A sense of wonder filled the hearts of the sages as they listened to the supreme, nectar-like tale—the rare and auspicious descent of Ananta Vāsudeva upon the earth. Eager to know more, they entreated the Lord, “O Master, please speak in detail and truth of the greatness of that divine being; let us hear of it fully.” In response, the Lord recounted how, in ancient times, a cruel Rākṣasa rose to power, conquering the gods, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, the guardians of the worlds, sages, and even the Siddhas who had fallen into sin. Having overcome all in battle, he seized their women and rebuilt the city of Laṅkā, but once again became deluded—this time, for the sake of Sītā. Rāvaṇa, ever suspicious, assumed the form of a golden deer, and in the ensuing conflict, Rāma, together with his brother Saumitri, fought against him. To bring about Rāvaṇa’s destruction, Rāma first slew Vāli, swift as thought, and then anointed Sugrīva as king and Aṅgada as crown prince. Mighty allies gathered: Hanuman, Nala, Nila, Jambavan, Panasa, Gavaya, Gavaksha, Pathina, and many other powerful and fearsome monkeys surrounded Rāma, the lotus-eyed one. With the combined strength of all the mountains, Rāma built a bridge across the vast ocean and crossed it with his formidable army. A battle of incomparable fury followed, with Rāma encircled by hosts of demons—Yamahasta, Prahasta, Nikumbha, Kumbha, and more. Rāma, valiant and steadfast, slew Narantaka of immense valor, as well as Yamantaka, Malaadhya, and Malikaadhya. In the end, Rāma triumphed over Indrajit, Kumbhakarna, and finally Rāvaṇa himself. He then tested Sītā in fire and, satisfied with her purity, bestowed the kingdom of Laṅkā upon Vibhishana. Having accomplished his task, Rāma, accompanied by Vasudeva, ascended the celestial Pushpaka chariot and effortlessly returned to Ayodhya, his ancestral city. Out of deep affection, Rāma, ever devoted to his younger brothers, installed Bharata and Shatrughna as rulers over all the kingdoms, like a sovereign among kings. Then Hari, worshipping his ancient form, ruled the earth encircled by the ocean for ten thousand and ten hundred years. Having enjoyed the fruits of kingship, the noble descendant of Raghu ultimately entered the supreme Vaishnava state. Before departing, Rāma entrusted that very divine image to the lord of the ocean, saying, “Blessed one, protect this image, adorned with the jewels of the waters.” When the Lord of the world entered the Dvapara age, at the request of the earth and due to the decline of righteousness, that blessed Lord descended into the house of Vasudeva, accompanied by Sankarshana, to bring about the destruction of Kamsa and others. At that time, for the benefit of all the worlds and to grant every desire, that image was set aside for another reason. In the sacred, rare, and excellent field of Purushottama, the ocean, lord of rivers, himself raised it from the waters. From that moment, in that very field—a place that grants liberation—the god has dwelled, bestowing all desired fruits to the gods. Those who take refuge in Ananta, the Lord of all, with devotion—by word, mind, and deed—always attain the supreme state. Even seeing Ananta once with devotion, worshipping and bowing down, bestows a reward ten times greater than that of performing a Rājasūya or Ashvamedha sacrifice. Such a devotee, ascending a celestial chariot radiant as the sun, adorned with tinkling bells and every pleasure, shining with the brilliance of fulfilled wishes, uplifts twenty-one generations of his lineage. Served by groups of divine women and praised by Gandharvas, he attains the city of Vishnu. There, free from old age and death, enjoying excellent pleasures and possessing a divine, splendid form, he remains until the dissolution of creation. When his merit is exhausted, returning to earth, the best of twice-born who knows the four Vedas, by taking up Vaishnava yoga, then attains liberation. Thus, the Lord declared, “I have described to you his endless greatness, O best of sages; who could recount all his virtues, even in a hundred years?” So too have I told you of the boundless glory of this supreme field—a place that grants both enjoyment and liberation, and is exceedingly rare. There dwells Krishna, the lotus-eyed Lord, bearer of conch, discus, and mace, clad in yellow garments, the slayer of Kamsa and Keshi. Those who see Krishna there, worshipped by gods and demons alike, together with Sankarshana and Subhadra, are truly blessed—there is no doubt of this. Those who always meditate on Krishna, Lord of the three worlds and bestower of all desires, are liberated—this too is certain. The devoted, who remember Krishna at night and again upon rising, their separate bodies merge into Krishna, just as an offering poured with mantra merges into the sacrificial fire. Therefore, O best of sages, Krishna, the lotus-eyed, should be diligently seen in that field by all who seek liberation. Those wise ones who behold Krishna, Sankarshana, and Subhadra at the time of lying down and rising attain the abode of Hari. Those who, at all times and with devotion, see the Supreme Person—Rauhineya and Subhadra—attain the world of Vishnu. Whoever stays for the four months of the rainy season in Purushottama on earth attains a reward greater than that of pilgrimage to any holy place. The wise who always reside there, with senses and anger subdued, obtain the fruit of great austerity. Whatever result a man might gain by performing austerity at other holy places for ten thousand years, that he attains in a single month at Purushottama. Such, then, is the sacred and wondrous story of Ananta Vāsudeva and the supreme field of Purushottama—its glories, blessings, and the path to liberation for all who seek it with devotion.