Listen, O blessed Girijā, to this sacred teaching. All accomplishments are attained by the mind; if one’s mind is not rightly directed, destruction follows. Yet, when reverence guides us, a little sense of self may be permitted. But know this: for one overwhelmed by ego, happiness cannot be found. The self, deluded by pride, falls into darkness, blind to truth. Therefore, independence of the mind is not allowed here; the living being must depend upon the Supreme Lord. The conscious soul is not the true agent of action—whatever moves or stands still, all occurs by the resolve of the Lord alone. Hence, one should abandon all actions rooted in personal power, for by the might of the Lord, nothing is unattainable for Him. Entrust all burdens to that glorious Lord. Perform every act for Him alone, recognizing that Hari, the Supreme Self, is the true master, and we are ever His servants. Even desire itself should be dedicated to that Lord of the Self. In this way, by mind alone, one should renounce the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ that has been gathered. The notion of ‘I’ in relation to the body is the root of transmigration and bondage to action. Therefore, the wise abandon all pride and ego through the power of the mind. Now, O Girijā, hear the meaning of the name Nārāyaṇa. ‘Nārā’ refers to the multitude of beings, and their ultimate goal is the Supreme Person. These beings themselves form His path; thus, He is called Nārāyaṇa, for all things—sentient and insentient—are seen and heard in this world as His manifestations. He pervades and abides in all, eternally; hence, He is called Nārāyaṇa. The gatherings of beings are His assemblies, and their goal and support is He alone; thus, He is remembered as Nārāyaṇa. The wise know that all principles arise from ‘nara’ and are called ‘nārāṇi’. These aggregates are His path, and so He is called Nārāyaṇa. At the end of the age, He absorbs the entire world, sustaining it, and then again creates it. For this reason, too, He is called Nārāyaṇa. The whole world, moving and unmoving, is known as ‘nāra’, and He is their abode and goal—thus, He is Nārāyaṇa. ‘Nāra’ is the assembly of beings; for them, He is both path and destination. Therefore, the sages always call Him Nārāyaṇa, from whom all the worlds arise, like great foam upon the vast ocean, and into whom they dissolve once more. He is eternal, abiding in the eternal abode, ever-liberated, and enjoying supreme bliss. He is the Lord of all the worlds, and so is called Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Brahman, the highest truth. Whatever is seen or heard in this world, within or without—all is pervaded and sustained by Nārāyaṇa. He is sinless, the Supreme Person, dwelling within all beings, the one divine, ever-eternal Hari, Nārāyaṇa, the infallible. He is the seer and the seen, the hearer and the heard, the toucher and the touched, the meditator and the meditated upon. He is the speaker and the spoken, the knower and the known, the sentient and insentient world—indeed, all is Hari, the glorious Lord called Nārāyaṇa. The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet; having pervaded all worlds in every direction, He extends beyond them by ten fingers’ breadth. All that has existed and all that will exist is Nārāyaṇa, Hari. He is the lord of immortality and the Virat Purusha who subsists by food. This very Purusha is Vishnu, Vasudeva, the infallible Hari—He is golden, blessed, immortal, eternal, and auspicious. He is the master of the universe, the lord of all worlds, the sovereign; He is Hiranyagarbha, Savita, Ananta, the great lord. The names ‘Bhagavan’ and ‘Purusha’ are His; Vasudeva, the soul of all, is beyond all attributes. The Lord, Bhagavan Vishnu, is the supreme self, the friend of the world; He alone is the ruler of the moving and unmoving, and the highest goal of ascetics. He is the syllable at the beginning of the Vedas and is established at their end; His essence is merged with nature—He is the supreme, the great lord. That form is indeed Vishnu, that is Nārāyaṇa, Hari; He alone is the eternal Purusha, the supreme self, the great lord. Wherever lordship arises, wherever it is present, there the term ‘Ishvara’ is used by the sages, for attribute-less lordship is established in Vasudeva. He is called ‘Atmeshvara’ by the eternal Vedic teachings; thus, the status of the great lord is established in Vasudeva. By His play, He is the lord even of the threefold manifestation; the twofold manifestation of lordship belongs to Him, the soul of all. He who is the lord of Sri, Bhumi, and Nila is declared as Ishvara; thus, Vasudeva is established as the lord of all. He is the lord of sacrifice, the sacrifice itself, the enjoyer of sacrifice, the maker of sacrifice, the all-pervading one; the enjoyer of sacrifice, the sacrificial Purusha—He alone is the supreme lord. The lord of sacrifice, the enjoyer of all offerings and oblations, the imperishable Hari, the lord here—by His presence, all demons and asuras are instantly dispelled. He who has assumed the cosmic form, who is Hari, Janardana, nourishes the three worlds; He alone is the supreme lord. By Him, with complete offerings, the gods performed sacrifice; from that sacrifice arose those who partake of both sides. From that sacrifice all offerings, the Rig and Sama hymns were born; from it came horses, cows, and men. From the body of this Purusha, composed of all sacrifices, everything in the world—stationary and moving—has arisen from Hari.