Chapter 149

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Having heard all the duties in their entirety andall those sacred acts and objects that cleanse human beings of theirsins. Yudhishthira once more addressed the son of Santanu in thefollowing words.’

“Yudhishthira said, “Who may be said to be the one god in the world? Whomay be said to be the one object which is our sole refuge? Who is he byworshipping whom or hymning whose praises human being would get what isbeneficial? What religion is that which, according to thy judgment, isthe foremost of all religions? What are those Mantras by reciting which aliving creature becomes freed from the bonds of birth and life?’

“Bhishma said, ‘One should always, with alacrity and throwing away alllanguor, hymn the praises of that Lord of the universe, that god of gods(viz., Vasudeva), who is Infinite and the foremost of all Beings, byuttering His thousand names. By always worshipping with reverence anddevotion that immutable Being, by meditating on him, by hymning Hispraises and bowing the head unto Him, and by performing sacrifices untoHim, indeed by always praising Vishnu, who is without beginning andwithout end or destruction, who is the Supreme Lord of all the worlds,and who is the Master and Controller of the universe, one can succeed intranscending all sorrow. Verily, He is devoted to the Brahmanas,conversant with all duties and practices, the enhancer of the fame andachievement of all persons, the master of all the worlds, exceedinglywonderful, and the prime cause of the origin of all creatures. Even this,in my judgment, is the foremost religion of all religions, viz., oneshould always worship and hymn the praises of the lotus-eyed Vasudevawith devotion. He is the highest Energy. He is the highest Penance. He isthe highest Brahma. He is the highest refuge. He is the most holy of allholies, the most auspicious of all auspicious objects. He is the god ofall the gods and He is the immutable father of all creatures. On theadvent of the primal Yuga, all creatures spring from Him. On theexpiration, again of a Yuga, all things disappear in Him.[590] Hear, Oking, the thousand names, possessed of great efficacy in destroying sins,of that foremost one in all the worlds that Master of the universe, viz.,Vishnu. All those names derived from His attributes, secret andwell-known, of the high-souled Vasudeva which were sung by Rishis, Ishall recite to thee for the good of all. They are, Om! He that entersall things, besides Himself, He that covers all things, He unto whomsacrificial libations are poured, the Lord of the Past, the Present, andthe Future, the Creator (or Destroyer) of all existent things, theupholder of all existent things, the Existent, the Soul of all, theOriginator of all things (I–IX); of cleansed Soul, the Supreme Soul, thehighest Refuge of all emancipated persons, the Immutable, He that liesenclosed in a case, the Witness, He that knows the material case in whichHe resides, the Indestructible (X–XVII);[591] He upon whom the mindrests during Yoga-abstraction, the Guide or leader of all personsconversant with Yoga, the Lord of both Pradhana (or Prakriti) andPurusha. He that assumed a human form with a leonine head, He of handsomefeatures and equipments, He of beautiful hair, the foremost of Purushas(XVIII–XXIV);[592] the embodiment of all things, the Destroyer of allthings, He that transcends the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas andTamas, the Motionless, the Beginning of all things, the Receptacle intowhich all things sink at the universal Dissolution, the Immutable, He whotakes birth at his own will, He who causes the acts of all livingcreatures to fructify (in the form of weal or woe) the Upholder of allthings, the Source from which the primal elements have sprung, thePuissant One, He in whom is the unbounded Lordship over all things(XXV–XXXVII);[593] the Self-born, He that gives happiness to Hisworshippers, the presiding Genius (of golden form) in the midst of theSolar disc, the Lotus-eyed, Loud-voiced, He that is without beginning andwithout end. He that upholds the universe (in the form of Ananta andothers), He that ordains all acts and their fruits, He that is superiorto the Grandsire Brahma (XXXVIII–XLVI);[594] the Immeasurable, the Lordof the senses (or He that has curled locks), He from whose navel theprimeval lotus sprang, the Lord of all the deities, the Artificer of theuniverse, the Mantra, He that weakens or emaciates all things, He that isvast, the Ancient one, He that is enduring (XLVII–LVI).[595] He that isincapable of being seized (by either the senses or the mind), the EternalOne, Krishna, the Red-eyed, He that kills all creatures at the time ofthe universal dissolution, He that is vast for knowledge and puissanceand other attributes of the kind, He that resides in three parts (above,middle, and below) of every, creature. That which cleanses, isauspicious, and high (LVII–LXIV).[596] He that urges all creatures inrespect of all their acts. He that causes the life-breaths to act. Hethat causes all living creatures to live, the Eldest, the Foremost of allthose that are regarded as the Lords of all creatures, He that has goldin his abdomen, He that has the Earth for his abdomen, the Lord of Sri orLakshmi, the Slayer of Madhu (LXV–LXXII)[597]: the Omnipotent, He thatis endued with great prowess, He that is armed with the bow, He that isPossessed of a mind capable of bearing the contents of all treatises, Hethat roves through the universe, riding on Garuda. He that is well suitedto the offerings made unto Him and that has the power to enjoy themproperly, the Unrivalled, He that is incapable of being discomfited, Hethat knows all acts that are done, He that is identical with all acts, Hethat rests on His own true self (LXXIV–LXXXIV)[598] the Lord of all thedeities, He that is the Refuge of all, the embodiment of the highestfelicity, He whose seed is the universe, He that is the source of allthings, the day (in consequence of His awakening Jiva who is steeped inthe sleep of Nescience), the Year, the Snake (owing to His beingincapable of being seized), the embodiment of Conviction, He that seesall things (LXXXV–XCIV):[599] the Unborn, the Lord of all creatures, Hethat has achieved success, He that is Success itself, He that is thebeginning of all things (in consequence of His being the cause of allthings), He that is above deterioration, He that is Righteousness in theform of the bovine bull and the great boar that raised the submergedEarth, He that is of immeasurable soul, He that stands aloof from allkinds of union (XCV–CIII);[600] He that is Pauaka among the deitiescalled Vasus (or, He that dwells in His worshippers). He that is liberalsoul, being freed from wrath and hatred and pride and other evilpassions. Truth whose soul is equable in consequence of His thoroughimpartiality, He that has been measured by His worshippers, He that isalways equal, being above all change or modification, He that neverrefuses to grant the wishes of His worshippers, He whose eyes are likethe petals of the lotus, He whose acts are always characterised byRighteousness (or He who is always engaged in granting the wishes ofthose that are devoted to Him), He that is of the form of Righteousness(CIV–CXIII); He that destroys all creatures (or their pains), the Manyheaded, He that upholds the universe, He that is the source of theuniverse, He who is of pure or spotless fame, the Immortal One He that isEternal and Fixed, He that is possessed of beautiful limbs, (or, He theascension unto whom is the best of all acts), He who has such knowledgehaving penance for its indication that He is able to agitable Prakritifor evolving the universe out of her (CXIV–CXXII); He that goeseverywhere (in the sense of pervading all things as their cause), theOmniscient One, He that blazes forth in unmodified effulgence, He whosetroops are everywhere (in the form of devoted associates), (or He atwhose very sight the Danava troops are scattered in all directions). Hethat is coveted (or sought) by all (or, He that