After the great god Maheśvara had departed, Janārdana bowed reverently before him and turned to address the lotus-born Brahmā. Janārdana spoke, acknowledging the supreme lord Śaṅkara, the master of the universe, who pervades all and is the refuge for both himself and Brahmā. He explained to Brahmā, "O Brahman, I am born from the left side of the great-souled Śaṅkara, and you yourself are born from the right side of Bhava." The sages, upon seeing Janārdana, recognized him as the chief principle, the primal nature, the unmanifest, and the unborn, while they called Brahmā the Puruṣa. Thus, Janārdana declared, Mahādeva is the cause of both of them, the lord of all worlds, the imperishable master. At the command of that immortal lord, Brahmā, the lotus-born, praised and bowed to Rudra, who grants boons and is worthy of worship. Then Janārdana, assuming the form of a mighty boar, restored the earth, which had been submerged in water, to its previous state. He recreated the rivers, streams, and oceans as before, carefully making the earth level, free from depressions and elevations. Taking on the form of a mountain, he established all the mountains upon the earth and created the four worlds, beginning with Bhū, just as they had been before. The blessed one, best among the wise, resolved to create and brought forth the principal beings: those born from eggs, divine beings, and humans. The mighty lord, compassionate and undepressed, first created Sananda and Sanaka, granting them favor. He then created Sanātana, the best among the virtuous, who attained the highest through renunciation, as well as Marīci, Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu. Dakṣa, Atri, and Vasiṣṭha were created through the power of yoga, and the lord also produced resolve, dharma, and adharma. These twelve progenitors were created by Brahmā, whose birth is unmanifest. At the beginning, Sanātana produced Ṛbhu and Sanatkumāra as well. These two, divine and born with upward-flowing energy, were foremost among the wise, versed in Brahman, and resembled Brahmā himself, all-knowing and all-encompassing. Thus, having created the principal and first beings, the lotus-born creator established all the duties of the ages and the universal order. Later, having heard the words spoken by Śakra, my father, the great sage once again questioned the lord of the gods, bowing with joined palms. He addressed Śakra, "O blessed one, all-knowing, worshipped by the gods, lord of Śacī, master of the universe, thousand-eyed, great lord, how did the blessed one, born from the lotus, establish the duties of the ages? Please tell me everything now, as I bow before you." Hearing these words of the great-souled Śilāda, Śakra spoke, describing in detail the duties of the ages as he had witnessed them. "Know that the first is the Kṛta age, then comes the Tretā age, O sage; after that is Dvāpara, and Tiṣya—these four are the ages in brief. Kṛta is characterized by sattva, Tretā by rajas, Dvāpara by both rajas and tamas, and Kali by tamas; thus the nature of the ages should be understood. Meditation is supreme in the Kṛta age; sacrifice is praised in Tretā; pure worship in Dvāpara; and only giving is extolled in Kali. The Kṛta age consists of four thousand years; its twilight period is as many hundreds, and its portion of twilight is likewise. Know, O steadfast one, that in the Kṛta age, the lifespan of people who eat stones is four thousand years. Then, when the Kṛta age and its twilight portion have passed, only a quarter remains of the age's duties everywhere. The excellent Tretā age is lacking one fourth; Dvāpara is half of Kṛta; Tiṣya is said to be half of that. Three hundred, two hundred, and one hundred are the twilight periods, O sage, and the twilight portions likewise; so it is in each cycle, in every age. In the first, the Kṛta age, dharma stands on four feet, eternal; in Tretā, it stands on three; in Dvāpara, on two. In Tiṣya, it is deprived of three feet, supported only by sattva. In Kṛta, the origin of pairs is direct, and sustenance is full of essence. All people are always satisfied, enjoying all happiness; there is no distinction of low or high among them, all are auspicious. Their lifespan, happiness, and form are equal in that Kṛta age; their affection is constant, there is no conflict, no hatred, and no fatigue. They dwell on mountains and in oceans, without fixed abodes; free from sorrow, abundant in sattva, and full of single-mindedness. They act without desire, their minds always joyful; in the Kṛta age, there is no activity of good or evil deeds. The system of varṇa and āśrama existed then, but there was no mixing; the abundance of essence perishes in Tretā due to the influence of time, O twice-born. When that perfection is lost, another perfection arises; when the subtlety of water returns, then, indeed, it comes from the nature of clouds. From the clouds and thunder, rain began to fall; and with that single rainfall, the earth's surface became saturated. Then, from that, those trees called 'house-trees' appeared; all means of sustenance and enjoyment for them arose from these. At the beginning of the Tretā Yuga, people lived from those trees; but after a long time, due to a reversal among them, a state characterized by passion and greed suddenly arose. Because of that reversal, which occurred at that time among them, the harmony and order of the previous age changed.