When Krishna saw the preparations for a ritual in Vraja, he gently questioned Nanda, his father, about its purpose. “Father, what is the intention behind this ritual activity you have planned?” Krishna asked. “Is it merely a tradition, or is there some deeper reason? Please, tell me clearly as I inquire.” Nanda replied with devotion, “My dear son, Indra is the god of rain, and the clouds are his very form. It is by his grace that water falls, bringing delight and sustenance to all living beings. Therefore, we and the other villagers worship this lord of rain, the master of the clouds, with offerings and sacrifices prepared from various materials and clarified butter. By what remains from these acts, people are able to live and pursue the three aims of life. For all human endeavors, it is the rain-god who is the source of their fruits. Abandoning this traditional dharma, which has been handed down through generations, out of desire, greed, fear, or hatred, leads not to good fortune.” Hearing these words of Nanda and the other residents of Vraja, Krishna, who wished to humble Indra’s pride, addressed his father, stirring up a new perspective. He said, “Father, living beings are born by their own actions and meet their end by their actions. 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, for what power does he have over one who does not act? What need is there for Indra among those who follow their own nature and actions? He cannot alter what is ordained by their own tendencies. “Indeed, all people act according to their nature—gods, demons, and humans alike remain established in their own ways. According to their actions, beings attain higher or lower births, and through action alone, they learn and are guided, whether friend, foe, or neutral. Therefore, one should worship through action, remaining true to one’s nature and performing one’s own duty. That which directly sustains one’s life—this alone is truly one’s deity. “If a person, having the means to live by one path, relies on another for sustenance, he will not find true well-being, just as an unchaste woman does not find fulfillment in her paramour. A brāhmaṇa should live by Brahman, a kṣatriya by protecting the earth, a vaiśya by commerce, and a śūdra by serving the twice-born. Farming, trade, and cow protection—lending at interest and music are also said to be livelihoods, but for us, tending cows is our constant occupation. “Sattva, rajas, and tamas are the causes of maintenance, creation, and destruction; from rajas arises the universe and its diversity. Urged by rajas, the clouds pour water everywhere; by that alone do beings thrive—what then can Indra do? “We have no cities or towns, nor even proper houses; we always dwell in the forest, among woods and mountains. Therefore, let us begin a sacrifice for the cows, the brāhmaṇas, and the mountain itself. Let the materials set aside for Indra’s worship be used for this purpose. “Let various kinds of cooked foods be prepared—soups, rice puddings, cakes, fried flour sweets, and other milk-based dishes. Let the brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda offer the fires properly, and let abundant, excellent food and cows be given to them as gifts. To others—horse-keepers, outcastes, and the fallen—let gifts be given as appropriate. After giving barley to the cows, let us make an offering to the mountain. “Once adorned, fed, anointed, and dressed in fine garments, let us circumambulate the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the fires, and the mountain. This is my opinion, dear father; let it be done if it pleases you. This sacrifice is dear to the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the mountain, and to me.” Śuka then narrated that, hearing these words spoken by Krishna, who, as the Lord and as Time itself, wished to curb Indra’s pride, Nanda and the other cowherds accepted Krishna’s proposal as proper. They did everything as Madhusūdana directed: the brāhmaṇas recited blessings, and the offerings were made to the mountain and the brāhmaṇas. After respectfully giving gifts and barley to the cows, they placed the herds at the forefront and circumambulated the mountain. The women, mounting their well-decorated carts yoked with oxen, sang of Krishna’s exploits and received the blessings of the virtuous brāhmaṇas. To inspire confidence among the villagers, Krishna took on another great form and declared, “I am the mountain,” accepting the abundant offerings. Together with the people of Vraja, Krishna bowed to the mountain as the Self to the Self, saying, “Behold, this mountain has appeared in form and has granted us his favor. He dwells in the forest, takes on forms at will, and destroys those mortals who disrespect him. Therefore, we bow to him for the protection of ourselves and our cows.” Thus, prompted by Vāsudeva, the cowherds, along with Krishna, performed the prescribed rites for the mountain, the cows, the brāhmaṇas, and the sacrifice, and then returned to Vraja. By perceiving me—the Self, the self-luminous one who dwells in the hearts of all beings—within yourself by your own self, you will attain freedom from sorrow and fear. Mother, I will impart to you spiritual knowledge, which brings peace to all actions; by this, you will cross over fear. Maitreya then spoke, saying: Thus addressed by Lord Kapila, the lord of all creatures, the devotee was pleased, circumambulated him, and departed to the forest. He undertook a vow of silence, relying solely on the Self, wandering unattached over the earth, without fire and without a fixed dwelling. Absorbing his mind in Brahman, which is beyond both the manifest and unmanifest, appearing as the qualities yet itself without qualities, he realized it through single-minded devotion. Free from ego and possessiveness, beyond dualities, seeing equally and recognizing his own Self, he was inwardly peaceful and steady in mind, like a calm ocean without waves. In Vāsudeva, the all-knowing Lord, the inner Self, through supreme devotion, he realized his own Self and became free from bondage. He saw the Lord present in all beings as his own Self, and also saw all beings in the Lord within himself.