Devibhagavatapurana 8.1.46

8.1.46

iti putravacaḥ śrutvā prajāpatipatirvibhuḥ |
cintayāmāsa suciraṃ kathaṃ kāryaṃ bhavedidam ||

Hearing thus the words of the son, the Prajâpati, the Lord thought over the matter for a long time:-- “How this work would be done? Alas! I have spent an endless time in this work of creation; but as yet nothing has been done. For the Earth, the receptacle of all the Jivâs is submerged in water and has gone down to the Rasâtala. What is to be done now? There is only one hope and that is this:-- If the Bhagavân, the Primeval Person, under Whose Command I am engaged in this work of creation, helps me in this work of mine, no doubt it will be accomplished then and then only.”
Here ends the First Chapter of the Eighth Book on the description of the worlds in the Mahâpurânam, S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.