Listen, O King, to the ancient account of creation as it was revealed by the great sage Pulastya. The supreme being, possessed of immense soul and power, lives for a hundred divine years. Of this vast lifespan, one great age called a parārdha has already passed, and now, sinless one, the second parārdha is underway. At the end of that first parārdha, the celebrated great age known as the Pādma Kalpa came to a close. Now, in this second parārdha, the first kalpa conceived is called the Varaha Kalpa. At its beginning, the Blessed One, known as Brahma-Narayana, the source of all, brought forth creation anew. When the previous kalpa ended and the cosmic night was over, the Lord awoke. Brahma, filled with the pure quality of sattva, gazed out and saw the world empty and desolate. He realized that the earth had sunk beneath the cosmic waters. Reflecting deeply, the Lord of creatures resolved to raise her up. Recognizing that only the power of Vishnu could bear the earth, Brahma assumed the form of a mighty boar—distinct from his previous incarnations as fish, tortoise, and others. Taking on this boar form, composed of the essence of the Vedas and sacrifice, the steadfast Self, the Supreme Soul, the Lord of all beings, prepared to support the world. Thus, the great boar, the bearer of the earth, entered the waters, which were themselves the foundation of all. Deep below, the goddess Earth—Vasundhara—had sunk to the lowest realm. Seeing the Lord approach, she bowed in devotion, her heart filled with humility and worship. She praised him, saying: “Salutations to you, who are all beings; salutations to you, Supreme Self. Lift me up from these depths today, for I have previously arisen from you. Salutations to you, Soul of all beings, both the unmanifest and manifest forms of the primordial substance. You are time itself, the creator, protector, and destroyer of all beings. At the beginning of creation, you, the Supreme Brahman, assume the forms of Vishnu, Rudra, and Atman. When the world becomes a single ocean, you alone remain, O Govinda, contemplated by the wise, though your supreme form is unknown to any. The forms you take in your descents are worshipped by the gods; those seeking liberation worship you as the Supreme Brahman and thereby attain release. Who, without worshipping Vasudeva, could ever gain liberation? The form of yours perceived by the mind, apprehended by the senses, or comprehended by the intellect—all these are your forms. I am pervaded, supported, and created by you, and I take refuge in you. Therefore, the world calls me Madhavi, for I am sustained by you.” Thus praised by the earth, the glorious bearer of the earth, the Lord, roared with a mighty sound like the chanting of the Sama Veda and the thunder of clouds. The great boar, his eyes shining like blossoming lotuses, lifted the earth with his own tusk and rose from the netherworld, his form resembling a blue mountain and a lotus petal. As he ascended, the wind from his mouth stirred the waters, and the sinless sages dwelling in Janaloka, such as Sanandana, became even purer. The disturbed waters, churned by his sharp hooves, rushed down to the netherworld with a continuous sound, while the breath of the clouds moved all around. As the mighty boar, his belly soaked with water, rose up, the sages who dwelled within the hair pores of his Veda-formed body rejoiced as he shook himself. The sages and gods praised him, saying: “O supreme Lord, O Keśava, master of men, wielder of mace, conch, and discus! You are the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction; you alone are the highest, and there is no other supreme abode. In your feet reside the Vedas; your tusks are the sacrificial posts; sacrifices and scriptures are in your teeth and mouth; you are the fire on your tongue, and the blades of grass are your body hair—O Lord, you are the very embodiment of sacrifice. Your incomparable form fills the space between heaven and earth; indeed, the entire world is pervaded by you for the welfare of all. You alone are the supreme soul; there is no other, O Lord of the world. By your greatness, all that moves and does not move is pervaded; this entire world is of the nature of knowledge, though the ignorant do not perceive it. Those who see only material nature drift aimlessly in darkness, but those who know knowledge, with pure minds, perceive the whole world. Those who perceive your form as knowledge, O supreme Lord, be gracious, O soul of all beings, for the welfare of the world. Lift up this earth, O lotus-eyed one, who is immeasurable; O blessed Govinda, raise this earth for the good of all.” Thus praised, the Supreme Soul, the bearer of the earth, swiftly lifted the earth and placed her upon the great ocean, where a vast mass of water stood like a mighty ship. Then, making the earth level, the primeval, supreme person arranged the mountains upon her, each in their proper divisions. He divided the earth into the seven continents as before, and created the four worlds beginning with the elements, just as in ages past. This vision was previously shown to Brahma by Viṣṇu, the satisfied lord of the gods, who is the supreme deity. “By you and by me, this world must be supported and protected with care,” Brahma declared. “Now I have granted a boon to the chief among the asuras. For the welfare of the gods, you must slay them, O Lord. I will create the world, and you must protect it, O Lord.” Thus addressed, Viṣṇu departed, and Brahma, the Lord, created the gods. Yet, from him, without his awareness, a being of darkness emerged. From the meditation of the great soul arose a fivefold creation: darkness, confusion, great delusion, tamisra, and that called andhasamjñaka. This creation, lacking light both outwardly and inwardly, with veiled self and the nature of trees, is declared as the primary creation of the principal beings—thus, it is known as the main creation.