Listen, dear one, to the wondrous glory of the Śālagrāma stone, embodiment of Lord Viṣṇu. Whoever beholds, bows to, bathes, or worships the Śālagrāma stone attains merit a crore times greater than that gained from sacrifices, and receives the fruit of gifting a crore cows. But know this as well: for one who neglects the Śālagrāma stone, the cycle of birth is truly dreadful. Yet, whoever regularly drinks the water that has washed the Śālagrāma stone of Viṣṇu—even if he is attached to desires and lacks devotion—by worshipping the Śālagrāma stone, he attains the Imperishable. Beware, however, of destroying the image of the Śālagrāma stone, for such an act brings ruin by the crore. On the other hand, remembering, reciting, meditating upon, worshipping, or simply bowing to the Śālagrāma stone dispels sins. Merely by seeing it, many sins flee, just as herds of deer scatter in terror upon seeing a lion in the forest. If a person bows in worship before the Śālagrāma stone, whether with devotion or not, he attains liberation. For the one who always worships the Śālagrāma stone, there is no fear of Yama, nor of death and rebirth. The worship of the Śālagrāma stone is performed with fragrances, water for the feet, offerings, lamps, incense, ointments, songs, instruments, and hymns. Whoever, with devotion, worships the Śālagrāma stone in this Kali age, dwells in Viṣṇu’s abode for thousands of millions of aeons. Even if bowing to the Śālagrāma stone is done with mere feeling, how can such devotees of mine remain in human birth? But those who call themselves my devotees and yet, being most sinful, do not bow to my Lord Vāsudeva—they are not truly my devotees, but are deluded by sin. Even my devotee, if he eats on the sacred eleventh day, becomes as if a killer of mine and surely falls into dreadful darkness. Touching the śāla-liṅga is essential; no other purification is prescribed. The date dear to Viṣṇu is dear to me as well. Whoever does not fast on that day, O mortal, is more sinful than an outcaste. But know, my son, that I always dwell in the Śālagrāma stone. Wherever I am worshipped with devotion, that place becomes my own abode, and the fruit gained by worshipping me with thousands of millions of lotuses is multiplied a crore times by worship of the Śālagrāma stone. Those mortals who do not worship the Śālagrāma stone neither worship me nor bow to me. Those who have not performed the worship of the Śālagrāma stone in this world—yet whoever worships me before the Śālagrāma stone—by him I am worshipped, O commander, for twenty-one yugas. What is the use of worshipping hundreds of liṅgas devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu? If the image of the Śālagrāma stone is not worshipped, then my offering—be it leaf, flower, fruit, or water—is unfit. Indeed, before the Śālagrāma stone, everything becomes purified. If a twice-born eats offerings meant for other gods, he should perform the Cāndrāyaṇa expiation. But one who partakes of the food offered to Keśava attains the fruit of countless sacrifices; and with the water that has washed the Lord’s feet, even the gravest sins are washed away. There is no doubt that purification also comes from water poured over the conch. Yet one who, being devoted to Śiva, does not worship Viṣṇu, and one who harbors hatred, goes to hell for as many ages as there are fourteen Indras. If a person in the house allows a senior ascetic to rest even for a moment, then for eight generations of his ancestors, they become eaters of nectar. But those lowest of men, immersed in the ocean of worldly suffering, sink further down. Those who neglect the worship of Kṛṣṇa for millions of thousands of years—even if they lovingly worship liṅgas made from śālagrāma stones—do not attain liberation by Sāṃkhya or Yoga. The fruit gained by seeing, worshipping, or praising millions of liṅgas is obtained here from a single Śālagrāma stone. But one who worships twelve Śālagrāma stones as a Vaiṣṇava daily—his merit cannot be measured even by me. Even if one worships thousands of millions of liṅgas on the banks of the Gaṅgā, or resides in Kāśī for eight generations, that fruit is gained in a single day by worshipping the Śālagrāma stone as a Vaiṣṇava. What more can be said of such a man? Neither I, nor Brahmā, nor the other gods can calculate his merit. Therefore, my son, my devotees should worship the Śālagrāma stone with devotion, for this pleases me. With devotion to me, the worship of the Śālagrāma stone must be performed, for in the form of the Śālagrāma stone, Keśava himself abides. There, the gods, asuras, yakṣas, and all the fourteen worlds are present. By the praises of all the gods, one attains the fruit of millions, but in this age of Kali, that merit is gained simply by singing the praises of Keśava. When ancestors are satisfied with a single offering before the Śālagrāma stone, they dwell there, uncountable in number. What is the use of consuming thousands of fivefold cow products for those who, with devotion, drink the water of the Śālagrāma stone? When true atonement arises, what need is there for gifts or fasts? Having drunk the water from the feet of Hari, even the best lunar penances are surpassed. Whoever establishes an image of the Lord reclining on water in a pond—what need is there for millions of other acts, or for worshipping other gods? There, the principal gods led by Viṣṇu converse together; for all merit, my son, there is indeed a standard. Yet, truly, there is no measure of the merit gained by worshipping the Śālagrāma stone. Whoever gives a Śālagrāma stone to a brāhmaṇa devoted to Viṣṇu has performed the equivalent of hundreds of sacrifices. Even while living at home, he gains the merit of bathing in the Gaṅgā every day. Thus, O beloved, the Śālagrāma stone is the very embodiment of Lord Viṣṇu, bestower of supreme merit and liberation. Its worship surpasses all other rites, and those devoted to it are truly blessed.