grinds all His foes), Hethat is the Veda, He that is conversant with the Veda, He that isconversant with all the limbs (or branches) of the Veda, He thatrepresents the limbs (or branches) of the Veda (i.e., all the subsidiarysciences), He that settles the interpretations of the Vedas, He that hasno superior in wisdom (CXXIII–CXXXIII); He that is the master of all theworlds, He that is the master of the deities, He that is the Supervisorof both Righteousness and Unrighteousness (for giving the fruits thereofto those that seek the one or the other), He that is both Effect andCause, (or, He whose life has not been determined by acts achieved on anyprevious occasion in consequence of His transcending Prakriti). He thatis four-souled (in consequence of His four forms of Aniruddha, Pradyumna,Sankarshana and Vasudeva). He that is known by four forms (as above), Hethat has four horns (which appeared on Him when He had assumed a humanform with a lion’s head for slaying the Asura chief Hiranya-Kasipu), Hethat has four arms (for holding the conch, discus, mace, and lotus)(CXXXIV–CXLI); He that blazes forth in effulgence, He that is the giverof food and cherishes those that are good; He that does not bear or putup with those that are wicked, (or, He that puts up with the occasionaltransgressions of his devotees); He that existed before the universestarted into life; He that is stainless; He that is ever victorious; Hethat vanquishes the very deities; He that is the material cause of theuniverse; He that repeatedly resides in material causes (CXLII–CL); Hethat is the younger brother of Indra, (or He that transcends Indra inaccomplishments and attributes). He that took birth as a dwarf (fromAditi by her husband Kasyapa in order to beguile the Asura king Vali ofthe sovereignty of the three worlds, and bestow the same upon Indra whohad been dispossessed of it), He that is tall (in allusion to the vastuniversal form of His which He assumed at the sacrifice of Vali forcovering Heaven, Earth, and the Nether regions with three steps of His).He whose acts are never futile, He that cleanses (those that worship Him,those that hear of Him and those that think of Him), He that is enduedwith pre-eminent energy and strength, He that transcends Indra in allattributes, He that accepts all His worshippers, He that is the Creationitself in consequence of His being the Causes thereof, He that upholdsHis self in the same form without being ever subject to birth, growth, ordeath, He that sustains all creatures in their respective functions inthe ‘universe, He that controls the hearts of all creatures (CLI–CLXII);He that deserves to be known by those who wish to achieve what is fortheir highest good; He who is the celestial physician in the form ofDhanwantari, (or He who cures that foremost of all diseases, viz., thebonds that bind one to the world); He that is always engaged in Yoga; Hethat slays great Asuras for establishing Righteousness; He that is theLord of that Lakshmi who sprang from the ocean when it was churned by thedeities and the Asuras, (or, He that cherishes both the goddesses ofprosperity and learning); He that is honey (in consequence of thepleasure He gives to those that succeed in having a taste of him); Hethat transcends the senses (or is invisible to those that turn away fromHim); He that is possessed of great powers of illusion (manifested in Hisbeguiling Mahadeva and the deities on many occasions); He that puts forthgreat energy (in achieving mighty feats); He that transcends all in might(CLXIII–CLXXII); He that transcends all in intelligence; He thattranscends all in puissance; He that transcends all in ability; He thatdiscovers the universe by the effulgence emanating from his body; Hewhose body is incapable of being ascertained by the eye (or any othersense organ of knowledge); He that is possessed of every beauty; He whosesoul is incapable of being comprehended by either deities or men; He thatheld on his back, in the form of the vast tortoise, the huge mountain,Mandara, which was made the churning staff by the deities and the Asuraswhen they set themselves to churn the great ocean for obtaining therefromall the valuables hid in its bosom; (or, He who held up the mountains ofGovardhana in the woods of Brinda for protecting the denizens of thatdelightful place, who were especial objects of His kindness, from thewrath of Indra who poured incessant showers for days together with a viewto drowning every thing) (CLXXIII–CLXXX); He that can shoot His shaftsto a great distance, piercing through obstruction of every kind; He thatraised the submerged Earth, having assumed the form of the mighty Boar;He on whose bosom dwells the goddess of Prosperity; (or He that isidentical with Kama, the lord of Rati); He that is the Refuge of thosethat are righteous; He that is incapable of being won without thoroughdevotion; (or, He that is incapable of being immured or restrained by anyone putting forth his powers); He that is the delight of the deities, or,He that is the embodiment of fullness of joy; He that rescued thesubmerged Earth; (or He that understands the hymns addressed to him byHis devotees); He that is the Master of ell eloquent persons (or He thatdispels the calamities of all those who know him) (CLXXXL–CLXXXVIII); Hethat is full of blazing effulgence) He that suppressed the afflictions ofHis adorers; (or, He that assumes the form of Yama, the universalDestroyer, for chastising all persons that fall away from their duties);He that assumed the form of a Swan for communicating the Vedas to theGrandsire Brahman; (or, He that enters into the bodies of all persons);He that has Garuda, the prince of the feathery denizens of the welkin,for His vehicle; He that is the foremost of snakes in consequence of Hisidentity with Sesha or Ananta who upholds on his head the vast Earth,(or, He that has the hood of the prince of snakes for His bed while Helies down to sleep on the vast expansion of water after the dissolutionof the universe); He whose navel is as beautiful as gold; He thatunderwent the severest austerities in the form of Narayana at Vadari onthe breast of Himavat; He whose navel resembles a lotus; (or, He fromwhose navel sprang the primeval lotus in which the Grandsire Brahma wasborn); He that is the Lord of all creatures (CLXXXIX–CXCVII); He thattranscends death; (or, He that wards off Death from those that aredevoted to him); He that always casts a kind eye on His worshippers; (or,He that sees all things in the universe); He that destroys all things;(or, He that drenches with nectar all those that worship Him withsingle-minded devotion); He that is the Ordainer of all ordainers; (or,He that unites all persons with the consequences of their acts); He thathimself enjoys and endures the fruits of all acts, (or, He that assumedthe form of Rama, the son of Dasaratha, and going into exile at thecommand of His sire made a treaty with Sugriva the chief of the Apes foraiding him in the recovery of his kingdom from the grasp of his elderbrother Vali in return for the assistance which Sugriva promised Him forrecovering from Ravana His wife Sita who had been ravished by thatRakshasa and borne away to his island home in Lanka), He that is alwaysof the same form; (or, He that is exceedingly affectionate unto Hisworshippers); He that is always moving; (or, He that is of the form ofKama who springs up in the heart of every creature); He that is incapableof being endured by Danavas and Asuras (or, He that rescued His wife Sitaafter slaying Ravana, or, He that shows compassion towards even Chandalasand members of other low castes when they approach Him with devotion, inallusion to His friendship, in the form of Rama, for Guhaka the chief ofthe Chandalas, inhabiting the country known by the name ofSringaverapura); He that chastises the wicked; (or, He that regulates theconduct of all persons by the dictates of the Srutis and the Smritis); Hewhose soul has true knowledge for its indication; (or, He that destroyedRavana, the foe of the gods, having assumed the form of Rama that wasfull of compassion