[3-187] Yudhishthir said to Maarkandeya Jee in all his humility - "You have seen many ages, nobody is as long lived in this world as you. You worship Brahm at the time of dissolution. When this world is without sky, without Devtaa or Daanav; and when this flood ceases and Brahmaa Jee awakes, you alone can see him recreating the world. You have seen this act of creation many times. You are at the nearest to Naaraayan. You have seen Brahm many times with your own eyes. When there is nobody, Moon, Sun, Devtaa, sky, air, you alone are there to worship him. So I long to hear a discourse explaining the cause of things."

Maarkandeya Jee said - "Indeed, I can explain you all that. After having bowed down to that Almighty Janaardan who is attired in yellow robes is the creator of all. He is also called the Great, the Incomprehensible. His knowledge is greater than all the gods. He is without beginning, without end and pervades all the world. Although He creates all but He Himself is uncreated, and is the cause of all power. O Kuru, After the dissolution of the world, the whole world comes to life again and 4,000 years constitute Sat Yug. These 4,000 years include Sat Yug's beginning and end [Sandhyaa and Sandhyaansh] also which are 400 years. The Tretaa Yug comprises of 3,000 years, and its dawn and eve comprises 300 years. The next Yug, Dwaapar Yug, is of 2,000 years, and its dawn and eve comprise of 200 years. The last Yug is Kali Yug and that is of 1,000 years and its dawn and eve constitute 100 years. Duration of dawn and eve are the same. After Kali Yug ends, Sat Yug comes again. Thus one Chatur-Yug comprises of 12,000 years. When such 1,000 Chatur-Yug are over one day of Brahmaa is also over. After these 1,000 Chatur-Yug, when the Universe is withdrawn, learned calls it "Universal Destruction". During the last period of 1,000 years (Last Kali Yug) people become liars, sacrifices, Daan and vows disappear. Braahman's actions become of Shoodra's, and Shoodra hoard the wealth, Kshatriya practice religious acts. Braahman also do not perform their own duties and become omnivorous. Braahman do not perform their prayers while Shoodra take up these duties. Mlechchh kings rule the Earth. Thus this becomes the state of the society during the eve. Not a single Braahman does his duties. Men become short-lived, weak in strength and of small stature. Shoodra order to Braahman and Braahman address them "Sir". Trees do not give many flowers and fruits. Grihasth people are laden with taxes and thus start deceiving. People become greedy, and thus all kinds of people behave contrary to their own. He who follows virtue during this period, does not live long. Women also seek the company of other men.

Towards the end of these thousand years of a Chatur-Yug, a draught occurs for many years and people die in thousands. Then appear seven Suns in the firmament and drink all the waters of Prithvi - of oceans of rivers etc. So everything on the Prithvi becomes dry and then reduces to ashes. Then appears Samvartak named Agni, fanned by the wind, it creates a terrible fear in Devtaa's hearts. It destroys everything in a moment on Prithvi. This fires gives way to a dense smoke rising to the sky and turning in into clouds of many colors - red, blue, yellow, orange; and many shapes. Those clouds with lightening roar frightfully and cover the whole sky. The downpour falls then falls for 12 years. Ocean crosses its limits and mountains are broken in fragments. Earth starts sinking in flood. Winds again start to blow and the clouds wander around, scatter here and there and then disappear from the sight. Brahmaa Jee drinks that wind and sleeps in his lotus. The whole world is surrounded by water, nothing else is seen except water all around, I alone wander around on the water. I become so much afflicted because I don't see any creature around. I get tired because there is no resting place for me.

After some time I see then a banyan tree and on that banyan tree I see a boy seated on a celestial bed in a conch attached to a far extended bough of the tree. His face is fair as the lotus or Moon, his eyes are also like a large lotus. Seeing the boy my heart fills with wonder, that how come this boy is here alone while the whole world is destroyed. O King, Although I have the full knowledge of past, present and future, still I could not know anything even by my ascetic meditation. he was looking like Atasee flower and had the mark of Shree Vats. That boy said to me - "O Sire, I know that you are tired and want to rest. O Maarkandeya, Come and rest here for as long as you wish. Enter my body and ret here. I have assigned you this resting place for you." Hearing this I did not like my long life and my manhood. Then the boy opened His mouth and I entered in His mouth. When I reached in His stomach, I saw there the Earth, the kingdoms, cities, Gangaa, Shatadru, Seetaa, Yamunaa, Kaushikee, Charmanvatee, Vetravatee, Chandrabhaagaa, Saraswatee, Sindhu, Vipaasaa Rivers and O King, the large River Kaaveree also. I saw the ocean full of water animals, woods and forests, Braahman doing Yagya, and Shoodra serving the three Varn. I saw mountains also - Himvant, Hemkoot, Nishaad, Shwet, Gandhmaadan, Mandar, Neel. They were all decked with jewels. I saw there Devtaa, Shukra, Saadhya, Rudra, Aaditya, Guhyak, Pitri, snakes, Naag, Daanav, sons of Sinhikaa, and many other mobile and immobile creatures found on Earth.

