The question was put forth with reverence: “O sage, you who have arrived here accompanied by the sacrificial priests, please tell me—who is this person, and for what reason has he come? Explain to me, why is he, dwelling in heaven, considered superior—even beyond us? Is it through charity, or by austerities, O Lord, that he has achieved such greatness?” In response, the sage, his heart filled with humility, began to recount the events of the past, as they were prescribed by tradition. “O Indra,” he said, “listen attentively as I tell you of a certain day long ago when there were fourteen Manus. Likewise, O Vasava, there were all the Indras, and the progenitors beginning with Manu himself.” “I shall now tell you their names, so listen with care: Uttama, Tāmasa, Raivata, and also Ākṣuṣa. The ninth is Dakṣa Sāvarṇi, ever devoted to the welfare of all the gods. After him comes Rudra Sāvarṇi, and then Rocamāna is remembered. Hear also of the gods and Indras of those cycles: Śacīpati is named as their Indra, the great lord. Vipascin is the name of the lord of the gods, endowed with every prosperity. In the third cycle, Suśānti is known as Indra. Vibhāna is the fifth lord of the gods.” “The noble ones, beginning with Ārya, are called the gods; among them, Indra is as swift as the mind. Indra, known as Purandara, is said to possess all desires. By the power of worshipping Viṣṇu, Indra is remembered as Bali among them. Then, the gods beginning with Suvāsana are described in the tenth cycle, and those beginning with Vihṝṅgṝmā; among them, Indra is called Vṛṣa. Krabhuvana is named as the king of the gods, and Harinābha and other deities likewise. Divaspati, of great might, is declared as Indra among them.” “Thus, I have truthfully described the Manus, the Indras, and the gods. In one day of Brahmā, each exercises their respective authority. There are many creators, and the learned know their number. I am not able to enumerate them all today, O best of the twice-born. Four Manus have already passed, and my own glory is exceedingly vast.” “Now, let me proceed to speak of the realm of action. Listen well: For those who speak and listen to these sacred accounts, all sins are destroyed. Consider one who dwells in a portion of the earth, eating impure meat. If he falls, struck by a hunter’s weapon at dusk, in the courtyard of Viṣṇu’s temple, and is seized by the hunter’s curved hand—others, along with dogs, rushing about—still, if he is carried in circumambulation around Vishnu’s temple, O Lord, then to him, and even to the dog, the supreme abode is granted.” “Having attained that highest state, O best of the gods, what more could be gained, even by the most proper worship? That soul attains joy in his heart and becomes devoted to the worship of Hari. Such ones are constantly worshipped by Brahmā and the hosts of deities. How can the bondage of fierce existence afflict those who are destined for liberation by their attachment to the Lord?” “Freed from all sins by every means, they joyfully proceed to the most auspicious abode of Vishnu. Through meditation, their minds cleansed of all impurity, they do not return again to the cycle of birth, no longer tasting the essence of their mother’s milk.