Adorned with the sacred Śrīvatsa mark upon his chest and covered with the finest, soft hair, the Lord shone resplendent, his body encircled by a golden thread and silver ornaments. He appeared like a sage among the gods—glorious, self-born, and the very origin of all beings. His hair was pure, his chest broad, and his entire form radiated with brilliance. He was the ultimate refuge for the virtuous, the final destination for those who perform good deeds, and the end for those who follow the path of evil. The great souls, perfected in yoga, recognized him as the supreme world itself—his lordship manifesting in eightfold qualities. They praised him as the foremost among the gods. To reach him, O Brahmins, is to be freed from the cycle of birth and death; those steadfast in seeking liberation, with minds immersed in yoga, attain this blessed state. This, indeed, is the essence of penance, as declared by all who dwell in the various stages of life. Those who observe difficult vows and regulated diets, who serve again and again, are said to practice true austerity. Among serpents, all yogis call him Ananta—the endless one—with a thousand heads and eyes glowing red, accompanied by the greatest of serpents like Śeṣa. For the foremost Brahmins who desire heaven, he is known as the very sacrifice itself—glorious, unique, the supreme sage who moves throughout the worlds. He is the god who both knows and is known, the giver of sacrificial shares, whose eyes are the bull, fire, sun, and moon, whose very form is space. To that god, the source of all gods and beings, we take refuge, O Blessed One, seeking shelter in him who is the origin of all. He is the creator of sages and worlds, the lord of the gods, who acts for the welfare of the divine and the maintenance of the entire universe. Oblations of cooked food are rightly offered to the ancestors, and the finest offerings are reserved for the gods—all this was established by him, the supreme god, to whom we bow. In the Tretā age, by the fire of that era, the supreme creator performed worship; just as creation once arose, so too was the creation of sacrifice established anew. Thus, Brahmā, the endless one who sustains the worlds, was followed and revered. Though ancient, he was ever wise and blessed. The Grandfather, whose nature is beyond comprehension, went to the sacrificial enclosure, a place filled with wealthy priests and protected by devoted participants. There, with bow in hand, stood Viṣṇu, the mighty lord, and the kings of the Daityas and Dānavas, along with hosts of Rākṣasas, were stationed. Brahmā, contemplating by his own self, reflected deeply, and the eternal sacrifice became the sacrifice itself. In that place, the blessed one arranged for the selection of priests—the Bhṛgus and others, skilled in sacrificial rites, were chosen as officiants. The chief reciters of the Bahvṛca tradition pronounced the auspicious syllables as prescribed, while the foremost sages listened as the rite was conducted. The knowledge of sacrifice, of the Vedas, and the expertise in recitation resounded, carried by the voices of the supreme sages. There were those who knew the proper laying of the sacrificial ground, those versed in phonetics, those skilled in the meanings of words, and those accomplished in all branches of learning. Experts in Mīmāṃsā and reasoning made various statements, and in every place, O king, those with firm vows were present. They saw the foremost twice-born, engaged in recitation and oblation, while Brahmā, the Grandfather of the worlds, stood in the midst of the sacrificial ground. The illustrious guru of gods and demons, served by both, was worshipped there, and the lords of creatures approached him as their master. Present were Dakṣa, Vasiṣṭha, Pulaha, and Marīci—the best among the twice-born—along with Aṅgirā, Bhṛgu, Atri, Gautama, and also Nārada. There, too, were gathered knowledge itself, the mid-space, wind, light, water, earth; sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. Transformation, modification, and all that constitutes the great cause were present, as were the four Vedas: Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva. Sound, phonetics, etymology, ritual, and meter—all these were combined; Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Mīmāṃsā, and mathematics as well. Knowledge of elephants and horses, together with histories, and all the limbs and subsidiary sciences adorned the Vedas. All these worshipped the great soul, the self-manifest Grandfather, as did austerity, sacrifices, resolve, and even the very breath. Before the Grandfather stood many others: wealth, righteousness, desire, aversion, and joy at all times. Shukra, Brihaspati, Samvarta, Budha, Shani, Rahu, and all the planets were present. The Maruts, Vishvakarma, and the ancestors, O Bharata, as well as the Sun and Soma, all worshipped Brahmā. Gayatri, Durgataraṇi, Vani in her seven forms, all the syllables, and the constellations were there. All commentaries on the scriptures, all beings with form, moments, instants, hours, day and night—all these, too, were present. Half-months, months, and all sacrifices worshipped the great-souled Brahmā together with the gods. And other eminent goddesses—Modesty, Fame, Splendor, Radiance, Steadfastness, Forbearance, Prosperity, Conduct, Knowledge, and Intellect—were in attendance. Revelation, tradition, patience, peace, nourishment, and action, along with all the divine Apsaras skilled in dance and song, were present. All the mothers of the gods attended upon Brahmā: Vipracitti, Shivi, Shanku, Raya, and Shanku. Also present were Vegavan, Ketuman, Ugra, Sogra, Vyagra the great Asura, Parigha, Pushkara, Samba, and the lord of horses. Prahlada, then Bali, Kumbha, Samhrada, Gaganapriya, Anuhrada, Harihara, Varaha, Kusha, and Raja—all were gathered there. Thus, in that grand assembly, all the powers, sages, gods, sciences, and beings came together in reverence, worshipping the supreme Brahmā, the eternal foundation and lord of all creation.