From the mouth of Brahmā, when he desired to begin creation, there emerged Vāyu, the wind, fierce and tumultuous, raining down gravel in his intensity. Seeing this, Brahmā restrained Vāyu and addressed him with gentle command: “Become embodied and peaceful.” Thus calmed, Vāyu assumed a bodily form. Brahmā then entrusted him with a sacred charge: “Whatever wealth and fruits belong to all the gods, protect them. By this command, you shall become the Lord of Wealth.” Pleased with Vāyu, Brahmā granted him the Ekādaśī vow, declaring that whoever, with discipline and purity, eats food uncooked by fire on that day, will be especially blessed. To such a person, Dhanada—the giver of wealth—will swiftly grant all desires, for this is the form of the Lord of Wealth, destroyer of all sins. Whoever listens to or recites this account with devotion attains all their wishes and ascends to the heavenly realms. Then Mahātapā spoke of Manu and the state of being Manu, revealing that, by necessity, it was Viṣṇu himself who became embodied as Manu. Nārāyaṇa, the supreme God, loftier than the loftiest, conceived a thought regarding creation: “This creation has been made by me; it must surely be protected by me. But ritual action cannot be performed by one without a body. Therefore, I shall create an embodied form by which this world may be protected.” As Nārāyaṇa reflected with firm resolve, an embodied being appeared before him, born even before creation itself. When this being stood before him, Nārāyaṇa saw him entering the three worlds, emerging from his own body. The Blessed Lord, recalling an ancient boon, was pleased by the being’s words and qualities, and so granted him another boon: “You are all-knowing, the doer of all, honored by all the worlds. Since you have entered the three worlds, become Viṣṇu, the eternal one. The work of the gods and of Brahmā must always be done by you, and let omniscience be yours without doubt.” Having spoken thus, the god Nārāyaṇa established himself in his own nature, while Viṣṇu remembered his earlier intention. The Blessed Lord, great in austerity, then entered into Yogic Sleep, contemplating deeply. He placed within this sleep all beings arising from the senses and their objects, meditating in his supreme form. From this sleeping form, a great lotus sprang from Viṣṇu’s abdomen. Upon this lotus appeared the earth with its seven continents, oceans, and forests. The vastness of this form reached down to the netherworld, the stalk supporting it all. In the lotus’s pericarp stood Mount Meru, and at its very center was the abode of Brahmā. Beholding this supreme origin, the wind that resided within Viṣṇu’s body was released, and thus he created the wind equally. Nārāyaṇa then bestowed upon Viṣṇu the sacred emblems: “Bear this conch, the emblem for conquering ignorance and cutting through delusion. Let the sword ever be in your hand to destroy ignorance. Carry the dreadful wheel of time, O Achyuta, and bear the mighty mace, O Keśava, to vanquish the elephant of unrighteousness. Let the garland, mother of all beings, rest always upon your neck. Let the Śrīvatsa and Kaustubha gems shine on you like the moon and sun. Let the wind be your movement, O hero, and Garuḍa your vehicle, as is proclaimed. May Lakṣmī, the goddess who traverses the three worlds, be ever your refuge. Let the twelfth lunar day be yours, and may Lakṣmī take any form you desire.” He further decreed, “Whoever eats clarified butter on the twelfth day, even with a little devotion, whether man or woman, shall especially attain residence in heaven.” Thus, Viṣṇu, taking various forms, destroys, protects, and creates the bodies of gods and demons, manifesting new forms from himself as needed. In every age, this all-pervading Person is proclaimed in the Vedānta, and should never be considered a mere mortal by those of lesser understanding. Whoever hears this sacred account of Viṣṇu’s creation, which destroys sin, attains fame in this world and is honored in the heavenly realm. In ancient times, Brahmā, imperishable and pure, the Supreme and the Supreme Beyond, desired to create beings at the dawn of creation and also considered how they might be protected. As he pondered, from his own body—specifically from his right side—there appeared a man adorned with white earrings, garlands, and fragrant ointments. The Blessed Lord addressed him: “O noble one, take the form of a bull with four legs and protect these beings; be the eldest in the world.” So commanded, this being stood firm on four legs during the Kṛta age. In the Tretā age, he stood on three; in the Dvāpara age, on two; and in the Kali age, the Lord protects beings with only one leg. Among Brāhmaṇas, he is established in six forms; among Kṣatriyas, in three; among Vaiśyas, in two; and among Śūdras, in one. The Lord is present everywhere: in all the netherworlds, on every continent and region. He is called four-footed, consisting of substance, quality, action, and species; and, following the sequence of the Saṃhitā, the wise remember him as three-horned. Thus, the primordial and endless Om, two-headed and seven-handed, bound by threefold bonds, stands as chief among Brahmins and protector of the world. This Dharma, however, was once oppressed by Soma, who, desiring to seize Tārā—the wife of his brother Aṅgirasa—committed a great wrong. Fearful of the powerful and cruel Soma, Dharma fled and hid himself in a dense, terrible forest. With Dharma gone, the wives of the Asuras, deprived of righteousness, began to wander, seeking to seize the dwellings of the gods, and the Asuras themselves roamed freely in the abodes of the gods. As order was lost and Dharma destroyed, the gods and Asuras, angered by Soma’s transgression and for the sake of the women, took up arms and fought fiercely. Witnessing this angry conflict, Nārada, delighted, approached his father Brahmā and spoke to him. Then, the Grandfather of all worlds, mounting his majestic swan vehicle, descended to restrain the combatants and inquired as to the cause of their battle. All declared that it was because of Soma. Realizing that his own son, Dharma, had been oppressed and had fled to the forest for refuge, Brahmā prepared to restore order and righteousness once more.