Vaisampayana said, “All existent objects, O king, in this world, are the result of a combination of the five primal elements, a combination due to the intelligence of the Supreme Lord.  The puissant Narayana, endued with infinity, is the supreme Lord and Creator of the universe.  He is the inner Soul of all things, and the giver of boons.  Divested of attributes, he is again possessed of them.  Listen now, O best of kings, to me as I narrate to thee how the Destruction is brought about of all things.  At first, the element of Earth becomes merged in Water and nothing then is seen save one vast expanse of Water on all sides.  Water then merges into Heat, and Heat into Wind.  Wind then merges into Space, which in its turn, merges into Mind.  Mind merges into the Manifest (otherwise called Consciousness or Ego).  The Manifest merges into the Unmanifest (or Prakriti).  The Unmanifest (or Prakriti) merges into Purusha (Jivatman) and Purusha merges into the Supreme Soul (or Brahman).  Then Darkness spreads over the face of the universe, and nothing can be perceived.  From that primal Darkness arises Brahma (endued with the principle of Creation).  Darkness is primeval and fraught with immortality.  Brahma that arises from primeval Darkness develops (by its own potency) into the idea of the universe, and assumes the form of Purusha.  Such Purusha is called Aniruddha.  Divested of sex, it is called otherwise by the name of Pradhana (Supreme or Primary).  That is also known by the name of Manifest, or the combination of the triple attribute, O best of kings.  He exists with Knowledge alone for his companion.  That illustrious and puissant Being is otherwise called by the name of Viswaksena or Hari.  Yielding to Yoga-sleep, he lays himself down on the waters.  He then thinks of the Creation of the Universe of diversified phenomena and fraught with immeasurable attributes.  While engaged in thinking of Creation, he recollects his own high attributes.  From this springs the four-faced Brahma representing the Consciousness of Anirudha.  The illustrious Brahma, otherwise called Hiranyagarbha, is the Grandsire of all the worlds.  Endued with eyes like lotus petals, he takes birth within the Lotus that springs from (the navel of) Anirudha.  Seated on that Lotus, the illustrious, puissant, and eternal Brahma of wonderful aspect saw that the waters were on all sides.  Adopting the attribute of Sattwa Brahma, otherwise called Parameshthi, then commenced to create the universe.  In the primeval Lotus that was endued with the effulgence of the Sun, two drops of water had been cast by Narayana that were fraught with great merit.  The illustrious Narayana, without beginning and without end, and transcending destruction, cast his eyes on those two drops of water.  One of those two drops of water, of very beautiful and bright form, looked like a drop of honey.  From that drop sprang, at the command of Narayana, a Daitya of the name of Madhu made up of the attribute of Tamas (Dullness).  The other drop of water