revealed by you, and you gave him pure power for the work of preservation; now, having rendered him helpless, you have protected everything; O Mother, you surely do as you wish. “O Blessed One, since you have created me here, you must not wish to destroy me; show mercy and set aside your silence. Why have these two, forms of Time, been manifested? Or, O Bhavānī, do you wish to laugh at me? I have understood your wondrous actions; having created this entire world, you delight in your freedom. In the same way, you can dissolve everything, or destroy me—O Bhavānī, what is strange in that? “Do as you wish, slay me today, O Mother; O Mother of the world, I do not grieve for death. It is you who first made the creator, and now this one is slain by the demon; thus, the greatest disgrace is his. “Arise, O Goddess, take on a wondrous form here; either kill me or these two as you please, in your childlike play. Or, if not, awaken Hari, so that he may slay these two; for all these deeds are accomplished only through you.” Thus, as Brahmā poured forth his praises, the narrator Sūta recounts: the Tamasic Goddess, pleased by the creator’s devotion, emerged from Hari’s body and stood at his side. Yoga-Nidrā, having left all the limbs of Viṣṇu—whose energy is without equal—departed then, for the destruction of the two demons. As Janārdana’s body began to stir, Brahmā was filled with supreme joy at the sight of Hari’s awakening. At this point, the sages, listening to the tale, addressed Sūta: “O greatly fortunate one, a marvelous doubt arises in us from this story, for it has always been established by the wise through the Vedas, Shastras, and Purāṇas that Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra—these three gods—are eternal. There is nothing greater than them in this universe. “Brahmā creates the worlds, Viṣṇu sustains the entire universe, and Rudra destroys at the proper time; these three are the causes here. There is one form, yet three gods: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara; united with rajas, sattva, and tamas, they are agents and instruments of action. Among them, Hari is the foremost—Mādhava, the Supreme Person, the primordial deity, Lord of the universe, capable in all actions. No one else is capable like Viṣṇu, whose power is unmatched; how then was the Lord made to sleep, rendered powerless by yogic illusion?