Beholding the plight of the cowherd community of Vraja, who had sought refuge in him, Krishna resolved with unwavering determination: “I shall protect these cowherds, who see me as their Lord and whom I have accepted as my own, by the power of my own yoga. This is the vow I have undertaken.” With these words, Krishna, demonstrating his divine might, effortlessly lifted Govardhana Mountain with one hand, as easily as a child might hold up an umbrella. Then, addressing the anxious cowherds, he spoke with gentle assurance: “O mother, O father, O residents of Vraja, enter beneath the shelter of this mountain with your cattle, as you see fit. Do not fear that the mountain will fall from my hand, nor the wind and rain—your protection has been arranged.” Reassured by Krishna’s words, the people of Vraja, along with their families, wealth, and dependents, entered the hollow of the mountain, each finding space as they could. Casting aside hunger, thirst, pain, and even the desire for comfort, they gazed in awe at Krishna, who stood unmoving for seven days, holding aloft Govardhana without shifting his feet. News of Krishna’s wondrous power reached Indra, who, astonished and humbled, withdrew his storm clouds, his pride broken. As the sky cleared, the sun shone forth, and the violent wind and rain ceased, Krishna, the lifter of Govardhana, spoke once more to the cowherds: “Come out now, O cowherds with your wives, wealth, and children. Abandon your fear—the storm has passed, the rivers have receded.” The cowherds emerged, each gathering their cattle, carts, and all their belongings, together with their women, children, and elders, moving slowly in relief and gratitude. Then, before the eyes of all living beings, Krishna playfully set Govardhana Mountain back in its original place. Overcome with love, the people of Vraja approached Krishna, embracing him and expressing their affection in various ways. The cowherd women, their hearts overflowing with devotion, joyfully worshipped him, offering curds and unbroken rice, and bestowing their constant blessings upon him. Yaśodā, Rohiṇī, Nanda, and Balarāma—the foremost among the strong—embraced Krishna and, overwhelmed with parental love, offered him their heartfelt blessings. In the heavens, the gods, Siddhas, Sādhyas, Gandharvas, and Cāraṇas, delighted by Krishna’s deed, sang his praises and showered the earth with flowers. Conches and kettledrums resounded in the sky at the gods’ urging, while the lords of the Gandharvas, led by Tumburu, sang joyously. Surrounded by the loving cowherds, Krishna returned to his own settlement with Balarāma, the Gopīs following joyfully, singing of his wondrous deeds, their hearts deeply moved. Thus concludes the twenty-fifth chapter of the first half of the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for supreme renunciates. Krishna then spoke of the path of wisdom and devotion: “Let the wise, having shaken off attachment to the qualities of nature, worship me. The learned, self-controlled, and vigilant, free from attachment, should worship me. By cultivating goodness, a sage overcomes passion and darkness; remaining steadfast, he conquers even goodness by detachment and a calm mind. Thus, freed from all qualities, the soul attains me, leaving behind individual existence. When the soul is liberated from other souls and from desires born of nature’s qualities, it becomes complete in me, the Absolute, moving neither outward nor inward. “Therefore, those who know my power as Lord of Māyā, endowed with eightfold sovereignty, do not covet even the fortune of the goddess of prosperity; in this world, they attain my supreme state. Those devoted to me, of peaceful nature, are never destroyed; the weapon of Time does not touch them. For those to whom I am as dear as the Self, son, friend, teacher, well-wisher, and cherished deity, I am all in all. “This world, the next, the soul that moves between them, and all that is considered one’s own—wealth, cattle, homes—if one abandons all else and worships me alone, the all-pervading, with exclusive devotion, I carry them beyond death. Nowhere else but in me, the Supreme Lord of all beings and master of primordial nature, is intense fear for the soul dispelled. Out of fear of me, the wind blows, the sun shines, Indra sends rain, fire burns, and death moves about. Yogis endowed with knowledge and renunciation, through the yoga of devotion, enter my feet, which are free from all fear, for their well-being. This alone is the highest good for people: to keep the mind steadily fixed on me with intense devotion. “In the body, there are seven gates above, two in front, and two below, each for the movement of sense-objects, and within them dwells a certain lord. Of these, five gates are to the east, one to the south, and one to the north; two are to the west. I shall tell you their names. “Like fireflies, two eastern gates were built together; through them, Dyumatsakha travels, illuminating the land. Two gates named Nalinī and Nālinī were built together in the east; through them, Avadhūtasakha enters the fragrant domain. A gate called Mukhyā stands at the front, with many shops and food boats; through it, the king of the city enters, accompanied by merchants who know taste. “Through the southern gate Pitṛhū, Purañjana enters the southern Pañcāla region, accompanied by those who carry knowledge. Through the northern gate Devahū, he enters the northern Pañcāla region, again with those who carry knowledge. Through the western gate Āsurī, Purañjana enters the territory called Grāmaka, accompanied by arrogance. Through the western gate Nirṛti, he enters the region called Vaiśasa, accompanied by greed. The two city gates named Andha and Avamīṣā are silent and skillful; their lord, who possesses sight, passes through them and acts. “When he enters the inner chambers, accompanied by Viṣūcī, he experiences delusion, pleasure, or joy arising from his wife and children. Thus, absorbed in actions, driven by desire, deceived and ignorant, he follows whatever his queen wishes. Sometimes, when she drinks, he drinks wine and becomes intoxicated; when she eats, he eats; and when she enjoys, he enjoys with her.” Thus, the Lord revealed the mysteries of devotion, the workings of the body and senses, and the supreme path for those who seek his shelter.