Prayer of Parāśara to Viṣṇu. Successive narration of the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Explanation of Vāsudeva: his existence before creation: his first manifestations. Description of Pradhāna or the chief principle of things. Cosmogony. Of Prākrita, or material creation; of time; of the active cause. Developement of effects; Mahat; Ahaṅkāra; Tanmātras; elements; objects of sense; senses; of the mundane egg. Viṣṇu the same as Brahmā the creator; Viṣṇu the preserver; Rudra the destroyer.
波羅奢羅向毘濕奴祈禱。《毘濕奴祈禱往世書》的連續敘述。Vāsudeva註解：他在創造之前的存在：他的最初表現。對 Pradhana 或事物主要原則的描述。宇宙起源論。Prakrita，或物質創造；時間；的主動原因。效果的發展；①Mahat；Ahaṅkāra；③Tanmātras；元素；感覺對象；感官；平凡的雞蛋。毘濕奴與創造者Brahmā(梵天)相同；毘濕奴是保護者；毀滅者則是樓陀羅。
①Mahat (महत्)：—[mahāna/mahat] 演化過程中的第二個演化因素，代表Buddhi、智力，也代表大
②Ahaṃkāra（अहंकार，「自我」）：在印度教圖像學中，卡利（「時間女神」）的一隻手拿著一個被砍下的頭。頭部代表自我（個性的概念）。被砍下的頭顱提醒所有生物，無法逃脫時間（代表為卡利）。Ahaṃkāra（अहंकार）是一個梵文詞，指的是「個性、自我」。它是《Subālopaniṣad》（第五部分）中提到的十四個 Adhyātma（與身體有關）之一。相應的 Ādhibhūta（與元素有關）稱為 ahaṃkartavya（自我所做的事情），相應的 Adhidaivata（主神）是 rudra。因此，「經脈形成了它們的紐帶（或連接它們）。在自我（ahaṃkāra）、ahaṃkartavya、rudra、nadis、prāṇa、vijñāna、ananda、心的 akāsa 以及其他一切中移動的人——那就是阿特曼(Ātman;真我)。這是應該被崇拜的。它沒有老、死、恐懼、悲傷或終結。
③Tanmatras（梵文：तन्मात्र = tanmātra）是基本的、未分化的、微妙的元素，從中產生粗糙的元素。有五種感官知覺——聽覺、觸覺、視覺、味覺和嗅覺——並且有五種與這五種感官知覺和五種感官相對應的五種觸感。tanmatras 以不同的方式組合和重新組合，產生了粗大的元素——以太、空氣、火、水和土——它們構成了感官所感知的粗大的宇宙。感官與物體接觸，並將它們的印象帶到manas(瑪那；心靈），manas接收它們並將其排列成戒律。
PARĀŚARA said, Glory to the unchangeable, holy, eternal, supreme Viṣṇu, of one universal nature, the mighty over all: to him who is Hiranygarbha, Hari, and Śaṅkara, the creator, the preserver, and destroyer of the world: to Vāsudeva, the liberator of his worshippers: to him, whose essence is both single and manifold; who is both subtile and corporeal, indiscrete and discrete: to Viṣṇu, the cause of final emancipation, Glory to the supreme Viṣṇu, the cause of the creation, existence, and end of this world; who is the root of the world, and who consists of the world.
波羅奢羅說：
「榮耀歸於不變的、神聖的、永恆的、至高無上的毘濕奴，他具有一個共同的的本質，是萬有之上的強大者：歸於他，Hiranygarbha、Hari和Śaṅkara，世界的創造者、保護者和毀滅者。獻給Vāsudeva，他是崇拜者的解放者：獻給他，他的本質既單一又多樣；他既是微妙的又是有形的，是不離散的又是離散的：致毘濕奴，最終釋放的原因，榮耀歸於至高無上的毘濕奴，這個世界的創造、存在和終結的原因；誰是世界的根源，誰又是世界的組成。
Having glorified him who is the support of all things; who is the smallest of the small; who is in all created things; the unchanged, imperishable Puruṣottama; who is one with true wisdom, as truly known; eternal and incorrupt; and who is known through false appearances by the nature of visible objects: having bowed to Viṣṇu, the destroyer, and lord of creation and preservation; the ruler of the world; unborn, imperishable, undecaying: I will relate to you that which was originally imparted by the great father of all (Brahmā), in answer to the questions of Dakṣa and other venerable sages, and repeated by them to Purukutsa, a king who reigned on the banks of the Narmadā. It was next related by him to Sāraswata, and by Sāraswata to me.
