Śrī Parāśara spoke: Listen, O wise one, to how the blessed Brahmā, whose very essence is Nārāyaṇa, created all creatures. Hear how the lord of the progenitors, the divine creator, brought forth the world. At the end of the previous kalpa, after the long night had passed and Brahmā awoke, he saw the world lying empty, enveloped in darkness. Endowed with the pure quality of sattva, he gazed upon the void. Yet, truly, it is Nārāyaṇa—the supreme, inconceivable one, even beyond the highest conception—who is the very form of Brahmā, the source and origin of all, the wellspring from which everything arises. Of Nārāyaṇa, the wise recite: “He who is the form of Brahmā is the origin and dissolution of the world.” The waters are called ‘nārā’ because they are said to be the offspring of Nara; in the beginning, their abode was in Him, and thus He is remembered as Nārāyaṇa. Knowing that the earth was submerged within the cosmic waters, when the world had become nothing but a single, boundless ocean, the Lord of creatures, desiring to raise the earth, pondered the means to do so. As in cycles past, He assumed a new form—just as He had taken the forms of fish, tortoise, and others before, so now He took the form of the mighty Boar. The steadfast Lord of creatures, the Self of all, the Supreme Self, assumed a body composed of the Veda and sacrifice, for the support and protection of the world. Praised by the perfected beings who dwell in Janaloka, such as Sanaka and his brothers, He—the sustainer and foundation of the earth—entered the cosmic waters. There, the goddess Earth, who had sunk to the lowest netherworld, beheld Him. Filled with devotion, she bowed low and praised Him from the depths of her heart: “Salutations to You, O lotus-eyed One, bearer of the conch, discus, and mace! Today, please lift me up from here, for I arose from You before. By You I was raised in times past, O Janārdana, and I am made of You; so too are all beings, the sky and all else, arisen from You. Salutations to You, Supreme Self, Self of all beings; homage to You, who are the unmanifest source of matter, and 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 the world became a single ocean and all had been consumed, O Govinda, You alone are contemplated by the wise. No one 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, both gross and subtle, imperishable, infinite, unmanifest and manifest! Victory to You, soul of all, transcendent and immanent, Lord of the universe! Victory to You, Lord of sacrifice, sinless one! You are the sacrifice, the vaṣaṭ-call, the syllable Oṃ, and the fires. “You are the Vedas and their limbs, the sacrificial person, O Hari; the sun, planets, stars, constellations, and the entire world are You. O Supreme Person, You are with form and formless, visible and invisible. Whatever I have spoken here, O Supreme Lord, and whatever I have not spoken, to all of that, to You, I bow—again and again, I bow in reverence.” Thus praised by the Earth, the Lord who upholds her, resplendent and glorious, produced a deep, resonant sound like the chanting of Sāma hymns, and roared mightily. Then, the great Boar, with eyes like fully blossomed lotuses, lifted the Earth with His own tusk and rose up from the netherworld, shining like a great blue mountain covered in lotus leaves. As He ascended, the wind from His mouth scattered the gathered waters, and He washed the radiant sages—Sanandana and others—who had taken refuge in Janaloka, cleansing them of all impurity. The waters, churned by the tips of His hooves on the surface of the netherworld, resounded with continuous noise; His breaths dispersed them in all directions, and the perfected beings and yogis who dwelt there moved about. As the great Boar rose, His belly still wet with water, holding the Earth aloft, and shaking His Veda-composed body, the sages dwelling between His hairs praised Him. The yogis who dwell among people in the world, their minds filled with joy and praise, along with Sanandana and others, bowed their heads low and extolled the steadfast bearer of the Earth, whose gaze was firmly uplifted: “O Supreme Lord, Keshava, master of the lords of victory, bearer of the mace, conch, sword, and discus! You alone are the cause of creation, destruction, and sustenance; You are the supreme ruler—there is no higher state than Your feet. In Your feet are the Vedas, Your tusks are the sacrificial posts, Your teeth are the rites, and Your mouth is the altar; You are the fire-tongue, Your hairs are the sacred darbha grass—O Lord, You alone are the embodiment of sacrifice. “Your eyes are day and night, O great soul; Your head is the supreme Brahman, the refuge of all; Your mane is the collection of hymns, and Your nose is all the offerings, O God. Your snout is the sacrificial ladle, Your voice is the deep tone of the Sāma chants, Your body is the eastern altar, the connection of all sacrifices; You are the hearing of righteous and charitable acts—O eternal soul, O blessed Lord, be gracious. “You, who stride over the earth with Your measured steps, are the primal, imperishable form of the universe; we know You as the supreme Lord—be gracious, for You are the master of all that is high and low. O Lord, the earth, placed on the tip of Your tusk, appears as if a lotus leaf, freshly lifted from the mud, clings to a great blue lotus in the pond. “The space between heaven and earth, of incomparable extent, is pervaded by Your very form; the universe is filled by Your all-pervading radiance—O Lord, may You exist for the welfare of all. You alone are the highest reality, O Lord of the universe; there is no other. By Your greatness, this entire world, moving and unmoving, is pervaded. “Whatever is seen here as form is, in truth, Your own self of knowledge; but those whose knowledge is deluded perceive the world as separate, O Yogis. Those without understanding see this entire world as material, but, perceiving it as mere objects, they wander lost in the flood of delusion. But those who know knowledge, whose minds are pure, see the entire world as composed of knowledge, perceiving Your form, O Supreme Lord.” In this way, the sages and the Earth glorified the Supreme Boar, who, radiant and mighty, lifted the Earth from the depths and restored her to her place, upholding all creation.