Narayana.  O Bharata, the illustrious and puissant Narayana or Hari with eyes like lotus petals, himself sang this religion in the presence of Brahma.  Then the son of Brahma, created by a fiat of his will, viz., Sanatkumara, studied this cult.  From Sanatkumara, the Prajapati Virana, in the beginning of the Krita age, O tiger among Kurus, obtained this cult.  Virana having studied it in this way, taught it to the ascetic Raivya.  Raivya, in his turn, imparted it to his son of pure soul, good vows, and great intelligence, viz., Kukshi, that righteous Regent of the cardinal and subsidiary points of the compass.  After this, that cult, born of the mouth of Narayana, once more disappeared from the world.  In the next birth of Brahma, viz., that which he was derived from an egg which sprang from Hari, this cult once more issued from the mouth of Narayana.  It was received by Brahma, O king, and practised duly in all its details by him.  Brahma then communicated it, O monarch, to those Rishis that are known by the name of Varhishada.  From the Varhishadas it was obtained by a Brahmana well-versed in the Sama-Veda, and known by the name of Jeshthya.  And because he was well-versed with the Samans, therefore was he known also by the name of Jeshthya-Samavrata Hari.[1903] From the Brahmana known by the name of Jeshthya, this cult was obtained by a king of the name of Avikampana.  After this, that cult, derived from the puissant Hari, once more disappeared from the world.  During the seventh birth of Brahma due to the lotus, O king, that sprang from the navel of Narayana, this cult was once more declared by Narayana himself, unto the Grandsire of pure soul, the Creator of all the worlds, in the beginning of this Kalpa.  The Grandsire gave it in days of yore to Daksha (one of his sons created by a fiat of his will).  Daksha, in his turn, imparted it to the eldest of all the sons of his daughters, O monarch, viz., Aditya who is senior in age to Savitri.  From Aditya, Vivaswat obtained it.  In the beginning of the Treta Yuga, Vivaswat imparted the knowledge of this cult to Manu.  Manu, for the protection and support of all the worlds, then gave it to his son Ikshaku.[1904] Promulgated by Ikshaku, that cult over-spreads the whole world.  When the universal destruction comes, it will once more return to Narayana and be merged in Him.  The religion which is followed and practised by the Yatis, has, O best of kings, been narrated to thee before this in the Hari Gita, with all its ordinances in brief.  The celestial Rishi Narada got it from that Lord of universe, viz., Narayana himself, O king, with all its mysteries and abstract of details.  Thus, O monarch, this foremost of cults is primeval and eternal.  Incapable of being comprehended with ease and exceedingly difficult of being practised, it is always upheld by persons wedded to the attribute of Sattwa.  It is by means of acts that are well-performed and accomplished with a full knowledge of duties and