The Making of the Great Earth
From the earliest time, the whole of this world, being filled up and overflowed by a great rain, and being completely destroyed, was in darkness. There were neither men, nor living beings, nor anything whatever.
During the time while it was in this state, Great Vishnu thought, “In what manner, having lowered the water, should the earth be established?” Having thought this, Great Vishnu went to the God Saman. Having gone there, he asked at the hand of the God Saman, “What is the way to establish this earth?”
The God Saman replied, “There is no one among us [gods] who can establish this earth.”
Thereupon the God Great Vishnu asked, “Then who is able to do it?”
The God Saman said, “You must go to the residence of Rāhu; he can do it.”
After that, the God Great Vishnu went to the abode of Rāhu, and spoke to Rāhu, the Asura Chief[1]: “Rāhu, Asura Chief, our residence has been swallowed up by water; on account of that can even you make us an earth?”
Then Rāhu, the Asura Chief, said, “Countless beings having gone to the world of Brahmā (i.e., having been destroyed in the water), how can I descend into the water which is there?”
The God Great Vishnu asked, “In what way, then, can you make the earth?”