The thoughts of the denizen of all the worlds including Brahma and the high-souled Rishis, of those that are Sankhyas and Yogins, of those that are Yatis, and of those, generally, that are conversant with the Soul are fully known to Kesava, but none of these can know what is thoughts are.  Whatever acts are performed in honour of the gods or the Pitris, whatever gifts are made, whatever penances are performed, have Vishnu for their refuge,—­who is established upon his own supreme ordinances.  He is named Vasudeva because of his being the abode of all creatures.  He is immutable.  He, is Supreme.  He is the foremost of Rishis.  He is endued with the highest puissance.  He is said to transcend the three attributes.  As Time (which runs smoothly without any sign) assumes indications when it manifests itself in the form of successive seasons, even so He, though really divested of attributes (for manifesting Himself).  Even they that are high-souled do not succeed in understanding his motions.  Only those foremost of Rishis that have knowledge of their Souls, succeed in beholding in their hearts that Purusha who transcends all attributes.”

SECTION CCCXLIX

Janamejaya said, “The illustrious Hari becomes gracious unto them that are devoted to him with their whole souls.  He accepts also all worship that is offered to Him agreeably to the ordinance.  Of those persons that have burnt off their fuel,[1898] and that are divested of both merit and demerit, that have attained the Knowledge as handed down from preceptor to preceptor—­such persons always attain to that end which is called the fourth, viz., the essence of the Purushottama or Vasudeva,[1899]—­through the three others.  Those persons, however, that are devoted to Narayana with their whole souls at once attain to the highest end[1900] Without doubt, the religion of devotion seems to be superior (to that of Knowledge) and is very dear to Narayana.  These, without going through the three successive stages (of Aniruddha, Pradyumna, and Sankarshana), at once attain to the immutable Hari.  The end that is attained by Brahmanas, who, attending to due observances, study the Vedas with the Upanishads according to the rules laid down for regulating such study, and by those that adopt the religion of Yatis, is inferior, I think, to that attained by persons devoted to Hari with their whole souls.  Who first promulgated this religion of Devotion?  Was it some deity or some Rishi that declared it?  What are the practices of those that are said to be devoted with their whole souls?  When did those practices begin?  I have doubts on these topics.  Do thou remove those doubts.  Great is nay curiosity to hear thee explain the several points."[1901]