O Maitreya, listen with devotion as I recount the marvels of the Lord’s form and deeds. In the Lord’s feet reside the very Vedas themselves, and his mighty tusks are the sacrificial posts, while his sharp teeth embody the sacred rites. His mouth is the altar, and his tongue is the very fire of sacrifice; the sacred darbha grass is but the hair upon his divine body. In truth, he alone is the living embodiment of the sacrifice. His eyes are the day and the night, O great soul, and his head is the supreme Brahman, the refuge of all beings. His splendid mane is the collection of holy hymns, and his nose is the gathering of all offerings. His snout is the sacrificial ladle, and his voice resounds as the deep intonation of the Sāma chants. His body itself is the eastern altar, the connecting point of all sacrifices, and he is the very hearing by which righteous and charitable acts are known. O eternal soul, O blessed Lord, may you be gracious! You, who stride across the earth with measured steps, are the primal, imperishable form of the universe. We know you as the Supreme Lord, the master of all that is high and low—be gracious to us. O Lord, the earth, placed delicately on the tip of your tusk, appears as a lotus leaf freshly lifted from the mud, clinging to a great blue lotus in a pond. Your immeasurable form pervades the vast expanse between heaven and earth, and your radiance fills the entire universe. May you, O Lord, exist always for the welfare of all beings. You alone are the highest reality, O Lord of the universe; there is none other. By your greatness, this whole world, both moving and unmoving, is pervaded. Whatever form is seen in this world is truly your own self of knowledge. Yet, those whose understanding is clouded by delusion see the world as separate, O Yogis. The ignorant perceive this world as mere matter and, seeing only objects, wander lost in the flood of illusion. But those of pure mind, who know true knowledge, see the entire world as composed of knowledge itself, perceiving your form, O Supreme Lord. Be gracious, O all-pervading Soul, for the sake of these worlds; uplift the earth, O lotus-eyed one, who are hidden in this wondrous form. O blessed Govinda, filled with Sattva, O Lord of beings, uplift this earth for our sake—grant us your favor, O lotus-eyed one! May this act of creation, which brings benefit to all worlds, proceed from you. Salutations to you—grant us your favor, O lotus-eyed one! Thus praised, the Supreme Soul, bearer of the earth, swiftly lifted the earth and placed it upon the great cosmic waters. Upon him, amidst the flood, the earth stood secure like a great ship, for the vastness of his body kept her from sinking. Then, having made the earth level, the beginningless, primeval Lord arranged the mountains upon the earth, dividing them according to their proper regions. By his unfailing power, he created all the mountains that had been destroyed in the previous dissolution. Then, dividing the earth, he formed the seven continents as before and established the four worlds, beginning with Bhū, just as in earlier times. Assuming the form of Brahmā, enveloped in the quality of rajas, the blessed Hari with four faces performed the act of creation. He is but the instrumental cause in this work, for the powers of creation themselves become the primary causes. Apart from being the mere instrument, he requires nothing else; by his own power, each thing attains its own reality. O sage, you have heard of the downward-flowing human creation; now listen as I describe how Brahmā brought it forth in detail. From Brahmā’s desire to create the world, beings devoted to truth were born from his mouth, endowed with a predominance of Sattva. From his chest arose those endowed with Rajas, and from his thighs, those filled with both Rajas and Tamas. From his feet, O best of twice-born, Brahmā created other beings, all dominated by Tamas. Thus arose the fourfold caste system: Brāhmaṇas from his mouth, Kṣatriyas from his chest, Vaiśyas from his thighs, and Śūdras from his feet. For the accomplishment of sacrifice, Brahmā created this entire fourfold caste system as the supreme means for sacrifice. The gods, nourished by sacrifice, cause rain to fall, and thus people are sustained; sacrifices, which are the cause of welfare, bring prosperity. These sacrifices are always performed by men devoted to their own duties, the virtuous, pure in conduct, who walk the noble path. From among humans, O sage, people attain heaven, liberation, or whatever state they desire. The beings created by Brahmā, established in the fourfold order, are endowed with proper faith and inclined toward righteous conduct. They dwell as they wish, free from affliction, with pure minds and actions, performing deeds without stain. When their minds are pure, and their inner being is established in the pure Lord, they perceive pure knowledge, by which that supreme state called Bilva is attained. But then, Time, which is said to be a portion of Hari, brings about the fall of even the smallest sin. In those beings arises the seed of unrighteousness, born of darkness and greed—passion and the like, which are unfit. Their innate accomplishments no longer arise excessively, and the other eight accomplishments, such as delight in taste, come into being. When those accomplishments wane and only a remnant remains, and sin increases, those beings become afflicted by suffering, born of the dominance of dualities. Then, they constructed fortresses—of forest, mountain, and water, as well as artificial strongholds, cities, and towns. In those cities and settlements, they built houses in proper order, O wise one, to alleviate afflictions such as cold and heat. Thus, O Maitreya, did the Lord create, sustain, and protect the worlds and their beings, establishing order and righteousness for the welfare of all.