In this sacred narration, the wisdom of the cycles of time is revealed. With the explanation of a single Manvantara, all the intervening periods are understood, for a Kalpa is defined by its own measure. Those who possess understanding must apply reasoning to all Manvantaras—past, present, and future—so that the nature of these cosmic ages is comprehended. Within each Manvantara, those who possess equal pride become, through their names and forms, the eightfold gods and rulers of the ages. The sages and Manus, too, share an equal purpose, and thus, the division of castes and stages of life occurs in every era. The nature of the ages, the divisions of caste and life stages, and the passage of time itself are all established by the Lord in each age. The measure of these ages has been briefly spoken of, and now the divine sonship of the Lotus-born is to be described. Once again, at the end of a thousand ages, when dawn arrived, the Blessed One, the Grandfather, recreated the lost beings as before. When half the supreme period had passed, the waters spread over the earth, and fire covered the wind. Fire and wind, united with the subtle elements in the sky and the eleven senses, along with the subtle elements, reached the ego and were dissolved at that moment. Pride, pervading the great principle, also dissolved instantly. The great principle, having attained manifestation, was dissolved, and the unmanifest, along with its own qualities, was dissolved into existence. From this dissolution, creation arose again, as before, from Purusha Shiva. Those created at this time were born from his mind—the mind-born. Yet, the beings created by the Lotus-born did not increase in the world. For their growth, the Blessed Brahma, together with his mind-born sons, performed difficult austerities, aiming at the Lord himself. Pleased by their austerity, Bhava understood their desire. Piercing the middle of Brahma’s forehead, the Lord, speaking of paternal affection, manifested in both female and male form. His son, Mahadeva, became the Lord of Half-Woman, and the Blessed One burned everything, including Brahma, the teacher of the world. Shiva then enjoyed the auspicious half-measure of his own supreme self by the path of yoga, for the growth of the worlds. Within her, the Supreme Lord created Hari and Brahma, and the Lord of the Universe, the soul of all, also created the Pashupata weapon. From the Great Goddess came Brahma, and from her portion also Hari—the one born from the egg, the one born from the lotus, and the one arisen from the body of Bhava. All this ancient history has been told: Brahma’s prosperity lasted as long as a parārdha. Now, Brahma’s detachment, arising from darkness, is briefly spoken of. Even the blessed Narayana, having divided his own form in two, created all moving and unmoving beings from his own limb. Then Brahma created the Brahmanas, and Brahma, the Grandfather, created Rudra. At the end of a kalpa, Rudra created Hari, Brahmana, and Ishvara; then, at the end of another kalpa, Hari created Brahmana. Again, Brahma created Narayana, and Bhava created Brahmana. Then Brahma, reflecting, realized that worldly existence is suffering. Withdrawing creation and establishing himself within himself, restraining the movement of breath, Brahma became motionless like a stone. The Lord remained in samadhi for ten thousand years. The downward-facing lotus, beautiful and situated in the heart, was filled by inhalation and then awakened; its upward face was restrained by retention of breath. In the center of that lotus’s pericarp, Brahma established the Lord, the syllable 'Om', Shiva—the supreme god, beyond the half-measure. Situated in a hundredth part of a lotus fiber, controlling the Lord in his heart, the self-controlled one, pure in mind, through restraint, worshipped with yam-flower and other offerings, worthy of sacrifice, unaging and undecaying. By the command of the one who dwells in the heart-lotus, the mighty one was born from a portion. Breaking forth from Brahma’s forehead, he appeared: red in color and self-existent, blue, born from the heart of Shiva. By union with fire, the Lord, the person, arose from nature—blue and red—from whom the form of Time, the man, came forth. He was called Nilalohita, blue-red, by that god, the Lord. The blessed Kala, Time, was created by Brahma, who was content in spirit. The Grandfather, with a mind full of delight, praised the god with eight names, addressing the soul of the universe: “Salutations to you, blessed Rudra, radiant as the sun; salutations to Bhava, the god, composed of essence and water. Salutations to Sharva, who is of the form of earth, always fragrant; salutations to Isha, to you as wind, to the sense of touch, repeated salutations. Homage to you, Lord of creatures, whose brilliance surpasses fire, who is terrible, whose form is space, who is of the nature of sound alone. Salutations to you, O great god, O Soma, O immortal one; salutations to you, O fierce one, O sacrificer, O practitioner of ritual action.” Whoever recites or hears this ancestral hymn, spoken for Rudra, or causes attentive Brahmins to listen to it, attains union with the Eight-formed One within eleven years. Thus, having praised the great god, the Grandfather beheld him.