Those who behold, praise, and meditate with devotion upon the Supreme Person—Shri Purushottama, the granter of boons and liberation, ageless and the remover of worldly suffering—attain great blessings. After enjoying the delights of kingship on earth and the pure, divine happiness of heaven, such souls, freed from all faults, are ultimately led to the imperishable abode of Hari. When Vyasa’s words reached the ears of the assembled sages, their senses restrained and minds attuned, they were filled with joy, delight, and repeated wonder. They spoke with reverence, “Ah, O Purushottama, you have described the virtues of the land of Bharata and the sacred field called Shri Purusha. Hearing of the supreme glory of this field fills not only one but all with amazement and joy, O best of speakers! “A doubt has long lingered in our hearts, and truly, there is none but you on earth who can dispel it. O great sage, we ask you: tell us in full detail of the birth of Baladeva, Krishna, and Bhadrā upon this earth. For what purpose were Krishna and Sankarshana, the heroic sons of Vasudeva, born, and why did they reside in the house of Nanda? “In this world of mortals—insubstantial, filled with suffering, unstable as a water bubble, terrifying and hair-raising—how did they, the Supreme Ones, find any pleasure in dwelling within the womb, which is slippery, painful, distressing, and the very cause of suffering, more dreadful than all else? “O sage, please recount for us in detail the actions they performed upon their birth on earth. Tell us, O best of speakers, of their wondrous, superhuman deeds—how the blessed Lord, god of gods and best among the gods, came as the wise Vāsudeva in the family of Vasudeva, surrounded by immortals and adorned by the virtuous and righteous. “Why did he, the leader of gods and men, the imperishable origin of heaven and earth, leave the world of the gods and come to this world of mortals? For what reason did he, the divine Self who alone turns the wheel and brings well-being to mankind, enter among humans? “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 Viṣṇu, the Lord who upholds and sustains the great elements and is the soul of all beings, come to earth and become a cowherd? “How was he, the glorious one who conquered the worlds in three strides at the gods’ behest, held in the womb of a woman on earth? He who established the paths of the world and the three aims of life, who at the end of time drank up the universe, taking on a form made of water—how did he dwell here? “He who made the world into a single ocean with his visible and invisible Self; he, the ancient one who once assumed the form of a boar; he, the destroyer of enemies, who lifted the earth with the tip of his tusk; who, 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, and who, taking 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, giver of a thousand rays and thousands of gifts. “He, the god with a thousand heads, whom all speak of in every age, from 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 inspired by the indweller of the heart, Kālanemi was struck down. At the far end of the ocean of milk, in the nectar ocean, he lies in eternal yoga, in the great darkness. “Aditi, through 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 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 chief. “By the rite of the household fire and the sacrificial offering, he established the fire, the Veda, consecration, and sacred fuel. He made the sprinkling vessel, sacrificial ladle, and ablution, and with hands turned downward, made those who partake of the oblations as well. “He made the gods the receivers of oblations, and the ancestors the receivers of ancestral offerings, and for enjoyment, engaged them in sacrificial acts according to the rite of sacrifice. He made the vessels, gifts, consecration, sacrificial cakes, mortars, sacrificial post, sacred fuel, ladle, soma, purifiers, and enclosing sticks. “He made the sacrificial materials, various cups, assistants, sacrificers, priests, and the foremost sacrifices. In ancient times, by his supreme act, he apportioned all according to the yugas, and by his power, created the worlds. “He determined moments, twinklings, measures and divisions of time, the threefold division of time, hours, lunar days, months, days, and the year as well. The seasons, the conjunctions of time, the threefold measure in the three worlds, the fields of life, increase, the marks, and the beauty of form. “He made the three worlds, the three gods, the threefold Veda, the three fires, the threefold division of time, the three acts, the three classes, and the three qualities. All the worlds were created by him in ancient times, with endless action. He is the creator present in all beings, possessing the qualities of all beings. “O sage, tell us, we beseech you—how did this Supreme Lord, the source and sustainer of all, choose to be born among mortals, to dwell as a child in the house of Nanda, and to perform such wondrous deeds for the well-being of the world?