Now is told the wondrous tale of creation as it unfolded through the will of Brahmā. In the beginning, the Grandfather of all beings performed sacred offerings, and from his mind were born the seven great brahmarṣis, sages of divine wisdom. Brahmā established these illustrious beings as his sons, thus laying the foundation for the worlds to come. In those early days, a fierce conflict arose between the gods and the dānavas. Diti, grieving the loss of her sons in this struggle, sought to please her husband, the sage Kaśyapa. With devotion and proper worship, she appeased his heart. Pleased, Kaśyapa offered her a boon of her choosing. Diti, her mind set on vengeance, asked for a son—one powerful and mighty—who would be destined to slay Indra, the king of the gods. Kaśyapa, the great ascetic, granted her this boon. Yet, he spoke solemnly: “Your son will indeed slay Indra, if you carry the embryo for a hundred years, steadfast in purity and observant of your vow.” Diti, resolute and pure, accepted these conditions and began her long penance, bearing the embryo with unwavering discipline. Having implanted the embryo in Diti, Kaśyapa departed, restraining the host of gods with his formidable power. Withdrawing his irresistible energy—an energy even the immortals could not withstand—he journeyed to the mountains to practice austerities, firm in his vow. Meanwhile, Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt and slayer of Pāka, watched Diti with keen intent, seeking a flaw in her observance. A hundred years passed, and at last, Indra saw his opportunity. One day, Diti, neglecting the purification of her feet, lay down to sleep. As she slept, Indra entered her womb. With his thunderbolt, Indra—also called Vajrapāṇi—cut the embryo into seven pieces. As the embryo was being divided, it cried out in pain. Indra, unmoved, commanded, “Do not cry.” But the embryo continued to wail, and so Indra, in his anger, divided each of the seven pieces into seven more. Thus, from the womb of Diti, there arose forty-nine gods, who became known as the Maruts, the storm deities, allied with Indra. Just as Maghavan, another name for Indra, had spoken, so the Maruts became, numbering fifty-one with Indra at their head. These gods, powerful and united, appointed the foremost among the divine hosts, those of immeasurable strength, to their proper places. In each group, Hari—known as Krishna, the heroic Person, Parjanya, the sun, Ananta—bestowed lordship upon the ancient progenitors, assigning the broad and foremost realms to them. Indeed, Hari is all this world, the Lord of creatures in every form. For those who truly understand this creation of beings, there is no fear of rebirth in this world, nor any fear of the next. Such is the knowledge that liberates. After these events, the Grandfather Brahmā anointed Pṛthu, son of Vena, as emperor and began to assign the realms of the world, step by step. He installed Soma as ruler over the Brahmins, plants, stars, planets, sacrifices, and austerities. Varuṇa was made lord of the waters, Vaiśravaṇa chief of kings, Viṣṇu for the Ādityas, and Pāvaka for the Vasus. Dakṣa became lord of the progenitors, Vāsava (Indra) of the Maruts, and Prahrāda, of immeasurable strength, was set over the Daityas and Dānavas. Vaivasvata Yama was made ruler of the ancestors, as well as king of the Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and earthly kings. Girīśa, the trident-wielder, was made lord of all beings and spirits; Himavat of the mountains, and the ocean of the rivers. Citraratha became chief of the Gandharvas, Vāsuki of the Nāgas, and Takṣaka of the serpents. Airāvata was appointed king of the elephants, Uccaiḥśravas of the horses, and Garuḍa of the birds. The tiger was made lord of the beasts, the bull master of cattle, and Plakṣa king of the trees. Thus, dividing the realms with care, Brahmā established the guardians of the directions. In the east, he anointed Sudhanvan, son of Vairāja Prajāpati, as king and guardian. In the south, Śaṅkhapada, son of Kardama Prajāpati, was made king. In the west, Ketumanta, the great-souled son of Rajasa, was chosen. In the north, Hiraṇyaroman, son of Parjanya Prajāpati, became the indomitable king. By the rule of these kings, the earth with its seven continents and cities has ever been maintained by righteousness, according to region, even to this day. Pṛthu, consecrated with the rājasūya sacrifice by these lords of men, ruled as king in accordance with the procedures of the Vedas. After the passing of the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, mighty Vaivasvata Manu was appointed to rule the earth. The lineage of Vaivasvata Manu is the great foundation of the Purāṇa, and I shall recount it if you wish to hear. O Lomaharṣaṇa, narrate in detail the birth of Pṛthu, and how this great-souled king milked the earth. Tell also how the earth was milked by men, by gods and sages, by demons and serpents, by yakṣas and trees, by mountains, piśācas, gandharvas, the best of twice-born, rākṣasas, and other great beings. Thus unfolds the sacred story of creation and the ordering of the world.