Of the earth I am the primordial fragrance, and of fire the heat. I am life in all that lives, and the discipline of the ascetic.

Know this: I am the First Seed of all beings. Of the intelligent I am the intelligence, and of the powerful, the prowess. I am the strength of the strong, free from desire and passion. I am the carnal union that does not violate the principles of religion.

Every state of being, whether it stems from Virtue, Passion, or Ignorance, is but a manifestation of My energy. In a sense, I am everything; yet I never lose My individuality.

I am the Supreme Soul of all living entities (incarnate spiritual souls), and consequently, I am naturally their beloved and their Absolute Master, their Supreme Lord. As the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of all entities, I am no different from them.

I am the ultimate goal of all who seek progress, and I am time among those who exert control. I am the balance of the modes of influence of material nature, and I am natural virtue among the pious.

Among things possessing qualities, I am the principal manifestation of nature, and among great things, I am the entirety of material creation. Among subtle things, I am the spiritual soul, and among things difficult to overcome, I am the spirit.

Among the Vedas (the original holy scriptures, also called the true gospel), I am the Original Teacher, Lord Brahma, and among all mantras (the sound vibrations that liberate the incarnate being by purifying its mind of defilements and material tendencies), I am the three-letter omkara. Among the letters, I am the first letter, “A,” and among the sacred letters, I am the Gayatri mantra.

Among the celestial beings, I am Indra (the king of the heavens, the upper region of the galaxy), and among the Vasus (the eight principal celestial beings), I am Agni, the celestial being of fire. I am Vishnu among the sons of Aditi, and among the Rudras (the manifestations of Rudra, son of Brahma, another name for Shiva, charged with populating the galaxy), I am Lord Shiva.

Among the holy brothers, I am Bhigu Muni, and I am Manu among the holy kings. I am Narada Muni among the holy celestial beings, and I am Kamadhenu among the cows.

I am Lord Kapila among the perfect beings, and Garuda among the birds. I am Daksha among the ancestors of humanity, and I am Aryama among the ancestors.

Among the demonic sons of Diti, I am Prahlada Maharaja, the holy lord of the asuras (the unbelieving, atheist, and outlaws). Among the stars and the grasses, I am their lord Candra (the moon), and among the Yakshas (the demonic beings) and the Raksasas (the cannibals), I am the lord of the Wealth, Kuvera.