Then Vidagdha Sakalya asked him: `How many gods are there, O Yagnavalkya?' He replied with this very Nivid: `As many as are mentioned in the Nivid of the hymn of praise addressed to the Visvedevas, viz. three and three hundred, three and three thousand.' `Yes,' he said, and asked again: `How many gods are there really, O Yagnavalkya?' `Thirty-three,' he said. `Yes,' he said, and asked again: `How many gods are there really, O Yagnavalkya?' `Six,' he said. `Yes,' he said, and asked again: `How many gods are there really, O Yagnavalkya?' `Three,' he said. `Yes,' he said, and asked again: `How many gods are there really, O Yagnavalkya?' `Two,' he said. `Yes,' he said, and asked again: `How many gods are there really, O Yagnavalkya?' `One and a half (adhyardha),' he said. `Yes,' he said, and asked again: `How many gods are there really, O Yagnavalkya?' `One,' he said. `Yes,' he said, and asked: `Who are these three and three hundred, three and three thousand?'