Vishnupurana 1.4.p3

1.4.p3

Parāçara said,—"Thus hymned by the divinities, that supreme soul, the holder of Earth, at once lifted her up, and set her on the mighty sea. And, resting on the sea like a giant bark, Earth did not sink in consequence of the flatness of her frame. Then leveling the Earth, the worshipful supreme Lord without beginning, placed mountains on her in proper order. And by his infallible power, that one of truthful purposes created on the Earth all the mountains that had been burnt on the occasion of the burning of the foregone creation. And then; properly dividing the land containing seven islands, he, as formerly, created the four regions, viz., Bhuva and the rest. And then, possessed with the principle of passion, the reverend Deity, Hari, wearing the form of Brahmā and assuming four faces, set about creation, But in the matter of creation, he was an instrument merely; as the force resident in the things created, was the principal Cause. Being ripe for development, (objects at the time of creation) desiderate nothing more. O foremost of those practising austerities, objects attain their objectivity by virtue of their inherent force".