The cowherds, having approached the learned brāhmaṇas to request food for Krishna and Rama, found themselves disappointed. The brāhmaṇas neither suggested giving the food to the Yadus nor forbade it outright. With their hopes dashed, the cowherds returned to Krishna and Rama and recounted all that had transpired. Hearing their report, Krishna—the Lord and Master of the universe—laughed gently. He spoke to the cowherds, guiding them toward a practical, worldly solution. “Go,” he said, “and inform the wives of the brāhmaṇas that Sankarshana and I have come. These women, affectionate and devoted to me in thought, will gladly give you food.” Following his advice, the cowherds went to the home of the brāhmaṇas’ wives. They found the women seated and adorned, and, bowing respectfully, addressed them: “Salutations to you, O noble wives of the brāhmaṇas. Please hear our words. Not far from here, we, sent by Krishna, are tending the cows. Krishna, accompanied by Rama and the cowherds, has come a long way and is hungry. Please give food to him and his companions.” The wives, upon hearing that Achyuta had arrived, were filled with excitement. Their minds, ever absorbed in Krishna’s stories, overflowed with eagerness to see him. Gathering four kinds of excellent food in vessels, they hurried forth to their beloved, like rivers rushing to the ocean. Though their husbands, brothers, relatives, and sons tried to restrain them, their minds were fixed on the Lord of excellent fame, sustained by the teachings they had long heard. Nothing could keep them from going. In a grove on the Yamuna, adorned with fresh asoka shoots, the women saw Krishna, surrounded by cowherds and his elder brother, wandering there. He appeared dark as a raincloud, clad in golden garments, adorned with garlands from the forest and peacock feathers, dressed like a dancer. A lotus rested on his shoulder, one hand twirled a lotus, a lily adorned his ear, his locks framed his cheeks, and his face blossomed with a smile. The women, whose minds were immersed in Krishna—whose stories they loved, whose presence delighted their ears—entered him through their eyes, embraced him within their hearts, and, as wise ones, let go of their sorrow as they wished. Having abandoned all other hopes, they came, desiring to see their very Self. Krishna, the seer of all, knowing their hearts, spoke to them with a smiling face. “Welcome, O highly fortunate ones! Please be seated. What may I do for you? It is fitting that you have come here, desiring to see us. Indeed, those who are truly wise and seek their own good render to me, who am dear to their very selves, devotion that is causeless and unbroken. Life, intellect, mind, self, wives, children, wealth—all these become dear through contact with me. Therefore, who else could truly be dear? Now, go to the sacrificial altar, O wives of the twice-born! Your husbands, householders, will complete their own sacrifice with your participation.” The wives replied, “Do not speak so harshly, O Lord! Fulfill the promise of your scripture at your feet. We have come, leaving behind all relatives, to gather the dust of your feet adorned with tulasi, to place in our hair. Neither our husbands, nor parents, nor children, nor brothers, nor friends, nor anyone else will accept us now. Therefore, O subduer of enemies, for those of us who have fallen at your feet, there is no other refuge—please grant us this.” Krishna reassured them, “Let not your husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, or others bear resentment; even the worlds, the gods, and all beings honor you, as you are now connected with me. Physical association among people in this world is not for love or affection; by fixing your minds on me, you will soon attain me.” Śuka continued: Thus addressed, the wives of the brāhmaṇas returned to the sacrificial enclosure, and their husbands, now free of envy, completed the sacrifice with their own wives. Among them, one woman, restrained by her husband, embraced the Lord in her heart as she had heard, and, giving up her body bound by karma, attained liberation. Lord Govinda, with the food brought by the wives, fed the cowherds in fourfold ways, and he himself also partook. Thus, the Lord, assuming human form for his play, delighted the cows, cowherds, and cowherd women with his beauty, words, and deeds. Later, the brāhmaṇas recalled the request their wives had made to Krishna and Rama. They repented for their offense, having mocked the Lord in human guise. Witnessing the extraordinary devotion of their wives to Krishna, and recognizing their own lack of such devotion, they became remorseful and blamed themselves. “Fie upon our birth, our threefold knowledge, our vows, our great learning, our lineage, and our ritual expertise—if we are turned away from the Lord beyond sense perception. Surely, the Lord’s māyā is deluding, even for yogis; for we, the teachers of men, are bewildered about our own true welfare, O brāhmaṇas. Behold the steadfastness of these women, who, even for Krishna, the teacher of the world, broke the bonds of death called ‘home.’ These women had no initiation as twice-born, no residence with a teacher, no austerity, no self-inquiry, no purity, and no auspicious rituals. Still, even though we possess refinement and other virtues, our devotion to Krishna, the Lord of the most exalted, the master of all yogis, is not firm. Indeed, though we were deluded about our true welfare and distracted by household life, He reminded us of the path of the righteous through the words of the cowherd women. Otherwise, what need would we, who are subject to His command, have for boons like liberation or anything else, from Him who is the Lord of all blessings and whose desires are already fulfilled? This is only a display of His play. Lakshmi, seeking only the touch of His feet, abandons all others and worships Him even once; her request for liberation from her own faults is merely a deluding charm for people. Place, time, distinct objects, mantras, rituals, priests, fires, deities, the sacrificer, the sacrifice, and dharma—all these are composed of Him. He, this very Lord, Vishnu, the master of all yogis, has appeared among the Yadus—we have heard so, yet, being deluded, we do not truly know Him. Ah, how blessed we are, for among us are such women whose unwavering devotion to Hari has arisen in their hearts. Obeisance to You, O Lord Krishna, of unfailing wisdom; deluded by Your maya, our minds wander along the paths of karma. He, the original person, surely forgives the transgressions of those whose minds are bewildered by His own maya and who do not recognize His true nature.” Thus, the story shines as a testament to the transformative power of devotion, the humility of those who recognize their shortcomings, and the boundless grace of Krishna, who delights all beings with his presence.