And, O lord, Indra and Soma and
Agni and Varuna, indeed all the gods, the _Asuras_ and the great Snakes
all wait upon thee with humility, adoring thee with various hymns! O
Lord of the Universe, created things are pervaded by thee. The great
_Rishis_ of high energy and ever plunged in ascetic meditation, always
adore thee. When thou art gratified, the universe is in peace. And when
thou art angry, terror pervadeth every soul. Thou art, O Lord, the great
dispeller of all terrors and thou art the One Supreme Male Being! Thou
art the cause of happiness of both gods and human beings! And, O Lord,
by three steps of thine thou didst cover the three worlds! And it was by
thee that the _Asuras_ in the height of their power were destroyed! It
is owing to thy prowess, O God, that the celestials obtained peace and
happiness and, O thou of great effulgence, it was the anger that
destroyed hundred great _Daitya_ chiefs. Thou art the Creator and
destroyer of all creatures in the world. It is by adoring thee that the
gods have obtained happiness." It was thus, O Yudhishthira, that the
high-souled Utanka praised the Lord of the senses. And Vishnu,
therefore, said unto Utanka, "I am gratified with thee. Ask thou the
boon that thou desirest." And Utanka said, "This indeed hath been a
great boon to me, in that I have been able to behold Hari, that eternal
Being, that divine Creator, that Lord of the universe!" Thus addressed
Vishnu said, "I am gratified with this absence of all desires on thy
part and with thy devotion, O thou best of men! But, O Brahmanas, O
regenerate one, thou shouldst of a certainty accept some boon from me!"
Thus requested by Hari to accept a boon Utanka then, O thou best of
Bharatas, with joined hands begged a boon saying, "O illustrious one, O
thou of eyes like lotus leaves, if thou hast been gratified with me,
then let my heart always rest on virtue, truth, and self-content.
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