Wherever the power of lordship appears in creation, wherever such sovereignty is manifest, the wise refer to it as 'Ishvara.' For true, attribute-less lordship is established in Vasudeva alone. The eternal teachings of the Vedas proclaim him as 'Atmeshvara,' the Lord of the Self; thus, the great status of supreme lordship is firmly established in Vasudeva. By his divine play, he is the lord even over the threefold manifestation of existence, and the twofold manifestation of lordship belongs to him, for he is the soul of all beings. He is the master of Śrī, Bhūmi, and Nīla, and so is declared Ishvara, the Lord of all. Thus, the position of universal lordship belongs to Vasudeva. He is the lord of sacrifice, the sacrifice itself, its enjoyer, its maker, the one who pervades everything. He is the sacrificial Purusha, the supreme enjoyer and the highest lord. As the lord of sacrifice and the recipient of all offerings and oblations, he is the imperishable Hari, the supreme lord present here; by his very presence, all demons and asuras are instantly driven away. Hari, Janardana, who has assumed the cosmic form, nourishes the three worlds; he alone is the supreme lord. The gods themselves performed sacrifice using full offerings to him, and from that sacrifice arose those who partake of both sides—the divine and the earthly. From that primordial sacrifice, all offerings, as well as the Rig and Sama hymns, were born. From it came forth horses, cows, and humankind. From the very body of this Purusha, composed of all sacrifices, everything in the world—both stationary and moving—has arisen from Hari. From his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet, the four castes emerged in due order. From his feet, the earth was born, and from his head, the heavens came forth. The moon arose from his mind, the sun from his eyes, fire and Indra from his mouth, and the ever-moving wind from his breath. From his navel sprang Brahmā and the sky itself. All the world, moving and unmoving, arose from the eternal Viṣṇu. Therefore, Viṣṇu, who encompasses all, is called Nārāyaṇa. Having created the entire world, Hari gathers it back into himself. Like a spider drawing in its web, spun from its own play, he withdraws Brahmā, Indra, Rudra, Yama, and even Varuṇa into himself. Because he restrains and takes back all creation, he is called Hari. When the universe is dissolved into the great ocean, on the surface of Māyā, the Supreme Person alone remains. Having placed the world within his own womb, the Eternal One lies there; then, only Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, the infallible, exists. At that time, there is no Brahmā, no Rudra, no gods, nor great sages; neither heaven nor earth, nor Soma, nor the sun. There are no stars, no worlds, not even the cosmic egg enveloped in greatness, for the entire universe is enveloped by Hari. Then, at the dawn of creation, all arises once more by his will; thus, he is remembered as Nārāyaṇa. Service to him is spoken of in the fourth case of the mantra, O Pārvatī. This entire world, beginning with Brahmā, is his servant; knowing this meaning, one should apply the mantra with understanding. For without understanding the mantra’s meaning, there is no attainment of success, nor enjoyment, nor devotion, nor liberation, O beautiful-faced one. Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-sixth chapter, named 'Instruction on the Meaning of the Mantra,' in the dialogue between Umā and Maheśvara, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa. Then Pārvatī spoke: “Explain to me in detail the greatness of the words of the mantra, the true nature of the Lord, and also his powers and qualities. Tell me, O Lord of all gods, the supreme abode of Viṣṇu, the divisions of Hari’s forms, and all things truly.” Īśvara replied: “Listen, O goddess, and I will declare the true nature of the Supreme Self, the collection of his powers and qualities, and the states of Hari. That supreme person, called Viṣṇu and Nārāyaṇa, is the Lord of the worlds, the eternal Supreme Self. He has hands and feet everywhere, and eyes everywhere; the Lord pervades all worlds, and within him are found all the highest abodes. Even as he sustains all, he surpasses the grasp of the wise; thus, the Lord of Śrī, the Supreme Person, appears in many forms, possessing a divine and auspicious form for the sake of enjoyment together with the goddess. Hari, with a vast body and a form like fire, assuming the beauty of youthful boyhood, delights together with Śrī, the mother of the worlds, shining with his own radiance like the moon with its nectar-beams. This son of the Lady of the Universe is eternally youthful, possessing the beauty of ten million Cupids; he stands in the supreme abode. For the sake of enjoyment, the supreme sky and the entire world exist for his play; by enjoyment and sport, the twofold manifestation of Viṣṇu is established. He always abides in enjoyment; when he withdraws his play, both enjoyment and play are sustained by his power. His three-quarters pervade the supreme abode, while one quarter appeared here; the three-quarters are eternal manifestations, but the quarter is the impermanent domain of the Lord. His eternal, auspicious form abides in the supreme abode—unchanging, everlasting, divine, always endowed with youth. He is always enveloped in enjoyment with the Lady of the Universe, with Śrī and Bhū; this Śrī, the mother of the worlds, is eternally inseparable from Viṣṇu. Just as Viṣṇu is all-pervading, so too is Lakṣmī, O auspicious-faced one; the wife of Viṣṇu, ever auspicious, is the sovereign of all the worlds. With hands and feet extending everywhere, with eyes, heads, and faces on all sides, Nārāyaṇī, the mother of the worlds, is the support of the entire universe. All that is, both moving and unmoving in the world, depends on her glance; the creation and dissolution of the world occur by her opening and closing her eyes. She, Mahālakṣmī, is the origin of all, threefold in nature, the Supreme Lady; manifest and unmanifest, she pervades and abides throughout all.