He alone, by a portion of his being, is the four-armed Lord who dwells in Vaikuṇṭha, and it is he, as Viṣṇu, who by his own part protects all the worlds. All that has been described is of the very nature of the Supreme Brahman. Having thus spoken, Śaṅkara fell silent, O Śaunaka. The Primeval, Imperishable One—blessed and eternal—was pleased by the sage’s hymn. The chief among sages, his face and gaze lit with joy, bowed reverently before Him. Sauti then continued: The sage, accompanied by Nārāyaṇa, was residing in the sacred Badarī forest. The forest was abundant with many kinds of trees and fruits, and the sweet sounds of male cuckoos filled the air. By the power of the chief of sages, the forest was utterly free from violence and fear. There, three crores of hermitages belonging to perfected beings and great sages could be found. In the midst of this vast assembly, Nārada saw the enchanting chief of sages. He was reciting the glories of the Supreme Brahman—Kṛṣṇa, the Self, the Lord. Suddenly rising, he embraced Nārada and bestowed upon him the highest blessing. He seated Nārada upon a beautiful throne studded with jewels and spoke to him, that best among sages, the eternal Lord. Nārada addressed the Lord: “Having attained true knowledge and the sacred mantra from Śaṅkara, O Lord, chief of yogis, I have now seen your lotus feet with my mind fixed upon you. Wherever the narration of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities is told, it removes the suffering of birth, death, and old age. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and the other gods, and the lord of the gods, O Lord—tell me, from what does creation arise, and into what does it dissolve? O Lord of the universe, what is your form, and what are your deeds?” Hearing these words from Nārada, the blessed sage smiled. Thus ends the chapter named ‘Nārada’s Question to Nārāyaṇa’ in the dialogue between Sūta and Śaunaka, in the Brahma-khaṇḍa of the great Purāṇa, Śrī Brahmavaivarta. Śrī Nārāyaṇa then spoke: “One should contemplate the Lord’s lotus feet, which are worshipped by Vāṇī (Sarasvatī), Śivā (Pārvatī), Gaṅgā, Lakṣmī, and others. The ocean of worldly existence is deep and terrible, its limbs tormented as if surrounded by wildfire and serpents. The Lord’s fame in lifting Govardhana is immense; the earth is upheld by him, and even the tips of his teeth are moist from this effort. Through rays of fame issuing from the Vedas and their branches, Hari, the creator of the Vedas and their branches, is revealed. He is like a bee at the lotus faces of the cowherd maidens, the Lord of the rāsa dance, the supreme enjoyer and person. In the blink of his eye, the creator of worlds performs such deeds—O child, who on earth can recount them all? You, and we, as well as the Manus and great sages, are but fractions of fractions of his power. With a thousand heads, he upholds the universe on a portion of his head, no larger than a mustard seed. The pure fame of the Lord of Goloka is not clearly stated in the Vedas or Purāṇas. In all worlds and abodes, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra are always present. He, the creator of Brahmā, brings about creation, having established eternal nature, the mother of the world. Nature, which is of the form of Brahman, is not different from him; by her, the eternal one creates. She is Nārāyaṇī, the supreme, eternal power of the Supreme Person and the Supreme Self. Now, dear child, go and perform the marriage; you are to act according to your father’s command. He who worships his own wife with garments, ornaments, and sandalwood paste—she, in the form of a woman, appears in every universe through her power of illusion. That divine woman, when worshipped, becomes a devoted wife and mother, faithful to her husband and children.