Vaishampayana said:—O my child, the question that you have put regarding Hari, the holder of Sranga bow, is indeed very great. Listen, I shall still describe the glory of Vishnu as much as lies in my power(1). Fortunately for you that our mind is bent upon listening to Vishnu’s prowess. Hear, I shall describe the celestial origin of the lord (2). The Brāhmanas, well read in the Vedas, describe him as having a thousand eyes, thousand faces, thousand feet, thousand heads, thousand hands, as eternal, as having thousand tongues, as effulgent, as wearing thousand crowns, as giving away thousands presents, as having thousand origins and thousand arms (3–4); as sacrifice, oblation, Havya,¹²³ Hotā,¹²⁴ the sacred vessels, the sacrificial altar, the initiation, charu,¹²⁵ Sruva (5); as Sruk, Soma, Shurpa,¹²⁶ Musala,¹²⁷ Prakshanam, Dakshināyanam,¹²⁸ Adveryu, Sāmaga Brāhmana, as Sadasya,¹²⁹ Sadanam Sadas¹³⁰ (6); as Yupa, Samid, Kusha, Darvi,¹³¹ Chamasa, Ulukhala, Prāgvangsham,¹³² sacrifice, sacrificial ground, priest and Chayana¹³³ (7); as the small and big chariots, as the mobile creation, as the penance, as the good fruit thereof, as Sthandila¹³⁴ and Kushā (8); as _Mantra_, as fire that carries sacrificial offering, as Bhāga,¹³⁵ Bhagavaha,¹³⁶ Agrebhuj,¹³⁷ Somabhuj,¹³⁸ Ghritarchi,¹³⁹ Udaniya¹⁴⁰ (9); and in the sacrifice as the eternal Lord. That intelligent Lord of gods, Vishnu, having the mystic mark of Srivātsa on his breast, incarnated himself in thousands of forms. And thousands of his incarnations shall take place in future, Brahmā has said this (10-11). O great king, I shall describe at length, as accosted by you, the sacred and celestial theme, why the Divine lord Vishnu, the king of gods and the slayer of his enemies, took his birth leaving the celestial region, in the race of Vasudeva. For encompassing the well-being of the gods and men and the prosperity of all the worlds, the Soul of all, for a great work of his own, went through various incarnations (12–14). I shall describe the sacred and celestial incarnations of the Lord fraught with many virtues that have been recorded in metres and great Srutis (15). Purifying yourself and controlling your speech, listen to them, O Janamejaya. This highly sacred Purāna is equal to the Vedas (16). Hear, I shall describe this celestial story of Vishnu. O Bharata, whenever virtue suffers deterioration the Lord, for establishing it, incarnates Himself (17). O great king, he had one form partaking of the quality of goodness. In this form He is constantly practising hard austerities in Heaven (18). His second form¹⁴¹ is possessed by yoga sleep for bringing about the destruction of creatures; and from this sleep originate persons of misconceived spiritual culture (19). Having slept for a thousand _yugas_ He again appears for work. And after the completion of a thousand _yugas_, the god of gods, the lord of the universe, Vishnu, the Grandfather Brahmā, the Regents of all the worlds, the moon, the sun,