Within the vast cosmic egg lie all the worlds, including the earth with its seven continents, and the celestial courses of the sun, moon, planets, and stars. By the power of Dhruva, the destinies—both auspicious and inauspicious—of all beings are determined, and the solar chariot, crafted by Brahmā, moves onward by its own inherent force. It was the Blessed Lord who devised this chariot, and so the sun journeys forward; indeed, the movements of the sun and other celestial chariots all begin from Dhruva. The constellation Śiṃśumāra was formed, and within its tail Dhruva is firmly fixed. At the end of creation comes dissolution, and at the end of dissolution, creation arises once more. As for the gods, sages, Manu, and the hosts of ancestors, their full stories cannot be told in detail, but only summarized, for their accounts are vast beyond measure. In each Manvantara, Svāyambhuva recounts the gods and lords of creatures, both of the past and those yet to come. The threefold dissolution of all beings is described: occasional, natural, and absolute. There is mention of the sun withholding rain, of a terrible consuming fire, clouds filling the single ocean, and the great night that envelops all. The characteristics of twilight are noted, along with the special period of Brahmā, and the enumeration of the seven worlds inhabited by beings. Here, the hells such as Raurava, reserved for the sinful, are described, as well as the determination of the transformations that all beings undergo. The secondary creation of Brahmā and the description of universal dissolution are recounted, for in each cycle, even the greatest beings are destroyed. Upon understanding the precise reckoning of time and the impermanence of Brahmā, as well as the misery found in enjoyments and the hardship of worldly existence, and recognizing the difficulty of liberation and the faults that arise through detachment, one abandons both the manifest and unmanifest, remaining established in Brahman. By perceiving the diversity of existence, one remains steadfast; then, transcending the threefold suffering, one comes to be known as Virūpākṣa, the stainless. Having attained the bliss of Brahman, such a one fears nothing from anywhere. Thus, the section on duties and the exposition of authority has been described. Here, too, are recounted the transformations of the world—creation, dissolution, and change—as well as the activities of beings, their withdrawal, and the fruits thereof. The narrative continues with the appearance of Vasiṣṭha, the birth of Śakti, the subjugation of Saudāsa by Śakti, and the punishment of Saudāsa by Viśvāmitra. The origin of Parāśara is told—how he was born from the invisible Lord in the daughter of the Pitṛs, and likewise how the sage Vyāsa came into being. The birth of Śuka, the wise son, is recounted, along with the enmity of Parāśara caused by Viśvāmitra. There is the tale of the fire produced by Vasiṣṭha, intended to destroy Viśvāmitra, and how, for the sake of reconciliation, it was extinguished by the wise Kaṇva. For the welfare of the Brāhmaṇas and Viśvāmitra, the god divided the one four-footed Veda into four parts once again. The venerable Vyāsa further divided it for the benefit of all, and his disciples and their disciples made even more divisions into branches. At Prayāga, the Lord himself was questioned by eminent sages, and those sages, desiring righteousness, were instructed by Kṛṣṇa. All this has been narrated in its true nature, O best of the twice-born, as the supreme tradition of the world for sages devoted to righteousness. What was once spoken by Brahmā to the great-souled Pulastya, and then by Pulastya to Bhīṣma at Gaṅgādvāra, is here retold. Its recitation, hearing, and especially retention are blessed, bring fame, prolong life, and destroy all sins. This Purāṇa was revealed in sequence by Sūta, and what was formerly spoken in detail by Brahmā among the Brāhmaṇas. He who knows even a quarter of it well and studies it with controlled senses is considered to have studied the entire Purāṇa; of this there is no doubt. That twice-born who knows the four Vedas with their limbs and Upaniṣads, and also understands the Purāṇa, is truly wise. One should supplement the Veda with Itihāsa and Purāṇa; for the Veda fears one of little learning, thinking, 'He will distort me.' By studying even a single chapter, as spoken by the self-born, one is freed from calamities and attains the desired state. Because it speaks of ancient tradition, it is called Purāṇa; whoever knows its etymology is freed from all sins. The sages then asked Sūta: How did the venerable sage Pulastya, the mind-born son of Brahmā, come together with Bhīṣma? The sight of him is rare for men tainted by sin; this is most astonishing—how did the sage meet with a kṣatriya? Tell us, O wise one, by what great austerity was he propitiated? What discipline did Bhīṣma undertake, or what other observance was performed? By which the brāhmaṇa sage was pleased and thus spoke—did he reveal a portion, a half, or the entirety of the festival? In what place and in what manner was the venerable sage Pulastya seen? Tell us that, O highly fortunate one; we are eager to hear. Sūta replied: Where the blessed Gaṅgā, benefactor of the virtuous, burst forth from the mountain with force, purifying the worlds—at Gaṅgādvāra, the great pilgrimage site, Bhīṣma, devoted to his ancestors, remained for a long time, steadfast in the discipline of the great. For more than a hundred years, with supreme concentration, he meditated on the Supreme Brahman and performed the threefold daily bath.