his disciples hymned the praises of the illustrious slayer of Madhu.
I am desirous of hearing those names of Hari, that Supreme Lord of all
creatures. Indeed, by listening to those names, I shall be sanctified and
cleansed even like the bright autumnal moon.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Listen, O king, to what the significances are of the
diverse names, due to attributes and acts, of Hari as the puissant Hari
himself of cheerful soul explained them to Phalguna. That slayer of
hostile heroes, viz., Phalguna, had at one time asked Kesava, enquiring
after the imports of the some of the names by which the high-souled
Keshva is adored.

"'Arjuna said, "O holy one, O Supreme ordainer of the Past and the Future,
O Creator of all Beings, O immutable one, O Refuge of all the worlds, O
Lord of the universe, O dispeller of the fears of all persons, I desire
to hear from thee in detail, O Kesava, the significance of all those
names of thine, O God, which have been mentioned by the great Rishis in
the Vedas and the Puranas in consequences of diverse acts of thine. None
else than thee, O Lord, is competent to explain the significations of
those names."

"'The holy one said, "In the Rigveda, in the Yajurveda, in the Atharvans
and the Samans, in the Puranas and the Upanishads, as also in the
treatises on Astrology, O Arjuna, in the Sankhya scriptures, in the Yoga
scriptures, and in the treatises also on the Science of Life, many are
the names that have been mentioned by the great Rishis. Some of those
names are derivable from my attributes and some of them relate to my
acts. Do thou hear, with concentrated attention, O sinless one, what the
import is of each of those names (in particular) that have reference to
my acts. I shall recite them to you. It is said that in days of yore you
were half my body. Salutations unto Him of great glory, Him, viz., that
is the Supreme Soul of all embodied creatures.[1850] Salutations unto
Narayana, unto Him that is identifiable with the universe, unto Him that
transcends the three (primal) attributes (of Sattwa, Rajas and Minas),
unto Him that is, again, the Soul of those attributes. From His grace
hath arisen Brahman and from His wrath hath arisen Rudra. He is the
source whence have sprung all mobile and immobile creatures. O foremost
of all persons endued with Sattwa, the attribute of Sattwa consists of
the eight and ten qualities.[1851] That attribute is Supreme Nature
having for her soul the Sky and E