Shri Shuka said: Hearing the words of the most virtuous sage, the king, eager for the story of Vasudeva, asked again.

Vidura said: He, the self-born emperor, beloved son of the self-born, having obtained his beloved wife, what did he do then, O sage?

Tell me the deeds of that royal sage, the best of kings; he is indeed the refuge of Vishvaksena.

The essence of the teachings of the wise, after much effort, is indeed the realization of the qualities of Mukunda, whose lotus feet reside in the hearts of those who hear.

Shri Shuka said: Thus speaking to the composed Vidura, who was endowed with the feet of the thousand-headed one, the sage, with hair standing on end, was inspired by the divine discourse.

Maitreya said: When the self-born Manu was born along with his wife, he, with folded hands and bowing down, spoke this from the womb of the Vedas.

You alone are the creator and sustainer of all beings; yet, who will serve you, O Father, for the welfare of us, your progeny?

Therefore, I bow to you, who are the embodiment of action and energy; by performing which, fame and liberation will be attained here and beyond.

Brahma said: I am pleased with you, O Father; may you be well, O Lord of the Earth. May my heart, unperturbed, be dedicated to you.

The actions of the brave are to be performed with the guidance of the wise; they should be taken up with respect by those who are not negligent.

You, with your qualities similar to those of your sons, should perform sacrifices to the Supreme Being, producing the cow and worshiping the person.

O king, may there be supreme service to me for the protection of the subjects; may the Lord of the Universe, Hrishikesha, be pleased with you.

For those whom the Lord, the Yajnalinga, Janardana, is not pleased with, their labor is indeed futile, as their own self is not honored.

Manu said: 'I shall act according to the command of the Lord, O Vasudeva. Please inform me of my position and that of the subjects, O Lord.'

When the earth is submerged in the great ocean, let there be an effort by the gods to uplift her.

Maitreya said: O Supreme Being, observing the earth amidst the waters, how can we uplift her? Thus he pondered for a long time.

As I create, the earth is inundated by the waters; what should we do in this situation, as we are engaged in creation? May the Lord, who resides in my heart, guide me.

Thus reflecting, he did not emerge from the mouth of the great boar, who is of the size of a thumb.

At that moment, he who was observing saw a great wonder; a mere elephant appeared.

Seeing that beautiful form, the sages led by Marichi, along with the Kumaras and Manu, began to deliberate in various ways.

What is this divine essence, hidden under the guise of beauty? Oh, how wondrous is this! It has emerged from my nostrils.

Is this the Lord, who is only the size of a thumb, causing my mind to be disturbed like a stone in the ear?

Thus, pondering over this, the Lord, resembling the king of the gods, roared with the Brahmanas and their sons.

The Lord delighted the Brahmanas, and he, the supreme being, echoed back with a resounding voice.

Hearing your thunderous sound, the people, who reside in truth and austerity, sang praises of you, O Lord, who are the essence of illusion.

For the virtuous, the embodiment of the Vedas, who uphold the qualities of the self, the celestial beings sang again and again as the elephant king entered the water.

The Lord, who is the mountain, shone like a light with a fierce gaze, his body covered with the skin of a wild boar, and he lifted the earth with his strong tusks.

Smelling the earth's fragrance, the Lord, who is the essence of the sacrifice, entered the sacrificial arena, even with his fearsome teeth and dreadful eyes, while the Brahmins sang.

He, with the force of the thunderbolt, whose belly was shattered, cried out loudly, 'O Lord of sacrifices, protect me!'

With their hooves and sharp claws, they tore apart the great ocean, and there appeared the threefold essence. There, they saw the cow, which the great sage had himself embraced, while she was in deep slumber.

At the root of the Patala, holding the Earth with his feet, he who has no equal, may Hari, for the increase of my auspiciousness, be praised. With his own teeth, he raised the Earth, which was submerged, and he shone with the essence. There, he struck the demon who was attacking with a mace, filled with intense anger.

He struck down the fierce and unbearable demon, playing like a lion in the water. His tusks, stained with blood, like an elephant, tore apart the world.

With a dark blue hue and a white tusk, he lifted the Earth with his playful movements. Knowing this, with folded hands, the sages approached the Lord Brahma.

The sages said: 'You are victorious, O unconquered one, who inspires the sacrifice. Salutations to you, who are the essence of the three Vedas, and who reside in the depths of the universe. Salutations to you, O cause of all causes.'

Your form, O deity, is indeed difficult to behold for those with sinful hearts. The hymns are in your skin, and the sacred fire is in your hair; the four offerings are in your eyes and feet.

There was a vessel with a spout, O Lord, in the nostrils of the belly; the ears were filled with the essence of the offerings. The mouth devours the planets, and your sacrificial offering is indeed the chewing.

You are the one who is born from initiation, the one who holds the head of the sacrifice, the one who is to be worshipped. Your tongue is the essence of the offerings, and your head is indeed the seat of the rituals.

The moon is the essence of the offerings, and the establishment of the rituals is your divine nature. You are the bond of all sacrifices and the connection of the body.

Salutations to you, O deity of all mantras, to the substance of all sacrifices, to the essence of action. Salutations to the knowledge-guru, who is realized through detachment and devotion.

With the sharp tusks, O Bhagavan, you are held by the earth, which shines like a mountain. Just as the elephant king is adorned with the lotus-like leaves when it emerges from the forest.

This form, filled with the essence of the Vedas, is indeed pleasing, O Lord of the earth, held by you. The peak of the mountain shines brightly, just as the great lord of the family does with its grandeur.

You are the mother of the world, the wife of the father of all beings. We shall establish her, and with you, we shall offer our respects to her, who protects the fire of her own brilliance.

Who can have faith in you, O Lord, when the essence of the world is bewildered? There is no surprise in you, who creates this astonishing illusion with your divine power.

We, who reside in truth and austerity, are purified by the drops of the divine water, shaken by the wind. The Vedas are our own form.

O Lord, may You grant peace to this entire universe, which is bewildered by the illusion of the modes of nature and is entangled in the dualities of action.

Maitreya said: Thus, while being worshipped by the sages and Brahma-vids, He entered the water, which was filled with His own footprints.

Thus, the Supreme Lord, Vishvaksena, the progenitor of all beings, having raised the waters with His pastimes, departed.

One who hears the glorious pastimes of Lord Hari with devotion, and narrates them, will soon find Lord Janardana pleased in their heart.

When the Lord is pleased, what is rare for those who are devoted to Him becomes easily attainable. The Supreme Lord Himself arranges the destiny of His devotees.

Who in this world, having tasted the nectar of the Lord's stories, would not be liberated from the cycle of birth and death?