Akrura, having arrived at the sacred waters, was graced with a vision most wondrous. There, he beheld the Supreme Lord, surrounded and served by Sri, the goddess of fortune, along with Pushti, the essence of nourishment, and other divine powers—speech, brilliance, fame, satisfaction, dissolution, victory, knowledge, ignorance, power, and illusion. Overwhelmed with delight and filled with the highest devotion, Akrura’s body thrilled with joy, his heart overflowing with emotion, and tears glistening in his eyes. His voice choked with reverence, yet standing firm in goodness, he bowed low, his palms joined in deep respect, and began to offer his praise to the Lord, slowly and with utmost 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. Then, with his heart full, Akrura spoke: "O Nārāyaṇa, cause of all causes, I bow to you—the primeval, imperishable Person. From your lotus-navel was born Brahmā, and from you, this world has come forth. Earth, water, fire, wind, space, the great elements, the root of the unmanifest, mind, senses, their objects, and all the gods—these, O Lord, are the building blocks of existence. Yet, O Supreme, none of these, not even the unmanifest, can comprehend your true nature, for they are perceived as ‘not-self.’ Even the unborn, bound by qualities, knows only what is beyond qualities—not your real form. Yogis worship you directly as the Supreme Person, the indwelling Lord, present in the self, in all beings, and among the gods. Some twice-born, following the Vedic path, worship you through the threefold Veda, performing elaborate sacrifices of many forms and names. Others, having renounced all action and attained tranquility, worship you as the embodiment of wisdom, through the sacrifice of knowledge. Still others, purified in mind and following prescribed rites, honor you as the one with many forms, yet ultimately a single form. There are those who worship you as Śiva, following the path taught by Śiva, each according to their own tradition. 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 and filled by rain, flow from all sides into the ocean, so too do all paths lead to you. Sattva, rajas, and tamas are the qualities of your nature; all beings, from Brahmā to the immovable, are woven into these. Homage to you, whose vision is unattached, the self of all, the witness of every mind. This flow of qualities, born of ignorance, moves among gods, humans, and animals. 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 your energy. Trees and herbs are your body hair, the vegetation your hair, clouds your bones and nails, mountains your teeth, blinking marks day and night, Prajapati is your mind, rain your generative organ, and virility is yours. In you, the imperishable Self, O Person, the worlds with their guardians and all living beings are established, as creatures gather in water, as gnats swarm on a fig tree, or as thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms you assume for the sake of your divine play, by those forms the worlds are purified and joyfully sing your glory. Salutations to you as the primal Fish, who moved in the waters of dissolution; to you with the horse’s head, O slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha. Salutations to the vast One, the shoreless support, lifter of Mandara mountain; to you in the form of the Boar, who delights in raising the earth. Salutations to you, wondrous Lion who removes the fear of the virtuous; to you as 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. 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; to you as Kalki, destroyer of the impure and unrighteous rulers. O Lord, this world is bewildered by your māyā; deluded by false notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine,’ it wanders the paths of karma. I too, deluded, wander among things like body, children, home, wealth, and relatives, thinking them real; 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 water hidden by grass, chases a mirage, so do I, turning away from you, pursue illusion. My pitiable mind, struck by desires and actions, is unable to restrain itself, carried here and there by the unruly senses. Thus, I have come to your feet, difficult for the unworthy to attain; even this I consider your grace, O Lord. Liberation from birth and death comes when, O Lotus-naveled One, the mind is devoted to proper worship of you. Salutations to the pure consciousness, the cause of all certitude, to the Lord of Puruṣa and Pradhāna, to Brahman of infinite power. Salutations to Vāsudeva, destroyer of all beings; O Hṛṣīkeśa, protect me, who has surrendered, O Lord. Thus ends the fortieth chapter, named "Akrura’s Praise," in the first half of the Tenth Book of the glorious Bhagavata Mahapurana, scripture of the supreme renunciates. Śuka continued: As Akrura offered his praises, the Lord revealed his divine form in the water. Then, just as an actor concludes his performance, Kṛṣṇa withdrew that vision once more. When Akrura saw that the wondrous sight had vanished, he quickly emerged from the water, completed his necessary duties, and, astonished, returned to the chariot. There, Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord, asked him, "What wondrous thing did you see—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—that you appear so amazed?" Akrura replied, "O Lord, whatever marvels exist here—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—are all found in you, the soul of the universe. What could I have seen that is not already known to me? Wherever all wonders are found—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—seeing you, O Brahman, what marvel could I have witnessed here?