When I failed to measure the limits of His body even after wandering there for centuries, I came out of His body with a gust of wind. I again saw Him seated in the same way on the same branch of the tree. It seemed to me as if he had swallowed the whole Universe. He said to me - "P Maarkandeya, You are tired living in my body, so I will talk to you now." As He said this to me, I got the power to speak and I got free from the illusion of the world. I worshipped His well shaped feet by bowing at His feet and looked at that Divine Being, and said to Him - "I wish to know you, O Divine Being. I saw everything after entering your stomach through your mouth, and although I could wander there very fast by your grace but I did not lose my memory. I came out of your body through your mouth not by my will but by your will. I wish to know who are you such faultless? And why do you stay here in this form by swallowing the whole Universe? Please explain it to me. I thhis whole Universe inside your body? How long will you stay here? I am very curious to hear this from you. tell me in detail how does it happen?, because what I have seen inside you, is just wonderful, unimaginable and inconceivable." Hearing this that Deity of the deities spoke to me."

[3-188] Maarkandeya Jee continued - "He said - "Even Devtaa do not know me truly. Since I am very pleased with you I tell you how I created the Universe. You are devoted to your ancestors and ought my protection; you have seen me with your eyes and you have done lots of Tap. In ancient times, I called the waters "Nar"; and since the water is my Ayan (home) I came to be called Naaraayan (the water-homed or whose home is water). So I am Naaraayan, the source of all things, I am the Creator of all. I am Brahmaa, I am Vishnu, I am Sakra, I am Vaishravan, I am Yam, I am Shiv, I am Som. I am Dhaatri and Vidhaatri too. Fire is my mouth, Prithvi is my feet, the Sun and the Moon are my eyes, Heaven is the crown of my head, firmament and cardinal points are my ears, and the waters are born of my sweat, air is my mind. I have done many sacrifices with lots of gifts. Braahman make offerings to me, Kshatriya when perform sacrifices to obtain Heaven make offerings to me; Vaishya when wish for happy regions also worship me. It is I who in the form of Shesh Naag supports this Prithvi. It was I who in the form of boar took out the Prithvi out of the water. It is I who come out as Fire from horse's mouth, I drink the water of ocean and drink it again. It is from my energy that my arms, feet etc produce Braahman, Kshatriya etc; it is from me that all four Ved have sprung out, and it is me only, when the time comes, all are absorbed in me.

I am the fire called Samvartak, I am the wind called by the same name. The stars you see in firmament are the pores of my body. Lust, wrath, joy, fear, over-clouding of the intellect are all different forms of mine only. 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. When Daitya and Asur are not able to be killed by anyone, and are born on Earth, I take birth in virtuous families and kill them. Moved by my own Maayaa, I create gods and men, and Gandharv and Raakshas, and all immobile things and then destroy them all myself (when the time comes). When the end of Chatur-Yug comes, I alone destroy everything. 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. Although my soul lives in every creature, but O Muni, no one knows me. The grandsire of the creatures (Brahmaa Jee) is half my body. I am called Naaraayan. I bear the conch, discus, and the mace. I sleep for 1,000 Chatur-Yug and I stay here in the form of a boy, although I am very old, until Brahmaa wakes up. I, in the form of Brahmaa, have granted you boons several times.

O Rishi, Seeing this vast expanse of water and the creatures in there died, you became sad for them, that is why I showed you the Universe in my stomach; and when you were seeing the Universe in my stomach, you became surprised and deprived of your senses. That is why I brought you out of my stomach through my mouth. I have now told you about that soul which is incapable of being comprehended even by Devtaa and Asur. As long as Brahmaa is not awake, you can live here happily. When Brahmaa will wake I will create all creatures with bodies, Aakaash, light, Earth, atmosphere, water which you see normally on the Earth."

Maarkandeya Jee further said - "After having said this that Deity disappeared from my sight and I saw this wonderful creation from start. I witnessed all this, and it is so wonderful. This is one of the boons granted to me  by Him that my memory does not fail me, my period of life is so long and death is under my control. It is the same Hari that is born in Vrishni Vansh as Krishn. This one is Dhaatri and Vidhaatri, creator and destroyer, bearer of Shree Vats mark, Lord of all the creatures. Seeing Him clad in yellow clothes I remembered Him. This Maadhav is the mother and father of all the creatures, so O King, take the refuge in Him only."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Hearing this all Paandav including Draupadee bowed to Janaardan, and Krishn consoled them in very sweet words."