You are golden-naveled, the very god, the radiant moon, the lord of all creatures. Your form is beyond description; you are Yama, the god of death, and the slayer of those who threaten the gods. You are Sankarshana, the divine one, the eternal creator; as Vasudeva, your true self is immeasurable, and you alone are beyond all qualities. You are the eldest, the most excellent, patient, and known as Madhava. You are the thousand-headed god, the unmanifest, and the thousand-eyed. You possess a thousand feet and embody the cosmic form, standing as the lord of the gods; your divine form extends ten fingers in breadth, unique among gods. Whatever has been, O supreme person and mighty Indra, is said to be you; whatever will be, you are that as well. You are the lord, the truth, and immortality itself. From you this world arises, for you are the greatest, unsurpassed. You are the supreme person, and, O god, you exist in ten forms. As the universe-being, you are divided into four parts, while nine immortal parts dwell in heaven. Nine parts remain eternal in the mid-space, belonging to the cosmic person; two are established on earth, and four more reside here. From you arise the sacrifices that bring rain to the world. From you was born the cosmic person, Virat, who dwells in the heart of the world, surpassing all beings in brilliance, fame, and splendor. From you came the gods’ food—clarified butter—and from you sprang all cultivated and wild plants, as well as cattle, deer, and other creatures. You, intent on meditation and the object of meditation, created the plants. O god of gods, you are the seven-mouthed one called Time, blazing in form. All that moves and does not move, this entire world, both mobile and immobile, has arisen from you; in you all is established. You are Aniruddha, you are Mādhava, you are Pradyumna, the destroyer of the gods’ foes; supreme among gods, you are the refuge of all worlds. Protect me, O lotus-eyed one; O Nārāyaṇa, I bow to you. O blessed Viṣṇu, highest of persons, my obeisance to you. O lord of all worlds, abode of lotuses and virtues, treasure-house of all that is good, I bow before you. O Vāsudeva, best of gods, Janārdana, eternal one, my obeisance to you. You are attained by yogis and dwell in yoga; you are the lord of cowherds, the lord of Śrī, and the lord of the Maruts. Lord of the world, source of all, lord of the wise and of heaven, lord of earth—I bow to you. Slayer of Madhu, lotus-eyed one, destroyer of Kaiṭabha, O Subrahmaṇya, I offer my obeisance. O great fish, bearer of the Vedas on your back, O Acyuta, who stirred the ocean’s waters and delighted the lotus-born Brahmā, I bow to you. O horse-headed one, great-necked, with the form of the great person, slayer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, I bow to you, O one with a horse’s face. O great tortoise, mighty as a turtle, who raised the earth and took the form of the mountain-bearer, I bow to you. Obeisance to the great boar, who lifted up the earth; to the primeval boar, all-formed, the creator. I bow to the infinite, the subtle, the chief and excellent one, whose form is atomic and who is attained by yogis. Obeisance to the cause of causes, whose abode is the conduct of the lords of yoga, who is extremely difficult to know, who reclines on the great serpent in the ocean of milk, adorned with golden, jewel-studded earrings. Thus, when Mādhava was praised in this way, he was pleased and spoke: “Quickly tell me, best of sages, whatever you wish from me.” The sage replied: “O lord of the universe, this world is hard to cross, terrifying, impermanent, full of suffering, and as fragile as a plantain leaf. It is without support or foundation, as fickle as a water bubble, beset by calamities, and exceedingly hard to cross. “For a long time I have wandered, deluded by your māyā, my mind attached to sense-objects, unable to find the end. Today, O lord of the gods, afflicted by the fear of saṃsāra, I have come to you for refuge, O Kṛṣṇa; lift me up from this ocean of becoming. “I wish to attain your supreme abode, which is eternal and, by your grace, O Lord of the gods, is rarely reached again after return.” Mādhava replied: “You are my devotee, O best of sages; worship me always. By my grace, you will certainly attain the liberation you desire. My devotees among Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, women, Shudras, and even those of lowest birth attain the highest perfection; how much more so you, O foremost of the twice-born. Even a dog-eater who is my devotee, filled with true faith, attains the desired perfection—what need to say of others?” Having spoken thus, O Brahmins, that god—Vishnu, affectionate to his devotees and whose path is hard to discern—vanished from sight. When he had departed, Kandu, the sage, filled with joy, renounced all desires and became composed in himself once more. He restrained his senses, freed himself from possessiveness and ego, and, focusing his mind, meditated properly on that Supreme Person. Thus, he attained the supreme liberation—untouched, without qualities, peaceful, established only in pure existence—a state difficult even for the gods to reach. Whoever recites or hears the story of the great-souled Kandu is freed from all sins and attains the heavenly world. Thus, O best of sages, the land of action, the supreme field of liberation, and the supreme god, the Supreme Person, have been described.