O King, listen as I recount the wondrous events I experienced. As soon as I beheld the maiden, all that I possessed—my knowledge, my Vedas—was instantly taken away by her. Astonished and overwhelmed by anxiety and sorrow, I sought refuge in her, gazing intently upon her form. In that very moment, a divine man appeared within her body. Within her heart, I saw another figure, and upon his chest yet another—each splendid, with red eyes, radiant as twelve suns shining together. Thus, within the maiden’s body, I beheld three men. But in the blink of an eye, O virtuous one, they vanished, and only the maiden remained before me. Confused and troubled, I questioned the goddess, that radiant maiden, “How have my Vedas been lost? O blessed one, tell me the cause of their disappearance.” She replied, “I am the mother of all the Vedas, known by the name Sāvitrī. Because you did not recognize me, your Vedas were taken from you.” Hearing her words, filled with both austerity and wonder, I asked, “Who are these men whom I saw within you? Please tell me, O beautiful one.” The maiden responded, “He who dwells within my body, with beautiful eyes and all limbs, is the god Nārāyaṇa himself, manifest as the Ṛgveda. Taking the form of fire, he swiftly burns away sins through recitation. The one you saw within his heart is Brahmā, of great might, abiding in the form of the Yajurveda. And seated upon his chest, pure and radiant, is Rudra in the form of the Sāmaveda—the swift destroyer of sins, remembered like the sun.” “These three are the great Vedas, O brāhmaṇa, remembered as three gods. They are the syllables beginning with ‘a’ and the sacrificial rites, O twice-born. All this I have told you in brief, O best of brāhmaṇas. Receive the Vedas, the scriptures, and omniscience, O Nārada. In this lake of the Vedas, perform your bath, O great vow-holder. By bathing here, you will remember your previous births, O noble one.” Having spoken thus, the maiden vanished from my sight. I, having bathed in that sacred lake, have now come here, desiring to see you. Hearing this, Priyavrata said, “O blessed one, tell me everything that happened in my previous birth. I am filled with great curiosity, O sage.” I replied, “O King, after I bathed in that lake of the Vedas and heard the words of Sāvitrī, in that very moment, I remembered a thousand previous births. Listen, and I will tell you the story of my former birth. There is a city called Avantī, O King, where I was once a foremost brāhmaṇa named Sārasvata, accomplished in the Vedas and their branches. Surrounded by many servants and blessed with abundant grain, I lived in the age called Kṛta, endowed with supreme wisdom. One day, contemplating in solitude, I thought, ‘What shall I do with all this?’ So, abandoning everything to my sons, I departed, my resolve set on asceticism, journeying swiftly to the Sarasvata lake. There, I worshipped Keśava through ritual acts, offering śrāddha to the ancestors, sacrifices to the gods, and offerings to other beings as well. With my mind fixed on austerity, I journeyed to the lake called Sarasvata, also known as Puṣkara. At that sacred place, I worshipped Viṣṇu, the ancient and auspicious Person, with devotion, reciting the mantra of Nārāyaṇa. By reciting the supreme hymn that leads to the highest Brahman, the Blessed Lord was pleased and appeared before me directly. Priyavrata then asked, “What is that supreme hymn to Brahman? I wish to hear it, O noble one. Kindly tell me, O devarṣi, with your mind so well disposed.” And so I spoke the hymn: “I bow always to the Supreme, the immortal of the immortals, the ancient, the transcendent, Viṣṇu of infinite power, the eternal Person, the ancient refuge, who has crossed beyond the highest. I bow to Hari, the Lord, the ancient, incomparable, and primeval God, who is both transcendent and immanent, who has crossed beyond, of fierce brilliance, the foremost among those of deep and profound intellect. I praise Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme among the supreme, the highest, the foremost, the pure abode, the vast one, the Lord beyond the highest, the ancient Person, with a purified heart. Long ago, when this world was void, He created it; then, as the prime Person, He remained established. Renowned among people, may that pure and ancient Nārāyaṇa be my refuge. I always praise Viṣṇu, the Supreme, the one of boundless form, the ancient, the foremost among the wise, who is steadfast in patience, upholder of peace, Lord of the earth, ever auspicious, of great glory. I praise Nārāyaṇa, the immortal Supreme Lord, with a thousand heads, endless feet, many arms, whose eyes are the moon and sun, the perishable and imperishable, who sleeps upon the ocean of milk. I bow to Nārāyaṇa, who is known through the three Vedas, who has triple, ninefold, and single forms, who abides in threefold purity, who is the threefold fire, the goal of the three principles, the Lord of three ages, the three-eyed, immeasurable. In the Kṛta age, He is white; in the Tretā age, red-bodied; in the Dvāpara, He is pure and ancient; and in Kali, I bow to Hari, whose self becomes dark. He who created the Brāhmaṇas from his mouth, the Kṣatriyas from his arms, the Vaiśyas from his thighs, and likewise the Śūdras from his feet—I bow to that all-formed, ancient One. I bow to Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme beyond the supreme, the one who has crossed beyond, the object of knowledge, Lord of warriors, who became Kṛṣṇa for the sake of action, holding mace and shield, with uplifted hand, immeasurable.” Thus praised, the best of gods, pleased with my devotion, spoke to me with a voice like thunderclouds, “Choose a boon.” In my heart, I desired dissolution into His very being. Hearing my wish, the eternal Lord of gods said, “O Brāhmaṇa, enter into this inexhaustible nature. After a thousand ages of Brahma, you will arise from that; your name and purpose will be given accordingly. Because you always offer water, called ‘nāra’, to the ancestors, you will be known by the name Nārada.” Having spoken thus, the god departed and vanished at once. Then, through austerity, I abandoned my body in due time. I entered dissolution within Brahma’s body, O King, and was born again, along with ten sons, at the beginning of the day. Thus, O King, you have heard the story of my previous birth and the divine vision that Sāvitrī bestowed upon me.