With a heart full of humility, the devotee addressed the Lord, saying, “O Lord, you are truly beyond the grasp of human intellect and the bounds of nature. How can I, with my limited understanding, possibly praise you? And yet, out of ignorance, I have attempted to offer you my praises. Please forgive my offense, O Hari, if you are compassionate toward me—for the virtuous, when offended, are ever forgiving.” He continued, “Therefore, be gracious to me, O Lord of the gods, for I have sought refuge in devotion and love for you. Whatever praises I have offered, with a mind steeped in devotion, may all that be accepted and complete. O Vāsudeva, I bow to you in reverence.” Pleased by these sincere words, the Lord—He whose banner bears Garuḍa—smiled with satisfaction. He granted to the devotee, O best of sages, all the desires that arose in his heart. It is said that whoever, having worshipped the Lord of the universe, recites this hymn daily with wisdom and devotion, surely attains liberation. A learned and pure person who recites this excellent hymn at the three sacred junctions of the day is blessed with righteousness, wealth, fulfillment of desires, and liberation. Whoever recites, hears, or causes this hymn to be heard with concentrated mind is freed from all sin and attains Viṣṇu’s eternal realm. This hymn is most blessed—it destroys sin, grants both enjoyment and liberation, is auspicious, secret, rare, and brings great merit. However, it should not be given to just anyone. One must never impart it to an atheist, a fool, an ungrateful soul, a proud person, one of wicked mind, or one lacking devotion. Instead, it is to be shared only with one who is devoted, of good conduct, a devotee of Viṣṇu, peaceful, and steadfast in faith and observance. This supreme hymn to Puruṣottama, destroyer of all sins, is known as the compassionate hymn—it grants happiness, liberation, and fulfillment of all desires. Thus it has been declared. Those pure souls who ever meditate on that subtle, stainless, ancient Person, the enemy of Mura, become recipients of liberation and enter into Viṣṇu, just as mantras and oblations merge into the sacred fire. He alone is the god who removes the suffering of existence; he is the supreme among the supreme, with none beyond him. He is the seer, the protector, the destroyer—Viṣṇu is the very essence of all that exists. What use is knowledge, virtue, sacrifice, charity, or severe austerities to those who lack devotion to Kṛṣṇa, the teacher of the world, the giver of liberation and happiness? Blessed is he who has devotion to Puruṣottama—he is pure, wise, foremost in sacrifice, austerity, and virtue; he is the knower, the giver, the speaker of truth. Having thus offered praise and bowed to the eternal one, the foremost among sages worshipped Vāsudeva, Lord of the universe, the granter of all desired fruits. Meanwhile, the king, filled with anxiety, spread kuśa grass upon the ground, fixed his mind there, and lay down to sleep upon the earth. As he lay, he pondered, “How will the God of gods, Janārdana, reveal himself to me? How will that Lord, the remover of my distress, manifest now?” As the king slept, Vāsudeva, the teacher of the world, appeared to him in a vision, bearing the conch, discus, and mace. With devotion, the king beheld the Lord of gods, the world’s teacher, holding the conch and discus, the fierce mace in his hands. He saw the Lord bearing the bow Śārṅga and arrows, surrounded by a blazing aura, radiant as the sun at the end of an age, shining like blue beryl. Seated upon Garuḍa’s wing, with sixteen and a half beautiful arms, the Lord addressed the king with calm and gentle words: “Well done, O wise and noble king. By this divine sacrifice, as well as by your devotion and faith, I am pleased with you. Why do you grieve in vain?” “As for the eternal image worshipped here by the world, O king, I shall tell you how it may be obtained. When this night has passed and the spotless sun has risen, go to the edge of the ocean, adorned with various trees, at the end of the sea’s waters. There, at the shore, you will see the waters, greatly agitated by the waves of the salt ocean. At the edge of the bank stands a great tree, standing between land and water, struck by the tides, yet unmoved.” “Take an axe in your hand and enter the waves. Alone, O king, seek out that tree. When you see this sign, cut the tree without hesitation. When you cut it in the morning, you will witness a wondrous sight. Having seen it, reflect upon it. Then, from that vision, fashion the divine image and cast off your bewildering anxiety.” Having spoken thus, the illustrious Hari became invisible. The king, awestruck by this dream, spent the rest of the night absorbed in that vision, reciting Vaishnava mantras and hymns in its honor. When the night had passed, he rose with unwavering mind, bathed properly in the ocean according to prescribed rites, and gave gifts and villages to the Brahmins. He performed the morning rituals and then set out, that foremost of kings. No horse, foot-soldier, elephant, or charioteer accompanied him; alone, the king entered the great shore. There, he saw a great tree—radiant, mighty, towering in height and girth, sacred and immense. It lay near the water, its color dense like madder, without known name or species. Joyful upon seeing the tree, the king began to cut it with a sharp and sturdy axe. As he prepared to split it in two, he stood there, and as he gazed upon the wood, a marvelous sight appeared before him: Viśvakarma and Viṣṇu themselves, both assuming the form of Brahmins, arrived together, illustrious and of equal birth.