After respectfully greeting the visitor, the hero asked, “Tell me, for what purpose have you come here? Let us, with honest hearts, act accordingly.” Śuka then continued his narration. In the first month of winter, the young girls of Nanda’s Vraja undertook a vow to worship Kātyāyanī, the powerful goddess. They ate only simple food and, at dawn, bathed in the waters of the Kālindī, just as the sun rose. On the riverbank, they fashioned an image of the goddess from sand and worshipped her, offering fragrant garlands, perfumes, incense, lamps, and various gifts—sprouts, fruits, and grains. While worshipping, they chanted a heartfelt mantra: “O Kātyāyanī, great power, great yoginī, supreme ruler, O goddess, make the son of Nanda my husband; I bow to you.” With their minds fixed on Kṛṣṇa, the maidens observed their vow for a month, worshipping Bhadrakālī and desiring that the son of Nanda become their husband. Each morning, they rose at dawn with their companions, linking arms, and sang loudly of Kṛṣṇa as they went to bathe in the Kālindī. One day, arriving at the riverbank, they left their clothes as usual and, singing joyfully of Kṛṣṇa, played in the water. Kṛṣṇa, the master of all yogis, understood their intention. He arrived there, surrounded by his friends, to fulfill their desire. Swiftly, he took their garments and climbed a kadamba tree, laughing with the boys. He called out, “Come here, girls, and each of you take back your own garment as you wish. I speak the truth, not merely in jest, if you are truly wearied by your vow. I have never spoken a lie before, and these boys know it. O fair-waisted ones, come one by one to receive them, not all together.” Seeing his playful gesture, the gopīs, overwhelmed with love, looked at each other bashfully, smiled, but did not come out of the water. As Govinda continued to jest, their minds agitated, the girls, immersed up to their necks in the cold water and shivering, addressed him: “O beloved son of Nanda, please respect us; we know you are worthy of Vraja’s praise. Give us our clothes, for we are trembling. O Śyāmasundara, we are your servants and will do as you say; give us our garments, O knower of dharma, or else we will complain to the king.” The Blessed Lord replied, “If you are truly my servants and will do as I have said, let these pure-smiling girls come here and receive their garments.” Shivering from the cold, all the girls emerged from the water, covering themselves with their hands, afflicted by the chill. Seeing them helpless, the Lord, pleased by their pure devotion, placed their garments on his shoulder and, smiling, spoke affectionately: “You entered the water naked, maintaining your vow, and this is an offense against the gods. With folded hands, bow your heads to dispel this fault, and then, taking your clothes, put them on.” Hearing these words from Acyuta, the girls understood that bathing naked was a breach of their vow. Wishing to fulfill their purpose, they accepted this as the completion of their ritual, for it was directly ordained by him and thus blameless. Seeing them bowing, the Lord, son of Devakī, moved by compassion, returned their garments to them, being pleased. Though they had been teased, embarrassed, and made to play as if in sport—even having their clothes taken—the girls felt no resentment. Instead, they found joy in his beloved company. After putting on their garments, their hearts set on meeting their beloved, the girls, their eyes cast down in modesty, did not depart from him. Understanding their desire to touch his feet, Lord Dāmodara spoke to the girls, who had kept their vow: “Your intention, O virtuous ones, to worship me is known to me. I approve of it, and it is destined to be fulfilled. For those whose minds are fixed on me, desire does not lead to lust, just as roasted and boiled grains generally do not sprout. Go now, girls, to Vraja, perfected in your vow. In the nights to come, you will enjoy with me, for this vow was performed by you with the aim of worshiping me.” Thus instructed by the Lord, the maidens, their desires fulfilled, returned to Vraja, meditating on his lotus feet, though it was difficult for them to leave. Then, surrounded by the cowherd boys, the Lord, son of Devakī, left Vṛndāvana and, along with his elder brother, herded the cows at a distance. As they wandered, Kṛṣṇa noticed the trees providing shade with their own bodies, serving as umbrellas against the fierce, scorching rays of the midday sun. He spoke to the residents of Vraja: “O Stokakṛṣṇa, O Aṃśu, Śrīdāma, Subala, Arjuna, Viśāla, Ṛṣabha, Tejasvin, Devaprastha, Varūthapa! Behold these great souls, who live solely for the sake of others. Enduring wind, rain, sun, and cold, they protect us. Ah, blessed indeed is their birth, for all creatures live by them. Like the truly good, they never turn away those who seek their help. They fulfill desires with leaves, flowers, fruits, shade, roots, bark, wood, fragrant resin, sap, ashes, and bones. This alone is the true fulfillment of birth for embodied beings among embodied beings here: one should always act for the highest good with one’s life, wealth, intelligence, and speech.” Thus, entering the midst of the Yamunā, through the low branches of trees laden with fresh shoots, clusters, fruits, flowers, and leaves, they watered the cows with pure, cool, auspicious water, and the cowherds themselves freely drank the sweet water to their satisfaction. In her groves, letting the cattle graze as they wished, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma approached, and, being hungry, the cowherds spoke as follows: “Because of absorption in sense objects, a living being does not remember himself again; for some reason, death is the total forgetting.” Thus the sacred events unfolded, revealing the Lord’s playful mercy, the devotion of the Vraja maidens, and the wisdom imparted amidst the beauty of Vṛndāvana.