Having placed him gently in the chariot, the divine messengers swiftly carried him to the sacred city of Hari. There, he attained the blessed presence of Hari, the greatest among the virtuous. For a hundred ages, he remained before Keśava, and through this prolonged proximity, he gained supreme knowledge and ultimately merged into Hari’s very form. Vyāsa then spoke: “By whatever means a person cultivates devotion to Hari, he crosses the vast ocean of worldly existence, just as a royal swan glides across water. Even if devotion to Hari arises for a fleeting moment in someone’s mind, that soul attains the supreme abode—even a sinner is welcomed there. By offering even a single excellent thing to Murāri, one must later partake of it oneself, thus pacifying the burden of sin. Whatever is given to Hari should also be offered to a twice-born; the wise always teach that whatever remains should not be consumed by oneself. O best of Brahmins, whatever desirable things exist, unless they are first offered to Viṣṇu, they should not be consumed by Vaiṣṇavas. The greatness of offerings to Viṣṇu lies in their power to destroy all sin. I will tell you again a story illustrating this, so listen carefully, O Brahmin.” There was once a Brahmin named Sarvajanī, born of a pure lineage. He was peaceful, self-controlled, compassionate, and devoted to his teachers and fellow Brahmins. His heart was dedicated to the worship of Hari, and his mind was ever intent on remembering Him. Sarvajanī relieved the sufferings of those who sought his refuge, spoke only truth, and had mastery over his senses. He bathed at dawn, observed his daily duties, refrained from violence, honored the vow of Ekadashi, and was devoted to his relatives. One day, O best of twice-born, Sarvajanī beheld Keśava in a dream. The Lord appeared dark-hued, with spotless, lotus-like eyes, a smiling face, and robes of radiant yellow. His form shone with golden earrings, anklets, and a crown; his chest gleamed with the Kaustubha gem and was adorned with a garland of forest flowers. The Lord stood with four arms, holding the conch, discus, mace, and lotus, bearing all auspicious marks and wearing a golden sacred thread. Overwhelmed by the vision of the Lord of the world, Sarvajanī, with palms joined and hair standing on end in joy, praised Him: “Salutations to you, Lord of all worlds, destroyer of sorrow, fear, and disease for all beings, O Nārāyaṇa, beloved of Lakshmi, giver of the supreme nectar of righteousness, prosperity, desire, and liberation. All the sins I have committed, O enemy of Mura, arose from intoxication and delusion; I fear the deep ocean of worldly existence—lift me up by granting me the boat of your devotion. Though I know, O Hari, that humans are deluded and incur sin, still I commit evil with pleasure—there is truly no one as foolish as I am. The tree of merit quickly bears the fruit of happiness, but what do I know, O slayer of Naraka? I am a sinner, without wealth for offerings; O Lord, be gracious—what can I do? Forsaking your lotus feet, the abode of supreme nectar, my mind, like a bee, wanders to the faces of women, which bestow only death and are smeared always with mucus, deluded like a bee after a lotus. My hands do not give gifts, my mouth speaks falsehood, my ears are eager for evil; O Hari, remove these faults of your servant, for you are the destroyer of the faults of those who seek your refuge. O slayer of Naraka, even if I have obtained the sturdy boat of your devotion in this dreadful ocean of worldly existence, still, alas, I am subject to fate, of wicked mind, and my time is always spent in sorrow. Is there a shining path to cross the ocean of worldly existence, free from suffering, compassionate and gracious? My vision, blinded by the darkness of delusion, never turns to you, O Viṣṇu. Even though I am sinful, my mind is lost, ruined, the cause of my own destruction; yet, O slayer of Keshi, today I behold you, whose lotus feet are worshipped by all the gods, even in a dream, O Lord.” Vyāsa said: Thus praised, the blessed Lord, consort of Lakshmi and knower of all speech, who carries souls across the ocean of worldly existence, spoke these words: “O best of Brahmins, I am always pleased by your devotion; therefore, very soon, all good fortune will come to you. Even before, I delivered you from sin, O Brahmin; now you are my devotee—no misfortune will befall you.” The Brahmin, full of wonder, asked: “Who was I before, O Viṣṇu? What sin did I commit? How did you deliver me from sin in the past? In this world, how was I born, and how was I brought forth by you? O Lord, please tell me, for you are ever compassionate.” The Blessed Lord replied: “Although this is a secret, O best of the twice-born, still, out of affection for you, I will reveal it—listen. Formerly, you were born in the lineage of birds, arising on earth as a result of your own actions. Constantly troubled by hunger and thirst, you wandered about, eating insects and drinking water from hot springs. Enduring many kinds of suffering, you remained as a bird on earth for four thousand years. Once, a Brahmin named Kulabhadra, knower of all truths, worshipped me with devotion and offerings on the riverbank. Having worshipped me, that best of Brahmins left the rice offered to me there and returned to his home. Then, driven by hunger, you came from a tree and ate all the rice that had been offered to me. By eating it, you were immediately freed from terrible sins; and when your time came, O Brahmin, you entered the realm of death. To bring you, I sent my own messengers in every way; then, placing you—purified from sin—on a chariot, all the hosts of messengers immediately brought you to the supreme abode, where you remained in my presence for thousands of aeons. There, you enjoyed all pleasures, even those difficult for the gods to obtain, and then you took birth, O best of Brahmins, in a pure Brahmin family.” Thus, the story reveals the wondrous power of devotion and offerings to Hari, and the compassionate grace by which even the most humble soul may be lifted to the highest realms.