Akrura beheld before him the Supreme Lord, whose lotus hands gleamed as they held the conch, discus, and mace. Upon His broad chest shone the mark of Śrīvatsa, the radiant Kaustubha gem, and a garland of wild forest flowers. The Lord was attended by His close associates—Sunanda, Nanda, and others—by the renowned Sanaka sages, by the foremost among the gods like Brahmā and Rudra, and by nine of the greatest twice-born sages. Around Him also stood Prahlāda, Nārada, Vasu, and other exalted devotees, each offering their praises in their own unique way, their hearts spotless and pure. The Lord was served by all the divine powers: Śrī (fortune), Puṣṭi (nourishment), Speech, Brilliance, Fame, Satisfaction, Dissolution, Victory, Knowledge, Ignorance, Power, and Illusion. Witnessing this divine assembly, Akrura was overcome with joy. His body thrilled with ecstasy, his heart overflowed with devotion, and his eyes filled with tears. With a voice choked with emotion, standing firm in goodness, he bowed low, joining his palms in reverence, and began to praise the Lord slowly and with great care. Thus concludes 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. Akrura then spoke with deep humility: "I bow to You, O Nārāyaṇa, the cause of all causes, the primeval, imperishable Person. From Your navel-lotus arose Brahmā, and from You this entire world has come forth. Earth, water, fire, wind, space—the great elements—along with the origin of the unmanifest, the mind, the senses, their objects, and all the gods: these are the elements that make up the world, O Lord. Yet, none of these, beginning with the unmanifest, know Your true nature, for they are perceived as not-self. Even the unborn, bound by the qualities of nature, knows only what lies beyond qualities, not Your true form. Yogis worship You directly as the Supreme Person, the Lord, perceiving You within themselves, within all beings, and within the gods. Some twice-born souls, following the path of the Vedas, worship You through the threefold Vedic rituals, 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 performing prescribed rites, worship You, who are the One with many forms, yet a single form. Others worship You as Śiva, following the path taught by Śiva, in many ways according to the teachings of various teachers. Indeed, all worship You, the Lord in whom all gods reside, even those whose devotion is directed elsewhere. Just as rivers, born from the mountains and 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 nature, O Lord; 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 is Your feet, the sun is Your eye, the sky is Your navel, the chariot is Your heart, the directions are Your ears, the heavens are Your head, Indra and the gods are Your arms, the oceans are Your belly, the wind is Your breath, and strength is 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, Prajāpati 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, as gnats assemble on a fig tree, or as thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms You assume 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, salutations. Salutations to the vast One, the support without a shore, the lifter of Mandara mountain; to You who delight in uplifting the earth as the Boar. Salutations to You, wondrous Lion who removes the fear of the virtuous; salutations to You as Vāmana, who traversed the three worlds. Salutations to the Lord of the Bhṛgus, destroyer of the proud Kṣatriyas in the forest; salutations to the best of the Raghus, destroyer of Rāvaṇa. Salutations to Vāsudeva, to Saṅkarṣaṇa, to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, to the Lord of the Sātvatas. Salutations to Buddha, the pure one who deludes the Daityas and Dānavas; salutations to You as Kalki, destroyer of the impure and unrighteous rulers. O Lord, this world of living beings is bewildered by Your māyā; deluded by false notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, it wanders along the paths of karma. I, too, am deluded, wandering 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 and 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 water hidden by vegetation, pursues a mirage, so too do I, turning away from You, chase after illusions. O Lord, with a pitiable mind, struck down by desires and actions, I am unable to restrain my mind, which is carried away here and there by the senses, so difficult to control. Thus I have come to Your feet, which are difficult for the unworthy to attain; even this I consider to be by Your grace. Liberation from the cycle of birth and death comes to a person when, O Lotus-naveled One, the mind is devoted to proper worship of You. Salutations to the One who is pure consciousness, the cause of all certitude; to the Lord of Puruṣa and Pradhāna, to Brahman of infinite power. Salutations to Vāsudeva, the destroyer of all beings. O Hṛṣīkeśa, protect me, who has surrendered to You, O Lord." Thus ends the fortieth chapter, "Akrura’s Praise," in the first half of the Tenth Book of the glorious Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture of the supreme renunciates. Śuka continued: As Akrura finished his praises, the Lord revealed His divine form in the water. Then, as an actor ends his performance, Kṛṣṇa withdrew that vision once more. When Akrura saw that the vision had vanished, he quickly emerged from the water, completed his necessary duties, and, astonished by all he had witnessed, returned to the chariot.