With deep reverence, Indra, the king of the gods, offered salutations to Krishna, addressing him as the Supreme Person, the Great Soul, Vāsudeva, and the Lord of the Sātvatas. He bowed to the One who assumes a body at will, whose form is pure knowledge, who is all-pervading, the seed and soul of all beings. Humbled, Indra confessed, “O Lord, it was I, consumed by pride and intense anger, who sought to destroy this cowherd settlement with storms and winds after my sacrifice was interrupted by the arrogant. Yet, by your grace, my pride has been dissolved, my vain efforts destroyed. I have now taken refuge in you—the Lord, the teacher, and the self.” Śuka, the sage, narrates how Krishna was praised by Maghavan (Indra), who, smiling gently, spoke with a voice deep as thunderclouds. Krishna said, “O Maghavan, I broke your sacrifice to show you favor, so that you would always remember me and not be intoxicated by Indra’s glory. Those blinded by pride in wealth and power do not perceive the true ruler; whenever I wish to show mercy, I strip them of their prosperity. Go now, Śakra; may all be well. Follow my instruction, remain in your own duties, free from pride, properly engaged.” At this moment, Surabhi, the divine cow, thoughtful and full of devotion, approached Krishna—Lord in the form of a cowherd—along with her offspring, and offered her respects. She addressed him, “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 continues: Surabhi invited Krishna and bathed him with her own milk, while Airāvata, Indra’s elephant, brought waters from the celestial Ganges to complete the ceremony. 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, the Lord of cows. Tumburu, Nārada, and others—Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas—arrived, singing the fame of Hari, which destroys the impurities of the worlds. Celestial women danced with joy. The leaders of the divine hosts praised Krishna, showering wondrous rains of flowers. The three worlds rejoiced; cows gave forth streams of milk, rivers and trees flowed with honey, grains and herbs flourished without cultivation, and mountains yielded precious gems. O descendant of Kuru, when Krishna was anointed, all beings—even those cruel by nature—became free from enmity. Thus, after anointing Govinda, the lord of cows and cowherds, Indra, permitted by Krishna and accompanied by the gods and others, returned to heaven. Śuka then describes the proper worship of the Lord. One should honor Durgā, Vināyaka, Vyāsa, Viṣvaksena, the teachers, and the gods, each facing their own direction, with offerings such as sprinkling and other rites. Using sandalwood, camphor, kuṅkuma, aguru, and fragrant waters, the deity should be bathed daily with mantras, as resources allow. 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 lovingly adorn the Lord. Offerings of water for washing feet, for sipping, fragrances, flowers, unbroken rice, incense, lamps, and food should be presented with faith. Sweet rice with jaggery, clarified butter, fried cakes, rice cakes, sweets, curd, soup, and other foods, if available, should be offered. Daily and on festival days, one should oil and massage, use mirrors, clean teeth, bathe, eat, drink, sing, and dance for the Lord. In a consecrated fire-pit, with girdle, fuel, and altar, the fire should be kindled and gathered as prescribed. After spreading kuśa grass and sprinkling, offerings should be placed, purified with water, and offered to the fire. One should meditate on Krishna as resplendent as molten gold, with conch, discus, mace, and lotus, shining with four arms, peaceful, clad in garments the color of lotus filaments. Radiant with crown, bracelets, waistband, splendid armlets, adorned with the mark of Śrīvatsa, shining with the Kaustubha gem and a garland of forest flowers. Meditating and worshipping, the devotee places wooden offerings and those soaked in clarified butter; after offering portions of ghee for 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 deeds of the Lord, narrating and listening to his stories, for a moment he becomes absorbed. With hymns both high and low, praises from the Purāṇas and even common speech, the devotee extols the Lord, prays, “Be gracious, O Lord,” and prostrates himself. Placing his head at the Lord’s feet and arms crossed, he implores, “Protect me, O Lord! I have surrendered, frightened by the ocean of death and its snares.” Thus, placing the remainder given by the Lord upon his head with reverence, if the worship is to be concluded, he respectfully returns the offering to the light, and again to the supreme light. Whenever and wherever there is faith in worship and the like, he should worship the Lord there, for Krishna is present in all beings and within the self, as the universal soul. By the paths of ritual and yoga, both Vedic and Tantric, a person worshipping attains from the Lord the desired perfection in both ways. Establishing the Lord’s image, one should build a firm temple; delightful flower gardens for worship and festivals should be created there.