and other amiable virtues); He that destroys the foesof the deities (or, He that slays those who obstruct or forbid the givingof presents unto deserving persons) (CXCVII–CCVIII); He that is theinstructor in all sciences and the father of all; He that is theinstructor of even the Grandsire Brahma; He that is the abode or restingplace of all creatures; He that is the benefactor of those that are goodand is free from the stain of falsehood; He whose prowess is incapable ofbeing baffled; He that never casts his eye on such acts as are notsanctioned or approved by the scriptures; He that casts his eye on suchacts as are sanctioned or approved by the scriptures; (or, He whose eyenever winks or sleeps); He that wears the unfading garland of victorycalled by the name of Vaijayanti; He that is the Lord of speech and thatis possessed of great liberality insomuch that He rescued the lowest ofthe low and the vilest of the vile by granting them His grace(CCLX–CCXVIII); He that leads persons desirous of Emancipation to theforemost of all conditions, viz., Emancipation itself; (or, He thatassumes the form of a mighty Fish and scudding through the vast expanseof waters that cover the Earth when the universal dissolution comes, anddragging the boat tied to His horns, leads Manu and others to safety); Hethat is the leader of all creatures; (or, He that sports in the vastexpanse of waters which overwhelm all things at the universaldissolution); He whose words are the Veda and who rescued the Vedas whenthey were submerged in the waters at the universal dissolution; He thatis the accomplisher of all functions in the universe; He that assumes theform of the wind for making all living creatures act or exert themselves;(or, He whose motions are always beautiful, or, who wishes His creaturesto glorify Him); He that is endued with a thousand heads; He that is theSoul of the universe and as such pervades all things; He that has athousand eyes and a thousand legs; (CCXIX–CCXXVI); He that causes thewheel of the universe to revolve at His will; He whose soul is freed fromdesire and who transcends those conditions that invest Jiva and to whichJiva is liable; He that is concealed from the view of all persons thatare attached to the world; (or, He that has covered the eyes of allpersons with the bandage of nescience); He that grinds those that turnaway from him; He that sets the days a-going in consequence of His beingidentical with the Sun; He that is the destroyer of all-destroying Timeitself; He that conveys the libations poured on the sacred fire untothose for whom they are intended; (or, He that bears the universe,placing it on only a minute fraction of His body); He that has nobeginning; (or, He that has no fixed habitation) He that upholds theEarth in space (in the form of Sesha, or, rescues her in the form of themighty boar or supports her as a subtil pervader) (CCXXVII–CCXXXV); Hethat is exceedingly inclined to grace, insomuch that He grants happinessto even foes like Sisupala; He that has been freed from the attributes ofRajas (passion) and Tamas (darkness) so that He is pure or stainlessSattwa by itself; (or, He that has obtained the fruition of all Hiswishes); He that supports the universe; He that feeds (or enjoys theuniverse); He that is displayed in infinite puissance; He that honoursthe deities, the Pitris, and His own worshippers; He that is honoured oradored by those that are themselves honoured or adored by others; (or, Hewhose acts are all beautiful and enduring); He that accomplishes thepurposes of others; (or, He that is the benefactor of others); He thatwithdraws all things unto Himself at the universal dissolution; (or, Hethat destroys the foes of the deities or of His worshippers); He that hasthe waters for his home; (or, He that is the sole Refuge of all creaturesor He that destroys the ignorance of all creatures (CCXXXVI–CCXLVI); Hethat is distinguished above all, He that cherishes the righteous, He thatcleanses all the worlds, He that crowns with fruition the desires of allcreatures, He whose wishes are always crowned with fruition, He thatgives success to all, He that bestows success upon those that solicit Himfor it (CCXLVII–CCLVI); He that presides over all sacred days; (or, Hethat overwhelms Indra himself with His own excellent attributes), He thatshowers all objects of desire upon His worshippers, He that walks overall the universe, He that offers the excellent flight of stepsconstituted by Righteousness (unto those that desire to ascend to thehighest place); He that has Righteousness in His abdomen; (or, He thatprotects Indra even as a mother protects the child in her womb); He thataggrandises (His worshippers), He that spreads Himself out for becomingthe vast universe, He that is aloof from all things (though pervadingthem); He that is the receptacle of the ocean of Srutis (CCLVII–CCLXIV);He that is possessed of excellent arms (i.e., arms capable of upholdingthe universe); He that is incapable of being borne by any creature, Hefrom whom flowed the sounds called Brahman (or Veda), He that is the Lordof all Lords of the universe, He that is the giver of wealth, He thatdwells in His own puissance, He that is multiform, He that is of vastform, He that resides in the form of Sacrifice in all animals, He thatcauses all things to be displayed (CCLXV–CCLXXIV), He that is enduedwith great might, energy, and splendour; He that displays Himself invisible forms to His worshippers, He that scorches the unrighteous withHis burning energy, He that is enriched with the sixfold attributes (ofaffluence, etc.), He that imparted the Veda to the Grandsire Brahma, Hethat is of the form of the Samans, Riks, and Yajuses (of the Veda); Hethat soothes His worshippers burning with the afflictions of the worldlike the rays of the moon cooling all living creatures of the world, Hethat is endued with blazing effulgence like the sun (CCLXXV–CCLXXXII);He from whose mind has sprung the moon, He that blazes forth in His owneffulgence, He that nourishes all creatures even like the luminary markedby the hare, He that is the Master of the deities, He that is the greatmedicine for the disease of worldly attachment, He that is the greatcauseway of the universe, He that is endued with knowledge and otherattributes that are never futile and with prowess that is incapable ofbeing baffled (CCLXXXIII–CCLXXXIX); He that is solicited by allcreatures at all times, viz., the Past, the Present, and the Future; Hethat rescues his worshippers by casting kind glances upon them, He thatsanctifies even them that are sacred; He that merges the life-breath inthe Soul; (or, He that assumes diverse forms for protecting both theEmancipated and the Unemancipated); He that kills the desires of thosethat are Emancipated; (or, He that prevents evil desires from arising inthe minds of His worshippers); He that is the sire of Kama (the principleof desire or lust); He that is most agreeable, He that is desired by allcreatures, He that grants the fruition of all desires, He that has theability to accomplishing all acts (CCXC–CCXCIX); He that sets the fourYugas to begin their course; He that causes the Yugas to continuallyrevolve as on a wheel, He that is endued with the diverse kinds ofillusion (and, therefore, the cause from which spring the different kindsof acts that distinguish the different Yugas); He that is the greatest ofeaters (in consequence of His swallowing all things at the end of everyKalpa); He that is incapable of being seized (by those that are not Hisworshippers); He that is manifest (being exceedingly vast); He thatsubjugates thousands of foes (of the deities); He that subjugatesinnumerable foes (CCC–CCCVIII); He that is desired (by even theGrandsire and Rudra, or He that is adored in sacrifices); He that isdistinguished above all; He that is desired by those that are endued withwisdom and righteousness; He that has an ornament of (peacock’s) featherson His headgear; He that stupefies all creatures with His illusion; Hethat showers His grace on all His worshippers; He that kills the wrath ofthe righteous; He