With a heart filled with longing, the sage Kandu approached the Lord of the gods and prayed, “I wish to reach your supreme abode—that eternal place which, by your grace, is seldom attained again by those who return to the world.” Vishnu, compassionate and radiant, replied to Kandu, “O best of sages, you are my devotee. Always worship me. By my grace, you will surely obtain the liberation you so desire.” The Lord continued, “Even among Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, women, Shudras, and those of the lowest birth, my devotees attain the highest perfection. How much more so will you, O foremost of the twice-born! Even a dog-eater, if devoted to me with true faith, reaches the perfection he seeks—what need is there to speak of others?” Having spoken thus to Kandu, the god whose ways are mysterious and whose love for his devotees is boundless—Vishnu—vanished from sight. When the Lord had departed, Kandu, filled with joy, renounced all desires and became composed within himself once more. He restrained his senses, abandoned all possessiveness and ego, and, with a concentrated mind, meditated upon that Supreme Person. Through this unwavering meditation, Kandu attained the supreme liberation—untouched, without qualities, peaceful, and established solely in pure existence—a state difficult even for the gods to reach. It is said that whoever recites or hears the story of the great-souled Kandu becomes 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 Person, the highest god, have been described. Those who see, praise, and meditate with devotion upon the Supreme Person—Shri Purushottama, the giver of boons and liberation, ageless and the remover of worldly suffering—after enjoying the pleasures of kingship and divine happiness in heaven, ultimately go, free from all faults, to the imperishable abode of Hari. When Vyasa had finished his narration, the assembled sages, their senses controlled, were filled with delight and wonder, repeatedly expressing their amazement. They said, “Ah! You have so beautifully described the virtues of the land of Bharata and the sacred field called Shri Purusha, O Purushottama. Hearing of the supreme glory of this field fills not just one, but all with astonishment and joy, O best of speakers.” They continued, “For a long time, a doubt has lingered in our hearts, and except for you, there is no one on earth who can dispel it. We ask you, O great sage, to tell us in full detail about the birth of Baladeva, Krishna, and Bhadrā on this earth. For what purpose were Krishna and Sankarshana, the heroic sons of Vasudeva, born? Why did they reside in Nanda’s house, O sage?” “In this world of mortals, so insubstantial, filled with suffering, unstable like a water bubble, and terrifying, how did they find any pleasure in dwelling in the womb—a place slippery with excrement and urine, painful and distressing, the cause of suffering, and more dreadful than all else? O sage, tell us in detail what actions they performed when they were born on earth. O best of speakers, recount to us these wondrous deeds.” “Relate to us their entire, miraculous, and superhuman conduct—how that blessed Lord, the god of gods, the best among the gods, came as the wise Vāsudeva in the family of Vasudeva, surrounded by the immortals, adorned by the virtuous and the righteous. Why did he leave the world of the gods and come here to the world of mortals—the leader of gods and men, the imperishable origin of heaven and earth?” “For what reason did he, the divine Self, enter among humans—he who alone turns the wheel, bringing well-being to mankind? How did he, the bearer of the discus and mace, direct his mind toward humanity—he who became the protector of cows and the entire world of beings? How did Vishnu, the Lord, come to earth and become a cowherd—he who upholds and sustains the great elements and is the soul of all beings?” “How was he, the glorious one, held in the womb of a woman on earth—he who conquered the worlds step by step in three strides, as desired by the gods? He who established the paths of the world and brought forth the three aims of life—who, at the end of time, drank up the universe, taking on a form made of water?” “He who made the world into a single ocean with his visible and invisible Self—the ancient one who once assumed the form of a boar; he, the destroyer of enemies, who lifted up the earth with the tip of his tusk; who, long ago, for the sake of Indra, conquered this imperishable threefold world; he, the best of gods, who, after conquering the earth, gave it to the gods; who, taking on the form of a lion, split it in two and then again.” “He who in former times slew the mighty ancient demon Hiraṇyakaśipu; who, becoming fire, was the great destructive Aurva at the end of the age; Hari, who, dwelling in the netherworld, drank up the oceanic waters; he, the thousand-footed Brahman, the giver of a thousand rays and thousands of gifts; he, the god with a thousand heads, whom they speak of in every age—at whose navel arose the lotus, the ancestral home of the grandsire.” “In the single ocean, in the world of serpents, was the golden lotus with its stalk—by whom the demons were slain in the battle with Tāraka. By whom, having assumed a divine form bearing all weapons, and being inspired by the one dwelling in the cave of the heart, Kālanemi was struck down. At the far end of the ocean of milk, in the nectar ocean, he who lies, having entered into eternal yoga, in the great darkness.” “Aditi, through the intensity of her divine austerity, once conceived the ancient Indra as the embryo from the churning of the gods, and he, by placing the embryo, made Indra, who was beset by the hosts of demons. He, having created steps composed of yoga, cast the demons into the waters where they lay, made the gods the lords of the three worlds, and established Indra as their king.” Thus, the sages, brimming with curiosity and devotion, implored Vyasa to reveal the divine mystery of Krishna and Baladeva’s descent, their wondrous deeds, and the supreme purpose behind the Lord’s coming to earth for the welfare of all beings.