As dawn painted the banks of the Yamunā, the playful Krishna called out to the girls of Vraja, his voice gentle yet mischievous. “Come here, girls,” he beckoned, “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.” He assured them, “I have never spoken a lie before, and these boys know it. O fair-waisted ones, come one by one to receive your garments—not all together.” The gopīs, seeing Krishna’s playful gesture, were overwhelmed with love. They looked at each other bashfully, smiles blooming on their faces, but none dared to step out of the water. Krishna, continuing his jest, spoke again, and their minds grew agitated. Immersed up to their necks in the cold water, shivering, the girls addressed him, pleading, “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.” Another spoke, “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.” Krishna replied with warmth, “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, the gopīs emerged from the water, covering themselves with their hands, afflicted by the chill. Seeing them so helpless, Krishna, pleased by their pure devotion, placed their garments upon his shoulder and, smiling, spoke to them with affection. “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 Krishna’s words, the girls understood that bathing naked was a breach of their vow. Wishing to fulfill their purpose, they accepted Krishna’s instruction as the completion of their ritual, for it was directly ordained by him and thus blameless. Seeing them bowing, Krishna, son of Devakī, moved by compassion, returned their garments, pleased by their devotion. Though they had been teased, embarrassed, and made to play as if in sport—even having their clothes taken—the girls bore no resentment. Instead, they found joy in Krishna’s beloved company. After putting on their garments, their hearts set on meeting him, the gopīs, eyes cast down in modesty, remained, unable to depart. Understanding their desire to touch his feet, Lord Dāmodara spoke to them, recognizing their steadfast vow and intention. “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, the maidens, their desires fulfilled, returned to Vraja, meditating on Krishna’s lotus feet, though it was difficult for them to leave. Krishna, surrounded by the cowherd boys, left Vṛndāvana and, along with his elder brother Balarāma, herded the cows at a distance. As they wandered, Krishna noticed the trees providing shade with their own bodies, shielding the residents of Vraja from the fierce midday sun. He spoke to his friends: “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: one should always act for the highest good with one’s life, wealth, intelligence, and speech.” Entering the midst of the Yamunā, through low branches laden with fresh shoots, clusters, fruits, flowers, and leaves, the cowherds watered the cows with pure, cool, auspicious water, and then drank the sweet water themselves to their satisfaction. In the groves, letting the cattle graze as they wished, Krishna and Balarāma approached, and, being hungry, the cowherds began to discuss profound truths. They spoke, “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. Just as one does not remember a dream or a fantasy from before, so also, in that state, one sees oneself as new, not as before. This threefold manifestation—of senses, their objects, and the mind—appears in the substance; the division of inner and outer arises from people, just as the actions of the good and the wicked. Indeed, beings constantly come into being and cease to be; by the imperceptible, swift force of time, due to subtlety, this is not seen. Just as with flames, streams, and the fruits of a tree, so too are the ages and stages of all beings established. This lamp is called a flame, this water is called a stream, and this person is called a man—such speech is false, as is the notion of lasting life. Do not think that this person is born from the seed of his own actions, or that he truly dies; it is an illusion, just as fire appears to arise and cease with wood. Conception, gestation, birth, childhood, boyhood, youth, maturity, old age, and death—these are the nine stages of the body. These various higher and lower bodies, made of the stuff of fantasy, are assumed through association with qualities; sometimes someone acquires them, sometimes abandons them. The coming into being and passing away of the self are inferred from father and son; but one who knows the true nature of things that come and go is not characterized by both.” In this way, Krishna, his companions, and the cows wandered through Vraja, the Lord imparting wisdom and joy, nourishing all with his presence and teachings.