that fills the unrighteous with wrath; He that is theaccomplisher of all acts; He who holds the universe on his arms; He thatupholds the Earth (CCCIX–CCCXVIII); He that transcends the sixwell-known modifications (of inception, birth or appearance growth,maturity, decline, and dissolution); He that is endued with greatcelebrity (in consequence of His feats); He that causes all livingcreatures to live (in consequence of His being the all-pervading soul);He that gives life; the younger brother of Vasava (in the form of Upendraor the dwarf); He that is the receptacle of all the waters in theuniverse; He that covers all creatures (in consequence of His being thematerial cause of everything); He that is never heedless (being alwaysabove error); He that is established on His own glory (CCCXIX–CCCXXVII);He that flows in the form of nectar; (or, He that dries up all things);He upholds the path of righteousness; He that bears the burden of theuniverse; He that gives desirable boons unto those that solicit them: Hethat causes the winds to blow; He that is the son of Vasudeva; (or, Hethat covers the universe with His illusions and sports in the midst ofit); He that is endued with extraordinary lustre; He that is theoriginating cause of the deities; He that pierces all hostile towns(CCCXXVIII–CCCXXXVI); He that transcends all sorrow and grief; He thatleads us safely across the ocean of life or the world; He that dispelsfrom the hearts of all His worshippers the fear of rebirth; He that ispossessed of infinite courage and prowess; He that is an offspring ofSura’s race; He that is the master of all living creatures; He that isinclined to show His grace unto all; He that has come on earth for ahundred times (for rescuing the good, destroying the wicked, andestablishing righteousness); He that holds a lotus in one of his hands;He whose eyes resemble the petals of the lotus (CCCXXXVII–CCCXLVI); Hefrom whose navel sprang the primeval lotus; (or, He that is seated upon alotus); He that is endued with eyes resembling the petals of the lotus;He that is adored by even worshippers as one seated within the lotus ofHis hearts; He that assumed the form of embodied Jiva (through His ownillusion); He that is endued with puissance of every kind; He that growsin the form of the five primal elements; the Ancient Soul; He that isendued with vast eyes; He that has Garuda sitting on the standard of Hiscar (CCCXLVII–CCCCLV); He that is incomparable; the Sarabha (thelion-killing animal); He that strikes the wicked with terror; He thatknows everything that has occurred in Time; He that accepts, in the formsof the deities, the butter poured on the sacrificial fire; He that isknown by all kinds of evidence or proof; He upon whose breast sitsProsperity always; He that is victorious in every battle(CCCLVI–CCCLXIV); He that is above destruction; He that assumes a redform; (or, becomes wrathful unto the enemies of His worshippers); He thatis an object of search with the righteous; He that is at the root of allthings; He that has the mark of the string around his abdomen (for Yasodahad bound Him with a cord while He was Krishna); He that bears orforgives all injuries; He that upholds the Earth in the form of hermountains; He that is the foremost of all objects of worship; He that isendued with great speed; He that swallows vast quantities of food(CCCLXV–CCCLXXIV); He that caused the creation to start into life; Hethat always agitates both Prakriti and Purusha; He that shines withresplendence; (or, sports in joy); He that has puissance in his stomach;He that is the Supreme Master of all; He that is the material out ofwhich the universe has been made; He that is the cause or Agent who hasmade the universe: He that is independent of all things; He that ordainsvariety in the universe; He that is incapable of being comprehended; Hethat renders Himself invisible by the screen of illusion(CCCLXXV–CCCLXXXV); He that is Chit divested of all attributes; He onwhom all things rest; He in whom all things reside when the universaldissolution comes; He that assigns the foremost place to those thatworship Him; He that is durable; He that is endued with the highestpuissance; He that has been glorified in the Vedanta; He that iscontented; He that is always full; He whose glance is auspicious(CCCLXXXVI–CCCXCV); He that fills all Yogins with delight; He that isthe end of all creatures (for it is in Him that all things merge at theuniversal dissolution); He that is the faultless Path; He that in theform of Jiva, leads to Emancipation; He that leads (Jiva toEmancipation); He that has none to lead Him; He that is endued with greatmight; He that is the foremost of all beings possessed of might; He thatuphold He that is the foremost of all Beings conversant with duty andreligion (CCCXCVI–CDIV); He that joins, at the time of creation, thedisunited elements for forming all objects; He that resides in allbodies; He that causes all creatures to act in the form of Kshetrajna; Hethat creates all creatures after destroying them at the universaldissolution; He unto whom every one bows with reverence; He that isextended over the entire universe; He that owns the primeval golden eggas his abdomen (whence, as from the female uterus), everything proceeds;He that destroys the foes of the deities; He that overspreads all things(being the material cause whence they spring); He that spreads sweetperfumes; He that disregards the pleasures of the senses (CDV–CDXV); Hethat is identifiable with the seasons; He at whose sight alone allworshippers succeed in obtaining the great object of their wish; He thatweakens all creatures; He that dwells in the firmament of the heart,depending upon His own glory and puissance; He that is capable of beingknown everywhere (in consequence of His omnipresence); He that inspireseveryone with dread; He in whom all creatures dwell; He that is clever inaccomplishing all acts; He that constitutes the rest of all creatures(being, as He is, the embodiment of Emancipation); He that is endued withcompetence greater than that of other Beings (CDXVI–CDXXV); He in whomthe whole Universe is spread out? He that is Himself immobile and in whomall things rest for ever; He that is an object of proof; He that is theIndestructible and unchanging seed; He that is sought by all (inconsequence of His being happiness); He that has no desire (inconsequence of all His desires having been gratified); He that is thegreat cause (which covers the universe): He that has all sorts of thingsto enjoy; He that has great wealth wherewith to secure all objects ofdesire (CDXXVI–CDXXXIV); He that is above despair; He that exists in theform of Renunciation; He that is without birth; He that is the stake untowhich Righteousness is tethered; He that is the great embodiment ofsacrifice; He who is the nave of the starry wheel that revolves in thefirmament;[601] He that is the Moon among the constellations; He that iscompetent to achieve every feat; He that stays in His own soul when allthings disappear He that cherishes the desire for Creation(CDXXXV–CDXLIV); He that is the embodiment of all sacrifices; He that isadored in all sacrifices and religious rites; He that is the mostadorable of the deities present in the sacrifices that men perform; Hethat is the embodiment of all such sacrifices in which animals areoffered up according to the ordinance; He that is adored by personsbefore they take any food;[602] He that is the Refuge of those that seekemancipation; He that beholds the acts and omissions of all creatures; Hewhose soul transcends all attributes; He that is possessed ofomniscience; He that is identical with knowledge that is unacquired,unlimited, and capable of accomplishing everything (CDXLV–CDLIV); Hethat is observant of excellent vows (chief amongst which is the grantingof favour unto one that solicits it with a pure heart); He that has aface always full of delight; He that is exceedingly subtle; He thatutters the most agreeable sounds (in the form of the Veda or as Krishnaplaying on the lute); He that gives happiness (to all His worshippers);He