O sage, know that the whole earth, with its seven continents and countless cities, continues to be protected in righteousness by noble rulers, each upholding their own realm. All these kings, and many others besides, are none other than manifestations of the great-souled Vishnu, who maintains the world. Indeed, every lord of beings—those who have been, those who are, and those yet to come—are all portions of Vishnu, the supreme Lord of all creatures. Those who rule among the gods, as well as those who lead the Daityas and Danavas, and even the sovereigns of the flesh-eating races; the lords of animals, the kings of birds, the rulers of humans and serpents, and the sovereigns of the Nagas; the lords of trees, of mountains, and of planets—whether past, present, or future—all are born from portions of Vishnu, the Lord of all beings. For, O wise one, apart from Hari, the universal Lord, there is none who can sustain the world in its proper order. This eternal being, at the beginning of creation, brings forth the world, preserves it through its existence, and finally, at the end, destroys it—assuming the forms of the qualities of passion, goodness, and darkness. In creation, he is fourfold; in preservation, he abides in four ways; and at the end, Janardana dissolves the world in four forms. By one portion, he becomes Brahma, the unmanifest creator; from other portions arise the lords of beings, together with Marici. Time itself is his third portion, and all living beings are his fourth; thus, in creation, he is fourfold, manifesting the quality of passion. In preservation, by one portion, Vishnu himself remains and sustains; by another, he becomes the Manus and other rulers; by a third, he is time; and by a fourth, he abides within all beings, maintaining their existence, relying on the quality of goodness as the Supreme Person of the world. At the time of dissolution, relying on the function of darkness, the unborn Lord becomes Rudra in one portion. By another, he is Agni, Yama, and others; one portion is time, another is all beings. Thus, when he dissolves the world, the division of the great soul remains fourfold, as it does in all times. Brahma, Daksha and others, time, and all living beings—these are the powers of Hari, the causes of the world’s creation. Vishnu, the Manus and others, time, and all beings are the powers of Vishnu in the world’s preservation. Rudra, those such as Time and Death, and all beings—these are the fourfold powers of Janardana in dissolution. From the beginning, through the middle, and until dissolution, creation is performed by the Creator, together with Marici and others, and by all beings. At first, Brahma creates; then Marici and the other sages produce offspring, and beings are born at every moment. Yet, without time, O sage, neither Brahma, nor the lords of beings, nor any creature can accomplish creation. Just as this fourfold division is explained in creation, so too is it found in preservation and dissolution. Whatever is brought forth by any being born of the quality of goodness, all that is truly the body of Hari. And whatever living thing, whether stationary or moving, is destroyed, that destructive form is the fierce aspect of Janardana. Thus, Janardana is the creator, the sustainer, and the devourer of the whole world. At the times of creation, preservation, and dissolution, his activity unfolds in three ways, according to the three qualities; yet his supreme state is beyond all qualities, the highest of all. That supreme state is composed of pure knowledge, all-pervading, self-aware, and incomparable; even this has four forms, which are the true nature of the Supreme Self. Hearing this, Maitreya asked, “O sage, explain to me the fourfold nature of that which has become Brahman, and what is called the supreme state.” Then Parāśara replied: “O Maitreya, I have described the cause, the means among all things, and the object to be attained, which one seeks for oneself. For the yogin desiring liberation, the means are breath-control and the like; the object to be attained is the supreme Brahman, from which there is no return. The knowledge that supports the means to liberation is the first distinction of Brahman. The knowledge that supports the object—the Brahman which the yogin aims at for release from suffering—is the second aspect. But the non-dual knowledge, in which there is no distinction between means and object, is the third. The special nature of these three kinds of knowledge is shown by the negation of them, just as the true nature of the self is revealed. This Brahman is actionless, indescribable, consisting only of pervasiveness, incomparable, the object of self-realization, and characterized solely by existence. It is tranquil, fearless, pure, difficult to comprehend, and without dependence; this knowledge of Viṣṇu, composed of knowledge itself, is called Brahman. There, by the cessation of all knowledge, yogins enter dissolution; having abandoned the pull of worldly existence, they attain seedless absorption. In this way, the supreme state called Viṣṇu is pure, eternal, all-pervading, imperishable, and free from all that is to be rejected. That supreme Brahman, which the yogin attains and from which there is no return, is reached when all demerit has ceased, when afflictions are exhausted, and when purity is complete.