Once on a time, on the breast of that foremost of mountains, viz., the delightful Meru, inhabited by Siddhas and Charanas while we were engaged in reading the Vedas, this very doubt sprang in our minds, that has been given vent to by you to-day. We, therefore, asked our preceptor about it. It heared the answer that our preceptor made. I shall now recount that answer to you, O Bharata.