O Lord of lords, you who are both the meditator and the object of meditation, it is by your will that the plants came into being. You are known as Time itself, blazing with the seven mouths of destiny. All that moves and does not move—this entire universe, both animate and inanimate—arises from you alone, and in you, all things find their resting place. You are Aniruddha, you are Mādhava, you are Pradyumna, the destroyer of the gods’ enemies. O supreme among the gods, refuge of all worlds, protect me, O lotus-eyed one! O Nārāyaṇa, I bow to you. O blessed Viṣṇu, I bow to you, the highest among persons. Homage to you, lord of all worlds, abode of lotuses, repository of virtues, treasure-house of all that is good. Obeisance to you, Vāsudeva, best among the gods! O Janārdana, eternal one, I bow to you. Obeisance to you, who are attainable only by yogis and who dwell in the state of yoga. O lord of the cowherds, lord of Śrī, lord of the Maruts, O Viṣṇu, I bow to you. Obeisance to you, source and lord of the world, lord of the wise, ruler of heaven and earth. Salutations to you, slayer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, lotus-eyed one, O Subrahmaṇya, I bow to you. O great fish, bearer of the Vedas, O Acyuta, who churned the ocean’s waters and delighted Brahmā, I bow to you. O horse-headed one, with a mighty neck and the form of the Great Person, slayer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, I bow to you. O great tortoise, who raised the earth and bore the mountain, I bow to you. O great boar, who lifted up the earth, primeval creator, all-formed one, I bow to you. Obeisance to the infinite, the subtle, the supreme, whose form is atomic and who is attained by yogis. Salutations to the cause of all causes, whose abode is the conduct of the lords of yoga, who is difficult to know, who reclines upon the great serpent in the ocean of milk, adorned with golden, jeweled earrings. Thus praised and worshipped, Mādhava was pleased and spoke gently, “Speak quickly, O best of sages, whatever you desire from me.” The sage replied, “O lord of the universe, this world is hard to cross, terrifying, impermanent, and full of suffering—like a plantain leaf, without support or foundation, as fickle as a water bubble, beset on all sides by calamities. 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 fear of saṃsāra, I come to you for refuge, O Kṛṣṇa. Lift me from the ocean of becoming. I wish to attain your supreme abode, which is eternal and, by your grace, rarely reached again once attained.” The Lord replied, “You are my devotee, O best of sages. Worship me always. By my grace, you shall certainly obtain the liberation you desire. Even my devotees among Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, women, Shudras, and those of lowest birth attain the highest perfection; how much more so you, foremost among the twice-born! Even a dog-eater, if devoted to me and possessed of faith, attains the highest goal. What need to speak of others?” Having spoken thus, Viṣṇu, ever affectionate to his devotees and whose ways are mysterious, vanished on the spot. When the Lord had departed, the sage Kandu, filled with joy, renounced all desires and became composed in himself once more. Restraining his senses, free from possessiveness and ego, his mind concentrated, he meditated properly upon the Supreme Person. In time, he attained the supreme liberation—untouched, without qualities, peaceful, established in pure existence—a state difficult even for the gods to obtain. Whoever recites or listens to the story of the great-souled Kandu becomes freed from all sins and attains the heavenly world. Thus, O best of sages, I have described the land of action, the supreme field of liberation, and the supreme god, the Supreme Person. Those who see, praise, and meditate with devotion upon the Supreme Person, known as Shri Purushottama—the giver of boons and liberation, ageless and remover of worldly suffering—enjoy the pleasures of kingship and divine happiness in heaven, and, freed from all faults, they ultimately reach the imperishable abode of Hari. When Vyāsa finished these words, the assembled sages, their senses controlled, were filled with joy and wonder, repeatedly expressing their amazement. They said, “Ah! You have described the virtues of the land of Bharata and the sacred field called Shri Purusha, O Purushottama. Hearing the supreme glory of this field fills not only one but all of us with amazement and joy, O best of speakers. “For a long time, a doubt has lingered in our hearts, and except for you, none on earth can dispel it. We ask you, O great sage, to tell us in full detail about the birth of Baladeva, Krishna, and Bhadrā on earth. For what purpose were Krishna and Sankarshana, the heroic sons of Vasudeva, born, and why did they dwell in Nanda’s house? “In this world of mortals, which is so insubstantial, filled with suffering, unstable like a water bubble, terrifying and hair-raising—how did they, the supreme beings, find any pleasure in dwelling within the womb, a place slippery with excrement and urine, full of pain and distress, and more dreadful than all else?” Thus did the sages, full of wonder and longing for knowledge, address their questions to the wise Vyāsa, eager to hear the divine mysteries.