that does good to others without expecting any return; He that fillsall creatures with delight; He that has subdued wrath; He that has mightyarms (so mighty that He has slain as if in sport the mightiest ofAsuras); He that tears those that are unrighteous (CDLV–CDLXIV); He thatcauses those persons who are destitute of knowledge of the soul to besteeped in the deep sleep of His illusion; He that relies on Himself(being entirely independent of all persons and things); He thatoverspreads the entire universe; He that exists in infinite forms; Hethat is engaged in vocations infinite in number; He that lives ineverything; He that is full of affection towards all His worshippers; Hethat is the universal father (all living creatures of the universe beingas calves sprung from Him); He that holds, in the form of the vast Ocean,all jewels and gems in His abdomen, He that is the Lord of all treasures(CDLXV–CDLXXIV); He that is the protector of righteousness; He thataccomplishes all the duties of righteousness; He that is the substratumof righteousness; He that is existent for all time; He that isnon-existent (in the form of the universe, for the manifested universe isthe result of illusion); He that is destructible (in the form of theuniverse); He that is indestructible as Chit; He that is, in the form ofJiva, destitute of true knowledge; He that is, in the form of the Sun, isendued with a thousand rays; He that ordains (even all such great andmighty creatures as Sesha and Garuda, etc.); He that has created all theSastras (CDLXXV–CDLXXXV); He that exists, in the form of the Sun, as thecentre of innumerable rays of light; He that dwells in all creatures; Hethat is possessed of great prowess; He that is the Master of even Yamaand others of similar puissance; He that is the oldest of the deities(existing as He does from the beginning); He that exists in His ownglory, casting off all conditions; He that is the Lord of even all thedeities; He that is the ruler of even him that upholds the deities (viz.,Indra) (CDLXXXVI–CDXCIII); He that transcends birth and destruction; Hethat tended and protected kine (in the form of Krishna); He thatnourishes all creatures; He that is approachable by knowledge alone; Hethat is Ancient; He that upholds the elements which constitute the body;He that enjoys and endures (weal and woe, in the form of Jiva); He thatassumed the form of a vast Boar; (or, He that, in the form of Rama, wasthe Lord of a large monkey host); He that gave plentiful presents untoall in a grand sacrifice performed by Him (CDXCIV–DII); He that drinksSoma in every sacrifice; He that drinks nectar; He that, in the form ofSoma (Chandramas), nourishes all the herbs and plants; He that conquersfoes in a trice when even they are infinite in number; He that is ofuniversal form and is the foremost of all existent entities; He that isthe chastiser; He that is victorious over all; He whose purposes areincapable of being baffled; He that deserves gifts; He that gives whatHis creatures have not and who protects what they have (DIII–DXII); Hethat holds the life-breaths; He that beholds all His creatures as objectsof direct vision; He that never beholds anything beside His own Self; Hethat gives emancipation; He whose footsteps (three in number) coveredHeaven, Earth, and the Nether regions; He who is the receptacle of allthe water; He that overwhelms all Space, all Time, and all things; Hethat lies on the vast expanse of waters after the universal dissolution;He that causes the destruction of all things (DXIII–DXXI); He that iswithout birth; He that is exceedingly adorable; He that appears in Hisown nature; He that has conquered all foes (in the form of wrath andother evil passions); He that delights those that meditate on Him; Hethat is joy; He that fills others with delight; He that swells with allcauses of delight; He that has truth and other virtues for Hisindications; He whose foot steps are in the three worlds (DXXII–DXXX);He that is the first of the Rishis (being conversant with the entireVedas); He that is identical with the preceptor Kapila; He that is theknower of the Universe; He that is Master of the Earth; He that has theirfeet; He that is the guardian of the deities; He that has large horns (inallusion to the piscatory form in which He saved Manu on the occasion ofthe universal deluge by scudding through the waters with Manu’s boat tiedto His horns); He that exhausts all acts by causing their doers to enjoyor endure their fruits; (or, He that grinds the Destroyer himself)(DXXXI–DXXXVIII); the great Boar: He that is understood or apprehendedby the aid of the Vedanta; He that has beautiful troops (in the form ofHis worshippers); He that is adorned with golden armlets; He that isconcealed (being knowledge with the aid of the Upanishads only); He thatis deep (in knowledge and puissance); He that is difficult of access; Hethat transcends both word and thought, that is armed with the discus andthe mace (DXXXIX–DXLVII); the Ordainer; He that is the cause (in theform of helper of the universe); He that has never been vanquished; Hethat is the Island-born Krishna; He that is enduring (in consequence ofHis transcending decay): He that mows all things and is Himself abovedeterioration; the Varuna (the deity of the waters); the son of Varuna(in the form of Vasishtha or Agastya); He that is immovable as a tree; Hethat is displayed in His own true form in the lotus of the heart; He thatcreates, preserves, and destroys by only a fiat of the mind(DXLVIII–DLVIII); He that is possessed of the sixfold attributes (ofsovereignty etc.); He that destroys the sixfold attributes (at theuniversal dissolution); He that is felicity (in consequence of Hisswelling with all kinds of prosperity); He that is adorned with thetriumphal garland (called Vaijayanta); He that is armed with the plough(in allusion to His incarnation as Valadeva); He that took birth from thewomb of Aditi (in the form of the dwarf that beguiled Vali); He that isendued with effulgence like unto the Sun’s; He that endures all pairs ofopposites (such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, etc.); He that isthe foremost Refuge of all things (DLIX–DLXVIII); He that is armed withthe best of bows (called Saranga); He that was divested of His battle-axe(by Rama of Bhrigu’s race);[603] He that is fierce; He that is the giverof all objects of desire; He that is so tall as to touch the very heavenswith his head (in allusion to the form He assumed at Valis sacrifice); Hewhose vision extends over the entire universe; He that is Vyasa (whodistributed the Vedas); He that is the Master of speech or all learning;He that has started into existence without the intervention of genitalorgans (DLXVIII–DLXXVI); He that is hymned with the three (foremost)Samans; He that is the singer of the Samans; He that is the Extinction ofall worldly attachments (in consequence of His being the embodiment ofRenunciation); He that is the Medicine; He that is the Physician (whoapplies the medicine); He that has ordained the fourth or last mode oflife called renunciation (for enabling His creatures to attain toemancipation); He that causes the passions of His worshippers to bequieted (with a view to give them tranquillity of soul); He that iscontented (in consequence of His utter dissociation with all worldlyobjects); He that is the Refuge of devotion and tranquillity of Soul(DLXXVII–DLXXXV); He that is possessed of beautiful limbs; He that isthe giver of tranquillity of soul; He that is Creator; He that sports injoy on the bosom of the earth; He that sleeps (in Yoga) lying on the bodyof the prince of snakes, Sesha, after the universal dissolution; theBenefactor of kine; (or, He that took a human form for relieving theearth of the weight of her population); the Master of the universe; theProtector of the universe; He that is endued with eyes like those of thebull; He that cherishes Righteousness with love (DLXXXVI–DXCV): He thatis the unreturning hero; He whose soul has been withdrawn from allattachments; He that reduces to a subtle form the universe at