A candid re-telling

Shri Suta said, 'Oum! The supreme sage, Parashara, had completed his morning rites. Maitreya prostrated himself before him and honouring him, asked him.'

Maitreya said, 'O guru! From you, in due order, I have studied all the Vedas and all the Vedangas and texts about dharma. O best among sages! Through your favours, others, even if they are generally those who hate me, will not say that I have not made efforts regarding the sacred texts. O one who knows about dharma! O immensely fortunate one! O brahmana! I now wish to know the truth about this universe: how it was, how it is and how it will be, what pervades the universe, and about mobile and immobile objects. What was it immersed in? How will it be destroyed? What are the dimensions of the elements? How did the gods and others originate? What is the location of the oceans and the mountains? O supreme among sages! What is the foundation of the earth, the sun and other things? What are their dimensions? What are the lineages of the gods and others? Who are the Manus? What are the manvantaras? What are the kalpas and how are the kalpas divided? How have the four yugas been devised? What is the nature of the end of a kalpa? What is the dharma of all the yugas? O great sage! What is the conduct of gods, rishis and lords of the earth? After Vyasa collated the Vedas, how were they divided into branches? What is dharma for brahmanas and others and for those who reside in different ashramas? O descendant of Vasishtha's lineage! I wish to hear the truth about all this. O brahmana! O great sage! Be favourably inclined towards me, so that through your favours, I get to know everything that my mind desires.'

Shri Parashara replied, 'O Maitreya! O one who knows about dharma! This is praiseworthy. You have reminded me of what the illustrious Vasishtha, my father's father, had said a long time ago. I heard that in ancient times, my father had been devoured by a rakshasa, who had been egged on by Vishvamitra. O Maitreya! I was filled with unmatched rage and started a sacrifice to destroy rakshasas. In that sacrifice, hundreds of roamers in the night were reduced to ashes. When the remaining rakshasas were about to be destroyed, my immensely fortunate grandfather, Vasishtha, spoke to me. "O son! Enough of this anger. Conquer your rage. The rakshasas did not commit a crime. Your father's death was ordained. It is fools who become angry. Those who are learned do not. O son! Who kills? Through what is killing done? Everyone enjoys the consequences of what he has himself done. O child! With a great deal of effort, men accumulate a store of fame and austerities. Anger destroys these. In the world hereafter, it prevents heaven and emancipation. O son! Therefore, the supreme rishis say that one must always avoid anger. Do not come under its subjugation. Enough of burning down the roamers in the night. They are distressed and have not committed a crime. End this sacrifice. The virtuous have the trait of forgiveness." Thus instructed by my great-souled father, I honoured his words and immediately stopped the sacrifice. The illustrious Vasishtha, supreme among sages, was pleased at this. At that time, Pulastya, Brahma's son, arrived at the spot. My grandfather offered him arghya and he accepted a seat. O Maitreya! Pulaha's immensely fortunate elder brother spoke to me. Pulastya said, "Though there was great enmity, you have listened to your senior's words and have resorted to forgiveness now. Therefore, you will get to know all the sacred texts. Though you were angry, you refrained from destroying my offspring. O immensely fortunate one! Therefore, I will bestow another great boon on you. O child! You will become the creator of a Purana compilation. You will comprehend the supreme and true nature of the gods. O child! Whether you are engaged in pravritti or nivritti karma, through my favours, your intelligence will be unblemished and without any doubts." After this, the illustrious Vasishtha, my grandfather, spoke to me. "Everything that Pulastya has said will happen." This is what Vasishtha and the intelligent Pulastya said earlier. Because of your questions, I have remembered it all. O Maitreya! I will tell you everything that you have asked me about. Hear accurately about the complete Purana samhita. The universe originated from Vishnu and is established in him. He is the cause behind its preservation and withdrawal. He is the entire universe.'

Vishnu and Creation

Shri Parashara said, 'He is without transformation. He is pure. He is eternal. He is the paramatman. He is always in a single form. He is Vishnu. He is the one who is victorious over everyone. I prostrate myself before Hiranyagarbha, Hari and Shankara. He is the cause behind creation, preservation and destruction. I bow down to Vasudeva, the one who makes one cross over. He is absolute, but he has many forms. I bow down to the one who is both subtle and not subtle, the one who is manifest and also unmanifest. He is Vishnu, the cause ebehind emancipation. He is the cause behind the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. He pervades the universe. I bow down to Vishnu, the paramatman, the cause. He is the foundation of the universe. He is smaller than the smallest. He is the one who should be worshipped. He is in all beings. He is Achyuta Purushottama. His nature is jnana. He is extremely sparkling. He is the supreme objective. Though this is his true nature, his form is also established in false insights. He is Vishnu. He is the one who devours the universe. He is the lord behind creation and preservation. He is the one who should be worshipped. He is the lord of the universe. He is without birth. He is everlasting. He is without decay.'

(Excerpted with permission from Bibek Debroy's Vishnu Purana; published by Penguin India)