榮耀了萬物的支持者；是最微小的；祂存在於一切受造之物中；不變的、不朽的①Puruṣottama；誰具有真正的智慧，如真正所知的；永恆不朽；他透過虛假的顯現被可見物體的本質所認識：向維施努（Viṣṇu），毀滅者，創造與保存之主鞠躬；世界的統治者；未生的、不朽的、不腐爛的：我將向你們講述最初由偉大的萬物之父Brahmā在回答Dakṣa和其他可敬的聖人的問題時所傳授的內容，並由他們向Purukutsa重複，Purukutsa是一位統治印度的國王，在Narmadā河岸。接下來，他向Sāraswata(妙音天女)講述了這件事，Sāraswata又向我講述了這件事。
①Purushottama（梵文：पुरुषोत्तम，來自पुरुष，purusha“精神”或“男性”和उत्तम，uttama，“最高”）是印度教保護神毘濕奴的綽號。根據Vaishnavism(毘濕奴教派)的說法，毘濕奴是解脫之源、罪惡的解放者、知識的源頭和眾生中的最高者。
Who can describe him who is not to be apprehended by the senses: who is the best of all things; the supreme soul, self-existent: who is devoid of all the distinguishing characteristics of complexion, caste, or the like; and is exempt front birth, vicissitude, death, or decay: who is always, and alone: who exists every where, and in whom all things here exist; and who is thence named Vāsudeva? He is Brahma, supreme, lord, eternal, unborn, imperishable, undecaying; of one essence; ever pure as free from defects. He, that Brahma, was all things; comprehending in his own nature the indiscrete and discrete. He then existed in the forms of Puruṣa and of Kāla. Puruṣa (spirit) is the first form, of the supreme; next proceeded two other forms, the discrete and indiscrete; and Kāla (time) was the last. These four—Pradhāna (primary or crude matter), Puruṣa (spirit), Vyakta (visible substance), and Kāla (time)—the wise consider to be the pure and supreme condition of Viṣṇu. These four forms, in their due proportions, are the causes of the production of the phenomena of creation, preservation, and destruction. Viṣṇu being thus discrete and indiscrete substance, spirit, and time, sports like a playful boy, as you shall learn by listening to his frolics.
誰能描述一個不被感官所理解的人?誰是萬物中最好的？至高無上的靈魂，自我存在：沒有膚色、種姓等所有顯著特徵；並且不受前生、變遷、死亡或腐杇的影響：他永遠是孤獨的：他存在於任何地方，這裡的一切事物都存在於他之中；誰的名字叫Vāsudeva？祂是梵天，至高無上，主宰暂，永恆，不生，不朽，不滅；具有一種本質；永遠純潔無瑕。他，那個梵天，是萬物；在他自己的本性中理解不離散和離散的。然後他以Puruṣa(精神)和Kāla(迦羅；時間)的形式存在。Puruṣa（精神）是至高無上的第一種形式；接下來是另外兩種形式，離散形式和非離散形式；Kāla（時間）是最後一個。這四種——Pradhāna（初級或原始物質）、Puruṣa（精神）、Vyakta（可見物質）和Kāla（時間）——智者認為是毘濕奴純粹和至高無上的狀態。這四種形式以其適當的比例，成為創造、保存和毀滅現象產生的原因。毘濕奴如此離散和不離散的物質、精神和時間，像一個頑皮的男孩一樣運行著，這一點你可以透過聆聽他的嬉戲來了解。
That chief principle (Pradhāna), which is the indiscrete cause, is called by the sages also Prakriti (nature): it is subtile, uniform, and comprehends what is and what is not (or both causes and effects); is durable, self-sustained, illimitable, undecaying, and stable; devoid of sound or touch, and possessing neither colour nor form; endowed with the three qualities (in equilibrium); the mother of the world; without beginning; and that into which all that is produced is resolved. By that principle all things were invested in the period subsequent to the last dissolution of the universe, and prior to creation. For Brahmans learned in the Vedas, and teaching truly their doctrines, explain such passages as the following as intending the production of the chief principle (Pradhāna). “There was neither day nor night, nor sky nor earth, nor darkness nor light, nor any other thing, save only One, unapprehensible by intellect, or That which is Brahma and Pumān (spirit) and Pradhāna (matter).” The two forms which are other than the essence of unmodified Viṣṇu, are Pradhāna (matter) and Puruṣa (spirit); and his other form, by which those two are connected or separated, is called Kāla (time). When discrete substance is aggregated in crude nature, as in a foregone dissolution, that dissolution is termed elemental (Prākrita). The deity as