One alone, in truth, was Nārāyaṇa; there was no Brahmā, there was no Īśāna, there was no water. The true Brahman, the supreme Brahman.

A cosmological vision: before manifestation, only Nārāyaṇa existed —the one who dwells in the primordial waters, or the refuge of all. Not even Brahmā (the creator), Īśāna (the governor), or the water element existed. In our yoga practice, this reminds us of the priority of the One over the many. The satya brahma (true Brahman) is prior to all duality, all gods and elements. It is not a god among gods but the Reality from which all gods emerge as cosmic functions.