He is the one who brings all things to their close at the end of the ages, the destroyer even of the destroyers of worlds. Among the many bridges that span the worlds, he is the truest bridge; among the pure in action, he is the most pure. He is the one whom the knowers of the Veda seek to understand, the lord of those endowed with creative power. Among all beings, he manifests as Soma, and among those who shine with fire, he appears as fire itself. In the realm of men, he becomes the mind; among ascetics, he is the very essence of austerity. For those content in discipline, he is humility; among the brilliant, he is the very brilliance itself. He is the form underlying all forms, the final goal even for those who pursue many goals. He is the wind born of space, the vital breath within all, and the sacred fire of oblations. By day, the fire of oblations is the vital breath, and the vital breath of fire is Madhusudana. Sap transforms into blood, and from blood, flesh arises. From flesh comes fat, from fat is produced bone; from bone comes marrow, and from marrow, semen is generated. Out of semen, the embryo is formed, its origin rooted in sap. Of these, the waters come first, known as the lunar mass. The embryo, then, is born from heat as the second mass; semen is to be understood as lunar in nature, while menstrual blood is fiery. These two states follow sap, and in potency, they are the moon and the fire. In the phlegmatic group, semen arises; in the bilious group, blood. The heart is the seat of phlegm, the navel the seat of bile; the heart, at the center of the body, is remembered as the seat of the mind. Within the depths of the navel dwells the god of fire. The mind is to be known as Prajapati, and phlegm is understood as Soma. Bile is fire; these two, fire and Soma, are said to be the essence of the world. Thus, the embryo grows, resembling a mass of water. The wind, united with the supreme self, enters and exists in the body in fivefold form, causing growth anew. These five are prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna, and vyāna. Prāṇa, increasing the supreme self, moves within; apāna moves in the lower body; udāna rises upward; vyāna pervades everywhere; and samāna is present in all the joints. From these, the perception of the elements arises, accessible to the senses: earth, air, space, water, and fire. All the senses are established there, each performing its own function. This is called the earthly body, and the vital self is said to be the wind. Openings are born from space, and the flow of fluids is set in motion. Fire becomes sight, and its radiance is called light; the senses and their domains arise from its power. Thus, the eternal Person creates all these worlds. But how, in this mortal realm, did Viṣṇu, the Lord, take on a human form? This is our doubt, O wise one, and truly a great wonder: how did he who moves among all movers come to possess a human body? We wish to hear, in due order, of Viṣṇu’s deeds, for the Vedas and sages describe him as full of wondrous qualities. Tell us, O great-minded one, the marvelous origin of Viṣṇu. Recount this wondrous story, which brings happiness. Let the being of Viṣṇu—renowned for strength and valor, his manifestations and marvelous deeds—be described here. I shall now recount the manifestation of the great-souled one: how that blessed one, of great austerity, was born among men. Seventy-seven births have been spoken of, arising from Bhṛgu’s curse, in which he is born at the end of each age to accomplish the purpose of the gods. Hear from me about the divine body of Viṣṇu; when righteousness declines and time grows weak, the Lord appears. To restore righteousness, he is born among men, due to the curse of Bhṛgu and the deeds of gods and asuras. How did he, because of the deeds of gods and asuras, obtain another birth? We wish to know how the conflict between gods and asuras began. Listen as I recount the story as it happened: once, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu ruled the three worlds. In turn, the realm was governed by Bali, and there was great friendship between the gods and asuras. There was an age of perfect mixture and harmony, and the world was at peace; in those days, gods and asuras remained obedient to command. But then, a mighty and terrible conflict arose, bringing great destruction to both gods and asuras. For the sake of their inheritance, many battles were fought. In this Boar epoch, ten and two are remembered as the six northern of the Sun. Now, listen as I briefly declare their names: the first is the Narasimha, the second is the Vamana. The third is the Varaha, the fourth is the Churning of the Nectar; the fifth is the terrible Taraka war. The sixth is Adibaka, the seventh is known as Tripura; Andhakara is the eighth, Dhvaja is the ninth. The tenth is Vartta, then Hala is the eleventh; the twelfth is the dreadful Kolahala. The demon Hiraṇyakaśipu was slain by Narasimha; Bali was subdued by Vamana when he sought to conquer the three worlds. Hiraṇyaksha was killed in single combat, challenged by the gods—mighty in strength and valor, undefeated in battle. By the tusks of the Boar, the earth was raised from the ocean. Prahlada was defeated in battle by Indra during the churning of the nectar. Thus, the wondrous deeds and incarnations of Viṣṇu are revealed, each arising to restore balance, protect righteousness, and fulfill the purpose of the gods.