As I stood upon the earth, the great sage fixed his gaze upon me and uttered a resounding humkāra. From the power of that sacred sound, five maidens suddenly broke through the ground, emerging from the netherworld before my eyes. One among them approached with a seat of gold and respectfully offered it to me; another brought pure water, cupping it in her hands with reverence. A third maiden gently grasped my feet and began to wash them, while the remaining two stood at my sides, each holding a fan and serving me with devotion. Then, once more, the illustrious ascetic voiced a humkāra. From that utterance, a golden basin—so vast it stretched a yojana across—manifested, and a makara leapt into the lake beside us. Into this basin arrived hundreds of auspicious maidens, each bearing golden pitchers. Witnessing these marvels, the sage addressed me: “All this has been prepared for your bath, O Brahman. Enter this basin and purify yourself, O noble one.” Obedient to his command, I stepped into the golden basin amidst the lake. As I did so, the basin began to sink beneath the water’s surface. Immersed in its depths, I suddenly found myself rising into a world unlike any I had ever known. There before me lay a vast and wondrous city, its avenues broad and thronged with pure-hearted souls. Among them were the wise and self-realized, ancient kings steadfast in righteousness, and the atmosphere was suffused with virtue. This city was formidable, hidden deep within the nethermost regions, inaccessible to the ordinary course of worldly life. White-clad men holding nooses moved about, and the city was ringed by groups of elephants and horses. Beautiful lakes, their surfaces adorned with diverse lotuses and water-lilies, abounded everywhere. Birds of many kinds filled the air, and the hum of bees settled upon lotus leaves, weaving melodies that seemed almost otherworldly. Along the banks of these lakes stood houses as splendid as the peaks of Kailāsa, decorated with precious lotuses and inhabited by the blessed—homes revered by twice-born sages and gods alike. Lotuses, heavy with bees, swayed gracefully, while within the waters, twice-born ascetics with melodious voices recited wondrous Vedic mantras. Their bodies were adorned with garlands of white lotuses, their upper garments fine and pure. Flocks of birds abounded, and at many such lakes, the twice-born performed the ancient rites of sacrifice. As I wandered through these enchanting lakes, I beheld groups of celestial maidens, as well as daughters of the Vidyādharas, who had come to bathe in these sacred waters. Continuing my journey, I came upon another beautiful lake of pure water, and, just as before, a hut stood on its bank. Entering the hut, I found the ascetic standing there, just as I had seen him before. Approaching him, I greeted him with humility. He smiled, a being of immeasurable power, and spoke to me: “O best of Brahmins, do you not recognize me, though you have seen me before? Why do you look upon this world as if you were deluded? This world, which even the gods have not seen, has been revealed to you by me, O best of twice-born, for your sake and out of affection. Behold the wealth of my world: rivers flowing with curds and milk, lakes filled with clarified butter. See the pillars of these houses, fashioned from gold and jewels, the ground studded with gems and shining like padmarāga stones, abundant with pārijāta flowers, and frequented by yakṣas and kinnaras.” Hearing these words, my heart swelled with wonder, and I inquired further: “O venerable one, your world is the foremost among all worlds. I have seen the realms of Brahmā, Indra, and others, yet this world appears to me as something entirely new—brimming with wealth, splendor, power, and countless palace-jewels. With sacred lakes and pure pools, especially those adorned with lotuses, your world, O sage, is truly astonishing. How has such a world come to be? How are you established here in this way? Tell me the reason for this, and who you are, O foremost of sages. How did I see you on the shore of a lake in the Ilāvṛta region? That lake, that hut—what is your place in this world filled with golden palaces?” Thus addressed, the eminent sage replied, revealing the truth: “I am Nārāyaṇa, the eternal god in the form of water, by whom this entire universe—the three worlds, all that moves and does not move—is pervaded. The very form of the supreme god, Parameṣṭhin, which you have seen, is me. Though called Varuṇa, I am truly the supreme Nārāyaṇa himself. In former times, you worshipped me for seven births; therefore, even at the destruction of the three worlds, you alone were chosen by me.” As he spoke these words, I, overcome by the experience and heavy with sleep, fell to the earth. Yet in that very moment, I rose again. Looking about, I saw both the sage and that wondrous city, and then, by my own self, I found myself upon the summit of Mount Meru. From there, I beheld the seven oceans, the principal mountain ranges, and the earth with its seven continents. Even now, O righteous king, I remain ever-meditating on that supreme world, my heart absorbed in the longing thought, “When will I attain that realm?” Thus, O King, I have recounted to you the wondrous story of the Supreme Lord and what befell my body. What more would you wish to hear? At this, Bhadrāśva asked: “O venerable one, what did you do before seeing that world? Was it a vow, austerity, or righteousness that you undertook to attain it? For without worshipping Hari with devotion, what wise person would desire worlds? When Hari is worshipped, all worlds are as if in the palm of one’s hand.” Thinking thus, O King, I worshipped the eternal Viṣṇu for a hundred years, performing sacrifices rich in gifts. Then, after a long time, as I was offering sacrifice to the Lord of gods, Janārdana, the very embodiment of sacrifice, the gods, along with Indra, were summoned and arrived together.