Radiant images, resplendent with all auspicious marks and filled with supreme wonder, stood before the two divine beings, their forms enchanting beyond compare. With voices imbued with awe, the images spoke: “Who are you, O noble ones, who have taken the guise of Brāhmaṇas? Your deeds are wondrous, your conduct divine, surpassing all that is human. Are you gods, or perhaps mortals? Could you be Yakṣas or Vidyādharas? Are you Brahmā and Hṛṣīkeśa, or the Vasus, or even the twin Aśvins? Your true nature eludes me—are you real or an illusion? You stand here in a magical form, and I have come to you for refuge. Please, reveal your true selves to me.” One among the divine pair replied with gentle majesty, “I am not a god, nor a Yakṣa, nor a demon, nor the king of the gods; I am not Brahmā, nor Rudra. Know me as the Supreme Person—the remover of suffering for all the worlds, infinite in strength and power, worthy of worship by all beings, whose end is unknown. I am the one spoken of in all the scriptures, proclaimed in the Upaniṣads, and attainable by knowledge, as the yogis declare—Vāsudeva. “I am, myself, Brahmā; I am Viṣṇu; I am also Śiva. I am Indra, king of the gods, and Yama, the controller of the world. I am the elements, beginning with earth, the three sacrificial fires, the enjoyer of offerings, O king. I am Varuṇa, lord of waters, the earth, and the mountain. Whatever exists in speech in this world, all that is moving and unmoving—this entire universe—there is nothing apart from me. “I am pleased with you, best of kings. Ask for a boon, O virtuous one. Whatever you desire, whatever is established in your heart, I shall grant. My vision does not arise even in dreams for the unworthy; but you, through unwavering devotion, have beheld me directly.” Hearing these words of Vāsudeva, the king, overwhelmed with joy so that his very hair stood on end, sang a hymn of praise: “O beloved of Śrī, obeisance to you! Lord of Śrī, clad in yellow garments, giver of prosperity, lord and abode of fortune, I bow to you, dwelling place of Śrī. I bow to the primordial person, the ruler, the lord of all, who faces everywhere, undivided, the supreme and eternal god. Beyond sound, beyond qualities, free from existence and non-existence, unstained, without attributes, subtle, all-knowing, the source of all things. “Resembling a rain cloud, devoted to the welfare of cows and Brāhmaṇas, protector of all, pervading everything, the creator of all beings. I salute the god who holds the conch and discus, who bears the mace and club, the giver of boons, whose hue is like a blue lotus petal. I bow to Hari, who reclines on the serpent couch, who rests in the ocean of milk, Hṛṣīkeśa, remover of all sins. Again I salute you, lord of gods, giver of boons, all-pervading, Viṣṇu, ruler of all worlds, cause of liberation, imperishable.” Having thus praised the Lord, the king bowed low with joined palms and prostrated himself upon the earth. Then, rising, he spoke: “If you are pleased with me, O Lord, I choose the highest boon. Gods, demons, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, great serpents, Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Sādhyas, Kinnaras, Guhyakas, and even the great sages learned in the scriptures; renunciants engaged in yoga, those contemplating the essence of the Vedas, those who know the path of liberation, and others who meditate on the supreme state— that attribute-less, pure, peaceful state which the wise perceive—I wish to reach that state by your grace, though it is very difficult to attain.” The Lord replied, “May all auspiciousness be yours; may you obtain all that you desire. By my grace, all will happen as you wish, without doubt. For ten thousand and nine hundred years, enjoy uninterrupted and great sovereignty, O best of kings. Thereafter, you will attain the divine state, rare even for gods and demons, fulfilled in all wishes, peaceful, secret, unmanifest, and imperishable—transcending even the highest, subtle, unstained, indivisible, eternal, free from anxiety and sorrow, devoid of action and cause. I will show you that supreme state called ‘to be known,’ by attaining which you will gain supreme bliss and the highest goal. “Your fame, O king, will endure on this earth as long as clouds remain in the sky, as long as the moon, sun, and stars exist. As long as the seven oceans and mountains like Meru stand, as long as gods dwell in heaven, so long will your glory be everywhere, undiminished. “There is a sacred place called Indradyumna Lake, born from the limbs of sacrifice. Whoever bathes there even once attains the world of Indra. Whoever offers ancestral oblations on the beautiful bank of this lake will uplift twenty-one generations of his lineage and go to the world of Indra. Honored by celestial nymphs and with the songs of Gandharvas resounding, he will dwell there in a celestial chariot for as long as fourteen Indras reign. “On the southern side of the lake, toward the southwest, stands a banyan tree, and near it is a pavilion. The area is covered by a grove of ketaki and crowded with various trees; it is adorned with countless coconut palms, champaka, and bakula trees. There are ashoka, karnikara, punnaga, nagakesara, patala, mango, atisara, sandalwood, and deodar trees. There are also banyan, sacred fig, khadira, parijata, arjuna, hintala, various palms, shimshapa, and jujube trees. The place is further beautified and adorned with karanja, lakucha, plaksha, jackfruit, bael, dhataki, and many other kinds of trees.” Thus, the supreme Lord revealed his true nature, blessed the devoted king, and described the sacredness of the land, promising him both worldly glory and the highest spiritual state.