Time is without beginning, and his end is not known; and from him the revolutions of creation, continuance, and dissolution unintermittingly succeed: for when, in the latter season, the equilibrium of the qualities (Pradhāna) exists, and spirit (Pumān) is detached from matter, then the form of Viṣṇu which is Time abides. Then the supreme Brahma, the supreme soul, the substance of the world, the lord of all creatures, the universal soul, the supreme ruler, Hari, of his own will having entered into matter and spirit, agitated the mutable and immutable principles, the season of creation being arrived, in the same manner as fragrance affects the mind from its proximity merely, and not from any immediate operation upon mind itself: so the Supreme influenced the elements of creation. Puruṣottama is both the agitator and the thing to be agitated; being present in the essence of matter, both when it is contracted and expanded. Viṣṇu, supreme over the supreme, is of the nature of discrete forms in the atomic productions, Brahmā and the rest (gods, men, &c.)
主要原則（Pradhāna），即不離散的因緣，被聖賢們稱為Prakriti（自然）：它是微妙的、不變的，並且理解什麼是和什麼不是（或兩者都是因和緣）；持久、自足、無限、不朽、穩定；無聲無觸，無色無形；具備三種品質的平衡狀態；世界之母；無始無終；所有產生的東物質都被命定了。根據這個原則，所有事物都被投入在宇宙最後一次消解之後、創世之前的時期。對於學習了吠陀經並真實地教導他們的教義的婆羅門，解釋如下的段落是為了產生主要原則（Pradhāna）。既沒有白天也沒有黑夜，沒有天空也沒有大地，沒有黑暗也沒有光明，也沒有其他任何物質，只有一個，智力無法理解的，或者說是梵天、Pumān（精神）和Pradhāna（物質）。除了未經修飾的毘濕奴努本質之外，還有兩種形式：Pradhana（物質）和 Puruṣa（神我）(精神）。而他的另一種形式，透過它連接或分離這兩者，被稱為Kāla（迦羅；時間）。當離散物質在原始自然中聚集時，如在先前的分解中，這種分解被稱為原質（Prākrita；原質）。時間之神無始無終，其終結無人知曉；從祂那裡，創造、延續和消解的革命不間斷地成功：因為，在後一個季節，當質（Pradhāna）達到平衡，精神（Pumān）與物質分離時，毘濕奴的形態就出現了。時間不變。然後，至尊梵天、至尊靈魂、世界本體、萬物之主、宇宙靈魂、至高統治者Hari(印度教保護神毘濕奴的主要綽號之一，意思是「奪走的人」（罪惡）)，以自己的意志進入物質和精神，攪動易變和不變的原則，創造的季節即將到來，就像香氣僅從其鄰近影響心靈一樣，而不是從對心靈本身的任何直接作用中產生影響：因此，至尊影響了創造的元素。Puruṣottama(毘濕奴的代表) 既是攪動者，也是被攪動的事物；存在於物質的本質中，無論是收縮或膨脹。毘濕奴（Viṣṇu），至高無上，具有原子產物、Brahmā(梵)和其他（神、人等）中離散形式的本質。
Then from that equilibrium of the qualities (Pradhāna), presided over by soul, proceeds the unequal developement of those qualities (constituting the principle Mahat or Intellect) at the time of creation. The Chief principle then invests that Great principle, Intellect, and it becomes threefold, as affected by the quality of goodness, foulness, or darkness, and invested by the Chief principle (matter) as seed is by its skin. From the Great principle (Mahat) Intellect, threefold Egotism, (Ahaṅkāra), denominated Vaikarīka, ‘pure;’ Taijasa, ‘passionate;’ and Bhūtādi, ‘rudimental,’ is produced; the origin of the (subtile) elements, and of the organs of sense; invested, in consequence of its three qualities, by Intellect, as Intellect is by the Chief principle. Elementary Egotism then becoming productive, as the rudiment of sound, produced from it Ether, of which sound is the characteristic, investing it with its rudiment of sound. Ether becoming productive, engendered the rudiment of touch; whence originated strong wind, the property of which is touch; and Ether, with the rudiment of sound, enveloped the rudiment of touch. Then wind becoming productive, produced the rudiment of form (colour); whence light (or fire) proceeded, of which, form (colour) is the attribute; and the rudiment of touch enveloped the wind with the rudiment of colour. Light becoming productive, produced the rudiment of taste; whence proceed all juices in which flavour resides; and the rudiment of colour invested the juices with the rudiment of taste. The waters becoming productive, engendered the rudiment of