The sages, eager for the highest knowledge, approached the Lord of gods, the imperishable Master of the three worlds, and humbly entreated, “O Lord, please reveal to us the supreme truth about the one called Śveta.” The Lord, pleased with their devotion, addressed them with warmth: “O tigers among sages, pure-hearted and ever seeking the welfare of all beings, listen as I speak the truth you have asked for. “The greatness of Mādhava, when heard, destroys all sins. Whoever listens to this tale attains all their heart’s desires. O twice-born sages, I have heard from the ancient seers the divine story of Mādhava. Listen well, for this tale dispels fear, sorrow, and distress. “Śveta, the noble king, ruled his kingdom with unwavering dedication for thousands of years. He balanced the duties of the world with those of the Vedas, faithfully observing all righteous practices. Resolute in his vow to worship Keśava, Śveta journeyed to the most sacred place—the southern shore of the vast ocean. “There, on the auspicious and beautiful coast near Kṛṣṇa, Śveta constructed a splendid palace. To the south of the Lord of gods, O best of Brāhmaṇas, he built a magnificent hall of a hundred white stone columns. In that sacred place, the blessed Śveta established the radiant image of Mādhava, shining like the moon, performing all the prescribed rites as he had been taught. “Śveta then gave generously to Brāhmaṇas, to the poor, the helpless, and to ascetics. In the presence of Mādhava, the king suddenly fell to the earth, reciting the twelve-syllabled Oṃkāra. He kept a profound silence and, for a full month, remained absorbed in deep meditation. Without food, he stood steadfast at Viṣṇu’s feet; and when his recitation ended, he began to offer heartfelt praise to the Lord of gods. “Śveta chanted: ‘Oṃ, obeisance to Vāsudeva, obeisance to Saṃkarṣaṇa, to Pradyumna, to Aniruddha, and to Nārāyaṇa. Obeisance to You of many forms, of universal form, the creator; to the qualityless, the inconceivable, the pure, the doer of pure deeds. Oṃ, obeisance to Padmanābha, to the one born from the lotus-womb; obeisance to You of lotus hue, to You who hold the lotus. ‘Oṃ, obeisance to Puṣkarākṣa, the thousand-eyed, the gracious one; obeisance to the thousand-footed, the thousand-armed mighty one. Oṃ, obeisance to Varāha, the bestower of boons and wisdom, the most eminent, the most worthy, the refuge, the imperishable. Oṃ, obeisance to the one with the form of a child, radiant as a young lotus, with eyes like the rising sun and moon, with muñja grass matted hair, and endowed with intelligence. ‘Obeisance always to Keśava, obeisance to Nārāyaṇa, to Mādhava the most eminent, to Govinda—repeated salutations. Oṃ, constant obeisance to Viṣṇu, the god, the one with radiant seed, obeisance to Madhusūdana, the pure one, the bearer of rays. Obeisance to the infinite, to the subtle one, the bearer of the Śrīvatsa mark, to Trivikrama, and to the one clad in divine yellow garments. ‘Obeisance to You, the creator of the universe, repeated obeisance to the protector and sustainer; obeisance to the one who is both with qualities and without qualities. Obeisance to the form of Vāmana, to the deeds of Vāmana, to the eyes of Vāmana, to the bearer of Vāmana. Obeisance to the beautiful, the venerable, to the unmanifest form, the inconceivable, the pure, the remover of fear. ‘To the boat across the ocean of worldly existence, to the tranquil, the true self, to Śiva, to the gentle form, to Rudra, to the deliverer—obeisance. To the destroyer of worldly existence, the giver of enjoyments, the form of all beings, the creator of existence—obeisance. Oṃ, obeisance to the one of divine form, whose breath is the moon and fire, whose hair is the rays of the sun and moon, the benefactor of cows and Brāhmaṇas. ‘Oṃ, obeisance to the embodiment of the Ṛk, to the form of the sequence of words, to the one praised by the Ṛk, and the means of the Ṛk. Oṃ, obeisance to the supporter of the Yajus, to the one who assumes the form of the Yajus, to the one delighted by the Yajus and oblations, obeisance to the lord of the Yajus. Oṃ, obeisance to the lord of Śrī, the bearer of Śrī, the boar, the beloved of Śrī, the restrained, the one contemplated by yogis, the yogin—obeisance. ‘Oṃ, obeisance to the one of Sāman form, to the best of Sāman songs; Oṃ, obeisance to the gentle Sāman, to the knower of Sāman yoga—obeisance. To Sāman and to the song of Sāman, Oṃ, obeisance to the bearer of Sāman, and to the knower of Sāman sacrifices, obeisance to the maker of Sāman. Obeisance to the Atharvaśiras, the embodiment of Atharva, to the feet of Atharva, and to the hands of Atharva. ‘Oṃ, obeisance to the one with a diamond-like head, the slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha, the one who abides in the great ocean, the one who recovered the Vedas. Salutations to You, whose form is radiant, to Hṛṣīkeśa; salutations to You, O Blessed One, Vāsudeva, I bow to You. O Nārāyaṇa, salutations to You, Benefactor of the worlds; Oṃ, salutations to the Destroyer of delusion and the Remover of worldly bondage. ‘Salutations to the Giver of liberation, the Remover of bondage, to the Creator of the brilliance of the three worlds, to the One whose essence is splendor, I bow. Salutations to the Lord of yogis, the Pure One, to Rāma the Deliverer, to the Blissful One, the Giver of happiness, and the Upholder of virtue. Salutations to Vāsudeva, Worthy of praise, to Vāmadeva; to the Creator of bodies for embodied beings, and the Destroyer of division. ‘Salutations to You, whose body is worshipped by the gods, the One with a divine crown; salutations to the Dweller in all abodes, and the Lord of all dwellings.’ “Thus did Śveta, with deep devotion and unwavering mind, praise the Supreme Lord, offering himself fully at the divine feet of Mādhava.