Some, with minds purified through prescribed rites, worshipped the Supreme Lord as the One who encompasses all, recognizing Him as both the manifold and the singular—He who takes many forms yet is One. Others, following the path laid out by Śiva and guided by various teachers, worshipped the Lord as Śiva Himself, each according to their tradition. Yet, in truth, all worshipped the same Supreme, the Lord in whom all the gods reside. Even those who devoted themselves to other deities, their minds set elsewhere, were in fact worshipping Him, the Master of all. Just as rivers, born from the mountains and filled by rain, flow from all sides into the ocean, so too do all paths and worship ultimately reach Him. The three qualities—sattva, rajas, and tamas—are woven into His very nature, and in these all beings, from Brahmā down to the immovable, are enmeshed. Homage was offered to Him whose vision is unattached, who is the Self of all, the witness of every mind. The flow of these qualities, born of ignorance, moves among gods, humans, and animals alike. In Him, fire is the mouth, earth the feet, sun the eye, sky the navel, the chariot the heart, the directions His ears, the heavens His head, Indra and the gods His arms, the oceans His belly, the wind His breath, and strength is His energy. The trees and herbs are His body hair, the vegetation His hair, clouds His bones and nails, mountains His teeth, the blinking of His eyes is day and night, Prajapati is His mind, rain His generative organ, and virility is His essence. In this imperishable Self, O Person, the worlds and their guardians, all living beings, are established, just as aquatic creatures gather in water, gnats assemble on a fig tree, or thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms the Lord assumes for the sake of divine play, by those very forms the worlds, cleansed of impurity, joyfully sing His glory. Salutations are offered to Him as the primal Fish who moved in the waters of dissolution, to Him with the horse's head, O slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha. Salutations to the vast One, the shoreless support, the lifter of Mandara mountain, to the Boar who delights in uplifting the earth. Salutations to the wondrous Lion who removes the fear of the virtuous, and to Vāmana who traversed the three worlds. Praise was given to the Lord of the Bhṛgus, destroyer of the prideful Kṣatriyas in the forest, and 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, and to Kalki, destroyer of the impure and unrighteous rulers. The world of living beings is bewildered by His māyā; grasping the false notions of 'I' and 'mine,' all wander along the paths of karma. Even Akrūra confessed: "I, 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 concealed by vegetation, pursues a mirage, so too do I, turning away from You, chase after illusions. Struck down by desires and actions, I am unable to restrain my mind, which is carried away by the difficult-to-control senses. 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 one whose mind is devoted to proper worship of You, O Lotus-naveled One." He offered salutations to the One who is pure consciousness, the cause of all certainty, the Lord of Puruṣa and Pradhāna, to Brahman of infinite power. Again, he praised Vāsudeva, destroyer of all beings, and prayed, "O Hṛṣīkeśa, protect me, who has surrendered." Thus ends the fortieth chapter, named "Akrura's Praise," in the first half of the tenth book of the glorious Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture of the supreme renunciates. Śrī Śuka continued: As Akrūra was offering these praises, the Lord revealed His form in the water, and then, like an actor concluding his performance, Kṛṣṇa withdrew it once more. When Akrūra saw that the vision had vanished, he quickly emerged from the water, completed his necessary duties, and, astonished, returned to the chariot. Hṛṣīkeśa asked him, "What wondrous thing did you see—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—that you appear so amazed?" Akrūra replied, "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, seeing You, O Brahman, what marvel could I have witnessed here?" Having spoken thus, Akrūra, the son of Gāndinī, urged the chariot onward, and by day's end, brought Rāma and Kṛṣṇa to Mathurā. On the way, villagers gathered here and there, and, seeing the sons of Vasudeva, were delighted and could not turn their gaze away. Meanwhile, the residents of Vraja, led by Nanda and the cowherds, arrived at the city's gardens and waited there in anticipation. Meeting them, the Lord, master of the universe, greeted Akrūra, taking his extended hand in His own and smiling warmly. Kṛṣṇa said, "You should enter the city and your house ahead of us, accompanied by your chariot. We will remain here for now, and then come to see the city." Akrūra replied, "O Lord, I will not enter Mathurā without You both. Do not abandon me, O master, for I am Your devotee and You are fond of Your devotees. Come, let us go to our homes and make them blessed, O Acyuta, together with Your elder brother, the cowherds, and Your dearest friends. Sanctify the homes of us householders with the dust of Your feet; by its purity, even the ancestors, the sacrificial fires, and the gods are never fully satisfied. After washing Your feet, the great Bali became worthy of praise, attained incomparable prosperity, and the ultimate devoted path. The waters from washing Your feet purified the three worlds; Śiva placed them on his head, and the sons of Sagara ascended to heaven.