Immersing himself in the sacred waters and reciting the timeless praises of Brahman, Akrura suddenly beheld a wondrous vision: there, within the depths, stood Rama and Krishna together. Amazed and perplexed, he thought, “How can the sons of Devaki be here in the water, when I left them seated upon the chariot?” Rising hurriedly from the river, he looked for them—and, just as before, he saw Krishna and Rama seated peacefully on the chariot’s seat. His heart full of wonder, Akrura again entered the waters, questioning whether his vision had been mere illusion. But as he submerged once more, a new and extraordinary sight unfolded before his eyes. He saw the great Lord, surrounded by Siddhas, Charanas, Gandharvas, and even mighty Asuras, all bowing their heads and praising him with sweet music and song. Before Akrura shone the divine one with a thousand radiant heads, crowned by a thousand serpent hoods, his form draped in blue garments and glowing white like the snowy peaks of Mount Kailasa. Seated upon his lap was a figure dark as a raincloud, dressed in yellow silk, peaceful and four-armed, his eyes reddish like lotus petals. The Lord’s face was serene and beautiful, adorned with a gentle, captivating smile; his brows, nose, ears, cheeks, and lips were all lovely and tinged with a rosy glow. Akrura gazed upon the Lord’s long, full arms, his broad and splendid chest, and a neck shaped like a conch shell. His navel was deep, his abdomen marked with tender folds, his hips and thighs strong, his hands and knees perfectly formed, and his legs graceful and shapely. His ankles were high, his nails shone reddish and radiant, and his lotus-like feet, adorned with nine toes and thumb-like digits, glimmered with a divine beauty. The Lord was resplendent in priceless jewels: a shining crown, bracelets and armlets, a sacred thread, a jeweled waistband, garlands of forest flowers, anklets, and earrings. In his lotus hands he held the conch, discus, and mace; his chest bore the mark of Srivatsa and the brilliant Kaustubha gem. He was surrounded by Sunanda, Nanda, and other divine associates, as well as the Sanaka sages, Brahma, Rudra, and the nine foremost twice-born sages. Prahlada, Narada, Vasu, and other exalted devotees praised him, each from their own pure hearts and perspectives. Around him moved Sri (fortune), Pushti (nourishment), speech, brilliance, fame, satisfaction, dissolution, victory, knowledge, ignorance, power, and illusion, all serving him with devotion. Overwhelmed by this vision, Akrura was filled with supreme joy and devotion; his body thrilled, his heart overflowed with emotion, and his eyes became moist with tears. His voice choked with feeling, yet standing firm in goodness, Akrura bowed low with joined palms, and slowly, with great reverence, he began to praise the Lord. With this, the thirty-ninth chapter, “Akrura’s Return,” in the first half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the supreme scripture for the paramahaṃsas, comes to a close. Then, with deep humility and devotion, Śrī Akrura spoke: “I bow to you, O Nārāyaṇa, the cause of all causes, the primeval, imperishable Person. From your navel-lotus Brahmā was born, and from you this entire world has arisen. O Lord, earth, water, fire, wind, space, the great elements, the origin of the unmanifest, the mind, the senses, all their objects, and all the gods—these are the elements that make up the world. Yet, O Lord, these elements, beginning with the unmanifest, do not know your true nature, for they are perceived as not-self. Even the unborn, bound by qualities to the unborn, knows only what is beyond qualities, not your true form. Yogis worship you directly as the Supreme Person, the Lord, the principle within the self, within all beings, and within the gods. Some twice-born, following the Vedic path, worship you through the threefold Veda, offering elaborate sacrifices of many forms and names. Others, having renounced all actions and attained tranquility, worship you, the embodiment of knowledge, through the sacrifice of wisdom. Still others, purified in mind and following prescribed rites, worship you, who are composed of all, as the one with many forms and yet a single form. There are those, O Lord, who worship you as Śiva, following the path taught by Śiva, in many ways according to the teachings of various masters. Indeed, all worship you, the Lord in whom all gods reside—even those devoted to other deities, though their minds are set elsewhere, O Master. Just as rivers born from mountains, filled by rain, flow from all sides into the ocean, so too do all paths ultimately reach you. Sattva, rajas, and tamas are the qualities of your nature; in these, all beings from Brahmā down to the immovable are woven. Homage to you, whose vision is unattached, who are the self of all, the witness of all minds; this flow of qualities, produced by ignorance, moves among gods, humans, and animals. O Lord, fire is your mouth, the earth your feet, the sun your eye, the sky your navel, the chariot your heart, the directions your ears, the heavens your head, Indra and the gods your arms, the oceans your belly, the wind your breath, and strength is established as your energy. The trees and herbs are your body hair, the hair on your head is the vegetation, the clouds are your bones and nails, the mountains are your teeth, blinking is day and night, Prajapati is your mind, the generative organ is rain, and virility is yours. In you, the imperishable Self, O Person, the worlds with their guardians and the multitude of living beings are established, just as aquatic creatures gather in water, or as gnats assemble on a fig tree, or as thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms you assume here for the sake of play, by those forms the worlds, cleansed of impurity, joyfully sing your glory. Salutations to you, the primal Fish, who moved in the waters of dissolution; to you with the head of a horse, O slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha, I bow. Salutations to the vast one, the support without a shore, the lifter of Mandara mountain; to you who delight in uplifting the earth, I bow to you in the form of the Boar. Salutations to you, wondrous Lion, who removes the fear of the virtuous; salutations to you, Vāmana, who traversed the three worlds. Salutations to the Lord of the Bhṛgus, destroyer of the prideful Kṣatriyas in the forest; salutations to the best of the Raghus, the destroyer of Rāvaṇa. Salutations to Vāsudeva, salutations to Saṅkarṣaṇa; to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, salutations to the Lord of the Sātvatas. Salutations to Buddha, the pure one, who deludes the Daityas and Dānavas; salutations to you in the form of Kalki, destroyer of the impure and the unrighteous rulers.” Thus, standing with joined palms and head bowed low, Akrura offered his heartfelt praises to the Lord of all, his heart overflowing with devotion and awe.