The king gazed upon a wondrous land, alive with the songs and colors of countless birds: hāritas, bhṛṅgarājas, cātakas, bahuputras, jīvaṃjīvas, kākolas, kalaviṅkas, and gentle doves. All around, many other charming and delightful birds perched gracefully on the blossoming branches, filling the air with sweet melodies that enchanted every ear. The landscape was adorned with clusters of ketakī groves, their white blossoms ever fresh, alongside mallikā, kundakusuma, yūthikā, and fragrant tagara flowers. There were groves of kuṭaja and bāṇapuṣpa, atimukta and kubjaka, mālatī and karavīra, and golden banana plants gleaming beneath the sun. Everywhere, flowers of every kind flourished—fragrant and beautiful, gathered from forests, gardens, and groves, each displaying a unique hue and scent. The place teemed with celestial beings: hosts of vidyādharas, attended by siddhas and cāraṇas, gandharvas, serpents, rākṣasas, spirits, apsarases, and kinnaras. Sages and yakṣas wandered freely, mingling with a multitude of creatures—deer, tree-dwelling animals, lions, and herds of boars and buffaloes. Black antelopes and many other animals roamed the land, alongside tigers, resplendent elephants, and a variety of forest beasts. The region was further beautified by gardens reminiscent of Nandana itself, with bowers of vines and shrubs, and sparkling reservoirs of water. Flocks of swans and kāraṇḍava ducks glided across lotus-filled ponds, accompanied by kadamba birds, diving birds, and cakravāka ducks, all contributing to the scene’s splendor. Lotuses, hundred-petaled lotuses, blue lotuses, water lilies, and other aquatic flowers blossomed on the water, surrounded by flitting water birds. Majestic mountains with blazing peaks rose in the distance, their caves beautiful and mysterious, their slopes crowded with trees and rich with many kinds of minerals. The summits were wondrous, auspicious abodes for all beings, endowed with every medicinal herb and adorned with broad, variegated slopes. Thus adorned with all these delightful and splendid features, the king beheld this sacred place—revered by the three worlds. It spanned ten yojanas in breadth and five in length, a field filled with marvels, supremely difficult to attain. In this excellent, sacred, Vaiṣṇava, and supreme field, a question arose: Why, O Lord, had no Vaiṣṇava image been established there before? For what reason did that king, arriving with his army and retinue, establish Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, and the auspicious Bhadrā? This question stirred great curiosity and wonder, and so the request was made: “O Lord of the world, tell us everything—reveal the reason for this.” In response, the ancient tale that destroys sin was recounted, just as Hari once told it to Śrī when she inquired. On the golden peak of Mount Sumeru, a place filled with every marvel and adorned by siddhas, vidyādharas, yakṣas, and kinnaras, the gods, dānavas, gandharvas, nāgas, apsarases, sages, guhyakas, siddhas, suparṇas, and the Maruts all gathered. Other divine beings, sādhyas, and progenitors like Kaśyapa, along with Vālakhilyas and others, made the mountain splendid and delightful. Divine groves of karṇikāra trees flourished there, abundant with flowers in every season and shining with golden brilliance, radiant as the sun. Many other trees graced the forests: śāla, tāla, puṃnāga, aśoka, sarala, banyan, mango, āmra, and arjuna; pārijāta, amra, khadira, anīpa, bilva, kadamba, dhava, khādira, pālāśa, śīrṣa, amalaka, tinduka; nāriṅga, kola, bakula, lodhra, pomegranate, dāruka, sarja, karṇa, tagara, śiśi, bhūrja, and vanimba. Other golden trees, heavy with fruit, stood adorned with fragrant blossoms. There bloomed mālatī, yūthikā, mallī, kunda, bāṇa, kuruṇṭaka, pāṭala, agastya, kuṭaja, mandāra, and many other flowers that delighted the mind. Flocks of birds filled the air with sweet songs, and the divine calls of male cuckoos mingled with the cries of intoxicated peacocks. Thus, the mountain was adorned with countless trees, flowers, and birds, and served by the gods themselves. In that sacred place stood the Lord of the universe, the imperishable creator, Vāsudeva. The goddess, wishing for the welfare of all beings, bowed her head and posed a profound question to the lotus-born one: “Speak, O Lord of all worlds, of the doubt that lingers in my heart regarding the wondrous and rare field of action in the mortal realm. When one is seized by greed, delusion, and the influence of planets, and is tossed upon the vast ocean of desire and anger, by what means, O Lord of gods, may one be freed from this ocean of worldly existence? Tell me, I bow to you; for apart from you, none in this world can resolve such doubts.” Hearing her words, Janārdana, the god of gods, spoke with supreme affection, his words like nectar, the essence of truth: “He is easy to worship, easy to attain, delightful, and grants the highest results. The supreme person resides in the foremost sacred place, O goddess, renowned everywhere. None like him exists in the three worlds; by praising him, O goddess of the gods, one is freed from all sins. He is not known by all the immortals, nor by demons or danavas, nor even by the great sages like Marīci; he is concealed by me, O beautiful one. Therefore, I shall now tell you about the king of sacred places. Listen, O lovely one, with undivided attention.