With a heart full of devotion, I sought refuge in the great Lord—the one who bears the discus, lotus, bow, and sword, the destroyer of immense distress, the unfailing shelter for all who remember Him. I bowed deeply to Vishnu, the primeval God, from whose very anger Rudra arises and by whom the world itself is dissolved. Again, I took refuge in Vishnu, the ancient and pure, the One revealed through Vedanta, a treasure of radiant brilliance. I prayed that the Lord—known only through true knowledge, beginningless and singular, the cause of all—might show me His grace. May the eternal One, remover of the distress of those who seek His shelter, the supreme Self, ocean of compassion, grant me a boon. For truly, You alone are all this, of infinite essence; nothing exists beyond You, O supreme Self. The pure, stainless, immeasurable One is seen by the wise as the sole reality. Yet, just as the soul takes on the appearance of many bodies, so too does the one Lord of all seem to be many. Those free from illusion recognize that very One, the all-pervading, as their own true self—from whom all creation arises and in whom all is established. He is immeasurable, without beginning or support—the very form of both foundation and founded. This God dwells in the secret cave of the heart, served and sought by yogis. He is of the nature of sound, the very seed of all sound, the essence of Om, imperishable. Ageless and ever the witness, He is truly beyond the reach of speech and mind. The senses, mind, intellect, being, energy, strength, and steadfastness—all these are said to be of the nature of both knowledge and ignorance, and yet He is beyond even the highest of these. For those great souls who have taken refuge in Him, liberation is eternal and unending. Again and again, I bowed—again and again, I offered my salutations. I worshipped that immeasurable Person, whose very name removes evil deeds. I worshipped that which is distinct from all, supreme, and greater than the greatest. I worshipped also the Supreme, beyond both knowledge and ignorance, dwelling in the lotus of the heart—unborn, subtler than the subtlest, free from all limiting conditions. Known as Vishnu, the very abode of the universe, to Him I surrendered myself. Worthier of worship than the most worshipful, serene and tranquil, I sought refuge in the Lord. Superior to all, eternal, I bowed to the all-pervading, imperishable One. Free from the effects of ignorance, He is sung as the Supreme Self—the best of the best, unborn, beyond the highest, to Him I bowed. He is the very nature and treasure of knowledge, established in knowledge, all-pervading, whom I worship. Like the blazing sun, He shines forth, manifest as Indra, in the form of the sun and the lord of sacrifice. I worshipped that Person, inconceivable to speech and mind, of infinite power, knowable only through true knowledge. I took refuge in Him, whose fullness sustains all the worlds, who is immeasurable. I bowed to the primal One, honored by all sacrifices, of mighty strength, who grants satisfaction. He is the lover of virtue, the bestower of desires, unattached, beyond the senses, holding the universe in His embrace, free from craving. I did not worship that which is composed merely of speech or life-breath, but that which is realized through the diversity of knowledge and established in the imagination. Even the gods, beginning with the lotus-born Brahma, know Him—how then could I, longing to please Him, ever truly comprehend His nature? “O ocean of compassion,” I cried, “protect me, who am afflicted by fear! Again and again, I take refuge in You.” Moved by this devotion, the Blessed Lord, the treasury of splendor, revealed Himself before me. He appeared resplendent, adorned with a crown, earrings, a necklace, and armlets. A radiant pearl graced His nose, enhancing the divine brilliance of His half-celestial form. His feet, worshipped with tender tulasi leaves, shone with a brilliance beyond compare.