d, my memory faileth me not. And, O great lord, I have come out of
thy body at thy desire but not of mine! O thou of eyes like lotus leaves,
I desire to know thee who art free from all faults! Why dost thou stay
here in the form of a boy having swallowed up the entire universe? It
behoveth thee to explain all this to me. Why, O sinless one, is the
entire universe within thy body? How long also, O chastiser of foes, wilt
thou stay here? Urged by a curiosity that is not improper for Brahmanas,
I desire, O Lord of all the gods, to hear all this from thee, O thou of
eyes like lotus leaves, with every detail and exactly as it all happens,
for all I have seen, O Lord, is wonderful and inconceivable!' And thus
addressed by me, that deity of deities, of blazing effulgence and great
beauty, that foremost of all speakers consoling me properly, spoke unto
me these words."

SECTION CLXXXVIII

"Markandeya continued, 'The Deity then said, 'O Brahmana, the gods even
do not know me truly! As however, I have been gratified with thee, I will
tell thee how I created the universe! O regenerate Rishi, thou art
devoted to thy ancestors and hast also sought my protection! Thou hast
also beheld me with thy eyes, and thy ascetic merit also is great! In
ancient times I called the waters by the name of Nara; and because the
waters have ever been my ayana or home, therefore have I been called
Narayana (the water-homed). O best of regenerate ones, I am Narayana, the
Source of all things, the Eternal, the Unchangeable. I am the Creator of
all things, and the Destroyer also of all. I am Vishnu, I am Brahma and I
am Sakra, the chief of the gods. I am king Vaisravana, and I am Yama, the
lord of the deceased spirits. I am Siva, I am Soma, and I am Kasyapa the
lord of the created things. And, O best of regenerate ones, I am he
called Dhatri, and he also that is called Vidhatri, and I am Sacrifice
embodied. Fire is my mouth, the earth my feet, and the Sun and the Moon
are my eyes; the Heaven is the crown of my head, the firmament and the
cardinal points are my ears; the waters are born of my sweat. Space with
the cardinal points are my body, and the Air is my mind. I have performed
many hundreds of sacrifices with gifts in profusion. I am always present
in the sacrifices of the gods; and they that are cognisant of the Vedas
and officiate therein, make their offerings to me. On earth the Kshatriya
chiefs that rule over men, in performing their sacrific