Those who have realized the true meaning of the Vedas speak of a third form, one that is supremely blessed. This form, endowed with four faces, is engaged in the creation of the world, shaping existence itself. It is Viṣṇu, the Lord of all, who assumes the pure quality of sattva, sustaining the universe with balance and harmony. Rudra, relying on the quality of tamas, brings about the dissolution of the world, drawing all things back into their source. This Supreme Being is both one and many: singular in essence, yet manifesting as twofold, threefold, and in countless forms. Through his own divine play, he assumes a multitude of forms, undertakes various actions, appears in different guises, and is known by many names. He is the creator, the consumer, and above all, the witness of all things. Because he is composed of qualities and exists through all three times—past, present, and future—he is called the One. As the first among all, he is the primal god; since he is never born, he is remembered as the Unborn. Among the gods, he is revered as Māhadeva, the Great God. By virtue of his mastery and freedom from subjection, he is known as Īśvara, the Lord. Not produced by anything and existing before all, he is remembered as Svayambhū, the self-born. He is called Hara, for he removes worldly existence, and Viṣṇu, because he pervades all things. He is omniscient, for he knows everything, and he is all, for everything arises from him. Because he delivers all beings from suffering, he is praised as the Deliverer. The Supreme Lord, manifesting in countless diverse forms, plays in the world, delighting in his own creation. O sages, without speculation, understand the creation born of Brahman. Its full extent cannot be described, even in many years, by any individual. That alone is the Supreme Time, which itself is reabsorbed at the end of all things. This vast span is called a parārdha, and half of it is also known as a parārdha. To measure time: thirty kāṣṭhās make a kalā, and thirty kalās make a muhūrta. Such day-and-nights together make a month, which consists of two fortnights. For the gods, the southern course of the sun is their night, while the northern course is their day. A caturyuga, or fourfold age, is divided into twelve parts; listen to its divisions. Of these, one hundred units are the twilight at the beginning, and this is the twilight portion of the Kṛta age. Excluding this twilight, six hundred units comprise the main portion of the Kṛta age. The durations of the Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali ages are likewise set forth. Seventy-one such cycles make a manvantara, an age presided over by a Manu. The Svāyambhuva and other Manus, as well as the Sāvarṇika and others, rule in their turn. A full thousand yugas are to be protected by the kings of men. These divisions have been explained, leaving no doubt about the measurement of a kalpa and its duration. The wise declare that a kalpa is a thousand caturyugas. The year as described by Brahmā is called 'Parā,' and the wise know that his life is a hundred such years. Thus, the noble ones declare this as the natural dissolution of the world. Through the operation of time, creation arises anew. By time alone, beings are created, and by time, they are again absorbed. Because he is all-pervading and independent, this Lord is the Self of all, the great Lord. Indeed, the Blessed Lord alone is the ruler, Time itself, and the poet, as the scriptures declare. At present, creation continues as before; this is now his eighth cycle. The Varāha cycle is presently ongoing, and its details are to be explained.