smell; whence an aggregate (earth) originates, of which smell is the property. In each several element resides its peculiar rudiment; thence the property of tanmātratā, (type or rudiment) is ascribed to these elements. Rudimental elements are not endowed with qualities, and therefore they are neither soothing, nor terrific, nor stupifying. This is the elemental creation, proceeding from the principle of egotism affected by the property of darkness. The organs of sense are said to be the passionate products of the same principle, affected by foulness; and the ten divinities,proceed from egotism affected by the principle of goodness; as does Mind, which is the eleventh. The organs of sense are ten: of the ten, five are the skin, eye, nose, tongue, and ear; the object of which, combined with Intellect, is the apprehension of sound and the rest: the organs of excretion and procreation, the hands, the feet, and the voice, form the other five; of which excretion, generation, manipulation, motion, and speaking, are the several acts.
然後，從由靈魂擁有的質平衡（Pradhāna）出發，在創造時這些質（構成原則Mahat或智力）開始不平等發展。然後，主要原則賦予了偉大的原則，即智力，它變得三重，受到善良、邪惡或黑暗品質的影響，並受到主要原則（物質）的賦予，就像種子受到其外皮的影響一樣。來自偉大原則（Mahat）智力，三重自我主義，（Ahaṅkāra），命名為Vaikarīka，“純粹”；Taijasa，「充滿熱情」；Bhūtādi（「基本」）誕生了；（微妙的）元素和感覺器官的起源；由於其三種質，智力被投入，正如智力是由主要原則所投入一樣。然後，基本的自我主義變得富有成效，作為聲音的雛形，從以太中產生，聲音是以太的特徵，賦予它聲音的雛形。
以太變得富有成效，產生了觸摸的雛形；強風從哪裡來，其屬性為觸；以太帶著聲音的雛形，包裹著觸覺的雛形。然後風變得富有成效，產生了形狀（顏色）的雛形；光（或火）從何而來，其屬性是形狀（顏色）；觸感的雛形以色彩的雛形包裹著風。光變得富有成效，產生了味的雛形；所有含有風味的汁液從何而來；顏色的雛形給了果汁味道的雛形。水變得富有成效，產生了氣味的雛形；聚合體（土）從何而來，氣味是其屬性。每一個元素都有其獨特的雛形。因此，tanmātratā（類型或雛形）的屬性被歸因於這些元素。基本元素沒有被賦予質，因此它們既不舒緩，也不可怕，也不令人震驚。這是元質素創造，源自於受黑暗屬性影響的自我主義原則。據說，感覺器官是同一原理的激情產物，受到污穢的影響。十神性，源自於受善原則影響的自我主義；心靈也是如此，這是第十一個。感覺器官有十個：十個中，五個是皮膚、眼、鼻、舌、耳；它的目標與智力結合，是對聲音和其他部分的理解：排泄和生殖的器官，手，腳和聲音，形成其他五個；其中排泄、產生、操縱、運動和說話是幾個行為。
Then, ether, air, light, water, and earth, severally united with the properties of sound and the rest, existed as distinguishable according to their qualities, as soothing, terrific, or stupifying; but possessing various energies, and being unconnected, they could not, without combination, create living beings, not having blended with each other. Having combined, therefore, with one another, they assumed, through their mutual association, the character of one mass of entire unity; and from the direction of spirit, with the acquiescence of the indiscrete Principle, Intellect and the rest, to the gross elements inclusive, formed an egg, which gradually expanded like a bubble of water. This vast egg, O sage, compounded of the elements, and resting on the waters, was the excellent natural abode of Viṣṇu in the form of Brahmā; and there Viṣṇu, the lord of the universe, whose essence is inscrutable, assumed a perceptible form, and even he himself abided in it in the character of Brahmā. Its womb, vast as the mountain Meru, was composed of the mountains; and the mighty oceans were the waters that filled its cavity. In that egg, O Brahman, were the continents and seas and mountains, the planets and divisions of the universe, the gods, the demons, and mankind. And this egg was externally invested by seven natural envelopes, or by water, air, fire, ether, and Ahaṅkāra the origin of the elements, each tenfold the extent of that which it invested; next came the principle of Intelligence; and, finally, the whole was surrounded by the indiscrete Principle: resembling thus the cocoa-nut, filled interiorly with pulp, and exteriorly covered by husk and rind.
