terval in the
sacrificial rites, and when all the learned Brahmanas were resting, O
Saunaka, that king of kings, addressed the grandfather of his
grandfather, viz., the Island-born Krishna, otherwise called Vyasa, that
ocean of Vedic lore, that foremost of ascetics endued with puissance, and
said these words.

"Janamejaya said, 'After the celestial Rishi Narada had returned from
White Island, reflecting, as he came, on the words spoken to him by the
holy Narayana, what indeed, did the great ascetic next do? Arrived at the
retreat known by the name of Vadari on the breast of the Himvat
mountains, and seeing the two Rishis Nara and Narayana who were engaged
in severe austerities at that spot, how long did Narada dwell there and
what were the topics of conversation between him and the two Rishis? This
discourse on Narayana, that is really an ocean of knowledge, has been
raised by thy intelligent self by churning that vast history called
Bharata which consists of a hundred thousand verses. As butter is raised
from curds, sandal-wood from the mountains of Malaya, the Aranyakas from
the Vedas, and nectar from all the medicinal herbs, after the same
manner, O ocean of austerities, hath this discourse that is like nectar
and that has Narayana for its object, been raised by thee, O Brahmana,
from diverse histories and Puranas existing in the world. Narayana is the
Supreme Lord. Illustrious and endued with great puissance, He is the soul
of all creatures. Indeed, O foremost of regenerate ones, the energy of
Narayana is irresistible. Into Narayana, at the end of the Kalpa, enter
all the deities having Brahman for their foremost, all the Rishis with
the Gandharvas, and all things mobile and immobile. I think, therefore,
that there is nothing holier on earth or in heaven, and nothing higher,
than Narayana. A sojourn unto all the sacred retreats on Earth, and
ablutions performed in all the sacred waters, are not productive of as
much merit as a discourse that has Narayana for its topic. Having
listened from the beginning to this discourse on Hari, the lord of the
universe, that destroys all sins, we feel that we have been cleansed of
all our sins and sanctified entirely. Nothing wonderful was accomplished
by my ancestor Dhananjaya who was the victor in the great battle on
Kurukshetra, for it should be remembered that he had Vasudeva for his
ally. I think that person could have nothing unattainable in the three
worlds, who had for his