Sometimes, when the wife drank wine, the husband too would drink, becoming intoxicated alongside her; when she ate, he ate as well, and when she sought enjoyment, he joined her in that pleasure. At times, as she sang, he would sing in response; when she wept, he too would weep. If she laughed, he would laugh, and when she spoke, he would answer her words. When she ran, he ran after her; if she stood still, he stood beside her; when she lay down, he would lie down at her side, and sometimes, he would simply sit with her. When she listened, he listened; when she gazed at something, he too would look; as she smelled, he would inhale the same scents, and when she reached out to touch, he would touch as well. When his wife was overcome with sorrow, he shared in her grief, and when she rejoiced, he too was filled with happiness. In this way, deceived by his wife and all her qualities, even when unwilling, the ignorant man imitates her in everything, like a plaything, out of weakness. Śuka then continued: Observing the extraordinary deeds performed by Kṛṣṇa, the cowherds of Vraja were filled with amazement, unaware of his true divine power. Remembering the words of the sage Garga, they approached Nanda and spoke their hearts. “These acts of your son are truly astonishing,” they said. “How could a boy born among simple villagers, whose children are usually looked down upon, accomplish such marvels? How could this child, only seven days old, lift the mighty mountain effortlessly with one hand, as easily as the king of elephants raises a lotus flower? With eyes barely open in childish innocence, he drank the breast milk of the fearsome Pūtanā, taking her very life, just as time ultimately consumes all beings. When he lay beneath a cart, his tiny feet struck it, and with a mere cry and kick, the wheel tumbled down, overturned. As a one-year-old, he was seized by the demon Tṛṇāvarta, who carried him high into the sky and gripped his neck, yet Kṛṣṇa overcame that terrible affliction. Once, when his mother tied him to a mortar for stealing butter, he crawled between two arjuna trees and caused them to fall, simply by his movement and touch. In the forest, tending calves and surrounded by his friends, he tore apart the jaws of the demon Baka, who had come to kill him, using only his hands. When a demon disguised as a calf entered among the herd to harm him, Kṛṣṇa slew him and, with playful ease, knocked down the kapittha fruits. He killed the ass-demon and his powerful companions, making the tāla grove safe and abundant with ripe fruit. By his strength, he destroyed the fierce Pralamba demon and rescued the cows and cowherds from a devouring forest fire. He subdued the great serpent king, humbled his pride, and drove him from the lake, thus purifying the waters of the Yamunā from poison. All the residents of Vraja feel an unbreakable affection for him. Nanda, how could such deep, spontaneous love arise in us for your son? How could a seven-day-old child perform the feat of holding up a mountain? O leader of Vraja, these things fill us with wonder and doubt about your child.” Nanda replied, “Listen, dear cowherds, and let your doubts be set to rest. Concerning this child, the wise Garga, the Yadu sage, spoke to me. He told me that in different ages, this child has appeared in three colors: white, red, and yellow. Now, he has taken on a dark complexion. In a previous birth, this illustrious one was born as the son of Vasudeva; now, he is my son. The wise call him Vāsudeva. Your son has many names and forms, each corresponding to his qualities and deeds. I know these, though others do not. This delight of the cowherds and of Gokula will bring prosperity to us all; by his power, we will easily overcome all dangers. In ancient times, O chief of Vraja, the virtuous, oppressed by robbers in a land without a king, were protected by him, and united, they defeated the bandits. Those who are fortunate enough to develop affection for him are never overcome by misfortune, just as those protected by Viṣṇu are never conquered by demons. Therefore, this son of mine is equal to Nārāyaṇa in qualities, in good fortune, in fame, and in influence; so there is no wonder in his marvelous actions. Having been directly instructed by Garga, and after he departed for his own home, I consider Kṛṣṇa, the doer of effortless deeds, to be a portion of Nārāyaṇa himself.” Hearing Nanda’s words and recalling the song of Garga, the people of Vraja, having witnessed and heard of Kṛṣṇa’s immeasurable brilliance, honored Nanda and Kṛṣṇa with joy, their hearts free from astonishment. When Indra, angered by the disruption of his sacrifice, sent down torrents of rain, hail, and wind, bringing distress to the cowherds and their cattle, they saw Kṛṣṇa, their only refuge, smiling with compassion. With the ease of a child lifting a toy, he uprooted the mountain with one hand and held it aloft, sheltering the entire cowherd community. Thus, Indra, despite his pride in his own power, could not protect the cows as Kṛṣṇa did. Thus concludes the twenty-sixth chapter of the first part of the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the great Purāṇa and scripture of the supreme renunciates. The saints, who are unattached, ever absorbed in me, peaceful, seeing all with equal vision, free from possessiveness and ego, undisturbed by dualities and without greed—among them, O fortunate one, my stories are always spoken, arising among the most blessed. These stories purify those who cherish them, removing all sin. Those who listen, sing, or approve of them with respect, who are devoted and faithful to me, attain devotion to me. For the saint who has attained devotion, what else is there to achieve, when he finds bliss in me, the infinite, the embodiment of Brahman and joy? Just as one who approaches a blazing fire is freed from cold, fear, and darkness, so too is one who associates with the saints. For those who are tossed about in the dreadful ocean of existence, the saints—knowers of Brahman, ever peaceful—are like a sturdy boat for those who are immersed in the waters of suffering. Food is the very life of living beings; I am the refuge for the distressed; righteousness is the wealth that endures after death; and the saints are the shelter for those who fear in this world. The saints bestow vision, like the rising sun in the sky; gods, relatives, the saints, and I myself—all are found in the company of the saints.