Surya, the deity that imparts heat unto all worlds, repeated that narrative unto those Beings also, of cleansed souls, that have been created (by Brahman) for always journeying in the van of Surya.[1842] The high-souled Rishis that follow in Surya’s train, O son, repeated that excellent narrative unto the deities assembled on the breast of Meru.  That best of ascetics, viz., the regenerate Asita, then having heard the narrative from the deities, repeated it unto the Pitris, O king of kings.  I heard it from my sire Santanu, O son, who recited it to me formerly.  Myself having heard it from my sire.  I have repeated it to thee, O Bharata.  Deities and Munis, who have heard this excellent old narrative, which is a Purana—­all adore the Supreme Soul.  This narrative, belonging to the Rishis and thus handed down from one to another, should not, O king, be communicated by thee to any one that is not a worshipper of Vasudeva.  This narrative, O king, is really the essence of the hundreds of other narratives that thou hast heard from me.  In days of yore, O monarch, the deities and the Asuras, uniting together, churned the Ocean and t wised the Amrita.  After the same manner, the Brahmanas, uniting together in days of yore, churned all the scriptures and raised this narrative which resembles nectar.  He who frequently reads this narrative, and he who frequently listens to it, with concentrated attention, in a retired spot, and filled with devotion, succeeds in becoming a denizen, possessed of lunar complexion, of the spacious island known by the name of White Island.  Without doubt, such a man succeeds in entering into Narayana of a thousand rays.  A sick person, by listening to this narrative from the beginning, becomes freed from his illness.  The man that simply desires to read or listen to this narrative obtains the fruition of all his wishes.  To devoted worshipper, by reading or listening to it, attains to the high end that is reserved for devoted worshippers.  Thou also, O monarch, shouldst always adore and worship that foremost of all Beings.  He is the father and the mother of all creatures, and He is an object of reverence with the entire universe.  Let the illustrious and Eternal God of the Brahmans, viz., Janarddana of high intelligence, be gratified with thee, O Yudhishthira of mighty arms!’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Having listened to the best of narratives, O Janamejaya, king Yudhishthira the just and all his brothers became devoted to Narayana.  And all of them, O Bharata, betaking themselves to the practice of silently meditating upon Narayana (from that day), uttered these words for His glorification, viz., ’Victory to that holy and illustrious Being.’  He, again, who is our best of preceptors, viz., the Island-born Krishna, devoted to penances, sung uttering the word Narayana that high mantra which is worthy of being recited in silence.  Sojourning through the welkin to the Ocean of Milk which is always the abode of nectar, and worshipping the great God there, he came back to his own hermitage.