Markandeya spoke: When the whole universe dissolves and merges back into its original source, Prakriti, the wise call this the Prakritika dissolution. In this great withdrawal, all that is manifest and all its transformations are drawn back and rest within themselves. At this time, only Prakriti and Purusha remain, abiding together in their pure essence. During this profound stillness, the qualities of tamas and sattva exist in perfect balance, neither exceeding nor lacking, intricately woven together. Just as oil lies hidden in sesame seeds or ghee in milk, so too does rajas remain present, accompanying tamas and sattva in this equilibrium. This state endures for the full span of Brahma’s life—two parardhas—which constitutes a day of the Supreme Lord. An equal period marks his night, when dissolution prevails. With the coming of dawn, the beginningless source of the universe awakens—the cause of all, whose nature is beyond comprehension, who is supreme and acts without any other. The Lord of the universe, entering both Prakriti and Purusha, stirs them to activity through his supreme yoga, for he is the highest Lord. His entry is like intoxication entering young women or the spring wind setting things in motion—so does he, as the embodiment of Yoga, enter and agitate them. As primordial matter is thus awakened, the deity known as Brahma arises within the cosmic egg, just as I have described. The One who was the agitator before, the Lord of Prakriti, remains established in the state of Pradhana, both in contraction and expansion. Though he is truly beyond all qualities, the source of the world assumes the quality of rajas and, taking on the role of Brahma, engages in creation. When creation is accomplished, endowed with predominance of sattva, he assumes the role of Vishnu and, through righteousness, protects the worlds. When tamas prevails, he becomes Rudra, withdrawing the universe into himself, resting in his threefold nature—yet always beyond all qualities—even as he pervades the three worlds. Just as a cultivator, protector, or reaper assumes their respective names and roles, so does the Lord take up the names and functions of Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishvara. In the state of Brahma, he creates worlds; in the state of Rudra, he dissolves them; and in the state of Vishnu, he remains indifferent. These are the three states of the Self-born. Rajas is Brahma, tamas is Rudra, and sattva is Vishnu, the Lord of the world; these three are the gods, and these three are the qualities. They exist in mutual dependence, never separated even for a moment, never abandoning one another. Thus, Brahma, the first of the world, the god of gods, four-faced and established in the creative act through rajas, is thus situated. Hiranyagarbha, the first among the gods—though called beginningless in a figurative sense—was born at the dawn of creation, seated upon the lotus stalk that rises from the earth. O noble one, his lifespan is a hundred years. Listen as I explain how this is measured according to Brahma’s reckoning. Ten nimeṣas make one kāṣṭhā; five kāṣṭhās make one kalā; thirty kalās make a muhūrta, and thirty muhūrtas make a day and night. For humans, a day and night is reckoned as thirty muhūrtas; thirty such days and nights make two fortnights, which together form a month. Six such months comprise a year, divided into the southern and northern courses; for the gods, a day and night is reckoned thus, with the northern course as their day. A chaturyuga, consisting of the Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali yugas, comprises twelve thousand divine years. Let me explain the divisions: Four thousand years make the Krita Yuga, with a twilight of four hundred years and a dawn of equal length. The Treta Yuga is three thousand divine years, with a twilight and dawn of three hundred years each. The Dvapara Yuga spans two thousand years, with two hundred years for both twilight and dawn. The Kali Yuga is a thousand divine years, with a twilight and dawn of one hundred years each. Thus, the four yugas together total twelve thousand years, as composed by the sages. Multiplied by a thousand, this becomes a day of Brahma. In each day of Brahma there are fourteen Manus, whose periods divide that thousand. With each Manu are created the gods, the Seven Sages, Indra, Manu himself, and the kings who are his sons; all are dissolved together when their time ends. In a manvantara, there are seventy-one cycles of the four yugas, plus a fraction. Hear now the duration of a manvantara in human years: it is thirty crore years, with sixty-six niyutas more, and twenty thousand added, making this period slightly longer. This is the manvantara; let me tell you its reckoning in divine years: eight thousand, plus fifty-two thousand more, are to be added. This period, multiplied by fourteen, makes a day of Brahma. At its close, a dissolution called naimittika is declared by the wise. Then, earth, atmosphere, and heaven are all destroyed; only the Maharloka remains. Even the inhabitants of Maharloka, scorched by the heat, ascend to Janaloka. The three worlds, covered by a single ocean, rest as Brahma sleeps through the night. This night is equal in length to his day; at its end, creation arises again. In this way, one year of Brahma is made, and a hundred such years complete his lifespan. A hundred years is called the supreme span, and fifty years is known as a parārdha.