Know, then, that Krishna is the very Self—the innermost Self of all beings. For the welfare of the world, He assumes a visible form, appearing among mortals by His own divine power, though He is ever beyond illusion. In truth, for those who truly see, Krishna alone is the abiding and moving reality in this world; the universe itself is but the form of the Lord, and apart from Him, nothing exists. All things derive their essence from pure being, and so too with Lord Krishna—how could anything lacking this essential nature be considered real? Those who have taken shelter at the tender feet of Murari, whose fame is pure and boundless, find that the vast ocean of worldly existence shrinks to the size of a calf’s hoofprint for them; they attain the supreme destination, untouched by misfortune at any step. All this I have recounted to you, as you inquired, regarding the wondrous deeds of Hari in His childhood and the glorious acts of His boyhood. The playful conduct of Murari with His companions—destroying evil, frolicking in the meadows, revealing and concealing His forms, and fulfilling the earth’s deepest desires—simply by hearing and praising these pastimes, a person attains all that is truly sought. Thus, in Vraja, childhood days passed in playful games: hiding, building bridges, leaping like monkeys, and other such delights, as the Lord and His friends enjoyed their boyhood together. Now, Sūta continued, Krishna’s dear friend Arjuna found himself bereft, compelled by circumstances and by his royal brother, King Yudhiṣṭhira, whose heart was tormented by countless doubts and the agony of separation from Krishna. Arjuna’s face and heart, once radiant, were now withered with grief. He could think of nothing but the Lord, and was unable even to speak. With great effort, Arjuna restrained his sorrow, wiping his eyes with his hand, overwhelmed by longing in the Lord’s absence. Remembering their deep friendship, the intimacy and affection they had shared—Krishna’s service as his charioteer and so much more—Arjuna, voice choked with tears, finally addressed his elder brother. “O great king,” Arjuna began, “I have been deceived by Hari, who appeared as my kinsman. By Him, my power—which astonished even the gods—has now been taken from me. Separated from Him, even for a moment, the world is joyless; deprived of singing His praise, I am as if dead. “By taking refuge in Him, I entered King Drupada’s palace at the svayamvara, where proud monarchs had assembled. By Krishna’s power, I defeated them all, won the contest, and gained Draupadī. In His presence, I gave the Khāṇḍava forest to Agni, and, having conquered Indra and his hosts by force, I obtained the wondrous assembly hall built by Maya. Kings from all directions brought tribute to your sacrifice. “By your strength, O king, Bhīma—your noble younger brother, whose might equals ten thousand elephants—subdued the lords of the earth for the great sacrifice, and the kings brought tribute to you. Yet, at that very sacrifice, your wife, adorned for the royal consecration, was insulted in the assembly by gamblers. Her tears fell at your feet, her hair loosened when her protectors were defeated—such suffering befell those noble women. “He protected us in the forest when we were afflicted by Durvāsā’s severe hardships, when enemies attacked, and when we, living only on wild roots, had exhausted all means. By His grace, the three worlds were satisfied, even as we were surrounded by dangers in the water. “By Your power, O Lord, even Śiva, armed with the trident and accompanied by his consort, was astonished in battle and surrendered his weapon to me; and with this very body, I attained a seat of great honor in Indra’s palace. There, while I enjoyed myself, my strong arms—marked by the bow Gāṇḍīva, meant for destroying enemies—were admired by the gods led by Indra, who sought refuge with me. But now, O Lord, since Your departure, I have been deprived of that power and am like a common man. “By Your favor, O kinsman, I alone crossed the boundless ocean of the Kuru army with a single chariot, displaying the valor of great heroes. I recovered much wealth and jewels from the enemy, and took the radiant jeweled crowns from their heads. He, as the foremost charioteer, moved ahead of me in battle, gracing the circle of the best chariots on spotless nights, facing Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Drona, Śalya, and others. By His glance, He subdued the strength and minds of my enemies’ leaders. “By His grace, the mighty weapons of Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Drona, Śalya, Saindhava, and other great warriors, though unfailing and powerful, did not touch me—just as the weapons of the demons could not harm Nṛhari, the servant of Hari. In the battle at Prabhāsa, surrounded by those of evil intent, the Lord, whose lotus feet are worshipped by the virtuous seeking liberation, protected me. Though my horses were exhausted and I stood on the earth, the enemy charioteers, their minds bewildered by His influence, could not attack me. “The playful, noble words He spoke, adorned with a charming smile—‘O Pārtha! O Arjuna! Friend! Joy of the Kurus!’—when remembered, touch my heart and melt even my heart of stone. “In sharing the same bed, seat, walking, talking, and eating together, I was sometimes deceived by Him, thinking Him my equal, as a friend with a friend, or even as a father with his son. Yet, out of His great affection, He forgave all my offenses born of ignorance. “Now, O King, bereft of that Supreme Person, my dear friend and beloved companion, my heart is empty. On this path of life, though I have the protection of His great deeds, I am like a woman defeated by thieves, left helpless. “That bow, those arrows, the chariot, the horses, and I as the charioteer—before whom even kings would bow—have all, in a moment, become powerless and useless, as if offerings cast into ashes by the magic of illusion. “O King, by Your will, the Yadus, who were not true friends to their own city, became deluded by the curse of the Brāhmaṇas and began to strike each other with their fists. Having drunk the liquor Vāruṇī, their minds agitated by intoxication, not recognizing one another, they fought among themselves, leaving only four or five survivors. “This, O King, is generally the way of the Lord’s inscrutable actions: living beings destroy each other, and also foster each other, by His arrangement. Just as in water, the larger creatures devour the smaller, so among men, the strong overcome the weak, and the powerful prevail over the less powerful. In this way, the Lord removed the burden of the earth by causing the mighty Yadus to destroy each other, just as the powerful destroy the less powerful. “The words of Govinda, spoken at the right time, in the right place, and suited to the moment, soothe the heart’s distress and captivate the mind of one who remembers them.” As Arjuna thus contemplated Krishna’s lotus feet with deep affection, his mind became peaceful and pure. His heart, cleansed of all remaining impurities through devotion and constant meditation on Vāsudeva, became established in the highest consciousness. That mighty Arjuna recalled the sacred knowledge sung by the Blessed Lord on the battlefield, and so overcame the darkness of time, fate, and delusion. Freed from sorrow by attaining the state of Brahman, with all doubts of duality cut away, he became merged in nature beyond the modes, and, being free of bodily identification, was beyond birth. Yudhiṣṭhira, his mind composed, hearing of the Lord’s departure and the end of the Yadu dynasty, resolved to follow the path to the higher realms. Pṛthā too, upon hearing from Arjuna of the destruction of the Yadus and Krishna’s departure, fixed her mind in exclusive devotion to the transcendent Lord, and withdrew from the cycle of birth and death.