The king, despite all his wealth and access to pleasures, found no true satisfaction in the many objects of desire that surrounded him, nor in the wild creatures of the earth or the birds soaring in the sky. His heart remained unfulfilled. He pondered deeply: among the stones, clay, and wood found upon the earth, which material, when fashioned into a form of Viṣṇu and marked by all auspicious signs, is truly worthy of worship? Of these substances, he realized, one is especially beloved by the gods. When established as a form of Viṣṇu and adored, it brings great joy. The king’s mind became wholly absorbed in this contemplation. Following the sacred Pañcarātra tradition, he worshipped the Supreme Person, Viṣṇu. Immersed in deep meditation, he began to offer heartfelt praises to the Lord. He exclaimed, “O Vāsudeva, salutations to You! Salutations to You, the cause of liberation. Protect me, O Lord of all worlds, from the vast ocean of birth and worldly existence. Salutations to You, Supreme Person, whose appearance is as pure as spotless garments. Salutations to You, Saṃkarṣaṇa; protect me, bearer of the earth. “Salutations to You, whose radiance is golden; salutations to You, Makaradhvaja, beloved of Rati. O destroyer of obstacles, protect me. Salutations to You, whose hue is like collyrium, who cherishes Your devotees. Salutations to You, Aniruddha; protect me, bestower of boons. “Salutations to You, abode of the gods, beloved of the gods. Salutations to You, Nārāyaṇa; protect me, for I have sought refuge in You. Salutations to You, foremost among the strong, wielder of the plough, four-faced foundation of the world; protect me, ancestor of all. “Salutations to You, whose form is like a dark raincloud, worshipped by the gods. O Viṣṇu, Lord of the universe, protect me, for I am submerged in the ocean of worldly existence. Salutations to You, whose form blazes like the fire of dissolution, destroyer of demons. O Narasiṃha of great valor and blazing eyes, protect me. “Just as, in ancient times, You lifted the earth from the netherworld with Your mighty tusk, so too, O Great Boar, protect me from the ocean of suffering. All these forms of Yours, O Kṛṣṇa—bestowers of boons—have I praised, beginning with Baladeva. Each exists distinctly. “Your limbs, O Lord of the gods, are Garuḍa and others; likewise, the guardians of the directions with their weapons, those beginning with Keśava, and also Acyuta. And all other forms of Yours spoken of by the wise—O Lord of the universe with gracious eyes—they too are all present. “I have worshipped and praised all these forms, offering my salutations to each. Grant me a boon that brings righteousness, desire, wealth, and liberation. All these forms of Yours, O Hari, beginning with Saṃkarṣaṇa, have been described; they arise for Your worship and are established in You. “O Lord of the gods, in ultimate reality there is no division in You. Whatever various forms are spoken of, they are but figurative. How could any human speak of duality in You, who are truly non-dual? You alone, O Hari, are all-pervading, pure consciousness, and without stain. “Your highest form is beyond all existence and non-existence, untouched, without qualities, supreme, unchanging, immovable, and eternal. Free from all limiting conditions, established solely in pure being—even the gods do not know that form; how then could I, O Lord? “Your other form is described as wearing yellow garments, with four arms, holding conch, discus, and mace, adorned with a crown and armlets. Endowed with the Śrīvatsa mark on Your chest and a garland of forest flowers, this form is worshipped by the wise and by all who seek Your refuge. “O God of gods, best among gods, giver of fearlessness to Your devotees, save me, O lotus-eyed one, for I am sunk in the ocean of sense-objects. I see no other, O Lord of the world, to whom I may turn for refuge. Except for You, O beloved of Lakṣmī, be gracious, O slayer of Madhu. “I am afflicted by countless ailments of old age and disease, oppressed by many sorrows, tossed by joy and grief, deluded and tightly bound by the cords of karma. I have fallen into the dreadful, terrible ocean of worldly existence—hard to cross, its waters poisonous, swarming with the fish of passion and aversion. “Deep with the whirlpools of the senses, agitated by the waves of craving and sorrow, without support or foundation, devoid of essence, utterly unstable. Deluded by Māyā, I wander endlessly, O Lord, being reborn again and again in thousands of different existences. “Through countless births—thousands and tens of thousands—I have passed in this cycle of existence, O Janārdana. I have studied the Vedas and their branches, various treatises, histories, ancient tales, and mastered many arts. I have experienced both dissatisfaction and satisfaction, gain and loss, expenditure, increase, decrease, and what is neither. “I have known separation and union with wives, enemies, and relatives, and have seen many fathers and mothers. Sorrows I have suffered, and many kinds of happiness attained; relatives, sons, brothers, and kin have likewise been gained and lost. “I have dwelt in the company of women, endured the foulness of the womb, suffering greatly even before birth, O Lord. O Lord of the senses, I have experienced many hardships in childhood, youth, and old age. I have endured the pains of death, the journey to Yama, and the torments of hell. “I have been born as worms, insects, trees, elephants, horses, deer, birds, buffaloes, camels, cows, and other forest creatures. I have been born in all the castes of the twice-born, in the wombs of Shudras, among the wealthy, the Kshatriyas, the poor, and ascetics. “Such is the suffering and wandering I have endured, O Lord. Now I seek only You—grant me Your grace and deliver me from this endless cycle.” Thus, with a heart full of devotion and humility, the king poured out his praises and prayers to the Supreme Lord, yearning for liberation and the highest peace.