the time ofthe universal dissolution; He that does good to His afflictedworshippers; He whose name, as soon as heard, cleanses the hearer of allhis sins; He who has the auspicious whorl on His breast; He in whomdwells the goddess of Prosperity for ever; He who was chosen by Lakshmi(the goddess of Prosperity) as her Lord; He that is the foremost one ofall Beings endued with prosperity (DXCVI–DCIV); He that give prosperityunto His worshippers; the Master of prosperity; He that always lives withthose that are endued with prosperity; He that is the receptacle of allkinds of prosperity; He that gives prosperity unto all persons ofrighteous acts according to the measure of their righteousness; He thatholds the goddess of Prosperity on his bosom; He that bestows prosperityupon those that hear of, praise, and mediate on Him; He that is theembodiment of that condition which represents the attainment ofunattainable happiness; He that is possessed of every kind of beauty; Hethat is the Refuge of the three worlds (DCV–DCXIV); He that is possessedof beautiful eye; He that is possessed of beautiful limbs; He that ispossessed of a hundred sources of delight; He that represents the highestdelight; He that is the Master of all the luminaries in the firmament(for it is He that maintains them in their places and orbits); He thathas subjugated His soul; He whose soul is not swayed by any superiorBeing; He that is always of beautiful acts; He whose doubts have all beendispelled (for He is said to behold the whole universe as an Amlaka inHis palm) (DCXV–DCXXIII); He that transcends all creatures; He whosevision extends in all directions: He that has no Master; He that at alltimes transcends all changes; He that (in the form of Rama) had to liedown on that bare ground; He that adorns the earth (by His incarnations);He that is puissance’s self; He that transcends all grief; He thatdispels the griefs of all His worshippers as soon as they remember His(DCXXIV–DCXXXII); He that is possessed of effulgence, He that isworshipped by all; He that is the water-pot (as all things reside withinHim); He that is of pure soul; He that cleanses all as soon as they hearof him; He that is free and unrestrained; He whose car never turns awayfrom battles; He that is possessed of great wealth; He whose prowess isincapable of being measured (DCXXXIII–DCXLI); He that is the slayer ofthe Asura named Kalanemi; He that is the Hero; He that has taken birth inthe race of Sura; He that is the Lord of all the deities; the soul of thethree worlds; the Master of the three worlds; He that has the solar andlunar rays for his hair; the slayer of Kesi; He that destroys all things(at the universal dissolution) (DCXLII–DCL); the Deity from whom thefruition of all desires is sought; He that grants the wishes of all; Hethat has desires; He that has a handsome form; He that is endued withthorough knowledge of Srutis and Smritis; He that is possessed of a formthat is indescribable by attributes; He whose brightest rays overwhelmheaven; He that has no end; He that (in the form of Arjuna or Nara)acquired vast wealth on the occasion of his campaign of conquest(DCLI–DCLX); He who is the foremost object of silent recitation, ofsacrifice, of the Vedas, and of all religious acts; He that is thecreator of penances and the like; He that is the form of (the grandsire)Brahman, He that is the augmentor of penances; He that is conversant withBrahma; He that is of the form of Brahmana; He that has for His limbs Himthat is called Brahma; He that knows all the Vedas and everything in theuniverse; He that is always fond of Brahmanas and of whom the Brahmanasalso are fond (DCLXI–DCLXX); He whose footsteps cover vast areas; Hewhose feats are mighty; He who is possessed of vast energy; He that isidentical with Vasuki, the king of the snakes; He that is the foremost ofall sacrifices; He that is Japa, that first of sacrifices; He that is theforemost of all offerings made in sacrifices (DCLXXI–DCLXXVIII);[604] Hethat is hymned by all; He that loves to be hymned (by his worshippers);He that is himself the hymns uttered by His worshippers; He that is thevery act of hymning; He that is the person that hymns; He that is fond ofbattling (with everything that is evil); He that is full in everyrespect; He that fills others with every kind of affluence; He thatdestroys all sins as soon as He is remembered; He whose acts are allrighteous; He that transcends all kinds of disease (DCLXXIX–DCLXXXIX);He that is endued with the speed of the mind; He that is the creator andpromulgator of all kinds of learning; He whose vital seed is gold; Hethat is giver of wealth (being identical with Kuvera the Lord oftreasures); He that takes away all the wealth of the Asuras; the son ofVasudeva; He in whom all creatures dwell; He whose mind dwells in allthings in thorough identity with them; He that takes away the sins of allwho seek refuge in him (DCXC–DCXCVIII); He that is attainable by therighteous; He whose acts are always good; He that is the one entity inthe universe; He that displays Himself in diverse forms; He that is therefuge of all those that are conversant with truth; He who has thegreatest of heroes for his troops;[605] He that is the foremost of theYadavas; He that is the abode of the righteous He that sports in joy (inthe woods of Brinda) on the banks of Yamuna (DCXCIX–DCCVVII); He in whomall created things dwell; the deity that overwhelms the universe with HisMaya (illusion); He in whom all foremost of Beings become merged (whenthey achieve their emancipation) He whose hunger is never gratified; Hethat humbles the pride of all; He that fills the righteous with justpride; He that swells with joy; He that is incapable of being seized; Hethat has never been vanquished (DCCVII–DCCXVI); He that is of universalform; He that is of vast form; He whose form blazes forth with energy andeffulgence; He that is without form (as determined by acts); He that isof diverse forms; (He that is unmanifest); He that is of a hundred forms;He that is of a hundred faces (DCCXVII–DCCXXIV); He that is one; He thatis many (through illusion); He that is full of felicity; He that formsthe one grand topic of investigation; He from whom is this all; He thatis called THAT; He that is the highest Refuge; He that confines Jivawithin material causes; He that is coveted by all; He that took birth inthe race of Madhu; He that is exceedingly affectionate towards Hisworshippers (DCCXXV–DCCXXXV); He that is of golden complexion; He whoselimbs are like gold (in hue); He that is possessed of beautiful limbs; Hewhose person is decked with Angadas made with sandal-paste; He that isthe slayer of heroes; He that has no equal; He that is like cipher (inconsequence of no attributes being affirmable of Him); He that stands inneed of no blessings (in consequence of His fulness); He that neverswerves from His own nature and puissance and knowledge; He that ismobile in the form of wind (DCCXXXVI–DCCXLV); He that never identifiesHimself with anything that is not-soul;[606] He that confers honours onHis worshippers; He that is honoured by all; He that is the Lord of thethree worlds; He that upholds the three worlds; He that is possessed ofintelligence and memory capable of holding in His mind the contents ofall treatises; He that took birth in a sacrifice; He that is worthy ofthe highest praise; He whose intelligence and memory are never futile; Hethat upholds the earth (DCCXLVI–DCCLV); He that pours forth heat in theform of the Sun; He that is the bearer of great beauty of limbs; He thatis the foremost of all bearers of weapons; He that accepts the floweryand leafy offerings made to Him by His worshippers; He that has subduedall his passions and grinds all His foes; He that has none to walk beforeHim; He that has four horns; He that is the elder brother of Gada(DCCLVI–DCCLXIV); He that has four arms; He from whom the four Purushashave sprung; He that is the refuge of the four modes of life and the fourorders of men; He that is of four souls (Mind, Understanding,Consciousness, and Memory); He from whom spring