Then, from within the body, Kāma and the group of Mothers known as the Mātrikās arose. With pride, Kāma declared, “There is no existence of the body apart from me.” Having spoken thus, he departed, yet the body did not decay. Next, Māyā herself, called Durgā, spoke out in anger: “Without me, there is no existence for this.” With these words, she too vanished, and still the body remained undecayed. Then the very directions—the quarters themselves—manifested and proclaimed, “Certainly, there is no function without us.” The four quarters appeared and departed in a moment, yet the body stood firm. Dhanapati, the wind, announced, “When I depart, what existence is there for the body?” With that, he withdrew from the head, but the body did not perish. Vishnu, manifest as the mind, declared, “This body cannot endure even for a moment without me.” He vanished, and still the body endured. Dharma then spoke: “I have protected all this. Now, with my departure, what will become of it?” Saying so, Dharma departed, but the body did not decay. At last, Mahādeva—the unmanifest, the leader of beings—addressed them: “A body deprived of me, who am called Mahat, cannot exist.” Shambhu departed, and yet the body remained as before. Witnessing all this, the fathers and mothers of the body said, “As long as we have dwelt here, this body has gradually decayed because of us.” Having spoken, they too abandoned their forms and disappeared. Fire is the life-breath; apāna is the downward breath; ether and all the elements, the body itself, the sense of ego, the sun, desires, and all else are by me. Wood, wind, Vishnu, Dharma, Shambhu, and the objects of the senses—all exist by me. Released by these presiding deities, the body remained as it was, protected by Soma, the person in the form of the moon. Thus, when Soma, possessed of sixteen parts, was established in the imperishable, the body, endowed with qualities, arose and moved about as before. Seeing the body preserved as it was, guarded by the all-knowing one, all the deities who presided over the body assumed a state of detachment. Then all of them, filled with devotion, praised the supreme Lord, and each returned to their own proper place. They sang: “You are fire, you are also the life-breath, you are apāna, you are Sarasvatī; you are ether, the lord of wealth, you are the elements of the body. You, O god, are the sense of ego, you are the sun, the eightfold group of deities; you are Māyā, the earth, Durgā, the directions, the lord of the winds. You are Vishnu, you are also Dharma, you are the victorious, you are the unconquered; in the form of the meaning of the imperishable, you are known as the Supreme Lord. With us departed, how will this be? Thus, this body has been abandoned by us. O god, by you, that supreme state is protected; we should not disturb the place, since you yourself, O creator, have established it.” Thus praised, the god was greatly pleased and spoke to them: “For the sake of play, you have all been created by me. What separation can there be from me, the one who has accomplished his purpose, through you? Still, I now grant to each of you two forms. In activities concerning beings, remain formless; in the world of the gods, remain with form. At the end of time, quickly enter dissolution. Bodies should not be made again by me at any time; and I now give you names for your forms. Agni will be called Vaiśvānara; the two Aśvins will be the life-breaths prāṇa and apāna; Gaurī and the daughter of the snowy mountain will be so as well. This group beginning with earth will become Gajavaktra (elephant-faced); these elements of the body will become various beings; the sense of ego will become Skanda, known as Kārttikeya. Bhānu, in the form of the sun, will be both with and without form as the eyes; this group beginning with desire will again become the Mothers. This body, composed of Māyā, is the fortress; at the end of the cosmic cycle, it will remain. There will be ten maidens, and these forms are the aspects of Varuṇa. This one is Vāyu, the Lord of Wealth, who will remain at the end of the cycle. This one is the mind, called Viṣṇu—there is no doubt about it. Dharma too will become Yama, without doubt; and the great principle, Mahat, will become the blessed Mahādeva. The objects of the senses will become the ancestors, without doubt; this Soma, becoming himself, will always be the companion of all the immortals.” Thus, the Person described in the Vedānta, whose essence is Nārāyaṇa, was declared; all the deities remained in their own places, and the god rested. O King, thus has the power of that god Janārdana, who is known through the Vedas, been described to you. What else do you wish to hear? Then Prajāpāla asked: “O great sage, how did Agni arise, or the Aśvins, or Gaurī and Gaṇapati, or the Nāgas, or Guha? How did the Ādityas, the Mothers, Durgā, the directions, Dhanada, Viṣṇu, Dharma, and the supreme lord come into being? How did Śambhu, the ancestors, and the Moon become embodied deities? And, O sage, what is their food, what are their names, and what is the lunar day? On which day, when worshipped by people, do they grant unfailing results? Please reveal this secret in full.” Mahātapā replied: “The self, attainable through yoga, whose nature is Nārāyaṇa, is all-knowing. While he was engaged in play, a desire for enjoyment arose within himself. When that great element was disturbed, there arose a wondrous sound. From that, as the water was agitated by dissatisfaction, a transformation occurred. As he underwent transformation, a great fire arose, surrounded by millions of flames, resounding, and of burning nature. That exceedingly radiant one also underwent transformation. As it transformed, from fire arose the fierce wind; and from that transformed wind, space came into being. That space, characterized by sound, and that powerful wind, and that fire united with water, were then mutually joined together.