Akrura, with eyes filled with wonder, beheld a vision of divine splendor. Before him appeared the Supreme One, resplendent with a thousand crowned serpent hoods, his form adorned in blue garments and radiant, white as the snowy Himalayan peaks. Resting upon the lap of this celestial being was a dark-complexioned person, his hue like a rain-laden cloud, clothed in shining yellow silk. He possessed four arms, exuded a tranquil calm, and his eyes, tinged red like lotus petals, radiated serenity. The face of this Lord was beautiful and composed, graced with a gentle, enchanting smile. His forehead, brows, nose, ears, cheeks, and lips—all bore a charming reddish glow, enhancing his divine allure. His arms were long and powerful, his chest broad and magnificent, his neck elegant like a conch shell, and his navel deep and shapely, the abdomen marked with soft, leaf-like folds. His hips and thighs were strong and well-formed, his hands and knees perfectly shaped, his legs graceful and proportioned. The ankles were high, his nails shone red, emitting rays of light, and his feet, adorned with nine toes and thumb-like digits, glimmered like blooming lotuses. The Lord was adorned with priceless ornaments: a golden crown, bracelets, armlets, a sacred thread, waistband, garlands, anklets, and earrings, all of exquisite beauty. In his lotus hands he held the conch, discus, and mace, which gleamed with celestial brilliance. Upon his chest shone the auspicious Srivatsa mark, the radiant Kaustubha gem, and a garland woven from forest flowers. He was attended by his close associates—Sunanda, Nanda, and others—by the wise Sanaka sages, by the lords of the gods such as Brahma and Rudra, and by nine foremost twice-born sages. Prahlada, Narada, the Vasus, and other exalted devotees surrounded him, each offering praises from the depths of their pure, spotless hearts. The Lord was served by Sri, the goddess of fortune; by Pushti, the goddess of nourishment; by speech, brilliance, fame, satisfaction, dissolution, victory, knowledge, ignorance, power, and illusion—all personified, all at his service. Beholding this supreme vision, Akrura was overwhelmed with joy and devotion. His body thrilled with ecstasy, his heart overflowed with emotion, and his eyes brimmed with tears. His voice choked with feeling, yet standing firm in goodness, Akrura bowed low, palms joined in reverence, and slowly, with great care, began to praise the Lord. He spoke: "O Nārāyaṇa, cause of all causes, primeval, imperishable Person, I bow before you. From your navel-lotus arose Brahmā, and from you, this entire world has emerged. Earth, water, fire, wind, space, the great elements, the unmanifest origin, mind, senses, their objects, and all the gods—these are the elements that make up the world, O Lord. Yet, O Lord, these elements, beginning with the unmanifest, cannot know your true nature, for they are perceived as not-self. Even the unborn, bound by qualities to the unborn, knows only what lies beyond qualities, not your own true form. Yogis, O righteous one, worship you directly as the Supreme Person, the Lord within themselves, within all beings, and within the gods. Some twice-born, following the Vedic path, worship you through the threefold Veda, performing manifold and elaborate sacrifices. Others, having renounced all actions and attained tranquility, worship you—the very embodiment of knowledge—through the sacrifice of wisdom. Still others, purified in mind and following prescribed rites, worship you, who are all forms and yet one, as the single form behind all diversity. Some worship you as Śiva, following his path, in various ways as taught by many teachers. Indeed, all worship you, 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—the three qualities—are your very nature, and within these, all beings from Brahmā down to the immovable are woven. Homage to you, whose vision is unattached, the self of all, the witness to all minds. This flow of qualities, born of ignorance, moves among gods, humans, and animals alike. O Lord, fire is your mouth, 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. Trees and herbs are your body hair, the hair on your head is the vegetation, clouds are your bones and nails, mountains your teeth, blinking is day and night, Prajapati your mind, the generative organ is rain, and virility is yours. In you, the imperishable Self, O Person, the worlds and their guardians, and all living beings are established—just as fish gather in water, gnats cluster on a fig tree, or thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms you assume here for the sake of your divine play, by those very 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 horse's head, O slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha, I offer my praise. Salutations to the vast One, the shoreless support, the lifter of Mandara mountain; to you who delight in uplifting the earth—salutations 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 proud Kṣatriyas in the forest; to the best of the Raghus, the destroyer of Rāvaṇa, I offer my reverence. Salutations to Vāsudeva, to Saṅkarṣaṇa, to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, and to you, Lord of the Sātvatas. Salutations to Buddha, the pure one, who deludes the Daityas and Dānavas; and to you as Kalki, destroyer of the impure and unrighteous rulers. O Lord, this world of living beings is bewildered by your māyā. Grasping the false notions of 'I' and 'mine,' it wanders endlessly on the paths of karma. I too, deluded, wander among things like body, children, home, wealth, and relatives, thinking them real. O Lord, I roam in dreamlike illusions, mistaking them for truth. With a mind confused by opposites, immersed in darkness, I do not know what is truly dear to my own self, being attached to impermanent, non-self, and painful things. Just as an ignorant person, leaving aside the water hidden by grass, chases after a mirage, so do I, turning away from you, pursue mere illusions." Thus, Akrura, overwhelmed by devotion and humility, offered his heartfelt praises to the Lord, recognizing the Supreme Reality behind all forms and paths.