In the beginning, when all qualities were equal and no distinctions existed, darkness prevailed. The cosmos was still, like a single windless ocean, and nothing could be perceived. In this profound night, when the world was unmanifest and unseen, only the one Supreme Lord remained, worshipping the entire night—honoring the supreme Māheśvarī. When the night had passed, the Supreme Lord, wielding the power of illusion, entered both the primal substance and the person, stirring them from their stillness. By his command, creation arose from the unmanifest, and the cycles of beings coming into existence and dissolving began anew. Homage is offered to this One, utterly distinct from all worlds. Within but a fragment of his power, the entire universe, with its wonders and ever-growing desires, is contained. Those who know the path call him the Lord of the path and the Self. Before the Purusha was established, from the unmanifest, by the Lord’s command, intellect and the other evolutes down to the specific elements, along with their modifications, arose one after another. From these modifications, Rudra, Vishnu, and the Grandfather Brahma were born—the three gods who are the causes of all things. The Supreme Lord possesses unobstructed power, pervading all worlds, incomparable knowledge, perpetual lordship, and supernatural abilities such as aṇimā. In the three acts—creation, preservation, and dissolution—Maheshvara, with his sovereignty, is their cause and bestower of favor. At the end of a kalpa, due to rivalry and confusion among them, Maheshvara assigned to each god individually the conduct of creation, preservation, and dissolution. These three arise from one another, sustain one another, grow through one another, and remain devoted to each other. Sometimes Brahma is praised, sometimes Vishnu, sometimes Rudra; yet by this, neither their superiority nor their lordship is increased. Fools, attached to contention, revile them with words; such people become demons and ghosts, without doubt. Maheshvara, transcending the three qualities and possessing four emanations, is the foundation of all and the cause of the arising power that supports everything. This very Self, for the sake of play, has created the world and is established as the Lord over Prakriti, Purusha, and the universe. He who is beyond all, eternal, without parts—the Supreme Lord—alone is the support, essence, and ruler of all. Therefore, Maheshvara, as well as Prakriti and Purusha, Sadashiva, Vishnu, and Brahma—all arise from the all-pervading Shiva. From Pradhana, growth, fame, intellect, and the great principle first arose; from the agitation of the great principle, ego emerged in three forms. From ego arose the elements, the subtle elements, and the senses; from the ego dominated by sattva, the sāttvika (pure) type was produced. That sāttvika creation, called vaikārika, appeared all at once: the five organs of knowledge and the five organs of action. The eleventh is the mind, possessing its own quality and dual nature; from the ego associated with tamas, the subtle elements of matter were produced. Because it is the first among the elements, it is called the primary element. From the primary element arose only sound, and from that, space was produced. From space came touch; from touch, air was produced. From air arose form, and from form, fire; from fire, taste was born. From taste, waters were produced; from them, scent arose. And from scent, earth was born. From these elements came all moving and unmoving beings. Because of the presence of Purusha and the favor of the unmanifest, from the Great Principle down to the particular, they produced the cosmic egg. Within that egg, when the effect and the instrument of Brahman were perfected, the knower of the field—called Brahma—grew greatly therein. Possessing a body, he is the first, called Purusha. He is the original creator of beings; thus, in the beginning, Brahma came into being. The image of that Lord is marked by knowledge and detachment; the intellect, producing virtue and lordship, is Brahmi, for the one proud in sacrifice. From the unmanifest, whatever he desires with his mind is born; being the master, he transforms it, due to the three qualities, dependence, and his own nature. Dividing himself threefold, he operates in the three worlds; he creates, devours, and observes, by means of these three, himself. With four faces, he is Brahma; as Time, he is called the Ender. The Purusha with a thousand heads is the Self-born in three states. Sattva and rajas are Brahma; as Time, tamas and rajas. In the form of Vishnu, only sattva prevails; the increase of the qualities is threefold in the Lord. As Brahma, he creates the worlds; as Time, he withdraws them. As Purusha, he is utterly indifferent; the Lord’s action is threefold. Thus, due to this threefold division, Brahma is called threefold in qualities; and because of his fourfold distinction, he is known as the Fourfold Manifestation. Because he is the first, he is the primordial god; because he is unborn, he is called the Unborn. Because he protects all beings, he is remembered as the Lord of Creatures. The golden Meru is his shell; the waters of the womb are the oceans, and the mountains are his membrane. Within that egg are these worlds, and within is the entire universe: the moon, the sun, the stars, the planets, and the wind. The egg is surrounded externally by waters ten times greater; those waters are encircled by fire, ten times greater still. That fire is surrounded externally by air, ten times greater; air is enveloped by space, and space by the primary element. The primary element is enveloped by the Great Principle, and that by the unmanifest. Thus, the cosmic egg is surrounded externally by these seven coverings.