Then, at that sacred moment, Brahma himself, accompanied by the great sages, approached the mighty Lord and began to recite a hymn of profound praise. They offered homage to him as the fire that consumes the fuel of enemies and as the fire that burns away the vast forest of sin. With deep reverence, they saluted him as the supporter of the universe, the supreme person, the one who upholds all existence. Clad in radiant yellow garments, beloved of Shri, Janardana, they bowed to him again and again. They addressed him as the bearer of all, the sustainer of the earth, and the one who assumes countless forms for the welfare of the world. "O Lord of the gods," they implored, "wipe away the tears of Indra." The blessed Lord then spoke to me, O mighty one, concerning the bringing of the Kurus. Among those present was the brilliant sage Bharadvāja, son of Bṛhaspati, renowned for his austerity. Filled with affection, all the sages in turn granted boons. Kumbhayoni gave a deerskin, Bharadvāja gave a girdle, Varuṇi gave a string of beads, and Aṅgirā bestowed silk and the Veda itself. The illustrious Bṛhaspati presented a water pot to Viṣṇu. Praised by the assembled sages, the Lord studied the Veda with all its branches, accompanied by great narratives and the music of the Gandharvas. In this way, he became thoroughly skilled in the Vedas, so as to understand worldly conduct and activity. He then spoke these words to the foremost of Brahmins, Bharadvāja: "There, the holy horse sacrifice of the lord of the Daityas is being performed. By this, I declare to you: Bali has gone to Kurukṣetra. We shall go, O Viṣṇu, to Bali’s sacrifice; do not be troubled. Tell me of your presence—I wish to know it truly." The Lord replied, "I dwell, in many forms, in supremely holy places. All directions, mountains, and oceans are pervaded by my forms, O Bharadvāja. All beings—from Brahmā down to the immovable, including the twice-born, birds, the honored, both embodied and disembodied, all these, possessed of many and various qualities, are produced by me for the fulfillment of the earth. By merely seeing or praising these forms, O best of the twice-born, sin is instantly destroyed. By singing of them, by touching, and by other acts, the destruction of all sins is brought about." He continued, "The Horse-headed One abides in the portion of Krishna; Govinda dwells in Hastinapura; Madhava is in Kedara; Shauri is in Kubjamra, and Hrishṭamūrdhaja abides there as well. Jayesha is present in Bhadra-karna, and the twice-born’s beloved in the Vipasha. Nrisimha, after purification, is in Gokarna, and Vishvakarman is there too. Ajita resides at the Vishakhayupa and Hamsa likewise at Hamsapada. Shambhu is on the Manimat mountain, Prajapati in Brahmanya. Know, O best of sages, that Vishnu abides on the summit of the medicinal mountain. The Lord of cows, the god, the mace-wielder, the Lord, is in Gaya. Ardhanarishvara is on the sacred southern slope of Mahendra mountain. Vaikuntha is found on the Sahya mountain, Aparajita on Pariyatra. Saugandhi is on the Malaya mountain, Sadashiva at the foot of the Vindhya. Panchalika, O Brahmarshi, is established among the Panchalas. Swayambhu is in Madhupata, Ayogandhi in Pushkara. Avimukta is here itself, and Lola is also sung of here. Bahlisha is at Kumaradhara, and Kartikeya as Barhina. Thus, the Lord revealed his many forms and abodes, showing how he pervades all the sacred places and beings of the world, ever present for the destruction of sin and the welfare of all creation.