of penances, ye should not give way to fear! Ye are endued with
far-reaching vision. Ye can proceed to every place without any
impediment. Blazing with vows observed by ascetics, ye are adorned with
knowledge and science. I now ask you to tell me something that is highly
wonderful which you have heard of or seen on earth or in heaven. I feel
an eager desire to taste the honey of that speech which will drop from
your lips, the honey that will, I am sure, be as sweet as a jet of nectar
itself. If I behold anything on earth or in heaven, which is highly
delightful and of wonderful aspect but which is unknown to all of you, ye
Rishis that look like so many gods, I say that that is in consequence of
my own Supreme Nature which is incapable of being obstructed by anything.
Anything wonderful whose knowledge dwelleth in me or is acquired by my
own inspiration ceases to appear wonderful to me. Anything, however, that
is recited by pious persons and that is heard from those that are good,
deserves to be accepted with respect and faith. Such discourses exist on
earth for a long time and are as durable as characters engraved on rocks.
I desire, therefore, to hear, at this meeting something dropping from the
lips of persons that are good and that cannot fail to be productive of
good to men.' Hearing these words of Krishna all those ascetics became
filled with surprise. They began to gaze at Janardana with those eyes of
theirs that were as beautiful and large as the petals of the lotus. Some
of them began to glorify him and some began to worship him with
reverence. Indeed, all of them then hymned the praises of the slayer of
Madhu with words whose meanings were adorned with the eternal Riks. All
those ascetics then appointed Narada, that foremost of all persons
conversant with speech, to gratify the request of Vasudeva.

"'"The ascetics said, 'It behoveth thee, O Narada, to describe, in full,
from the beginning, unto Hrishikesa, that wonderful and inconceivable
incident which occurred, O puissant one, on the mountains of Himavat and
which, O ascetic, was witnessed by those of us that had proceeded thither
in course of our pilgrimage to the sacred waters. Verily, for the benefit
of all the Rishis here assembled, it behoveth thee to recite that
incident.' Thus addressed by those ascetics, the celestial Rishi, viz.,
the divine Narada, then recited the following story whose incidents had
occurred some time before."'"

SECTION CXL