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Deity then addressed me saying, ’Behold, O Krishna, and speak to me.  Thou hast adorned me hundreds and thousands of times.  There is no one in the three worlds that is dearer to me than thou.’  After I had bowed unto him, his spouse, viz., the goddess Uma, became gratified with me.  I then addressed in these words the great God whose praises are hymned by all the deities with the Grandsire Brahma at their head.’

“The blessed Vishnu said, ’I saluted Mahadeva, saying,—­Salutations to thee, O thou that art the eternal origin of all things.  The Rishis say that thou art the Lord of the Vedas.  The righteous say that thou art Penance, thou art Sattwa, thou art Rajas, thou art Tamas, and thou art Truth.  Thou art Brahman, thou art Rudra, thou art Varuna, thou art Agni, thou art Manu, thou art Bhava, thou art Dhatri, thou art Tashtri, thou art Vidhatri, thou art the puissant Master of all things, and thou art everywhere.  All beings, mobile and immobile, have sprung from thee.  This triple world with all its mobile and immobile entities, has been created by thee.  The Rishis say that thou art superior to the senses, the mind, the vital breaths, the seven sacrificial fires, all others that have their refuge in the all-pervading Soul, and all the deities that are adored and worthy of adoration.  Thou, O illustrious one, art the Vedas, the Sacrifices, Soma, Dakshina, Pavaka, Havi, and all other requisites of sacrifice.  The merit obtained by sacrifices, gifts made to others, the study of the Vedas, vows, regulations in respect of restraint, Modesty, Fame, Prosperity, Splendour, Contentment, and Success, all exist for leading to thee.[69] Desire, Wrath, Fear, Cupidity, Pride, Stupefaction, and Malice, Pains and Diseases, are, O illustrious one, thy children.  Thou art all acts that creatures do, thou art the joy and sorrow that flow from those acts, thou art the absence of joy and sorrow, thou art that Ignorance which is the indestructible seed of Desire, thou art the high origin of Mind, thou art Puissance, and thou art Eternity.[70] Thou art the Unmanifest, thou art Pavana, thou art inconceivable, thou art the thousand-rayed Sun, thou art the effulgent Chit, thou art the first of all the topics, and thou art the refuge of life.[71] The use of words like Mahat, Soul, Understanding, Brahman, Universe, Sambhu, and Self-born and other words occurring in succession (in the Vedas), show that thy nature has been judged (by persons conversant with the Vedas) as identical with Mahat and Soul.  Verily, regarding thee as all this, the learned Brahmanas win over that ignorance which lies at the root of the world.  Thou residest in the heart of all creatures, and thou art adored by the Rishis as Kshetrajna.  Thy arms and feet extend to every place, and thy eyes, head, and face are everywhere.  Thou hearest everywhere in the universe, and thou stayest, pervading all things.  Of all acts that are performed in the Nimeshas and other divisions of time that spring in consequence