The Earth, in her distress, addressed Keśava with reverence: “O Keśava, there is no other form, no other strength, that can uphold one such as me, the very earth itself.” Thus comforted by the Lord, she rested in his assurance. Then, he who had arrived at that sacred place spoke words of blessing to the Earth-goddess. He said, “O Devi, truly you thrive upon beholding him, for you are his beloved.” Curious and filled with wonder, he asked her, “While being upheld by Viṣṇu, what marvelous sight did you behold?” Hearing these words from the son of Brahmā, the Earth replied, “He asked me of that which is secret, and I revealed what I had witnessed. Listen now, O foremost of Brahmins, to the true and profound secret of dharma, a mystery of immense power. What he told me is indeed the means to liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death. He spoke the supreme secret, the all-pervading certainty of dharmas.” Having listened to the Earth’s words, the great ascetic, son of Brahmā, gathered all those present and brought them to the place where the goddess resided. There, Sanatkumāra spoke, “Tell us truly, O Earth, of the dharma whose course is immeasurable.” Upon hearing this request, and bowing respectfully to the foremost of sages, the Earth answered, “Certainly.” Then, turning to the goddess, he said, “Speak words of blessing.” The goddess began to recount the ancient events: “There was a time when the moon and wind vanished from the world, when the sun and stars were lost from sight. In that darkness, the wind did not stir, there was no fire, nor any lightning. Even the Vedas had disappeared from existence. In that time, you, O Lord, became a fish and entered the waters of the netherworld.” “At another time, you took the form of a tortoise during the great churning of the ocean. Again, as a mighty boar, you rescued me when I was sinking into the netherworld. Yet again, when Hiranyakashipu, emboldened by his boon, appeared, you took the form of a man-lion and destroyed him in ages past. Later, the demon Rāvaṇa was also slain by your own power.” “O Lord, your activities are beyond my knowing. After creating everything, what did you command? Nothing at all was understood. There were no rays, no stars, nor planets. Saturn, Mercury, Indra, Kubera, and Yama were not present. Only the three great gods—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara—remained.” In her humility, the goddess Madhavi sought refuge and spoke softly, “O Grandfather, rescue me together with the mountains and forests.” Entering deep meditation for a moment, the great one addressed the Earth: “He is the lord of the worlds, the foremost of gods, the original creator himself. Whatever action arises among us, it is all his doing. He is the god who lies upon Ananta, resting in yogic sleep.” With hands joined in reverence, the goddess pleaded with Mādhava, “I am burdened, and I have sought refuge with Brahmā.” But when she found no solace from the Blessed Lord, she cried out, “If you are able, rescue me, who am submerged in the ocean. With devotion I seek refuge in you; be gracious to me, O Mādhava.” She praised him, saying, “You are Indra, you are Varuṇa, you are Agni, and you are also Vāyu. You are the Fish, the Tortoise, the Boar, the Man-Lion, and the Dwarf. Thus you are realized through yoga; you are spoken of, O greatly renowned one. Earth, air, space, water, and fire as the fifth—all these are you.” Thus, in that sacred assembly, the mysteries of the Lord’s forms and the profound secret of dharma were revealed, as the Earth and the goddess praised the eternal, all-pervading Viṣṇu.