Cleaving the water with his sharp hooves, the lord of sacrifice crossed the insurmountable depth of the ocean and saw the earth, shelter of the jīvas, within the Garbhodaka Ocean, resting there as it had during previous devastations, and which he had personally protected. His hooves, like sharp weapons, cleaved the water. The ocean without limit had a limit (utpāra-pāram). He who has three divisions (tri-paruḥ), the Lord in the form of sacrifice, saw the earth in the ocean below Pātāla (rasāyām). It is impossible for the earth to be situated in Rasātala after falling from its position above the seven lower planets because of other descriptions. It is said in Viṣṇu-dharmottara: pātāla-mūleśvara-bhoga-saṁhatau vinasya pādau pṛthivīṣ ca vibhrataḥ yasyopamānaḥ na babhūva so ’cyuto mamāstu māṅgalya-vivṛddhaye hariḥ May the Lord, to whom there is no equal, who held the earth, placing it in his hooves, which destroyed the happiness of the ruler at the bottom of Pātāla, increase my auspiciousness! He saw the earth there in the water. It will be said salile sva-khurākrānta: he placed the earth on the water which had been attacked by his hooves. (SB 3.13.46) The earth, which is called the shelter of the jīvas (jīva-dhānīm), was resting there as previously during the daily destruction. He protected the earth personally (svayam) since the boar is also known as the form of the Vedas.