Matsyapurana 164.9

164.9

ke prajāpatayastāvad āsanpūrvaṃ mahāmune
kathaṃ nirmitavāṃścaiva citraṃ lokaṃ sanātanam //

Manu said:—"O Janārdana! During the Pādma Mahā Kalpa how was the universe first created in the lotus springing from Thy navel when Thou wert reposing in the ocean? Thou art named Padmanābha, how were the Devas and the Seers born first in the lotus springing up in the navel of Viṣṇu? Yogavidāmpate! pray explain the whole of this yoga for I am not sufficiently satisfied by listening to an account of His glory. When did Viṣṇu repose? How long did He remain asleep? What was the length of that period? When did He awake from His sleep? How did He create the universe after awakening? Who were the Prajāpatis at the time of creation? How was created this wonderful eternal creation? On the annihilation of the moving and non-moving worlds, only a wide expanse of water remains. The Devas, the demons and the men were all destroyed. Fire, air, earth and Ākāśa did not exist, all were extinct. The whole universe seemed a big cave, void as it were. How did then Janārdana rest? What mode did He adopt? That Lord of the great Bhūtas that great form highly energetic that knower of yoga, that Bhagavān the best of all the Devas. O knower of Dharma! O Brahman! I wish to hear all this with great devotion. Kindly describe in detail all this to me. Lord! I am very eager to hear about these things.'—4-14