He who is known as the Supreme Lord—though untouched by any impurity and beyond all worldly descriptions—was invoked with reverence. May that Viṣṇu, the indwelling self of all embodied beings, show us his grace. He is both the cause and the effect, the origin even of the first cause, and the result even of the ultimate effect; may that Hari, the source and the outcome of all, be gracious to us. We bow to him who is the effect of the effect and the primal cause, who becomes both the doer and the deed. He is the cause of all causes and the reason behind every beginning; to you, Lord of the gods, we offer our salutations. He is the enjoyer and the enjoyed, the creator and the creation itself, the very nature of action and its result—unto that supreme state we bow. That which is pure consciousness, eternal, unborn, imperishable, unchanging, unmanifest, and untouched by transformation—that is the supreme state of Viṣṇu. That state is neither gross nor subtle, nor is it bound by any attribute; ever pure, it is Viṣṇu’s highest reality, and to that we always bow. In but a fraction of his countless aspects does the universal power abide; we bow to that imperishable form of the supreme Brahman. Even the gods, the sages, I myself, nor Śaṅkara, know that supreme state of Viṣṇu. Only the yogis, ever steadfast in discipline, perceive that imperishable state in the sacred syllable Om, when all virtue and sin have been transcended. From him, who existed before all, arise the powers of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and all the gods; his supreme state is that of Viṣṇu. O Lord of all, soul of every being, eternal refuge, imperishable one—be gracious to your devotees; let your form be revealed to us who long for your vision. Hearing these words, Brahmā and the assembled gods bowed deeply and implored: “Be gracious; come into our sight.” To you, O sustainer of the worlds, in whom all abides—whose supreme state even the blessed Brahmā does not know—we bow again, O imperishable one. When their praises concluded, Brahmā, the gods, and all the divine sages led by Bṛhaspati spoke in unison. To him who is the first, the origin of sacrifice, the ancestor of all, the creator of the world and the source of all creation, we bow with devotion. “O Blessed Lord, master of past and future, bearer of the universe’s form, imperishable one, be gracious to those who bow before you; grant a vision of yourself to all. Here stand Brahmā, Rudra with three eyes, all the Ādityas, Pūṣā, and Pāvaka with the fires. The Ashvins, the Vasus, Sāva, the Maruts, the Sādhyas, the Viśve Devas, and the lord of the gods, Devendra, are gathered here. “O Lord, all the hosts of gods, defeated by the armies of the Daityas, have come to you, bowing in reverence, seeking refuge.” Thus praised, O Maitreya, the Supreme Lord appeared before them, bearing the mighty bow Śārṅga and the discus. The gods beheld him, holding the bow, discus, and mace—a form of unprecedented majesty, a radiant mass of divine energy. Overwhelmed with awe, the gods, led by Brahmā the Grandfather, bowed low and praised the lotus-eyed Lord: “Salutations, endless salutations to you, the undifferentiated one. You are Brahmā, you are Śiva, Indra, Agni, Vāyu, Varuṇa, Sūrya, and Yama. You are the Vasus, the Maruts, the Sādhyas, and all the hosts of gods; this assembly of deities has come near you, O Lord. “You alone are the creator of the universe, for you pervade all. You are the sacrifice, the sacred syllable vaṣaṭ, the syllable om, and Prajāpati. You are both the knower and the known, the soul of all; the entire universe is filled with you. O Viṣṇu, conquered by the Daityas, we have come to you for refuge. “O soul of all, be gracious to us; restore our strength with your energy. May our suffering, desires, delusion, and sorrow persist only until we reach your refuge. Until we reach you, destroyer of all sins, as our haven, O gracious one, show your favor to us who have surrendered. O Lord of all radiance, restore the strength of all by your own power.” Thus praised by the gods who bowed before him, Hari, the creator of the universe, cast a gracious glance and spoke: “O gods, I will restore your strength. Tell me, O gods, what you desire to be done.” The gods replied, and Hari instructed them: “Bring together all the herbs, along with the Daityas, to the ocean of milk. Use Mount Mandara as the churning rod and Vāsuki as the rope. With my assistance, let the gods churn the ocean, and let the Daityas, through conciliation, join in this effort. You will be told that the fruits are to be shared equally, but whatever nectar arises from the churning— —by drinking that nectar, you gods will become strong and immortal. I will ensure that only the gods, not the Daityas, obtain the nectar; the others will gain only the labor.” Having received these instructions from the Lord of gods, all the gods made a pact with the asuras and set to work together for the nectar. Gathering various herbs, the gods, Daityas, and Dānavas cast them into the waters of the Milk Ocean, which shone like autumn clouds and flowering creepers. Using Mount Mandara as the churning rod and Vāsuki as the rope, they began to churn vigorously for the nectar, O Maitreya. All the gods together took hold of Vāsuki’s tail, while, by Krishna’s arrangement, the Daityas were stationed at his head. Thus, with the Supreme Lord’s guidance and presence, the great churning of the ocean commenced, the gods and Daityas striving together for the nectar of immortality.