As Hari returned to his own cowherd settlement, he was surrounded by the loving cowherd men, and Balarāma walked by his side. The Gopīs, their hearts overflowing with emotion, followed joyfully behind, singing of Kṛṣṇa’s wondrous deeds. Their voices echoed the marvels they had witnessed, filling the air with devotion and delight. Here ends the twenty-fifth chapter of the first half of the tenth book in the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture revered by the supreme renunciates. The Lord then instructed: Let the wise, having shaken off all attachment to the qualities of nature, worship me alone. The learned, free from all attachment, self-controlled and vigilant, should fix their worship upon me. A sage overcomes passion and darkness by cultivating goodness, and, being steadfast, he transcends even goodness itself by detachment and a calm mind. Freed from all qualities, the soul then attains me, leaving behind individual existence. When the soul is liberated from other souls and from desires born of qualities, it becomes complete in me, the Absolute; it moves neither outward nor inward, remaining ever content. Therefore, those who know my power as the Lord of Māyā, endowed with eightfold sovereignty, do not covet even the blessed fortune of the goddess of prosperity. In this world, they attain my supreme state. Those who are devoted to me, of peaceful nature, never perish; the weapon of Time does not touch them. For such devotees, to whom I am as dear as the Self, as a son, friend, teacher, well-wisher, and cherished deity, I am their constant companion. This world, the next, the soul that moves between both, and all that is considered one’s own—be it wealth, cattle, or homes—are all left behind by those who, abandoning all else, worship me alone, the all-pervading, with exclusive devotion. Such souls I carry beyond death. Nowhere else but in me, the Supreme Lord of all beings and the master of primordial nature, is intense fear for the soul of all creatures 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. In this world, the highest good for people is this alone: with intense devotion, to keep the mind steadily fixed on me. O King, there are seven gates above, two in front, and two below; each allows 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. Let me describe their names. Like fireflies, two eastern gates were constructed together; through them, Dyumatsakha travels, illuminating the land. Two more gates, named Nalinī and Nālinī, were also built together in the east; through them, Avadhūtasakha enters the fragrant domain. A gate called Mukhyā stands at the front, bustling with many shops and food boats; through it, the king of the city enters, accompanied by merchants who know taste. Through the southern gate named Pitṛhū, Purañjana enters the southern Pañcāla region, accompanied by those who carry knowledge. Through the northern gate called Devahū, he enters the northern Pañcāla region, again accompanied by those who carry knowledge. Through the western gate named Āsurī, Purañjana enters the territory called Grāmaka, accompanied by arrogance. Through the western gate named 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, becoming intoxicated; when she eats, he eats, and when she enjoys, he enjoys with her. Sometimes, when she sings, he sings; when she weeps, he weeps; when she laughs, he laughs, and when she speaks, he speaks in turn. Sometimes, when she runs, he runs; when she stands, he stands; when she lies down, he lies down beside her, and sometimes he sits with her. Sometimes, when she listens, he listens; when she looks, he looks; when she smells, he smells, and when she touches, he touches. When his wife grieves, he grieves with her, feeling sorrow; when she rejoices, he rejoices, sharing in her happiness. Thus deceived by his wife and all her qualities, even when unwilling, the ignorant man imitates her, like a plaything, out of weakness. At this point, Śuka continued: Seeing such extraordinary deeds of Kṛṣṇa, the cowherds were amazed. Unaware of his true power, they approached Nanda and spoke, recalling the words of Garga. They said, “These acts of this boy are truly astonishing! How could he be born among villagers, whose offspring are usually despised? How could this child, only seven days old, effortlessly hold aloft the great mountain with a single hand, just as the king of elephants lifts a lotus? With his eyes only partly open in childish innocence, he drank the breast milk of the mighty Pūtanā, along with her very life, as time consumes the lives of all. While lying below, the infant’s feet struck the cart, and the wheel fell down, overturned, as he cried and kicked it. Seated as a one-year-old, he was carried away through the sky by the demon Tṛṇāvarta, who grasped his neck, but he overcame that great affliction. Once, when his mother had tied him to a mortar for stealing butter, he walked between the two arjuna trees and caused them to fall with his arms. In the forest, tending calves, surrounded by other boys, he tore apart the mouth of the demon Baka with his hands, though Baka intended to kill him. When the demon, disguised as a calf, entered among the calves to kill him, he slew him and, with playful ease, knocked down the kapittha fruits.” Thus, the cowherds marveled at the divine acts of Kṛṣṇa, whose true nature remained a mystery even to those closest to him.