of that sacrifice all consisted of the products of the wilderness.  The ancient God of gods (viz., Hari), became highly gratified with the king on account of that sacrifice.  Incapable of being seen by any one else, the great God showed himself to his worshipper.  Accepting by taking its scent, the share offered to him he himself took up the Purodasa.[1802] The great God took up the offerings without being seen by any one.  At this, Vrihaspati became angry.  Taking up the ladle he hurled it with violence at the sky, and began to shed tears in wrath.  Addressing king Uparichara he said,—­Here, I place this as Narayana’s share of the sacrificial offerings.  Without doubt, he shall take it before my eyes.

“Yudhishthira said, ’In the great sacrifice of Uparichara, all the deities appeared in their respective forms for taking their shares of the sacrificial offerings and were seen by all.  Why is it that the puissant Hari only acted otherwise by invisibly taking his share?’

“Bhishma continued, ’When Vrihaspati gave way to wrath, the great king Vasu and all his Sadasyas sought to pacify the great Rishi.  With cool heads, all of them addressed Vrihaspati, saying,—­It behoveth thee not to give way to anger.  In this Krita age, this anger to which thou hast given way, should not be the characteristic of any one.  The great deity for whom the share of the sacrificial offerings was designed by thee, is himself free from anger.  He is incapable of being seen either by ourselves or by thee, O Vrihaspati!  Only he can see Him to whom He becomes gracious.—­Then the Rishis Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, who were well conversant with the science of morality and duties compiled by the seven Rishis, addressed that conclave and began the following narration.—­We are the sons of Brahman, begotten by a fiat of his will (and not in the ordinary way).  Once on a time we repaired to the north for obtaining what is for our highest good.  Having undergone penances for thousands of years and acquired great ascetic merit, we again stood on only one foot like fixed stakes of wood.  The country where we underwent the austerest of penances, lies to the north of the mountains of Meru and on the shores of the Ocean of Milk.  The object we had in mind was how to behold the divine Narayana in his own form.  Upon the completion of our penances and after we had performed the final ablutions, an incorporeal voice was heard by us, O puissant Vrihaspati, at once deep as that of the clouds and exceedingly sweet and filling the heart with joy.  The voice said,—­Ye Brahmanas, well have ye performed these penances with cheerful souls.  Devoted unto Narayana, ye seek to know how ye may succeed in beholding that god of great puissance!  On the northern shores of the Ocean of Milk there is an island of great splendour called by the name of White Island.  The men that inhabit that island have complexions as white as the rays of the Moon and that are devoted to Narayana.  Worshippers