समुद्रपानम् (Samudra-pānam) — Maitrāvaruṇi Drains the Ocean; Devas Seek a Means to Refill It
विष्णुरुवाच विदितं मे सुरा: सर्व प्रजानां क्षयकारणम् । भवतां चापि वक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वं विगतज्वरा:,भगवान् विष्णु बोले--देवताओ! प्रजाके विनाशका जो कारण उपस्थित हुआ है वह सब मुझे ज्ञात है। मैं तुमलोगोंको भी बता रहा हूँ; निश्चिन््त होकर सुनो
viṣṇur uvāca—viditaṃ me surāḥ sarvaṃ prajānāṃ kṣaya-kāraṇam | bhavatāṃ cāpi vakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvaṃ vigata-jvarāḥ ||
Viṣṇu bersabda: “Wahai para dewa, aku mengetahui sepenuhnya sebab yang telah timbul bagi kebinasaan makhluk hidup. Aku akan menerangkannya kepada kamu juga; dengarlah dengan hati yang bebas daripada gelisah dan takut.”
लोगश उवाच
In times of collective crisis, clarity and steadiness are prerequisites for right understanding: Viṣṇu urges the gods to listen without agitation, implying that ethical and effective action begins with calm discernment and truthful diagnosis of causes.
Viṣṇu addresses the assembled gods, stating that he already knows the reason behind the impending destruction of creatures and promising to explain it to them, asking them to listen with minds free from distress.