Indra, the king of the gods, approached Krishna with deep humility and reverence. He spoke, acknowledging Krishna’s divine nature: “Your abode is pure existence itself—peaceful, composed of austerity, untouched by passion or darkness. The qualities shaped by illusion do not bind you, nor do you hold any attachment to them. How, then, could causes such as greed and others, which arise from ignorance, ever touch you, O Lord? Yet, for the sake of protecting righteousness and restraining the wicked, you wield punishment. “You are the father, the teacher, the ruler of all worlds—insurmountable time itself—who has taken up the rod of chastisement. For the welfare of all beings, you assume forms by your own will, humbling those who are proud and consider themselves lords of the world. Those like me, who disregard your command and imagine themselves as sovereigns, quickly lose their arrogance upon meeting you at the proper time. They abandon the noble path, acting with disrespect, but even for the wicked, your instructions are effective. “Therefore, O Lord, please forgive my offense, committed out of ignorance and pride in my own power. O Master, my mind was deluded; let such unworthy thoughts never arise in me again. Your descent, O Adhokṣaja, is for removing the heavy burden of the earth caused by powerful rulers, for destroying armies, and for the welfare of those who follow your feet. “Salutations to you, O Blessed One, Supreme Person, Great Soul! Salutations to Vāsudeva, to Krishna, to the Lord of the Sātvatas. Salutations to the one who assumes a body at will, whose form is pure knowledge, who is all-pervading, the seed of all, and the soul of all beings. “O Lord, it was I, driven by pride and intense anger, who tried to destroy this cowherd settlement with storms and winds after the sacrifice was interrupted by the arrogant. By your grace, I am freed from pride and my futile effort is destroyed; I have now taken refuge in you, the Lord, the teacher, and the self.” Śuka then narrated that Krishna was thus praised by Indra, also known as Maghavan. Krishna, the Blessed One, smiled, his voice deep as thunderclouds, and spoke: “O Maghavan, I broke your sacrifice to show you favor, so that you would always remember me and not be intoxicated by the glory of being Indra. One blinded by pride in wealth and power does not see the wielder of the rod; I deprive such a person of their prosperity whenever I wish to show them mercy. Go now, Śakra; may all be well with you. Let my instructions be followed. Remain in your own duties, free from pride and properly engaged.” At that moment, Surabhi, the divine mother of cows, thoughtfully approached Krishna, who stood as the Lord in the form of a cowherd, along with her offspring. She offered her respects, saying, “Krishna, Krishna, great yogi, soul of the universe, origin of all, by you, the Lord of the worlds, we are protected, O infallible one. You are our supreme deity, not Indra, O Lord of the world; for the welfare of cows, brahmins, gods, and the virtuous, you exist. Prompted by Brahmā, we shall anoint you as Indra. You have descended, O Soul of the Universe, to remove the burden of the earth.” Śuka continued: Surabhi then bathed Krishna with her own milk, and with waters brought by Airāvata, Indra’s elephant, from the celestial river Gaṅgā. Indra, together with the sages among the gods and prompted by the mothers of the gods, anointed Krishna, the descendant of Daśārha, addressing him as Govinda. Tumburu, Nārada, and others—Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas—arrived and sang the glories of Hari, which cleanse the worlds of impurity, while celestial women danced in joy. The leaders of the divine hosts praised Krishna and showered wondrous rains of flowers. The three worlds were filled with supreme delight, and the cows gave forth streams of milk. Rivers and trees flowed with honey, grains and herbs grew abundantly without cultivation, and the mountains revealed precious gems. When Krishna was anointed, all beings—even those of cruel nature—became free from enmity. Thus, after anointing Govinda, the lord of the cows and cowherds, Indra, permitted by Krishna and accompanied by the gods and others, returned to heaven. Śuka then described the proper worship of the Lord: one should worship Durgā, Vināyaka, Vyāsa, Viṣvaksena, the teachers, and the gods, each facing their own direction, with offerings such as sprinkling and other rituals. With sandalwood, camphor, kuṅkuma, aguru, and fragrant waters, one should daily bathe the deity with mantras, as resources allow. The rites should be performed with the recitation of the Svarṇagharman hymn, the Mahāpuruṣa-vidyā, the Pauruṣa Sūkta, and Sāman hymns. With garments, sacred threads, ornaments, leaf-garlands, and fragrant ointments, the devotee should adorn the Lord with love, as is proper. Offerings of water for washing the feet, for sipping, fragrance, flowers, unbroken rice, incense, lamps, and other items should be presented with faith. One should prepare offerings such as sweet rice with jaggery, clarified butter, fried cakes, rice cakes, sweets, curd, soup, and other foods if available. Daily and on festival days, one should perform oiling, massaging, offer mirrors, clean the teeth, bathe, provide food and drink, sing, dance, and similar acts of devotion. In the prescribed manner, in a consecrated fire-pit with girdle, fuel, and altar, one should kindle the fire and gather it as directed. After spreading kuśa grass and sprinkling the area, the offerings are placed as prescribed, purified with water, and, after approaching the fire, offered to the Lord. The devotee should meditate on the Lord as resplendent as molten gold, holding conch, discus, mace, and lotus, shining with four arms, peaceful, and clad in garments the color of lotus filaments. He is radiant with crown, bracelets, waistband, splendid armlets, adorned with the mark of Śrīvatsa upon his chest, the Kaustubha gem, and a garland of forest flowers. While meditating and worshipping, the devotee places the wooden offerings and those soaked in clarified butter; after offering portions of ghee for the ancestors and gods, he presents the oblation immersed in ghee. Having worshipped and bowed, he offers gifts to the attendants; reciting the root mantra, he contemplates Brahman, remembering the essence of Nārāyaṇa. After giving water for sipping and the remnants, he prepares them for Viṣvaksena; then, with fragrant mouth-fresheners such as betel, he offers them accordingly. Singing, praising, dancing, and enacting the Lord’s deeds—narrating and listening to his stories—even for a moment, the devotee becomes absorbed in him.