Narada said: O Lord of Lords, salutations to You, the creator of all beings. Please let me know that knowledge which reveals the essence of the Self.

What is the form, what is the foundation from which this creation has emerged, O Lord? What is the essence, what is the ultimate truth? Please explain that truth.

Indeed, you know all this, O Lord of the past, present, and future. The universe is established in your knowledge, like a lotus in the hand.

Whatever is known, whatever is the foundation, whatever is beyond, whatever is the essence, you alone create beings through your own essence.

You contemplate the self, but do not diminish it. Firmly established in your own power, like a spider in its web.

I do not know the supreme in this; I do not know anything equal to you, O Lord. The form and qualities are perceived as real and unreal from another perspective.

You, O Lord, wander in a terrifying manner, being deeply absorbed in austerity. By this, you cause us distress and grant us fear.

O all-knowing Lord, please enlighten me about everything as I inquire.

Brahma said: O dear child, this is indeed a matter of great contemplation for you, as I am urged to speak of the divine prowess.

You do not speak falsely, nor do I, as I am unaware of the supreme truth from which I derive my essence.

By whose brilliance I illuminate the entire universe, just as the sun, fire, and moon do, along with the stars.

To that Lord Vasudeva, we bow down and meditate, for they say that he is the teacher of the world, difficult to conquer by illusion.

Those who are ashamed to stand in the path of vision, deluded, speak foolishly, 'I am this.'

Wealth, action, time, nature, and the soul itself; apart from Vasudeva, there is no other truth.

The Vedas are devoted to Narayana; the gods are born from Narayana; the worlds are devoted to Narayana; the sacrifices are devoted to Narayana.

Yoga is devoted to Narayana; penance is devoted to Narayana; knowledge is devoted to Narayana; the ultimate goal is Narayana.

From the seer of the Lord, the all-pervading soul, I create, being prompted by the vision.

The three qualities of the unqualified (Brahman) are sattva, rajas, and tamas. They are held by the illusion of the Lord in the processes of creation, maintenance, and destruction.

In the realm of action, cause, and effect, the qualities bind the eternally liberated soul, who is the master of illusion.

This is the Supreme Lord, who is known by the three signs, the imperceptible one, and who is the controller of all, including myself.

Time, action, and nature are the Lord's own illusion. The Supreme Being accepts whatever is attained by chance.

The transformation of qualities due to time is inherent to nature. The birth of actions arises from the great being's control.

From the great, the qualities of rajas and sattva arise, with tamas being predominant, manifesting as material knowledge and action.

The ego is said to manifest in three forms: the gross, the subtle, and the causal, which are the distinctions of the material, the vital, and the tamasic.

Even from tamas, the elements arise, manifesting as sound, form, and the qualities of perception and the perceiver.

From the ether, the quality of touch arises, manifesting as air, along with sound, life force, energy, and strength.

From air, the qualities of time, action, and nature arise, manifesting as light, form, touch, and sound.

From the radiance, the essence of water is created, which is like the form and touch of water, and like the sound of the water's flow.

From the essence, the special fragrance arises, which is endowed with the qualities of taste, touch, sound, form, and attributes.

From the subtle elements, the divine beings known as the Vikarika were born, including the deities like Indra, Mitra, and others.

From the radiance, the ten senses were born, along with knowledge, action, intellect, and life force, which include hearing, touch, smell, sight, tongue, speech, and feet.

When these qualities are united, they cannot create the essence of Brahman, the knower of the ultimate reality.

Then, urged by the divine power, they struck each other, and taking the essence of goodness, both created the universe.

At the end of a thousand years of rain, the universe submerged in water; the soul, abiding in the nature of time and action, lived, non-living.

That very person, having broken the universe, emerged; he had thousands of feet, arms, and faces.

Whose thoughts create worlds here, the wise ones; below the waist and above, they create seven worlds.

The face of the man is Brahma, the arms are Kshatriya; from his thighs, the Vaishya arose, and from his feet, the Shudra.

The earthly realm is created from His feet; the bhuvarloka is from His navel. The heavenly realm is from His heart, and the maharloka is from His great soul.

From His neck arises the janalok, and from His two breasts, the tapolok. The satyalok is from His head, and the eternal brahmalok.

From His waist is the atala, from His thighs is the vital, and from His knees is the sutala. From His shins is the talatala.

From His ankles is the mahatala, from His feet is the rasatal. The patala is from His foot soles; thus, the man is the embodiment of all worlds.

The earthly realm is created from His feet; the bhuvarloka is from His navel. The heavenly realm is created from His head, or this is the conception of the worlds.