Who among the wise would ever abandon Your lotus feet, O Lord—those very feet that are the sanctuary of honor and humility? Even the great Manus, fourteen in number and revered as our teachers, worship You out of fear, lest they fall from their lofty positions. Therefore, O Supreme Brahman, Supreme Self, You are the true refuge of the wise. When the universe trembles in fear of Rudra’s might, it is to You alone that all turn for shelter, for You are utterly beyond all fear. So, noble sons of kings, remain pure, perform your duties, and offer your intentions to the Lord. Recite this sacred knowledge, and may all be well with you. Worship that very Self who dwells within your own heart and abides in all beings—unceasingly praise and meditate upon Hari. Having received instruction in yoga, maintain the vows of sages, and with concentrated minds, practice this with reverence. Long ago, the Lord, master of creation, imparted this teaching to us when He wished to manifest the sons of Bhṛgu and others, and to those desiring to create. At that time, we, the lords of progeny, were not yet moved to create beings. But by this sacred knowledge, the darkness of ignorance was dispelled, and we became eager to create the various living beings. Now, anyone who is always engaged, who recites this attentively, swiftly attains the highest good, becoming devoted to Vāsudeva. Here, supreme knowledge is the highest welfare for all; with this boat of wisdom, one easily crosses the difficult ocean of misfortune. Whoever, with faith, recites this praise of the Lord, as sung by me, truly worships Hari, who is otherwise so hard to approach. From this song, which is dear to the highest welfare, a person obtains whatever he desires, quickly. Whoever, rising early, with joined palms and faith, hears or recites this, is freed from the bonds of karma. O sons of men-gods, 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, out of anger, Indra, the king of heaven, sent down a torrent of rain as fierce as clubs, threatening the very lives of the inhabitants of Vraja and setting the stage for the wondrous lifting of Govardhana. Enraged, Indra summoned the destructive clouds called Sāṃvartaka and spoke words filled with command. He said, “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 some, abandoning the true science of inquiry, wish to cross the ocean of existence with mere rituals and strong actions, so too have these cowherds, relying on Krishna—a talkative, childish, arrogant, ignorant one who thinks himself wise—done me wrong. Blinded by their own wealth, puffed up by Krishna, they destroy their pride born of prosperity and drive their cattle to ruin. I will mount Airāvata, my elephant, and go to Vraja, accompanied by the wind-gods with great force, intent on destroying Nanda’s cowherd settlement.” Thus, Śuka continued, at Indra’s command, the clouds, now unrestrained, began to afflict Nanda’s cowherd village with torrents of rain. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and fierce winds drove down water and hail. The rain fell in thick and thin streams, filling the chasms; the earth, flooded, disappeared beneath the torrents—no high ground, no low, all was submerged. The excessive, violent wind made the animals tremble; the cowherds and their women, afflicted by the cold, sought refuge in Govinda. Covering their heads and children with their own bodies, distressed by the storm and shivering, they approached the feet of the Blessed Lord. They cried, “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 of Vraja struck down by hailstones and lifeless, Lord Hari understood that this calamity was caused by the anger of Indra. He said, “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 properly 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. Therefore, I shall protect this cowherd community, which has taken refuge in me, which considers me its lord, and which I have accepted as my own, by my own power of yoga. This is the vow I have undertaken.” Having spoken thus, Krishna, with one hand, effortlessly lifted Govardhana Mountain, just as a child might hold up an umbrella. Then the Blessed Lord said to the cowherds, “O mother, O father, O residents of Vraja, enter the hollow of the mountain with your cattle, as you find suitable. You need not be afraid here of the mountain falling from my hand, nor of the wind and rain; protection has indeed been arranged for you.” Thus reassured by Krishna, the residents of Vraja, along with their wealth, families, and dependents, entered the hollow of Govardhana as space allowed. Abandoning hunger, thirst, pain, and the desire for comfort, they watched as Krishna held up the mountain for seven days, never moving his feet. Hearing of Krishna’s wondrous power of yoga, Indra was utterly astonished. Stunned and his resolve broken, he withdrew his clouds. When the sky cleared, the sun shone, and the terrible wind and rain ceased, Govardhana’s lifter spoke to the cowherds: “Go out, abandon your fear, O cowherds with your wives, wealth, and children; the wind and rain have stopped, and the rivers have receded.” Then the cowherds went out, each taking their own cattle, carts, and belongings, along with women, children, and elders, moving slowly from the mountain’s shelter. The Blessed Lord, too, placed Govardhana back in its original place, as before, in the sight of all living beings, doing so playfully, his divine sport complete.