Vishnupurana 6.4.p3

6.4.p3

Works as sanctioned by the Vedas are of two kinds, active and quiescent; by both of which the universal person is worshipped by mankind. He, the lord of sacrifice, the male of sacrifice, the most excellent Purusha, is worshipped by men in the active mode, by rites enjoined in the Rik, Yayur and Sama Vedas. The soul of wisdom, the person of wisdom, Vishnu, the giver of emancipation is worshipped by the sages in the quiescent form through meditative devotion. The exhaustless Vishnu is whatever thing that is designated by long, short or prolated syllables or that which is without a name. He is that which is dissolute or that which is indescrete: he is exhaustless spirit, supreme spirit, universal spirit, Hari, the assumer of universal forms. Nature, discrete or indiscrete is absorbed unto him, and spirit also merges into the all diffusive and unobstructed spirit. The period of two Parārdhas, as I have related to you, O Maitreya, constitutes a day of that powerful Vishnu, and whilst the products of nature are merged into this source, nature into spirit and that into the supreme, that period is called his night and is of equal duration with his day. But in reality, to that supreme spirit there is neither day nor night and these distinctions are only figuratively applied to the Almighty. I have thus explained to you the nature of elemental dissolution and will now explain to you which is final.