He is the great remover of darkness, the mighty bearer, beloved by his devotees, and the one who dispels all gloom. O blazing Vaiśvānara fire, you who flame upward and pervade all things, illustrious and fortunate one who traverses the dark path—homage to you, homage again! Pleased, the Lord addressed Brahmā, saying, “O Brahman, I am satisfied with you. Your creative act will succeed.” Thus addressed, Brahmā bowed low and spoke once more. Then the Lord said to him, “You are the Person, the Lord of creatures.” With divine sight, Brahmā beheld the eternal Lord, who always creates and enjoys the fire, the sky, the earth, all that is visible and invisible, and the supreme state itself, for he is the master of everything. Then Prajāpati, with a hymn of great and auspicious origin, worshipped the Lord. Seeing the god radiant with a deep red hue, Prajāpati bowed his head to the originator of both the manifest and the unmanifest. Earth, air, space, and all that exists in the three worlds—the creation of principles, the creation of elements, and likewise the creation of beings—every collection of things, moving and unmoving, all of this appeared before Brahmā. The Lord then spoke to Brahmā: “You have seen everything just as it is. I am the creator; you are the imitator, for the purpose of maintaining the worlds.” Thus addressed by the God of gods, Brahmā replied, “By your grace, O great Lord, I am able to create beings.” Maheśvara said, “Because you, desiring sons and wishing to create, were meditating—having attained sonship, O Lord, I shall cut off your fifth head. Proclaim him as a blessed friend; he will become worthy of our worship.” At that moment, Brahmā beheld Hari, the infallible one, radiant with splendor. He saw Nārāyaṇa, the Lord, existing above the radiance of Maheśvara. Then, touching Brahmā with his finger, the god said, “For the protection of the worlds, the best among all archers will be born.” Having said this, the blessed god took that fire in his hand. Thus, Maheśvara always honored that man as well. Thereafter, Brahmā spoke to the fire at the end of the age: “Bhṛgu and Aṅgirās will indeed be your sons, without doubt.” By dividing that fire into two, the sacrifice of creation was set in motion. The two fires, united by Brahmā, were set in motion by his command. Therefore, the union within the womb of the śamī tree and the aśvattha is described in the tradition. Hence, the son who is both beneficial and excellent is called the fourth. Thus, the fifth mouth of Brahmā came into being. Whoever understands this supreme creation of the gods’ radiance, whoever always listens with faith to this account of Agni’s origin—which hints at the greatness of Paśupati—and whoever, O Vyāsa, recites it with devotion before the foremost of the twice-born and the gods, he, though deeply absorbed in worldly life, is greatly honored by the gods in the city of Śiva. O sage, what did Brahmā do there, and what expiation did he perform for those acts? What actions did Janārdana and Śaṅkara undertake? With excellent kuśa grass and kindling, as formerly prescribed by Hari, the sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa reached the hermitage at Badarī. Meanwhile, the Lord of the gods, holding a skull in his hand, wandered this earth.