the king still worshipped Hari, the Lord of all the deities, in the well-known five sacrifices that are performed five times every day, O slayer of foes!  In consequence of these adorations, Narayana, otherwise called Hari, became highly pleased with him who thus showed himself to be entirely devoted to Him, by wholly relying upon Him as his sole refuge, and who had completely subjugated his senses.  The illustrious Vishnu, that giver of boons, then addressing Garuda of great speed, that foremost of birds, who waited upon Him as his servant, said these desirable words:—­O foremost of birds, O thou that art highly blessed, listen to what I say!  There is a great king of the name of Vasu who is of righteous soul and rigid vows.  Through the wrath of the Brahmanas, he has fallen into a pit of the Earth.  The Brahmans, have been sufficiently honoured (for their curse has fructified).  Do thou go to that king now.  At my command, O Garuda, go to that foremost of kings, viz., Uparichara who is now dwelling in a whole of the Earth and incapable of any longer sailing through the sky, and bring him up without delay into the welkin.  Hearing these words of Vishnu, Garuda, spreading his wings and rushing with the speed of the wind, entered that hole in the Earth in which king Vasu was living.  Suddenly taking the king up, the son of Vinata soared into the sky and there released the king from his beaks.  At that moment, king Uparichara once more acquired his celestial form and re-entered the region of Brahman.  It was in this way, O son of Kunti, that great king first fell down through the curse of the Brahmanas for a fault of speech, and once more ascended to heaven at the command of the great God (Vishnu).  Only the puissant Lord Hari, that foremost of all Beings, was devoutly worshipped by him.  It was for this devout worship that the king succeeded very soon in escaping from the curse denounced upon him by the Brahmanas and in regaining the felicitous regions of Brahman.

“Bhishma continued, ’I have thus told thee everything respecting the origin of the spiritual sons of Brahman.  Listen to me with undivided attention, for I shall now narrate to thee how the celestial Rishi Narada proceeded in days of yore to White Island.’”

SECTION CCCXXXIX

“Bhishma said, ’Arrived at the spacious realm called White Island, the illustrious Rishi beheld those same white men possessed of lunar splendour (of whom I have already spoken to thee).  Worshipped by them, the Rishi worshipped them in return by bending his head and reverencing them in his mind.[1816] Desirous of beholding Narayana, he began to reside there, attentively engaged in the silent recitation of mantras, sacred to him, and observant of vows of the most difficult kind, with concentrated mind, the regenerate Rishi, with arms upraised, stood in Yoga, and then sang the following hymn unto the Lord of the universe, Him, viz., who is at once the soul of attributes and divested of all attributes.