¹⁷⁴ The quality of darkness. The meaning of the passage is that when Vishnu, possessed by the desire of creation, is engaged in meditating upon his own true form. When _Satwa_, or the quality of goodness, reigns supreme in him, he absolutely retires from the work of creation and when he is possessed by the desire of creation the quality of _Tamas_ or darkness predominates in him. The origin of this _desire_ in him is the root of creation, for the whole universe before us is the outcome of his will. According to the Hindu mythology the work of creation and dissolution is perpetually going on, And each of these work is dependant on the pure and absolute will of the Lord. When Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, happens to cherish a desire for creation he engages in meditating upon his true form. Thus meditation is allegorically represented as his sleep. From this meditation proceeds Brahmā who is to make arrangements for this great work. But he is dependant on the will of the Lord. Brahmā next creates the Patriarchs who are to be the originators of the various families. CHAPTER LI. THE PROPOSAL OF RELIEVING THE EARTH OF HER BURDEN. Vaishampayana said:—Hearing these words of Vishnu, Brahmā, the Grand-Father of all, gave vent to words fraught with the well-being of gods (1). "There is no fear, from the Asuras, of the gods whom you give protection by becoming their leader in various battles (2). When you yourself, the slayer of your enemies, and the king of gods, are crowned with victory, what fear do men, engaged in religious observances, cherish (3)? Truthful and pious men are always freed from ills. Death cannot prematurely visit the pious (4). Enjoying their sixth portion, the kings, the foremost of men, do not fear one another (5). Doing good to their subjects and realizing duly tributes from their tributary kings without being blamed by them, they fill up their treasuries with wealth (6). Meting out mild punishment and being forbearing they govern their respective prosperous provinces and protect the four Varnas (7). Without creating disturbance amongst their subjects and being adored well by their ministers and protected by the four divisions of army they are enjoying the six means¹⁷⁵ (8). They are all well-versed in the science of archery, observant of the Vedic rites and they all worship the gods with sacrifices accompanied by profuse gifts (9). Having performed the ceremony of initiation and studied the Vedas they propitiate the great saints with chastity in thought, words and deeds and the ancestral manes, hundreds of times, with holy Srāddhas (10). There is no such object in the world, Vedic, customary, and scriptural that is not known to them (11). Believing in the great Brahman, all those kings, effulgent like the great Rishis, are endeavouring to bring back the golden age (12).