the four objects of life,viz., Righteousness, Wealth, Pleasure, and Emancipation; He that isconversant with the four Vedas; He that has displayed only a fraction ofHis puissance (DCCLXV–DCCLXXII); He that sets the wheel of the world torevolve round and round; He whose soul is dissociated from all worldlyattachments; He that is incapable of being vanquished; He that cannot betranscended; He that is exceedingly difficult of being attained; He thatis difficult of being approached; He that is difficult of access; He thatis difficult of being brought within the heart (by even Yogins); He thatslays even the most powerful foes (among the Danavas)(DCCLXXIII–DCCLXXXI); He that has beautiful limbs; He that takes theessence of all things in the universe; He that owns the most beautifulwarp and woof (for weaving this texture of fabric of the universe); Hethat weaves with ever-extending warp and woof; He whose acts are done byIndra; He whose acts are great; He who has no acts undone; He who hascomposed all the Vedas and scriptures (DCCLXXXII–DCCLXXXIX); He whosebirth is high; He that is exceedingly handsome; He whose heart is full ofcommiseration; He that has precious gems in His navel; He that hasexcellent knowledge for His eye; He that is worthy of worship by Brahmanhimself and other foremost ones in the universe; He that is giver offood; He that assumed horns at the time of the universal dissolution; Hethat has always subjugated His foes most wonderfully; He that knows allthings; He that is ever victorious over those that are of irresistibleprowess (DCCXC–DCCXCIX); He whose limbs are like gold; He that isincapable of being agitated (by wrath or aversion or other passion); Hethat is Master of all those who are masters of all speech; He that is thedeepest lake; He that is the deepest pit; He that transcends theinfluence of Time; He in whom the primal elements are established(DCCC–DCCCVI); He that gladdens the earth; He that grants fruits whichare as agreeable as the Kunda flowers (Jasmim pubescens, Linn); He thatgave away the earth unto Kasyapa (in His incarnation as Rama); He thatextinguishes the three kinds of misery (mentioned in the Sankhyaphilosophy) like a rain-charged cloud cooling the heat of the earth byits downpour; He that cleanses all creatures; He that has none to urgeHim; He that drank nectar; He that has an undying body; He that ispossessed of omniscience; He that has face and eyes turned towards everydirection (DCCCVIII–DCCCXVI); He that is easily won (with, that is, suchgifts as consist of flowers and leaves); He that has performed excellentvows; He that is crowned with success by Himself; He that is victoriousover all foes; He that scorches all foes; He that is the ever-growing andtall Banian that overtops all other trees; He that is the sacred fig tree(Ficus glomerata, Willd); He that is the Ficus religiosa; (or, He that isnot durable, in consequence of His being all perishable forms in theuniverse even as he is all the imperishable forms that exist); He that isthe slayer of Chanura of the Andhra country (DCCCXVII–DCCCXXV); He thatis endued with a thousand rays; He that has seven tongues (in the formsof Kali, Karali, etc.); He that has seven flames (in consequence of Hisbeing identical with the deity of fire); He that has seven horses forbearing His vehicle; (or, He that owns the steed called Sapta); He thatis formless; He that is sinless: He that is inconceivable; He thatdispels all fears; He that destroys all fears (DCCCXXVI–DCCCXXXIV); Hethat is minute; He that is gross; He that is emaciated; He that isadipose; He that is endued with attributes; He that transcends allattributes; He that is unseizable; He that suffers Himself to be easilyseized (by His worshippers); He that has an excellent face; He that hasfor His descendants the people of the accidental regions; He that extendsthe creation consisting of the fivefold primal elements(DCCCXXXV–DCCCXLVI); He that bears heavy weights (in the form ofAnanta); He that has been declared by the Vedas; He that is devoted toYoga; He that is the lord of all Yogins; He that is the giver of allwishes; He that affords an asylum to those that seek it; He that setsYogins to practise Yoga anew after their return to life upon theconclusion of their life of felicity in heaven; He that invests Yoginswith puissance even after the exhaustion of their merits; He that hasgoodly leaves (in the form of the Schhandas of the Vedas, Himself beingthe tree of the world); He that causes the winds to blow(DCCCXLVII–DCCCLVI); He that is armed with the bow (in the form ofRama); He that is conversant with the science of arms; He that is the rodof chastisement; He that is chastiser; He that executes all sentences ofchastisement; He that has never been vanquished; He that is competent inall acts; He that sets all persons to their respective duties; He thathas none to set Him to any work; He that has no Yama to slay Him(DCCLVII–DCCCLXVI); He that is endued with heroism and prowess; He thathas the attribute of Sattwa (Goodness); He that is identical with Truth;He that is devoted to Truth and Righteousness; He that is sought by thosewho are resolved to achieve emancipation; (or, He towards whom theuniverse proceeds when the dissolution comes); He that deserves to haveall objects which His worshippers present unto Him; He that is worthy ofbeing adored (with hymns and flowers and other offering of reverence); Hethat does good to all; He that enhances the delights of all(DCCCLXVII–DCCCLXV); He whose track is through the firmament; He thatblazes forth in His own effulgence; He that is endued with great beauty;He that eats the offerings made on the sacrificial fire; He that dwellseverywhere and is endued with supreme puissance; He that sucks themoisture of the earth in the form of the Sun; He that has diversedesires; He that brings forth all things; He that is the parent of theuniverse; He that has the Sun for His eye (DCCCLXXVI–DCCCLXXXV); He thatis Infinite; He that accepts all sacrificial offerings; He that enjoysPrakriti in the form of Mind; He that is giver of felicity; He that hastaken repeated births (for the protection of righteousness and therighteous); He that is First-born of all existent things; He thattranscends despair (in consequence of the fruition of all His wishes); Hethat forgives the righteous when they trip; He that is the foundationupon which the universe rests; He that is most wonderful(DCCCLXXXVI–DCCCXCV); He that is existent from the beginning of Time; Hethat has been existing from before the birth of the Grandsire and others;He that is of a tawny hue; (or, He that discovers or illumines allexistent things by His rays); He that assumed the form of the great Boar;He that exists even when all things are dissolved; He that is the giverof all blessings; He that creates blessings; He that is identifiable withall blessings; He that enjoys blessings; He that is able to scatterblessings (DCCCXXI–CMV); He that is without wrath; He that liesensconced in folds (in the form of the snake Sesha); (or, He that isadorned with ear-rings); He that is armed with the discus; He that isendued with great prowess; He whose sway is regulated by the highprecepts of the Srutis and the Smritis; He that is incapable of beingdescribed by the aid of speech; He whom the Vedantas have striven toexpress with the aid of speech; He that is the dew which cools those whoare afflicted with the three kinds of grief; He that lives in all bodies,endued with the capacity of dispelling darkness (CMVI–CMXIV); He that isdivested of wrath; He that is well-skilled in accomplishing all acts bythought, word, and deed; He that can accomplish all acts within theshortest period of time; He that destroys the wicked; He that is theforemost of all forgiving persons; He that is foremost of all personsendued with knowledge; He that transcends all fear; He whose names andfeats, heard and recited, lead to Righteousness (CMXV–CMXXII), He thatrescues the Righteous from the tempestuous ocean of the world; He thatdestroys the wicked; He that is Righteousness; He that dispels all