With an impassive look but gentle words the Great God said, “Self-delusion, lust, arrogance and pride, O great sage, disappear at the very thought of you!

Listen, O sage! The mind of him alone is susceptible to delusion whose heart is devoid of wisdom and dispassion. But you are steadfast in your devotion to the vow of continence and resolute of mind; you can never be smitten with pangs of Love.”

Said Narada with a feeling of pride, “It is all due to your grace, my Lord.” The compassionate Lord reflected and saw that a huge tree of pride had sprouted in Narada’s heart.

“I shall soon tear it up by roots,” he thought, “for it is my vow to serve the best interest of my servants. I must devise some plan which may do good to the sage and also afford me sport.”

Then Narada bowed his head at Hari’s feet and departed, swelling with pride. But Vishnu set his Maya (magic power) into operation. Listen now to his relentless plot.

He fashioned on the road a city with an area of eight hundred square miles. The manifold architectural beauties of that city excelled even those of Vishnu’s own capital (Vaikuntha).

It was inhabited by such handsome men and women that you would take them all to be so many incarnations of Kamadeva and Rati. King Shilanidhi ruled over that city, and he had companies of horses, elephants and troops beyond number.