Hari.  It is in consequence of that unexhausted remnant that I have become desirous of asking thee, O illustrious one, about the fruits of action![1352] Upon which order (of men) hath been established high Brahma prosperity?  In what mariner, again, doth high prosperity fall off?  From whom do creatures spring and live?  Through whom again do they act?  What is that high Fruit by attaining to which a creature succeeds in living eternally as Brahma?  By what Act or by what Knowledge can that fruit be achieved?  It behoveth thee, O learned Brahmana, to expound these to me.’

“Recapitulated by me, O lion among kings, listen with undivided attention, O bull of men, with all thy brothers, to what the sage Usanas then said after he had been thus addressed by that prince of Danavas.’”

SECTION CCLXXX

“Usanas said, ’I bow to that divine and illustrious and puissant Being who holds this earth with the firmament in his arms.  I shall speak to thee of the pre-eminent greatness of that Vishnu whose head, O best of the Danavas, is that Infinite place (called Emancipation).’

“While they were thus conversing with each other there came unto them the great sage Sanatkumara of righteous soul for the purpose of dispelling their doubts.  Worshipped by the prince of Asuras and by the sage Usanas, that foremost of sages sat down on a costly seat.  After Kumara of great wisdom had been seated (at his ease), Usanas said unto him, ’Discourse to this chief of the Danavas on the pre-eminent greatness of Vishnu.’  Hearing these words, Sanatkumara uttered the following, fraught with grave import, upon the pre-eminent greatness of Vishnu unto the intelligent chief of the Danavas, ’Listen, O Daitya, to everything about the greatness of Vishnu.  Know, O scorcher of foes, that the entire universe rests on Vishnu.  O thou of mighty arms, it is He who creates all creatures mobile and immobile.  In course of Time it is He, again, who withdraws all things and in Time it is He who once more casts them forth from Himself.  Into Hari all things merge at the universal destruction and from Him all things again come forth.  Men possessed of scriptural lore cannot obtain him by such lore.  Nor can He be obtained by Penances, nor by Sacrifices.  The only means by which He can be attained is by restraining the Senses.  Nor that sacrifices are entirely useless towards such an end.  For one, by relying upon both external and internal acts, and upon one’s own mind, can purify (them) by one’s own understanding.  By such means, one succeeds in enjoying infinity in the world.[1353] As a goldsmith purifies the dross of his metal by repeatedly casting it into the fire with very persistent efforts of his own, after the same manner Jiva succeeds in cleaning himself by his course through hundreds of births.  Some one may be seen to purify himself in only one life by mighty efforts.  As one should with care wipe stains from