Yudhishthira said O grandfather, you are endued with great wisdom. Indeed, you are fully conversant with every branch of learning. In our great family you are the only individual who have mastered sciences.

I wish to hear from you discourses of Religion and Profit, which bring on happiness in the next world, and that are fraught with wonder to all creatures.

The time that has come is full of distress. The like of it does not generally come to kinsmen and friends. Indeed, except you, O foremost of men, we have now none else who can take the place of an instructor.

If, O sinless one, I with my brothers deserve your labour, you should answer the questions I wish to ask you.

This one is Narayana who is gifted with every prosperity and is honoured by all the kings. Even he waits upon you, showing you every indulgence and honoring you greatly.

You should describe it to me, through affection, for my benefit as also for that of my brothers, in the presence of Vasudeva himself and of all these kings.

Vaishampayana said Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira, Bhishma, the son of the river Ganges, filled with joy on account of his affection for the monarch and his brothers, said what follows.

Bhishma said I shall certainly recite to you discourses that are charming on the subject, o king, of the power of this Vishnu as displayed in days of yore and as I have heard (from my preceptors).

Listen to me also as I describe the power of that great god who has a bull for his emblem. Listen to me as I describe also the doubt that filled the mind of the wife of Rudra and that of Rudra himself.

Once on a time the virtuous Krishna observed a vow extending for two and ten years. For seeing him who had performed the rite of initiation for the observance of his great vow, there came to that place. Narada and Parvata, and Krishna Dvaipayana and Dhaumya that foremost of silent reciters, Devala, Kashyapa, and Hastikashyapa.

Other Rishis also, gifted with initiation and self-restraint, followed by their disciples and accompanied by many Siddhas and many ascetics of great merit, came there.

The son of Devaki offered them such laudable honors of hospitality as are offered to the gods alone.

Those great Rishis sat themselves down upon seats some of which were green and some were goldhued and some were made of the plumes of the peacock and some were perfectly new and fresh.

Thus seated, they began to converse sweetly with one another on subjects of Religion and Duty as also with many royal sages and celestials.

At that time the energy, in the form of fire, of Narayana, rising from the fuel that consisted of the rigid observance of his vow, came out of the mouth of Krishna of wonderful deeds.

That fire began to consume those mountains with their trees and creepers and little plants, as also with their birds and deer and beasts of prey and reptiles.

Soon the summit of that mountain presented a distressing and pitiful sight. Inhabited by animals of various kinds which began to utter cries of woe and pain, the summit soon became bereft of every living creature. more

That fire of powerful flames, having consumed everything without living a residue, at last returned to Vishnu and touched his feet like a docile disciple.

That crusher of enemies, viz., Krishna, seeing that mountain burnt, cast a benignant look upon it and thereby brought it back to its former condition.

That mountain thereupon once becaine bedecked with flowering trees and creepers, and once more echoed with the notes and cries of birds and deer and animals of prey and reptiles.

Seeing that wonderful and inconceivable spectacle, al the ascetics became filled with wonder. Their hair stood erect and their vision was disturbed with tears.

Seeing those Rishis thus stricken with wonder, that foremost of speakers. Narayana, addressed them in these sweet and refreshing words:

Why, indeed, has wonder filled the hearts of this collection of Rishis, these ascetics who are always free from attachment of every kind, who are divested of the idea of mineness, and who are fully conversant with every sacred science.

These Rishis having penances for wealth and freed from every stain, should explain to me truly this doubt which has originated in my mind.

The Rishis said You are the creator of all the worlds, and the destroyer of them again. You are Winter, you are Summer, and you are the season of Rains.

Of all the creatures, mobile and immobile, that exist on Earth, you are the father, you are the mother, you are the master, and you are the origin.

Even this, O destroyer of Madhu, is a matter of wonder and doubt with us. O source of all auspiciousness, you should explain to us that doubt, viz., the issue of fire from your mouth.

Our fears being removed, we shall then, O Hari, recite to you what we have heard and seen.

Vasudeva said The fire that came out from my mouth and that resembles the all destroying Yuga Fire in splendour, and by which this mountain has been crushed and scorched is nothing else than the power of Vishnu.

Ye Rishis, ye are persons who have governed anger, who have brought your senses under complete control, who are gifted with wealth of penances, and who are very gods in power. Yet you have allowed yourselves to be agitated and distressed.

I am now engaged wholly with the observances about a rigid: vow. Indeed, on account of my observing the vows of an ascetic, a fire came out from my mouth. You should not allow yourselves to be agitated therefor.

It is for observing a rigid vow that I came to this charming and sacred mountain. The object that has brought me here is to acquire, by the help of penances, a son that would be my equal in power.

On account of iny penances, the Soul existing in my body became changed into fire and came out of my mouth. That fire had gone to see the boongiving Grandfather all the universe.

The Grandfather, ye foremost of ascetics, told my soul that the energy of the great god having the bull for his embalmer would take birth as my son.

That fire returning from its mission, has come back to me and approached my feet like a disciple desirous of attending to me dutifully. Indeed, renouncing its fury it has come back to its own proper nature.

I have thus told you, in brief, a mystery belonging to Him who has the lotus for the origin and who is gifted with great intelligence. Ye Rishis having penances for wealth, you should not yield to fear.

You are gifted with farreaching vision. You can proceed to every place without any obstacle. Radiant with vows observed by ascetics, you are adorned with knowledge and science.

I now ask you to tell me something that is highly wonderful which you have heard of or seen on Earth or in the celestial region.

I am anxious to taste the honey of words which will drop from your lips and which, I am sure, will be as sweet as a jet of nectar itself.

If I see anything on Earth or in the celestial region, which is highly delightful and wonderful but which is unknown to all of you, O god like Rishis, that is on account of my own supreme Nectar which is incapable of being obstructed by anything. Anything wonderful which I know by nature or by my own inspiration, ceases to appear wonderful to me.

Anything, however, that is recited by pious persons and that is heard from those who are good, deserves to be accepted with respect and faith. Such discourses exist on Earth for a long time and will last like characters engraved on rocks.

I wish, therefore, to hear at this meeting of ourselves, something dropping from the lips of persons who are good and who cannot fail to be productive of good to men.

Hearing these words of Krishna, all those ascetics became filled with wonder. They began to look at Janardana with those eyes of theirs that were as beautiful and large as the petals of the lotus.

Some of them began to glorify him and some began to adore him with respect. Indeed, all of them then sang the praises of the destroyer of Madhu with words whose meanings were adorned with the eternal Richs.

all those ascetics then appointed Narada, that foremost of all persons conversant with words, to satisfy the request of Vasudeva.

The Ascetics said You should, O Narada, describe in full, from the beginning, to Hrishikesha, that wonderful and inconceivable incident which took place, O powerful one, on the mountains of Himavat and which, O 'ascetic, was seen by those of us who had gone there in course of our sojourn to the sacred waters. Indeed, for the behoof of all the Rishis here collected, you should recite that incident.

Thus addressed by those ascetics, the celestial Rishi, viz., the divine Narada, then recited the following story whose incidents had ken place sometime before.