evildreams; He that destroys all bad paths for leading His worshippers to thegood path of emancipation; He that protects the universe by staying inthe attribute of Sattwa; He that walks along the good path; He that isLife; He that exists overspreading the universe (CMXXIII–CMXXXI); Hethat is of infinite forms; He that is endued with infinite prosperity; Hethat has subdued wrath; He that destroys the fears of the righteous; Hethat gives just fruits, on every side, to sentient beings according totheir thoughts and acts; He that is immeasurable Soul; He that bestowsdiverse kinds of fruits on deserving persons for their diverse acts; Hethat sets diverse commands (on gods and men); He that attaches to everyact its proper fruit (CMXXXII–CMXL); He that has no beginning; He thatis the receptacle of all causes as well as of the earth; He that has thegoddess of Prosperity ever by his side; He that is the foremost of allheroes; He that is adorned with beautiful armlets; He that produces allcreatures; He that is the original cause of the birth of all creatures;He that is the terror of all the wicked Asuras; He that is endued withterrible prowess (CMXLI–CMXLIX); He that is the receptacle and abode ofthe five primal elements; He that gulps down His throat all creatures atthe time of the universal dissolution; He whose smile is as agreeable asthe sight of flowers; (or, He who laughs in the form of flowers); He thatis always wakeful; He that stays at the head of all creatures; He whoseconduct consists of those acts which the Righteous do; He that revivesthe dead (as in the case of Parikshit and others); He that is the initialsyllable Om; He that has ordained all righteous acts (CML–CMLVIII); Hethat displays the truth about the Supreme Soul; He that is the abode ofthe five life-breaths and the senses; He that is the food which supportsthe life of living creatures; He that causes all living creatures to livewith the aid of the life-breath called Prana; He that is the great topicof every system of philosophy; He that is the One Soul in the universe;He that transcends birth, decrepitude, and death (CMLIX–CMLXV); He thatrescues the universe in consequence of the sacred syllable Bhuh, Bhuvah,Swah, and the others with which Homa offerings are made; He that is thegreat rescuer; He that is the sire of all; He that is the sire of eventhe Grandsire (Brahman); He that is of the form of Sacrifice; He that isthe Lord of all sacrifices (being the great deity that is adored inthem); He that is the sacrificer; He that has sacrifices for his limbs;He that upholds all sacrifices (CMLXXVI–CMLXXXV); He that protectssacrifices; He that has created sacrifices; He that is the foremost ofall performers of sacrifices; He that enjoys the rewards of allsacrifices; He that causes the accomplishment of all sacrifices; He thatcompletes all sacrifices by accepting the full libation at the end; Hethat is identical with such sacrifices as are performed without desire offruit; He that is the food which sustains all living creatures; He thatis also the eater of that food (CMLXXVI–CMLXXXIV); He that is Himselfthe cause of His existence; He that is self-born; He that penetratedthrough the solid earth (and repairing to the nether regions slewHiranyaksha and others); He that sings the Samans; He that is thedelighter of Devaki; He that is the creator of all; He that is the Lordof the earth; He that is the destroyer of the sins of his worshippers(CMLXXXV–CMXXCII); He that bears the conch (Panchajanya) in His hands;He that bears the sword of knowledge and illusion; He that sets the cycleof the Yugas to revolve ceaselessly; He that invests Himself withconsciousness and senses; He that is endued with the mace of the mostsolid understanding. He that is armed with a car-wheel; He that isincapable of being agitated; He that is armed with all kinds of weapons(CMXCIII–M). Om, salutations to Him!

‘Even thus have I recited to thee, without any exception, the thousandexcellent names of the high-souled Kesava whose glory should always besung That man who hears the names every day or who recites them everyday, never meets with any evil either here or hereafter. If a Brahmanadoes this he succeeds in mastering the Vedanta; if a Kshatriya does it,he becomes always successful in battle. A Vaisya, by doing it, becomespossessed of affluence, while a Sudra earns great happiness. If onebecomes desirous of earning the merit of righteousness, one succeeds inearning it (by hearing or reciting these names). If it is wealth that onedesires, one succeeds in earning wealth (by acting in this way). So alsothe man who wishes for enjoyments of the senses succeeds in enjoying allkinds of pleasures, and the man desirous of offspring acquires offspring(by pursuing this course of conduct). That man who with devotion andperseverance and heart wholly turned towards him, recites these thousandnames of Vasudeva every day, after having purified himself, succeeds inacquiring great fame, a position of eminence among his kinsmen, enduringprosperity, and lastly, that which is of the highest benefit to him(viz., emancipation itself). Such a man never meets with fear at anytime, and acquires great prowess and energy. Disease never afflicts him;splendour of complexion, strength, beauty, and accomplishments becomehis. The sick become hale, the afflicted become freed from theirafflictions; the affrighted become freed from fear, and he that isplunged in calamity becomes freed from calamity. The man who hymns thepraises of that foremost of Beings by reciting His thousand names withdevotion succeeds in quickly crossing all difficulties. That mortal whotakes refuge in Vasudeva and who becomes devoted to Him, becomes freed ofall sins and attains to eternal Brahma. They who are devoted to Vasudevahave never to encounter any evil. They become freed from the fear ofbirth, death, decrepitude, and disease. That man who with devotion andfaith recites this hymn (consisting of the thousand names of Vasudeva)succeeds in acquiring felicity of soul, forgiveness of disposition,Prosperity, intelligence, memory, and fame. Neither wrath, nor jealousy,nor cupidity, nor evil understanding ever appears in those men ofrighteousness who are devoted to that foremost of beings. The firmamentwith the sun, moon and stars, the welkin, the points of the compass, theearth and the ocean, are all held and supported by the prowess of thehigh-souled Vasudeva. The whole mobile and immobile universe with thedeities, Asuras, and Gandharvas, Yakshas, Uragas and Rakshasas, is underthe sway of Krishna. The senses, mind, understanding, life, energy,strength and memory, it has been said, have Vasudeva for their soul.Indeed, this body that is called Kshetra, and the intelligent soulwithin, that is called the knower of Kshetra, also have Vasudeva fortheir soul. Conduct (consisting of practices) is said to be the foremostof all topics treated of in the scriptures. Righteousness has conduct forits basis. The unfading Vasudeva is said to be the lord of righteousness.The Rishis, the Pitris, the deities, the great (primal) elements, themetals, indeed, the entire mobile and immobile universe, has sprung fromNarayana. Yoga, the Sankhya Philosophy, knowledge, all mechanical arts,the Vedas, the diverse scriptures, and all learning, have sprung fromJanardana. Vishnu is the one great element or substance which has spreaditself out into multifarious forms. Covering the three worlds, He thesoul of all things, enjoys them all. His glory knows no diminution, andHe it is that is the Enjoyer of the universe (as its Supreme Lord). Thishymn in praise of the illustrious Vishnu composed by Vyasa, should berecited by that person who wishes to acquire happiness and that which isthe highest benefit (viz., emancipation). Those persons that worship andadore the Lord of the universe, that deity who is inborn and possessed ofblazing effulgence, who is the origin or cause of the universe, who knowson deterioration, and who is endued with eyes that are as large andbeautiful as the petals of the lotus, have never to meet with anydiscomfiture.'”