mpass, together with all the
mountains. Below Him are the welkin, heaven, the four cardinal points,
and the four subsidiary points. It is from him that the entire creation
has flowed. It is He who has created this ancient universe. In His navel
appeared a Lotus. Within that Lotus sprang Brahma himself of immeasurable
energy. It was Brahma, O son of Pritha, who rent that darkness which
existed surpassing the very ocean (in depth and extent). In the Treta
age, O Partha, Krishna existed (on the earth), in the form of
Righteousness. In the Treta age, he existed in the form of Knowledge. In
the Dwapara age, he existed in the form of might. In the Kali age he came
to the earth in the form of unrighteousness. It is He who in days of yore
slew the Daityas. It is He who is the Ancient God. It is He who ruled the
Asuras in the form of their Emperor (Valin). It is He who is the Creator
of all beings. It is He who is also the future of all created Beings. It
is He who is also the protector of this universe fraught with the seed of
destruction. When the cause of Righteousness languishes, this Krishna
takes birth in the race of either the gods or among men. Staying on
Righteousness, this Krishna of cleansed soul (on such occasion) protects
both the higher and the lower worlds. Sparing those that deserve to be
spared, Krishna sets himself to the slaughter of the Asura, O Partha! It
is he who is all acts proper and improper and it is he who is the cause.
It is Krishna who is the act done, the act to be done, and the act that
is being done. Know that that illustrious one is Rahu and Soma and Sakra.
It is he that is Viswakarma. It is he that is of universal form. He is
the destroyer and he is the Creator of the universe. He is the wielder of
the Sula (lance); He is of human form; and He is of terrible form. All
creatures sing his praises, for he is known by his acts. Hundreds of
Gandharvas and Apsaras and deities always accompany him. The very
Rakshasas hymn his praise. He is the Enhancer of Wealth; He is the one
victorious Being in the universe. In Sacrifices, eloquent men hymn His
praises. The singers of Samans praise Him by reciting the Rathantaras.
The Brahmanas praise Him with Vedic Mantras. It is unto Him that the
sacrificial priests pour their libations. The deities with Indra at their
head hymned His praise when He lifted up the Gobardhana mountains for
protecting the cow-herds of Brindavana against the incessant showers that
Indra