然後，以太、空氣、光、水和土，分別與聲音和其他屬性結合在一起，根據它們的性質而存在，如舒緩的、可怕的或令人震驚的；但它們擁有不同的能量，互不相通，如果不結合，就不能創造生物，不互相融合。因此，當它們彼此結合時，透過它們的相互關聯，呈現出完全統一體的特徵。從精神的方向，在不離散的原則、智力和其他的默許下，到包容性的粗糙元素，形成了一個雞蛋，它像水泡一樣逐漸膨脹。婆羅門啊，是大陸、海洋、山脈、行星和宇宙的各個部分、諸神、惡魔和人類。這個蛋的外部被七個自然的包絡所覆蓋，或者被水、空氣、火、以太和元素本源阿漢卡拉（Ahaṅkāra）所包覆，每一個包絡的範圍都是它所包覆的十倍；接下來是情報原理；最後，整體被不離散的原則所包圍：就像可可堅果，內部充滿果肉，外部覆蓋著外殼和果皮。
Affecting then the quality of activity, Hari, the lord of all, himself becoming Brahmā, engaged in the creation of the universe. Viṣṇu with the quality of goodness, and of immeasurable power, preserves created things through successive ages, until the close of the period termed a Kalpa; when the same mighty deity, Janārddana, invested with the quality of darkness, assumes the awful form of Rudra, and swallows up the universe. Having thus devoured all things, and converted the world into one vast ocean, the Supreme reposes upon his mighty serpent couch amidst the deep: he awakes after a season, and again, as Brahmā, becomes the author of creation.
一切之主Hari，他自己成為梵（Brahmā），參與了宇宙的創造，從而影響了活動的品質。毘濕奴以善良的品質和不可估量的力量，在連續的歲月中保存著造物，直到被稱為劫的時期結束。當同一個強大的神，Janarddana(毘濕奴的另一個名號)，被賦予了黑暗的品質，呈現出樓陀羅的可怕形式，併吞了宇宙。就這樣吞噬了萬物，將世界變成了一片浩瀚的海洋，至尊主躺在深淵中他強大的蛇榻上：一個季節後他醒來，再次以梵（Brahmā）的身份成為創造者。
Thus the one only god, Janārddana, takes the designation of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva, accordingly as he creates, preserves, or destroys
因此，唯一的神，Janarddana，在他創造、保存或毀滅時，相應地被稱為梵 （Brahmā）、毘濕奴和Śiva(羅陀樓的一個名字)。
Viṣṇu as creator, creates himself; as preserver, preserves himself; as destroyer, destroys himself at the end of all things. This world of earth, air, fire, water, ether, the senses, and the mind; all that is termed spirit, that also is the lord of all elements, the universal form, and imperishable: hence he is the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction; and the subject of the vicissitudes inherent in elementary nature. He is the object and author of creation: he preserves, destroys, and is preserved. He, Viṣṇu, as Brahmā, and as all other beings, is infinite form: he is the supreme, the giver of all good, the fountain of all happiness.
毘濕奴作為創造者，創造了他自己；作為保護者，保護自己；作為毀滅者，在萬物終結時毀滅自己。這個世界由土、空氣、火、水、以太、感官和心靈組成；所有被稱為精神的東西，也是所有元素的主宰，普遍的形式，並且是不朽的：因此，他是創造、保存和毀滅的原因；以及基本自然所固有的變遷的主題。他是創造的對象和作者：他保存，破壞，並被保存。他，毘濕奴，與梵 （Brahmā）和所有其他存在一樣，都是無限的形態：他是至高無上的、一切美好的給予者、一切幸福的源泉。
