Not even the highest realms of heaven, nor the liberation so deeply sought by mortals, can compare to even half a moment spent in the company of the Lord’s devotees. What, then, can be said of any other blessings in this world? Therefore, O sinless one, let us pray for the association of those pure souls whose hearts are gentle and compassionate toward all beings, whose sins are washed away by bathing—both inwardly and outwardly—in the sacred waters of Your fame. May this alone be Your grace upon us. It is such souls—whose minds are neither distracted by external objects nor lost in the darkness of ignorance, whose hearts are purified by devotion and yoga—who truly perceive Your path, O Lord. That supreme reality, the highest Brahman, vast as space, is the very source in which this universe appears and by which it is illumined. By Your own wondrous power of illusion, You have created this world of many forms, You sustain it, and, unchanged Yourself, You draw it back into dissolution. The perception of difference arises only from the restless mind; but, O Lord, we recognize You as the self-dependent One. With faith, yogis worship You alone through many rituals, striving for perfection. You are seen in all beings, in the senses, in the mind itself; thus, those learned in the Veda and Tantra know You. You alone are the primeval Person, whose dormant power differentiates the modes of passion, goodness, and darkness. From You arise the great ego, the elements—space, air, fire, water, earth—the gods, the sages, and all beings. Having entered this creation by Your own power, You dwell within the fourfold body as a portion of the self. The wise know You as the indwelling Person, tasting the essence of the senses, just as honey is savored. You are the swift chariot of time, dragging all worlds along with irresistible force; just as the wind, unseen yet mighty, sweeps away the clouds, so do You sweep away the elements. You are indeed unbearable. While people, intoxicated and distracted by thoughts of action, greedily long for sense objects, You, ever alert, suddenly seize them, O Death, just as a snake licks up a mouse. What wise person would abandon Your lotus feet, the very abode of honor and humility? Even the fourteen Manus, revered teachers of the worlds, worship You out of fear, lest they fall from their exalted positions. Therefore, O Brahman, Supreme Self, You are the refuge of the wise; when the universe trembles in fear before Rudra, You alone are the shelter, free from all fear. O noble sons of kings, recite this teaching, remaining pure, performing your own duties, and offering your intentions to the Lord—may all be well for you. Worship that very Self, who dwells within your own self and is present in all beings, ever praising and meditating on Hari. Having received this instruction in yoga, keeping the vows of sages, and with focused minds, practice this with reverence. Long ago, the Lord, master of creation, imparted this teaching to us, desiring to bring forth the sons of Bhṛgu and others who wished to create. We, the lords of progeny, were not moved to create beings on our own; but through this knowledge, our darkness dispelled, we wished to create the manifold creatures. Whoever is always engaged in reciting this with attention soon attains the highest good, being devoted to Vāsudeva. Here, supreme knowledge is the highest welfare for all; with the boat of this knowledge, one easily crosses the difficult ocean of misfortune. Whoever, with faith, recites this praise of the Lord, as sung by me, worships Hari, who is otherwise hard to worship. From this, a person swiftly obtains whatever they desire, for this song is dear to the highest welfare. Whoever, rising early, with joined palms and faith, hears or recites this, is freed from the bonds of karma. O sons of the gods among men, this song—this praise of the Supreme Person, the Paramātmā—has been sung by me. Recite it with a focused mind as a great austerity, practice it, and in the end, you will attain your desired goal. Now, listen as the tale turns to the time when Indra, out of anger, unleashed a torrent of club-like rain for the protection of the people of Vraja, and the lifting of Govardhana. Enraged, Indra spurred on the destructive Sāṃvartaka clouds, speaking words full of command: “Ah! The pride and arrogance of these cowherds, dwellers of the forest, who, relying on Krishna—a mere mortal—have shown disrespect to the gods! “Just as those who abandon the science of inquiry try to cross the ocean of existence with rituals alone, so these cowherds, trusting in Krishna—a talkative, childish, arrogant, and ignorant boy who thinks himself wise—have wronged me. Blinded by their own wealth, puffed up by Krishna, they destroy their pride born of prosperity and drive their cattle to ruin. Mounting Airāvata, my elephant, I will go to Vraja, accompanied by the wind-gods with great force, intent on destroying Nanda's cowherd settlement.” Thus, Śuka said, commanded by Maghavan, the clouds, freed from restraint, began to afflict Nanda's cowherd village with torrents of rain. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and fierce winds drove down water and hail. Thick and thin streams of rain poured incessantly into the chasms, and the earth, flooded by torrents, could no longer be seen—neither low nor high ground remained. Because of the excessive, violent wind, the animals began to tremble. The cowherds and their women, afflicted by the cold, sought refuge in Govinda. Covering their children and heads with their own bodies, distressed by the storm and shivering, they approached the feet of the Blessed Lord. “Krishna! Krishna! Greatly fortunate one, O Lord, Gokula is under your protection; you must save us from the wrath of the gods, O lover of your devotees!” Seeing the beings struck down by the hailstones, the Lord Hari understood that this calamity was born of Indra’s anger. He spoke: “Because our sacrifice was interrupted by us, Indra, seeking our destruction, is sending this extraordinary, fierce, stone-filled rain and violent wind. Now, I shall counteract this with my own power of yoga; out of the foolishness of those who consider themselves lords of the world, I will destroy their pride born of arrogance. For the gods who are truly virtuous, there is no astonishment at the Lord; but for the unworthy, the breaking of their pride leads to their pacification.