, kine, Kimpurushas, fishes, and trees
and plants. Aditi gave birth to the Adityas, the foremost ones among the
gods, and possessed of great strength. Amongst them Vishnu took birth in
the form of a dwarf. Otherwise called Govinda, he became the foremost of
them all. Through his prowess, the prosperity of the gods increased. The
Danavas were vanquished. The offspring of Diti were the Asuras. Danu gave
birth to the Danavas having Viprachitti for their foremost. Diti gave
birth to all the Asuras of great strength.

"'"The slayer of Madhu also created the Day and the Night, and the Season
in their order, and the Morn and the Even. After reflection, he also
created the clouds, and all the (other) immobile and mobile objects.
Possessed of abundant energy, he also created the Viswas and the earth
with all things upon her. Then the highly blessed and puissant Krishna, O
Yudhishthira, once again created from his mouth a century of foremost
Brahmanas. From his two arms, he created a century of Kshatriyas, and
from his thighs a century of Vaisyas. Then, O bull of Bharata's race,
Kesava created from his two feet a century of Sudras. Possessed of great
ascetic merit, the slayer of Madhu, having thus created the four orders
of men, made Dhatri (Brahman) the lord and ruler of all created beings.
Of immeasurable effulgence, Brahman became also the expositor of the
knowledge of the Vedas. And Kesava made him, called Virupaksha, the ruler
of the spirits and ghosts and of those female beings called the Matrikas
(mothers). And he made Yama the ruler of the Pitris and of all sinful
men.[706] The Supreme Soul of all creatures also made Kuvera the lord of
all treasures. He then created Varuna the lord of waters and governor of
all aquatic animals. The puissant Vishnu made Vasava the chief of all the
deities. In those times, men lived as long as they chose to live, and
were without any fear of Yama. Sexual congress, O chief of the Bharatas,
was then not necessary for perpetuating the species. In those days
offspring were begotten by fiat of the will. In the age that followed,
viz., Treta, children were begotten by touch alone. The people of that
age even, O monarch, were above the necessity of sexual congress. It was
in the next age, viz., Dwapara, that the practice of sexual congress
originated, O king, to prevail among men. In the Kali age, O monarch, men
have come to marry and live in pairs.

"'"I have now told thee of the supreme Lord of