as one who takes a delight in Yoga.  I am eternal.  Assuming a form that is manifest, I dwell, at present, in the heavens.  At the end of a thousand Yugas I shall once more with-draw the universe into myself.  Having withdrawn all creatures, mobile and immobile into myself, I shall exist all alone with knowledge only for my companion.  After the lapse of ages I shall again create the universe, with the aid of that knowledge.  That which is my fourth form creates the indestructible Sesha.  That Sesha is called by the name of Sankarshana.  Sankarshana creates Pradyumna.  From Pradyumna I take birth myself as Aniruddha.  I create (myself) repeatedly.  From Aniruddha springs Brahman.  The latter takes birth from Aniruddha’s navel.  From Brahman spring all creatures mobile and immobile.  Know that Creation springs in this way repeatedly at the beginning of every Kalpa.  Creation and destruction succeed each other even as sunrise and sunset in this world.  Then, again, as Time, endued with immeasurable energy, forcibly brings back the Sun after his disappearance, after the same manner I shall, assuming the form of boar and putting forth my strength, bring back the Earth with her belt of seas to her own position for the good of all creatures when she becomes submerged in water.  I shall then slay the son of Diti, named Hiranyaksha, filled with pride of strength.[1836] Assuming the form then of a Man-lion (Narsingha), I shall, for benefiting the deities, slay Hiranyakasipu the son of Diti, who will be a great destroyer of sacrifices.  Unto Virochana (the son of Prahlada) will be born a mighty son of the name of Vali.  That great Asura will be unslayable in the whole universe consisting of deities, Asuras and Rakshasas.  He will hurl Sakra from the sovereignty of the universe.  When after routing the Lord of Sachi, that Asura will take unto himself the sovereignty of the three worlds, I shall take birth in Aditi’s womb, by Kasyapa, as the twelfth Aditya.  I shall (taking the sovereignty of the three worlds Vali) restore it to Indra of immeasurable splendour, and replace the deities, O Narada, in their respective stations.  As regards Vali, that foremost of Danavas, who is to be unslayable by all the deities, I shall cause him to dwell in the nether regions.  In the Treta age I shall take birth as Rama in the race of Bhrigu, and exterminate the Kshatriyas who will become proud of their strength and possessions.  Towards the close of Treta and the beginning of Dwapara, I shall take birth as Rama, the son of Dasaratha in Iskshaku’s royal line.  At that time, the two Rishis viz., the two sons of Prajapati, called by the names of Ekata and Dwita, will in consequence of the injury done by them unto their brother Trita, have to take birth as apes, losing the beauty of the human form.  Those apes that shall take birth in the race of Ekata and Dwita, shall become endued with great strength and mighty energy and will equal Sakra himself in prowess.  All those apes, O regenerate