one sporting with the fair-limbed Parvati, that high-souled Being surrounded by large bands of ghosts, spirits, that Unborn one, that Supreme Lord, that Embodiment of the unmanifest, that Essence of all causes, that One of unfading power.  Having saluted Rudra, that destroyer of the Asura Andhaka, the lotus eyed Narayana, with emotion filling his heart, began to praise the Three-eyed one (in these words), ’O adorable one, O first of all the gods, the creator of everything (viz., the Prajapatis) who are the regents of the world, and who having entered the earth,—­thy first work,—­had, O lord, protected it before, have all sprung from thee.  Gods, Asuras, Nagas, Rakshasas, Pisachas, human beings, birds, Gandharvas, Yakshas and other creatures:  with the entire universe, we know, have all sprung from thee.  Everything that is done for propitiating Indra, and Yama, and Varuna, and Kuvera and Pitris and Tvashtri, and Soma, is really offered to thee.  Form and light, sound and sky, wind and touch, taste and water, scent and earth,[272] time, Brahma himself, the Vedas, the Brahmanas and all these mobile objects, have sprung from thee.  Vapours rising from diverse receptacles of water, becoming rain-drops, which failing upon the earth, are separated from one another.  When the time of the Universal dissolution comes those individual drops, separated from one another, once more unite together and make the earth one vast expanse of water.  He that is learned, thus observing the origin and the destruction, of all things, understands thy oneness.  Two birds (viz., Iswara and Jiva), four Aswatthas with their wordy branches (viz., the Vedas), the seven guardians (viz., the five essences or elements and the heart and the understanding), and the ten others that hold this city (viz., the ten senses that constitute the body), have all been created by thee, but thou art separate from and independent of them.  The Past, the Future, and the Present, over each of which none can have any sway, are from thee, as also the seven worlds and this universe.  I am thy devoted adorer,—­be graceful unto me.  Do not injure me, by causing evil thoughts to penetrate my heart.  Thou art the Soul of souls, incapable of being known.  He that knows thee as the Universal Seed, attaineth to Brahma.  Desiring to pay thee respects, I am praising thee, endeavouring to ascertain thy real nature, O thou that art incapable of being understood by the very gods.  Adored by me, grant me the boons I desire but which are difficult of acquisition.  Do not hide thyself in thy illusion.’

“Vyasa continued, ’The blue-throated God, of inconceivable soul, that wielder of Pinaka, that divine Lord ever praised by the Rishis, then gave boons unto Vasudeva who deserved them all.  The great God said, ’O Narayana, through my grace, amongst men, gods, and Gandharvas, thou shalt be of immeasurable might and soul.  Neither gods, nor Asuras, nor great Uragas, nor Pisachas, nor Gandharvas, nor men, nor Rakshasas, nor birds, nor Nagas, nor