, the essence of the Purushottama or Vasudeva,[1899]--through
the three others. Those persons, however, that are devoted to Narayana
with their whole souls at once attain to the highest end[1900] Without
doubt, the religion of devotion seems to be superior (to that of
Knowledge) and is very dear to Narayana. These, without going through the
three successive stages (of Aniruddha, Pradyumna, and Sankarshana), at
once attain to the immutable Hari. The end that is attained by Brahmanas,
who, attending to due observances, study the Vedas with the Upanishads
according to the rules laid down for regulating such study, and by those
that adopt the religion of Yatis, is inferior, I think, to that attained
by persons devoted to Hari with their whole souls. Who first promulgated
this religion of Devotion? Was it some deity or some Rishi that declared
it? What are the practices of those that are said to be devoted with
their whole souls? When did those practices begin? I have doubts on these
topics. Do thou remove those doubts. Great is nay curiosity to hear thee
explain the several points."[1901]
Vaisampayana said, "When the diverse divisions of the Pandava and the
Kuru armies were drawn up in the array for the battle and when Arjuna
became cheerless, the holy one himself explained the question of what is
the end and what is not the end attained by persons of different
characters. I have before this recited to thee the words of the holy one.
The religion preached by the holy one on that occasion is difficult of
comprehension.
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