I have sought refuge in that Supreme Being into whom all things ultimately enter and from whom all things emerge. To Him, who is ever unattached and complete, I surrender myself. He is the highest and purest One, unknowable and beyond comprehension, yet I seek shelter in Him. He is the very Self of knowledge, radiant and present everywhere—unto Him I take refuge. For the welfare of the gods, I seek refuge in that divine Kūrma, the Tortoise incarnation. I bow before Varāha, the Boar, who upheld the entire world. I offer my salutations to Narasimha, who tore apart His enemies. From Brahma’s world down to the very feet of existence, I bow to that unconquered One among the gods. I bow to the son of Jamadagni, who destroyed the lineage of kshatriyas, and to Rama Chandra, who vanquished the host of rakshasas. I worship Shri Krishna, who abandoned His own clan for the sake of dharma. I worship Him whom the pure-hearted and spotless see, the Lord without blemish. I bow to Him who established righteousness at the dawn of the age. He cannot be counted, even in millions of ages; still, I worship Him. How can the gods, demons, or Manus truly worship Him? Yet, insignificant as I am, I offer my devotion. Even those of little understanding, like me, wonder how to praise Him, whom only the pure can approach. Yet, even sinners are purified by faith in Him—faith alone brings liberation and purification. Those who see Him as the embodiment of knowledge, to Him I have taken refuge. I worship that primeval, ageless God, the very form of knowledge. I salute Hari, the thousand-headed Lord whose essence is feeling itself. I worship the timeless Lord who measured the universe with ten fingers. Again and again, I bow to the God who is the most secret among secrets. I salute the Supreme Person, who bestows His own abode upon the worthy. Great sages, along with Narada, Sanandana, and others, have attained His immortal realm. One whose soul is purified from all sins reaches the abode of Vishnu. O Sanaka, you who are all-knowing and supremely qualified, tell me of these mysteries. This entire universe, both that which is immobile and that which moves, is pervaded by Him. Assuming the distinctions of various qualities, He manifests the triad of forms. In the midst of all, O sage, is the seat called Rudra, which brings about the dissolution of the world. Some always declare Vishnu as the ultimate truth, while others speak of Brahma. That which is the essence of existence and non-existence is celebrated as both knowledge and ignorance. When ignorance is fully developed, it becomes the source of suffering. But when the intellect is absorbed in unity, that is called knowledge. If one perceives all with an intellect free of difference, it brings about the end of worldly existence. Yet, because all this appears as different—whatever moves and whatever does not move—this entire world arises through association with the limiting adjunct of ignorance. Just as the power of burning pervades the ember that supports it, so does this power pervade its own support. Some call this divine power Bhārati, others name her Girijā or Ambikā. She is also known as Kaumārī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī, Indrī, and Śāmbhavī. The great sages declare her to be Prakṛti, the primordial nature, and also the Supreme itself.