The story begins with a reflection on the fleeting nature of worldly greatness. The emperor Māndhātṛ, once renowned throughout the earth, has become nothing more than a subject of stories told by others. Who, even after hearing this, would cling to possessiveness, thinking it virtuous, even with a dull mind? Great kings like Bhagīratha, Sagara, Kakutstha, the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers—all these truly existed, not merely as legends, yet where are they now? No one knows. Those kings who rule today, and those who will come in the future—whom I have described as most illustrious among the best of Brāhmaṇas—will all become as those before them, fading into the past. Knowing this, a wise person should not harbor possessiveness, even towards his own self, let alone sons, wives, fields, or other embodied beings. At this point, Maitreya speaks, saying, “You have described in full the expansion of the royal line and narrated their deeds as they occurred. Now, O great sage, I wish to hear in detail the true account of the portion-incarnation of Viṣṇu, who was born in the Yadu dynasty. O sage, tell me of the deeds performed by the blessed Supreme Person, who descended to earth in part and in portion.” Śrī Parāśara replies, “Maitreya, listen to the deeds of Viṣṇu, who appeared in part and in portion for the good of the world. Long ago, Vasudeva married Devakī, the daughter of Devaka, who was most fortunate and resembled a goddess. Kamsa, the son of Bhoja, became the charioteer for their wedding chariot, driving Vasudeva and Devakī united together.” Suddenly, a voice thundered from the sky, addressing Kamsa with respect: “Fool, you are driving this woman, standing with her husband on the chariot; her eighth child will take your life.” Hearing this, the mighty Kamsa drew his sword and sought to kill Devakī, but Vasudeva spoke: “O sinless one, you must not kill the blessed Devakī; I will hand over to you all the children born from her womb.” Kamsa, hearing Vasudeva’s promise, replied, “So be it,” and did not kill Devakī, out of respect for his word. Meanwhile, at that very time, the earth, oppressed by a great burden, went to Mount Meru, to the assembly of the gods. There, she bowed to Brahmā and all the gods, and spoke to them, her words filled with distress and compassion: “Fire is the foremost teacher of gold; among cows, the Sun is the supreme teacher; and for all beings, my own as well, Nārāyaṇa is the teacher. The lord of the progenitors, Brahmā, who is the earliest of the ancients, is time itself, composed of moments, instants, and measures, and possesses an unmanifest form. He is the portion present in all these; the assembly of you, O best of gods. “The Ādityas, Sādhyas, Rudras, Vasus, the Fires, the Pitṛs, and those who are the creators of the worlds, led by Atri—all these are forms of that immeasurable, great-souled Viṣṇu. Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Daityas, Piśācas, serpents, Dānavas, Gandharvas, and Apsarases—these too are forms of the great-souled Viṣṇu. Planets, stars, constellations, the variegated sky, fire, water, wind, myself, and the senses—all the universe is pervaded by Viṣṇu. Thus, of Him who has many forms, whose forms day and night assume the roles of oppressor and oppressed, like waves in the ocean. “Now, these Daityas, headed by Kālanemi, having seized the world of mortals, oppress the people day and night. Kālanemi, who was slain by the mighty Viṣṇu, has now been born as Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, that great Asura. Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka, Keśī, Pralamba, and also Naraka, Sumba the fierce Asura, and Bāṇa, the son of Bali—and others, too, of great might, who have arisen in the houses of kings—these evil-minded ones, I am unable to count. Here are many divisions of armies, gods bearing divine forms, and over me are the proud lords of the Daityas, mighty in strength. Oppressed by this great burden, O lords of the immortals, I am unable to support myself; thus I inform you. Therefore, O illustrious ones, let the removal of my burden be accomplished, so that I, overwhelmed, may not sink into the netherworld.” Hearing the words of the Earth, all the lords of the gods, for the purpose of relieving the Earth's burden, prompted Brahmā to speak. Brahmā said, “Just as the Earth has spoken, so it is, O dwellers in heaven; I, Śiva, and all of you are of the essence of Nārāyaṇa. And the powers that belong to Him, among them, superiority and inferiority, the states of oppressor and oppressed, exist in relation to one another. Then let us go to the excellent shore of the Milky Ocean; there, by worshipping Hari, we shall present everything to him. For the sake of the world, that all-pervading soul, the essence of the universe, descends to earth in a portion of his pure being and upholds righteousness.” Having spoken thus, the Grandfather Brahmā went with the gods to the shore of the Milky Ocean, and with concentrated minds, they praised the bearer of Garuḍa. Brahmā said, “You are indeed the two forms of knowledge, the higher and the lower, as declared in the tradition; these are your forms, O Lord, both with and without form. You are the twofold Brahman: the subtle and the gross, O all-knowing one; the Brahman of sound and the supreme Brahman, which is the essence of all that is Brahman. You are the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, and the Atharvaveda; instruction, ritual, etymology, meter, and astrology are also you.” Thus, the gods and Brahmā themselves worshipped Viṣṇu, seeking his descent for the relief of the Earth’s burden, and praised him as the source and essence of all that exists.