Ever devoted to his sire, he was always heedful and ready for action.  He won the sovereignty of the world in consequence of a boon he had obtained from Narayana.  Following the Sattwata ritual that had been declared in days of yore by Surya himself, king Uparichara used to worship the God of gods (Narayana), and when his worship was over, he used to adore (with what remained) the grandsire of the universe.[1795] After worshipping the Grandsires (Pitris), he worshipped the Brahmanas.  He then divided the offerings among those that were dependent on him.  With what remained after serving those, the king satisfied his own hunger.  Devoted to truth, the monarch abstained from doing any injury to any creature.  With his whole soul, the king was devoted to that God of gods, viz., Janarddana, who is without beginning and middle and end, who is the Creator of the universe, and who is without deterioration of any kind.  Beholding the devotion to Narayana of that slayer of foes, the divine chief of the celestials himself shared with him his own seat and bed.  His kingdom and wealth and spouses and animals were all regarded by him as obtained from Narayana.  He, therefore, offered all his possessions to that great deity.[1796] Adopting the Sattwata ritual, king Uparichara, with concentrated soul, used to discharge all his sacrificial acts and observances, both optional and obligatory.  In the place of that illustrious king, many foremost Brahmanas, well conversant with the Pancharatra ritual, used to eat before all others the food offered to the god Narayana.  As long as that slayer of foes continued to rule his kingdom righteously, no untruth ever escaped his lips and no evil thought ever entered his mind.  With his limbs he never committed even the slightest sin.  The seven celebrated Rishis, viz., Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and Vasishta of great energy, who came to be known by the name of Chitra-sikhandins, uniting together on the breast of that foremost of mountains, viz., Meru, promulgated an excellent treatise on duties and observances that was consistent with the four Vedas.  The contents of that treatise were uttered by seven mouths, and constituted the best compendium of human duties and observances.  Known, as already stated, by the name of Chitra-sikhandins, those seven Rishis constitute the seven (Pravriti) elements (of Mahat, Ahankara, etc.) and the Selfborn Manu, who is the eighth in the enumeration, constituted original Prakriti.  These eight uphold the universe, and it was these eight that promulgated the treatise adverted to.  With their senses and minds under complete control, and ever devoted to Yoga, these eight ascetics, with concentrated souls, are fully conversant with the Past, the Present and the Future, and are devoted to the religion of Truth.—­This is good this is Brahma,—­this is highly beneficial,—­reflecting in their minds in this way, those Rishis created the worlds, and the science of morality and duty that governs