O noble listener, let me recount for you the sacred events and teachings as revealed in the Purāṇa. In ancient times, at the very beginning of the kalpa, the venerable sage Maitreya approached the great sage Parāśara with a profound question: “O revered one, at the dawn of creation, the blessed Brahmā-Nārāyaṇa brought forth all beings. Please, O great sage, tell me how this came to be.” Parāśara replied with deep reverence, “O Maitreya, listen carefully. The blessed Brahmā, whose very essence is none other than Nārāyaṇa himself, created all living creatures. Let me tell you how this lord of all progenitors—this divine being—did so. At the end of the previous kalpa, when the long night had passed and Brahmā awoke, he found the world empty, devoid of form and life. Endowed with the quality of sattva, Brahmā beheld the vast expanse and contemplated creation. Know that Nārāyaṇa, the supreme and inconceivable Lord, is even beyond the highest—he is the very form of Brahmā, the source and origin of all, from whom everything arises. It is said in ancient verse: ‘The god who is the form of Brahmā is the origin and dissolution of the world.’ The primordial waters are called ‘nārā,’ for they are said to be the offspring of Nara, and their first abode was within him. Thus, he is forever remembered as Nārāyaṇa. When the world had become a single ocean, and the earth lay hidden within the waters, the Lord of creatures—desiring to raise it up—sought the means to do so. As in previous cycles, he assumed new forms: as a fish, a tortoise, and others. In this kalpa, he took the form of the mighty Boar. The Supreme Self, steadfast and the inner Self of all, then assumed a form composed of the Veda and sacrifice, for the support and stability of the world. Praised by the perfected beings such as Sanaka and those dwelling in the world of Janaloka, the Lord—sustainer of the earth and foundation of all—entered the cosmic waters. There, the goddess Earth, who had come from the lowest netherworld, beheld him. Filled with devotion, she bowed low and praised him with a full heart: ‘Salutations to you, O lotus-eyed one, bearer of the conch, discus, and mace! Today, please lift me up from these depths, for I arose from you before. By you, O Janārdana, I was raised up in ages past, and I am made of you. So too are all beings, the sky and all the rest, arisen from you alone. ‘Salutations to you, Supreme Self, Self of all beings! Homage to you, unmanifest source of matter, and to you who are Time itself. You are the creator, protector, and destroyer of all beings. In creation and other acts, O Lord, you assume the forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra. When all creation was consumed and the world became a single ocean, O Govinda, you alone were contemplated by the wise. ‘None truly knows your highest reality; yet, in your incarnations, the forms you assume are worshipped by the dwellers of heaven. Those who desire liberation worship you as the Supreme Brahman. Without worshipping Vāsudeva, who could ever attain liberation? Whatever can be grasped by the mind, perceived by the senses, or determined by the intellect—all that is your form. ‘I am pervaded by you, supported by you, created by you, and I rest in you. Therefore, people call me Mādhavī. Victory to you, embodiment of all knowledge! Victory to you, who are both gross and subtle, imperishable! Victory to you, infinite one! Victory to you, unmanifest and manifest, O Lord!’ Thus praised, the Supreme Lord uplifted the earth, and creation was set in motion once more. Now, O king, hear also of the sacred rites that bring satisfaction to the ancestors and uphold the order of the world. Whoever performs the śrāddha ceremony at Gayā attains a most fruitful birth, bringing deep satisfaction to their forefathers. For this rite, certain grains and herbs are deemed pure and auspicious: praśāntikā, sanīvārā, the two kinds of śyāmāka, and wild medicinal herbs are all suitable for śrāddha, O best of men. Barley, priyaṅgu, mung beans, wheat, rice, sesame, peas, kovidāra, and mustard are also auspicious offerings. However, grains not used for first-fruits offerings, as well as rajamāṣa, anū, and masūra beans, are to be excluded. Likewise, gourd, gṛñjana, onion, radish, gandhāraka, karamba, and salt from mines are not to be used. Red resins and visible salts are also to be avoided, as well as anything not praised in sacred speech. Milk taken at night without interruption does not satisfy the cow, and water that is foul-smelling or frothy is not suitable for the śrāddha. The milk of single-hoofed animals, as well as that from camels, sheep, and buffalo, should be avoided. Further, the śrāddha must not be seen by eunuchs, outcasts, those of mixed caste, wicked men, heretics, the diseased, crows, dogs, the naked, monkeys, villagers, or pigs. If the rite is witnessed by women who fetch water, women in childbirth, those in impurity, or those who handle corpses, then, O best of men, the ancestors do not partake of the offerings. Therefore, the śrāddha should be performed with faith, in a purified place. On the earth itself, one must guard the sesame seeds from being scattered by demons. Food that is contaminated by nails, hair, insects, or mixed with leftovers or that is stale must not be offered. Whatever is offered to the ancestors with faith, naming their lineage, by those who are devoted, that food becomes their nourishment. In ancient times, it is said, the ancestors sang a verse in the grove of Kalāpa to Ikṣvāku, son of Manu: ‘May there be, in our lineage, those of virtuous conduct, who, coming to Gayā, will offer us the rice balls with reverence. May one be born in our lineage who will give us the thirteenth offering of rice cooked with milk, honey, and ghee, during the rainy season and under the Maghā star. Or may he marry a fair maiden, or release a dark bull, or perform the horse sacrifice with proper gifts, according to the prescribed rules.’ Thus is the path of righteousness and the honoring of ancestors, as revealed by the sages. Now, O king, hear the lineages of the noble sons of Yayāti. Of Yadu, the eldest, there was born a son named Jayadhvaja, whose own son was Tāla-jaṅgha. Of Anu, the fourth son of Yayāti, three sons were born—Sabhānala, Cakṣu, and Parameṣus. Sabhānala’s son was Kālānala. In this way, the world was created, sustained, and filled with beings; the lineages of kings and the rites of ancestors continued, all under the gaze of the Supreme, who is both the beginning and the end of all things.