Vishnupurana 5.1.p5

5.1.p5

In the meantime, Earth, oppressed by her heavy load, repaired to an assembly of celestials on Mount Meru and addressing them, with Brahmā, at their head, described in piteous accents all her distresses. "Agni" said Earth "is the progenitor of gold; Surja, the rays of light; the Supreme Nārāyana, is my guide and the guide of all spheres; He is Brahmā, the lord of the lord of patriarchs, the eldest of the eldest born, one identical with minutes and hours and time having form though indiscrete. O celestials, you are all but a portion of Him. The Sun, the winds, the saints, the Rudras, the Vasus, the Aswins, fire, patriarchs of whom Attri is the first, are all but the forms of the mighty and inscrutable Vishnu. The Yakshas, the Rākshasas, the Daityas, Pisachas, Uragas, Dānavas, Gandharvas, and Apsaras are all but the forms of the glorious Vishnu. The sky painted with stars, fire, water, wind, myself, and this manifest universe are all identical with Vishnu. Still the diverse forms of that manifold being encounter and succeed one another night and day like the waves of the sea. Amongst them Kālanemi and other Dānavas have occupied the regions under the earth and been distressing the subjects continually. The mighty Vishnu destroyed the Daitya Kālanemi and he has now been born as Kansa, the son of Ugrasena. The Asuras, Aristha, Dhenuka, Keshi, Pralamba, Naraka, Sunda, Atyugravana, and the son of Bali and other highly powerful ones born in various royal families, cannot be counted. O celestials, many Akshauhini hosts of powerful Daityas—the chiefs of their race, assuming beautiful shapes, are now treading upon me. I am unable, being oppressed by this load, to support myself; I have therefore come to you for help, O celestial chiefs, O illustrious deities, it becomes you to relieve me of this burden, lest helpless I sink into the nethermost abyss".