Unassailable by any being, the Lord—who is composed of pure speech and known as Brahman—took form and entered the netherworld with a single purpose: to raise up the sunken earth. Swiftly, the Lord of creatures approached the earth, which was hidden beneath the vast waters. He seized her and entered the depths as well, seeking her restoration. At that time, the rivers had merged into the oceans, and all gifts and treasures were lost within those rivers. The earth herself had sunk to the very bottom of the netherworld, lost in its deepest recesses. For the welfare of all the worlds, the Lord, in his boar form, lifted the earth with his mighty tusk. Bringing her back to her proper place, the supporter of the earth restored her to her original position. Having thus supported the earth, the bearer of the world released her as before. Upon her surface, a great mass of water remained, stretching out like a vast ship. Yet, because she was upheld by his own divine body, the earth did not sink again. Lifting her up, the Lord, intent on establishing the world, set her firm and steady. With the earth restored, the lotus-eyed one conceived in his mind the division of the land. He made the earth level and placed the mountains upon her, shaping her form. At the beginning of creation, however, all things had been scorched by the fire of dissolution, and the mighty mountains had been shattered by that consuming flame. When cold returned, the shattered mountains were compressed by the wind within the single ocean. Wherever they settled, there they became immovable, and thus were called “mountains” (acala)—those that do not move—and “heaps of rocks” (śiloccaya), because they are piled up. When these mountains were scattered in countless numbers, Viśvakarman, the divine architect, divided them again and again at the start of each cycle. In this way, he arranged the earth with its oceans, seven continents, and mountains, as well as the four worlds beginning with Bhū. Having established the worlds thus, the self-born Lord Brahmā, desiring to create, brought forth various beings. He created the world as he had in previous cycles; as he contemplated creation in his mind, so it came to be, shaped by his deliberate thought. Yet, at the same moment as intellect arose, so too did that which is composed of darkness: ignorance, great delusion, and what is called tamas and andhas. This ignorance, with five aspects, arose from the Great Soul itself. The creation that abides in this fivefold form belongs to those who meditate with self-conceit. Enveloped by darkness, covered like a seed by its sprout, this creation was without light within or without, inert and lacking awareness. Because their intellect was veiled and their instruments became sources of suffering, these beings with hidden selves were called the “primary trees”—the first, unmoving creation. Seeing that this primary creation was ineffective, Brahmā, dissatisfied in his mind, conceived of another creation. As he contemplated, a crosswise stream arose, and from it came beings who move in a crosswise manner—thus they are called the crosswise stream. These beings, beginning with cattle, are known as those who stray from the path. As Brahmā continued his contemplation, a sattvic creation arose. The third creation is the upward stream, established above. Because it proceeds upward, it is called the upward stream. These beings are abundant in happiness and delight, luminous within and without, enclosed by light, and are known as those born of the upward stream. Created by the union with sattva, they are remembered as children of sattva; this third, the upward stream, is the creation of the gods. Luminous inside and out, these upward stream beings are known as contented souls by the wise. When these gods of the upward stream were created, Brahmā was pleased and conceived yet another creation. The Lord, the master, brought forth a fourth creation, effective and purposeful. As he contemplated with truthfulness, it came to be. From the manifest appeared the effective creation, called the forward stream. Because these beings move forward, they are called the forward stream. They are abundant in light, yet mixed with darkness, dominated by rajas; thus, they are full of suffering and act repeatedly. Humans, who are effective, are veiled within and without. This creation is established in eightfold form and marked by various characteristics, such as the stars and others. These perfected humans are akin to the Gandharvas, and so this fiery creation is known as the forward stream. The fifth creation is the creation of grace, established in fourfold manner: by reversal, by power, by attainment, and by satisfaction. In immobile beings, grace is by reversal; in animals, by power; in humans, by attainment; and among seers and gods, it is complete satisfaction. Thus, this is the primary creation; the secondary is considered the ninth. Among the elements and beings, the sixth creation is so named. The wise know both the cessation and continuance of these elements and beings, and recognize the seventh creation of elements and beings as well. All these creations are graspers, ever intent on division. They are known as those who taste, those of unsteady conduct, and those beginning from the elements. By reversal and by lack of power, the creation beginning from the elements is established. The first creation from the great principle is known as that of Brahmā. The second is the creation of the subtle elements; the third, arising from modifications, is known as the sense creation. Thus, this is the primary creation, arisen with intellect preceding. The principal creation is the fourth, and the principal ones are the immobile beings—those who stand firm at the foundation of the world.