In days of yore, at the end of a Kalpa, Bhagavân Hari was lying, as a small child on a floating leaf of a banyan tree, and was thinking thus :--
- “Who is the Intelligent One that has created me a small child?
- What is His object?
- Of what stuff am I made of? and
- how am I created?
- whence can I know all this?”
At this moment the Devî Bhagavatî Who is all chaitanya, seeing the high-souled Bhagavân Hari musing thus, spoke out in the form of a celestial voice in the following half-stanza:--
“All this that is seen is I Myself; there is existent nothing other that is eternal.”
Bhagavân Visnu, then, began to think deeply the above celestial voice :--
- “Who has uttered this word, pregnant of truth, to me?
- How shall I come to know the speaker,
- whether that is female, male or a hermaphrodite?”
Pondering over this for a long time, when he could not come to a definite conclusion, he began to repeat (make japam) frequently that word of Bhagavatî with a whole heart. When Hari, lying on a banyan tree leaf, became very anxious to know what the above words implied, then the all-auspicious Devî Bhagavatî with a beautiful face, calm and quiet appearance, appeared before Bhagavân Visnu, of unrivalled splendour, in the form of Mahâ Laksmî, who is all of Sattva Guna, surrounded by Her Vibhûtis, Her manifestations of attendents, Her smiling companions of the same age, decked with ornaments, and wearing divine clothings, and holding each in their four divine hands, conch shell, disc, club, and lotus.
The lotus eyed Visnu was very much surprised to see that beautiful Devî, standing without anything to rest on that water; He saw that on four sides of the Devî, were staying
- Rati,
- Bhûti,
- Buddhi,
- Mati,
- Kîrti,
- Smriti,
- Dhriti,
- S'raddhâ,
- Medhâ,
- Svadhâ,
- Svâhâ,
- Kshudhâ,
- Nidrâ,
- Dayâ,
- Gati,
- Tusti,
- Pusti,
- Ksamâ,
- Lajjâ,
- Jrimbhâ Tandrâ and other personified forces, each possessing a clear distinct form, and endowed with a clear distinct feeling.
In the
- hands of them all were divine weapons;
- on their necks, necklaces and garlands of Mandâra flowers; and
- all the limbs of their bodies were decorated with divine ornaments.
Seeing in that one mass of ocean the Devî Laksmî and Her S'aktis, Bhagavân Janârdan, the soul of all, became greatly astonished and thought within Himself thus :--
- “What is this?
- Is this Mâyâ that I am witnessing?
- Whence have appeared these women? and
- whence have I come here, lying on this banyan leaf?
- How has the banyan tree come to existence in this one mass of ocean?
- And who is it, that has placed me here in the form of a child?
- Is this my Mother? Or is this some Mâyâ that can create impossible things?
- Why has She made Herself manifest before me now? Or is there some hidden motive that She has appeared thus?
- What ought I to do now? Or shall I go to some other place? or shall I continue remaining here in this form of the child, silent and with vigilance.
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk01ch15.htm
