Listen, and I shall tell you of that eternal foundation—ever-blissful, unmanifest, and free from all duality. It is without distinctions, without any appearance, the very abode of all, the supreme nectar itself. This is the qualityless, supreme expanse, a knowledge known only to the wise. I am that: all-pervading, peaceful, the very self of knowledge, the Supreme Lord. All beings abide in Me, and whoever truly understands this is indeed a knower of the Veda. Of the two principles, one is beginningless and is declared to be Time, the supreme uniter. This is its own nature, while the other is different; those with insight know My form as that. That which is called Prakriti is the great enchantress of all embodied beings. Because it is free from ego, it is called the twenty-fifth principle. Discernment is the true knower, and from it arises ego. This is called the jīva, the inner self, by those who contemplate reality. Its very nature is knowledge, and the mind serves as its instrument. Yet, through association with Prakriti, lack of discrimination arises, and this comes about through Time. All beings are subject to Time, for Time is under the control of none. The Lord is called Prāṇa, all-knowing, the supreme person. From the mind comes ego, and beyond ego is the great principle. From the person emerges the Lord, Prāṇa, and from Him arises this entire world. There is no being higher than Me; knowing Me, one attains liberation. Except for Me alone—the unmanifest, of the very nature of space, the Great Lord—there is none other. The Lord, possessor and embodiment of māyā, is united with Time. The Infinite Self, in accordance with the injunctions of the Veda, ordains all this. It is by the greatness of the God of gods that this world is set in motion. Yet, this mystery can only be known by men through supreme devotion. The world does not know Me, the witness of all, nor do even the great sages. I am the Self, the creator, the ordainer, Time itself, Fire, facing in all directions. Brahmā, the Manus, Indra, and others renowned for their might, all arise from Me. The Brāhmaṇas worship Fire with various Vedic sacrifices. The yogis meditate upon the Lord, the ruler of beings, the Supreme Lord. Having become the very body of all the gods, the Self of all, I abide in all things. I am always present near those who worship Me with devotion. To them, I grant that supreme place of bliss. Those devoted ones, united with Me in Time, are released from bondage. From the beginning, it has been declared: My devotee does not perish. Whoever worships Him with devotion is, in truth, worshipping Me. He who gives to Me with discipline I regard as a dear devotee. Having established and given all the Vedas, which have arisen from the Self, I am the protector of the righteous and the destroyer of those who hate the Veda. Though I am the very cause of worldly existence, I remain untouched by all worldly existence. I am the wielder of illusion; My unique power is Māyā, which deludes the worlds. Yet, abiding in the hearts of yogis, by that very Māyā, I destroy illusion itself.