(O janamejaya!) After speaking thus to the lord of gods (kR^iShNa, viShNu), shiva again told the sages: O the devote brAhmins who have come here to see (witness our meeting)!

viShNu is most important for you. No one more important than viShNu exists. Know that viShNu is the object of the highest penance.

O brAhmins! viShNu is the one who is always to be meditated in your mind. This is most prosperous for you. This is the most superior wealth.

This is what is to be accomplished with your birth. This is the result of your penance. viShNu is the residence of merit. Worshipping viShNu is the eternal dharma.

viShNu is the one who provides liberation. That is the modular path to be followed. This will provide real merit. This is the ultimate result of your work.

This is praised by the wise men who follow brahma. O brAhmins! This is what is to be accomplished by karmakANDa (see nIlakaNTha commentary). Those who are knowledgeable on brahma always pray to reach Him.

Those who follow the yoking of sA~Nkhya praise the same. Also those who follow vedas say that this is the path of those who are knowledgeable on brahma.

Know that worship of viShNu is the path to be followed. There is nothing else to be thought on this. hari is the only one to be always meditated by you, who are fixed in good.

No other god in the universe exists who is above viShNu, nArAyaNa. O the twice born! Always pronounce OM. Recite the name of keshava (kR^iShNa) and meditate on him.

Then you will definitely achieve ultimate bliss. There is no doubt in this. Hari (viShNu) who is meditated upon will become pleased on you.

Lord hari (viShNu) will firmly destroy the difficulties of worldly existence. If you wish to achieve achyuta (viShNu) who does not suffer any decline, then O brAhmins! Always meditate upon hari.

viShNu (kR^iShNa) is the preceptor who will destroy the difficulties of worldly existence. Always remember viShNu and understand the one with three bodies (brahma, vishnu, shiva - see nIlakaNTha commentary).

O brAhmins! Always make effort to control your minds. O those having the wealth of penance! If your inner mind becomes pure, viShNu becomes pleased.

Meditate on me with all your efforts and then obtain the knowledge on keshava (kR^iShNa). O brAhmins! I am considered as worshipped always in the worship of hari (kR^iShNa ).

upAyo.ayaM mayA prokto nAtra saMdeha ityapi |
ayaM mAyI sadA viprA yatadhvamaghanAshane ||3-89-15

A method was spoken by me. Now there is no doubt on this. O brAhmins! He is the lord of illusion. Always make efforts to attain hari, the destroyer of sin.

yathA vo buddhirakhilA shuddhA bhavati yatnataH |
tathA kuruta viprendrA yathA devaH prasIdati ||3-89-16

O kings (indras) of brAhmins! Make efforts in such a way that your entire intellect becomes pure and the lord viShNu is pleased.

vaishampAyana uvAcha

evamuktAstataH sarve munayaH puNyashIlinaH |
yathAvadupagR^ihNAnA nirasansamshayaM nR^ipa ||3-89-17

vaishampAyana said:

O king! (janamejaya!) All those sages who practice merit who were told thus by lord shiva understood his advice in the true sense and removed the doubts from their minds.

evameveti taM viprAH prAhuH prA~njalayo haram|
Chinno naH saMshayaH sarve gR^ihIto.arthaH sa tAdR^ishaH ||3-89-18

The brAhmins with folded hands, bowed to hara (shiva) and said: Let it be so. All our doubts are destroyed. We have understood all the meanings.

etadarthaM samAyAtA vayamadya tavAlayam |
sa~NgamAdyuvayoH sarvo naShTo moho mahAniha ||3-89-19

Now we came to your residence (kaulAsa) to understand the truth. We saw both of you. All our great confusions are destroyed here.

yathA vadasi devesha tathA naH shreyase param |
yathA.a.aha bhagavAnrudro yatAmaH satataM harau |

O the lord of gods! Our highest prosperity is to follow what you said. We shall make our efforts (to meditate on viShNu) always as directed by lord rudra (shiva).

iti te munayaH prItAH praNemuH keshavaM harim ||3-89-20

(vaishampAyana continued: O janamejaya!) Saying thus, the sages who became pleased, bowed to keshava (kR^iShNa), hari (viShNu).

iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi kailAsayAtrAyAM R^iShyupadeshe navAshItitamo.adhyAyaH

This is the eighty-ninth lesson of bhaviShyaparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahabhArata, in kalAsayAtra, the description of kR^iShNa's own form by mahAdeva

nIlakaNTha commentary

3-89-1 ityuktveti
3-89-2 etaditya~NgulyA kR^iShNaM darshayati | tapaH tapaHphalam
3-89-3 satatamAnasaiH avichChinnachittavR^ittibhiH
3-89-4 phalam aikAgryam
3-89-6 trayIgatiH karmakANDaprApyaH
3-89-12 saMsArasya vibhavaH nAnArUpeNa bhavanaM yasyAH sAkAshAt sA mUlAvidyA tAM trisharIriNaM brahmAditrayadeham
3-89-14 dhyAtveti | svasya saguNabrahmabhAvaM jAnIteti keshavasya nirguNabrahmabhAvanaM cha sUchayati | upAsyaH chintanIyaH | upAsya upagatya prApyaH
3-89-17 nirasan nirastavantaH

iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi TIkAyAM navAshItitamo.adhyAyaH || 89 ||

##Itranslated by G. Schaufelberger, schaufel@wanadoo.fr August 9, 2008
Proof-read by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca.
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
March 17, 2013##