The Lord Vishnu Himself, the master of all yogis, had appeared among the Yadus. Though the people had heard of this divine incarnation, they confessed that, being deluded by His power, they did not truly recognize Him. Still, they marveled at their own good fortune, for among them were women whose unwavering devotion to Hari had naturally blossomed in their hearts. With humility, they offered obeisance to Lord Krishna, whose wisdom never fails, admitting that their minds, bewildered by His maya, wandered along the paths of karma. Yet, they trusted that the original Supreme Person would forgive the transgressions of those who, confused by His own divine illusion, failed to perceive His true nature. Remembering their own shortcomings, and even though they had neglected Krishna in the past, their longing to behold the infallible Lord never wavered, despite their fear of the cruel Kamsa. They pondered the causes of happiness and distress: if planets were responsible, what concern was that for the soul, which is unborn? The wise declared that planets only influence other planets, so anger towards them was pointless. If karma was the cause, again, what relevance did that have for the conscious self? Karma pertained to both the insentient and the sentient, but the body was merely skin, while the true person was the suparna, the conscious soul. Anger was misplaced, for karma was not the root cause. If time was the cause, the soul had no concern, for time and the soul share the same nature. Just as heat is not the property of fire nor cold of snow, duality does not belong to another. Nowhere, in any way, does duality arise for the supreme soul, who is beyond all. Just as the cycle of birth and death exists for all, one who is awakened does not fear the elements. With faith in supreme devotion to the transcendent self, as practiced by the ancient sages, they resolved to cross the boundless darkness of ignorance by serving the feet of Mukunda. The Blessed Lord explained: 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 had spoken these verses. He taught that no one but the soul itself is the cause of happiness and distress; friends, neutrals, and enemies are all creations of worldly ignorance. Therefore, he advised, “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 then narrated that the Lord, accompanied by Balarāma, was residing in Vraja, and observed the cowherds preparing for a sacrifice to Indra. Though fully aware, the Lord, the soul of all and seer of everything, humbly approached the elders led by Nanda and inquired, “Father, what is this commotion? What is its purpose, for whom is it intended, and who performs this sacrifice?” Krishna expressed his eagerness to learn, saying, “I greatly desire to hear this; please tell me, for I am eager to listen. The righteous, devoted in all ways, do not keep their actions secret.” He added, “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. So, what is the purpose of this ritual activity? Or is it merely customary? Please, as I ask, speak well and tell me.” Nanda replied, “The god Indra is the lord of rain; the clouds are his very form, pouring water that delights and sustains all beings. We and others worship that lord of the rain-bringers with offerings and sacrifices prepared with materials and clarified butter. From what remains, people live for the sake of the three aims of life; for human efforts, the rain-god is the cause of their fruits. A man who abandons this traditional dharma, passed down through generations, out of desire, greed, fear, or hatred, does not attain good fortune.” Śuka continued: Hearing Nanda’s words, Keśava, stirring up anger towards Indra, spoke to his father. Krishna explained, “A living being is born by action and dissolved by action; happiness, sorrow, fear, and safety all arise from action alone. If there is some lord who gives the fruits of others’ actions, he too depends on the doer; he has no power over one who does not act. What need is there for Indra among beings who follow their own actions? He is powerless to alter what is ordained by their own nature. Indeed, people act according to their own nature, being governed by it; all—gods, demons, and humans—remain established in their own nature.” He continued, “A living being, attaining a body high or low, acts and gives up by action; friend, foe, or neutral—action alone is the teacher and lord. Therefore, one should worship through action, remaining in one’s own nature and performing one’s own duty; that by which one lives directly, that alone is truly one’s deity. He who, having the means to live by one path, depends on another for his livelihood, does not attain well-being from that, just as an unchaste woman does not from a paramour.” Krishna described the proper livelihoods: “A brāhmaṇa should live by Brahman, a kṣatriya by protecting the earth, a vaiśya should live by commerce, and a śūdra by serving the twice-born. Farming, trade, and cow protection—lending at interest and music are also said; thus, there are four kinds of livelihoods, among which we are always engaged in tending cows.” He explained, “Sattva, rajas, and tamas are the causes of maintenance, creation, and destruction; from rajas arises the universe, the diverse world, each from the other. Urged by rajas, the clouds pour water everywhere; by that alone do beings thrive—what then can Indra do?” Krishna declared, “We have no cities, towns, or houses; we always dwell in the forest, living among woods and mountains. Therefore, let a sacrifice be begun for the cows, brāhmaṇas, and the mountain; let the materials for Indra’s worship be used for this sacrifice. Let various kinds of cooked foods be prepared, including soups, rice puddings, and the like; let cakes, fried flour cakes, and other milk-based dishes be gathered. Let the fires be properly offered into by brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda; let abundant, excellent food be given to them, and cows as gifts.” Thus, the Lord guided the people of Vraja to honor their true sources of sustenance—the cows, the brāhmaṇas, and the sacred mountain—teaching them the deeper wisdom of karma, devotion, and the nature of the soul.