Then, with the mighty Halāyudha at his side, he vanquished the Daityas, and with equal ease, destroyed the wicked kings upon the battlefield. In the course of his exploits, he slew Naraka, the foremost among the Daityas—himself born of the gods and empowered by the boon of the great-souled brāhmaṇa Urdhvacakra. Victorious and unrivaled in prowess, the mighty one took for his enjoyment more than sixteen thousand maidens. Later, under the pretext of a curse, he brought about the destruction of the brāhmaṇas’ lineage; having annihilated that family, Acyuta remained at Prabhāsa. For over a hundred years, Krishna, the remover of the affliction of old age, dwelled in Dvārakā. During this time, he upheld the words spoken by the sage Durvāsas concerning the curse of Viśvāmitra, Kaṇva, and the wise Nārada at Piṇḍāraka. At last, under the guise of being struck by the arrow of Jara, Krishna abandoned his human form; favoring the hunter, he ascended to heaven. By the curse of Aṣṭāvakra, all the wives of wise Krishna were carried off by thieves through the power of illusion. Balabhadra, too, renounced the world, became a serpent, and departed; Krishna’s auspicious wives, led by Rukmiṇī, likewise followed their lord. All of them, along with Agni, entered the fire; so too did the goddess Revatī, together with the pure-hearted Balabhadra. The Brahmins also entered the fire, and she went to her husband’s path. After performing the funeral rites for Hari, Partha—the supremely valorous—did the same for Rama, for the others, and for the Vrishnis as well, offering what he could: roots, tubers, and fruits. Lacking further means, Partha and his brothers themselves journeyed to heaven. Thus, in brief, has been told the account of Krishna, whose actions were ever pure. The manifestation and dissolution of that great soul occur solely by his own will. This is the history of the kings of the Soma lineage, O twice-born. Whoever recites, hears, or causes Brahmins to listen to this sacred tale surely attains the Vaishnava world—there can be no doubt. Then, a question arose: “O Suta, you have spoken of the primordial creation, but not revealed its details. Now, O virtuous one, narrate it fully.” Maheshvara, the great god, is established in the transcendence of both Prakriti and Purusha—the supreme soul, lord of sages. From the Lord arose the unmanifest, the supreme cause, known as Pradhana and Prakriti by those who contemplate the ultimate reality. This unmanifest is devoid of scent, color, and taste; it is free from sound and touch, ageless, constant, imperishable, eternal, and abides in its own nature. It is the womb of the world, the great element, the supreme, eternal Brahman—the very form of all beings, set in motion by the Lord’s command. Without beginning or end, unborn, subtle, possessing the three qualities, the unmanifest is the source and imperishable; unknowable, it existed at the very dawn of Brahma. By its own self, all was pervaded by Shiva’s will, when the qualities were in perfect equilibrium, in that undivided, darkness-filled state. At the time of creation, from Pradhana—presided over by the knower of the field—due to the stirring of the qualities, the great principle (Mahān) manifested. This great principle, subtle and enveloped by the unmanifest, predominated by sattva, first revealed only existence. The mind and the great principle are to be understood as one; it is remembered as the cause. The subtle mark arose, presided over by the knower of the field. From this, the forms of dharma and others—the causes for the reality of the world—emerged, as the great principle, moved by the desire to create, brought forth creation. Mind, the great principle, intellect, Brahma, prior understanding, fame, lordship, wisdom, consciousness, memory, awareness, and the lord of the universe—these are its many remembered forms. Because it thinks of the actions and fruits of all beings, and because of its subtlety, it is called mind. As the eldest among the principles and greater even than the specific qualities, it is called the Great (Mahān). It bears honor, recognizes distinctions, and perceives divisions; since the person is bound to enjoyment, this is also called mind (mati). Because of its greatness and capacity to expand, as well as its role as the support of all entities—upholding all beings—it is called Brahma. Since it fills and leads all the gods to their true nature through grace, it is also called Pūri (the Filler). Here, the person understands all entities and what is beneficial; thus, as the cause of understanding, it is called Buddhi (intellect). Because recognition and direct experience arise from it, and enjoyment is rooted in knowledge, it is called Khyāti (perception). Since it is known through its qualities—such as knowledge and others—in many ways, it is also called Khyāti (fame or recognition). Because the great self directly knows everything, it is called Īśvara (Lord); and as it is accompanied by knowledge, it is called Prajñā (wisdom). By gathering knowledge and the many fruits of actions for the sake of enjoyment, it is called Citti (consciousness). Since it remembers all deeds—past, present, and future—it is called Smṛti (memory). Attaining complete knowledge and the highest greatness, both the knower and the knowing are called Saṃvid (awareness). And because it exists everywhere and finds everything within itself, the sages call it Saṃvid (consciousness).