wrath, joy, fear, and the over-clouding of the intellect,
are all different forms of myself. And, O Brahmana,
whatever is obtained by men by the practice of truth,
charity, ascetic austerities, and peace and harmlessness
towards all creatures, and such other handsome deeds,
is obtained because of my arrangements. Governed
by my ordinance, men wander within my body, their
senses overwhelmed by me. They move not according
to their will but as they are moved by me. Regenerate
Brahmanas that have thoroughly studied the Vedas,
that have tranquillity in their souls, they that have
subdued their wrath, obtain a high reward by means
of their numerous sacrifices. That reward, however,
is unattainable by men that are wicked in their deeds,
overwhelmed by covetousness, mean and disreputable
with souls unblessed and impure. Therefore, must
thou know, O Brahmana that this reward which is obtained
by persons having their souls under control and which
is unobtainable by the ignorant and the foolish,—this
which is attainable by asceticism alone,—is
productive of high merit. And, O best of men,
at those times when virtue and morality decrease and
sin and immorality increase, I create myself in new
forms. And, O Muni, when fierce and malicious
Daityas and Rakshasas that are incapable
of being slain by even the foremost of the gods, are
born on earth, I then take my birth in the families
of virtuous men, and assuming human body restore tranquillity
by exterminating all evils. Moved by my own maya,
I create gods and men, and Gandharvas and Rakshasas,
and all immobile things and then destroy them all myself
(when the time cometh). For the preservation of
rectitude and morality I assume a human form, and
when the season for action cometh, I again assume
forms that are inconceivable. In the Krita
age I become white, in the Treta age I become
yellow, in the Dwapara I have become red and
in the Kali age I become dark in hue. In
the Kali age, the proportion of immorality
becometh three-fourths, (a fourth only being that
of morality). And when the end of the Yuga
cometh, assuming the fierce form of Death, alone I
destroy all the three worlds with their mobile and
immobile existences. With three steps, I cover
the whole Universe; I am the Soul of the universe;
I am the source of all happiness; I am the humbler
of all pride; I am omnipresent; I am infinite; I am
the Lord of the senses; and my prowess is great.
O Brahmana, alone do I set a-going the wheel of Time;
I am formless; I am the Destroyer of all creatures;
and I am the cause of all efforts of all my creatures.
O best of Munis, my soul completely pervadeth
all my creatures, but, O foremost of all regenerate
ones, no one knoweth me. It is me that the pious
and the devoted worship in all the worlds. O
regenerate one, whatever of pain thou hast felt within
my stomach, know, O sinless one, that all that is