Vishnupurana 1.22.p2

1.22.p2

All these and others appointed to govern the creation are but persons of the Great Vishnu, O foremost of Munis, All the kings who have been and who shall be, O foremost of twice-born ones, are the portions of Vishnu. The lords of celestials, the kings of the Daityas, the sovereigns of the Dānavas, the rulers of the demons, the kings of the beasts, birds, men, serpents, Nagas, the best of trees, of mountains, of planets—those that were, those that are, and those that shall be, are but portions of Vishnu who is identical with the universe. None else is capable of protecting the world, but Hari, the lord of all. O greatly wise ascetic, the essence of the universal creation exists in him and none else. The eternal Vishnu invested respectively with the qualities of foulness, goodness, and darkness, creates the universe, preserves it and destroys it. By a four-fold manifestation of himself he creates the world and in the same way preserves and destroys it. In one manifestation as Brahmā, the invisible (Vishnu) assumes a visible shape; in his second manifestation, he appears as the patriarch Marichi and others; Kāla is the third manifestation and all other beings constitute his fourth manifestation. Thus he becomes four-fold in his creation invested with the quality of goodness. The Deity in one portion as Vishnu, preserves the creation; in his second portion he assumes the shape of Manu and others; in his third portion he assumes the shape of time, and in his fourth portion he assumes the shape of all beings. And thus invested with the quality of goodness, the excellent Purusha preserves the universe. And invested with the quality of darkness at the end of creation the un-born Deity, in one portion, assumes the form of Rudra. In another portion he assumes the shape of fire—in another he assumes the shape of time, and in his fourth portion he assumes the shape of all beings. And thus in his four-fold form he is the destroyer of the universe. This is the four-fold division of the Deity, O Brahman, at all seasons.