Krishna, seeing the wives of the brāhmaṇas who had come to him with hearts full of devotion, gently instructed them, “O wives of the twice-born, now return to the sacrificial altar. Your husbands, as householders, will complete their sacrifice with your participation.” But the brāhmaṇas’ wives, their hearts overflowing with love for Krishna, replied with deep feeling, “O Lord, do not speak so harshly to us! Please fulfill the promise of your scripture at your lotus feet. We have left behind all our relatives, coming only to gather the dust from your feet, adorned with tulasi, to place in our hair.” They continued, “Neither our husbands, nor parents, nor children, nor brothers, nor friends—no one will accept us now. Therefore, O subduer of enemies, for those of us who have surrendered at your feet, there is no other refuge. Please grant us this shelter.” Hearing their plea, the Blessed Lord spoke words of reassurance: “Let not your husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, or others bear resentment towards you. Even the worlds, the gods, and all beings honor you now, for you are connected with me. Physical association among people in this world is not truly for love or affection; but by fixing your minds on me, you will soon attain me.” Śuka then narrated, “Thus instructed, the wives of the brāhmaṇas returned to the sacrificial enclosure. Their husbands, now free of envy, completed the sacrifice with their own wives.” Yet, among them, there was one woman who had been restrained by her husband and could not go. She embraced the Lord in her heart as she had heard, and, giving up her body bound by karma, she attained liberation. Meanwhile, Lord Govinda, with the very food brought by the wives, fed the cowherds in fourfold ways, and he himself also partook of it. Thus, the Lord, assuming a human form for his play, delighted the cows, the cowherds, and the cowherd women with his beauty, his words, and his deeds. Later, the brāhmaṇas recalled the request their wives had made to the Lords of the universe and repented for their offense, having mocked Krishna in his human guise. Seeing the extraordinary devotion of their wives to Lord 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.” They marveled at the steadfastness of their wives, who, for Krishna, the teacher of the world, had broken 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. Yet, 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.” They admitted, “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.” They reflected further: “Lakshmi herself, 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.” With humility, they said, “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 māyā, 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 māyā and who do not recognize his true nature.” Thus, remembering their own offense, though they had neglected Krishna, they did not waver in their desire to see the infallible ones, even though they were afraid of Kamsa. They pondered, “If the planets are the cause of happiness and distress for a person, what concern is that for the soul, who is unborn? The wise say that the planets only affect other planets; so, to whom should a person direct anger? If karma is the cause of happiness and distress, what concern is that for the soul? For karma pertains to the insentient and the sentient. This body is merely skin, while the person is the conscious self, the suparna; to whom should one be angry? For karma is not the root. If time is the cause of happiness and distress, what concern is that for the soul? For time is of the same nature as the soul. Just as heat is not the property of fire, nor cold of snow, to whom should one be angry? For duality does not belong to another. By no one, anywhere, in any way, does duality arise for the supreme soul, who is beyond all. Just as I am, so is the cycle of birth and death; thus, one who is awakened does not fear the elements.” They resolved, “Relying on this supreme devotion to the transcendent self, which was practiced by the ancient sages, I will cross the boundless, impassable darkness by serving the feet of Mukunda.” The Blessed Lord then spoke: “Having become indifferent, bereft of possessions, free from fatigue, wandering the earth as a renunciant, and even when rejected by the wicked, unwavering in his own duty, the sage spoke this verse: ‘No one else but the soul itself is the cause of happiness and distress for a person; friends, neutrals, and enemies are all creations of worldly ignorance. Therefore, O dear one, with all your being, restrain the mind by intelligence fixed in Me; this alone is the essence of yoga. Whoever, with a focused mind, holds, recites, or listens to this song sung by the sage, established in Brahman, is not overcome by the dualities of life.’” Śuka continued: “The Lord, accompanied by Balarāma, was residing there and saw the cowherds preparing for a sacrifice to Indra. Although fully aware, the Lord, the soul of all and seer of everything, humbly approached and inquired of the elders, led by Nanda: ‘Please tell me, Father, what is this commotion that has arisen? What is its purpose, for whom is it intended, and by whom is this sacrifice performed? O Father, I greatly desire to hear this; please tell me, for I am eager to listen. Indeed, the righteous, who are devoted in all ways, do not keep their actions secret. One who is indifferent to friends, neutrals, and enemies, who is impartial and avoids hostility, is called a true friend, seeing others as oneself. People perform actions both knowingly and unknowingly; for the wise, actions bring success, but not so for the unwise.