Śuka said: In the early winter, when the air turned crisp and the first month arrived, the young girls of Nanda Mahārāja’s Vraja resolved to perform a special vow. They wished to worship the goddess Kātyāyanī, hoping she would bless them so that Kṛṣṇa, the beloved son of Nanda, might become their husband. With hearts full of hope, they ate only the simplest foods, renouncing all delicacies for the duration of the vow. Each morning, as the first rays of the sun touched the land, the girls rose before dawn. Together, they went to the banks of the Kālindī—Yamunā’s sacred river—where they bathed in its cool, purifying waters. There, on the soft sand, they shaped an image of the goddess Kātyāyanī with their own hands. With deep reverence, they worshipped her, O King, offering fragrant garlands, perfumes, incense, lamps, and a variety of gifts—some large, some small—such as sprouts, fruits, and grains. As they performed their worship, they chanted a heartfelt mantra: “O Kātyāyanī, great power, great yoginī, supreme ruler! O goddess, let the son of Nanda become my husband. I bow to you.” Day after day, the maidens, their minds fixed solely on Kṛṣṇa, continued this vow for a full month, worshipping Bhadrakālī with the one desire burning in their hearts: to have Kṛṣṇa as their beloved. Every dawn, the girls would gather with their friends, arms linked, singing loudly of Kṛṣṇa’s glories as they made their way to the river for their ritual bath. One morning, as was their custom, they arrived at the riverbank, placed their clothes on the shore, and, singing joyfully of Kṛṣṇa, entered the water to play. On this day, Kṛṣṇa himself, the master of all yogis, understood the intention of these devoted girls. Wishing to fulfill their desire, he came to the riverbank, surrounded by his playful friends. Swiftly, he gathered up their garments and climbed a nearby kadamba tree. From his perch, laughing with the cowherd boys, he called out to the girls in jest, “Come here, each of you, and 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 can attest to it. O fair-waisted ones, come one by one to receive your clothes, not all together.” Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s playful words, the gopīs, overwhelmed with love and bashfulness, looked at each other and smiled, but hesitated to come out of the water. As Govinda continued his teasing, the girls, shivering in the cold water with only their heads above the surface, addressed him, “O beloved son of Nanda, please respect us; we know you are worthy of all Vraja’s praise. Give us our clothes, for we are trembling. O Śyāmasundara, we are your servants and will do as you say; return 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 say, then let these pure-smiling girls come here and receive their garments.” Hearing this, the girls, shivering and afflicted by the chill, emerged from the river, covering themselves as best they could with their hands. Seeing them thus, Kṛṣṇa, pleased by their pure devotion, placed their garments on his shoulder and, smiling affectionately, spoke to them: “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. Then, taking your clothes, you may put them on.” Hearing Acyuta’s words, the girls realized that bathing naked was indeed a breach of their vow. Wishing to fulfill their purpose, and understanding that Kṛṣṇa’s instruction was itself the completion of their ritual, they accepted his command as blameless and bowed with folded hands. Seeing their humility and devotion, the Lord, son of Devakī, was moved with compassion and returned their garments, pleased by their sincerity. Though they had been teased and embarrassed, the girls felt no anger toward Kṛṣṇa; instead, they rejoiced in his beloved company. After dressing, the girls lingered, their hearts yearning to be near him, their eyes cast down in modesty. Understanding their desire to touch his feet, Lord Dāmodara spoke gently, “O virtuous ones, I know your intention to worship me. I approve of it, and it shall be fulfilled. For those whose minds are fixed on me, desire does not lead to lust, just as roasted and boiled grains do not sprout. Go now 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 worshipping me.” Thus instructed by the Lord, the maidens, their desires fulfilled, returned to Vraja, their minds absorbed in meditation upon his lotus feet, though it was difficult to leave him. Afterward, Lord Kṛṣṇa, surrounded by the cowherd boys and accompanied by his elder brother, Balarāma, left Vṛndāvana and herded the cows at a distance. As they wandered beneath the midday sun, Kṛṣṇa noticed the trees spreading their branches to provide shade, like umbrellas against the scorching heat. He spoke to his friends: “O Stokakṛṣṇa, O Aṃśu, Śrīdāma, Subala, Arjuna, Viśāla, Ṛṣabha, Tejasvin, Devaprastha, Varūthapa—behold these great souls! They live solely for the sake of others, enduring wind, rain, sun, and cold to protect us all.” “How blessed is their birth, for all creatures live by their gifts. Like the truly good, they never turn away those who seek their help. They fulfill desires with their leaves, flowers, fruits, shade, roots, bark, wood, fragrant resin, sap, ashes, and bones. This, indeed, is the true fulfillment of birth for embodied beings: one should always act for the highest good with one’s life, wealth, intelligence, and speech.” Thus speaking, Kṛṣṇa and his friends entered the midst of the Yamunā, passing through the low branches of trees laden with fresh shoots, clusters, fruits, flowers, and leaves. There, after watering the cows with pure, cool, auspicious water, the cowherd boys themselves drank deeply, satisfied by the sweet water. In the groves along the river, letting the cattle graze as they wished, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma came near. Feeling hungry, the cowherd boys spoke among themselves, reflecting: “Because of absorption in sense objects, a living being does not remember himself again; for some reason, death is the total forgetting. Birth, though experienced as the self by a person with all his being, is said to be the acceptance of sense objects, just like a dream or a fantasy.” And thus, the pastimes of the Lord, filled with love, wisdom, and play, unfolded in the sacred land of Vraja.