Freed from pride by Krishna’s grace, Indra, the king of the gods, felt his vain efforts fall away. Humbled, he sought refuge in Krishna himself—the Lord, the teacher, the very self of all. At that moment, Śuka continued, Indra, also known as Maghavan, praised Krishna with heartfelt words. Krishna, the Blessed One, smiled gently, his voice resonant and deep as thunderclouds, and spoke: “O Maghavan, I disrupted your sacrifice out of compassion, so that you would always remember me and never again be intoxicated by the pride of being Indra. When someone is blinded by arrogance born of wealth and power, they fail to recognize the true wielder of destiny. Out of mercy, I strip such persons of their prosperity, so they may find their true path.” “Now go, Śakra; may all be well with you. Take my words to heart. Perform your duties, free from pride and properly engaged in your responsibilities.” As Indra departed, the thoughtful Surabhi, the divine mother of cows, approached Krishna in his cowherd form, accompanied by her offspring. She bowed before him and offered her respects, saying, “Krishna, Krishna, great yogi and soul of the universe, origin of all beings! By you, the Lord of the worlds, we are protected, O infallible one. You alone are our supreme deity, not Indra. For the well-being of cows, brahmins, gods, and the virtuous, you exist. Prompted by Brahmā, we shall anoint you as Indra, for you have descended, O Soul of the Universe, to relieve the earth of its burdens.” Śuka then described how Surabhi, having invited Krishna, bathed him with her own milk and with the sacred waters brought by Airāvata, Indra’s elephant, from the celestial Ganga. Indra himself, along with the sages among the gods and inspired by the divine mothers, anointed Krishna—the descendant of the Daśārha clan—addressing him as Govinda, the protector of cows. At that auspicious moment, Tumburu, Nārada, and many others—Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas—arrived, singing the glories of Hari, whose fame destroys the impurities of the worlds. Celestial women danced in joy, and the leaders of the divine hosts showered wondrous rains of flowers. The three worlds rejoiced in supreme delight, and the cows released abundant streams of milk. Rivers and trees flowed with honey, grains and herbs sprang forth without cultivation, and the mountains revealed precious gems. When Krishna was anointed, O descendant of Kuru, all beings—even those naturally cruel—became free from enmity. Thus, after anointing Govinda, the lord of cows and cowherds, Indra, with Krishna’s permission and accompanied by the gods and others, returned to heaven. Śuka then explained the ways of worship: One should honor Durgā, Vināyaka, Vyāsa, Viṣvaksena, the teachers, and the gods, each in their respective directions, with offerings such as sprinkling and other rites. Using sandalwood, camphor, kuṅkuma, aguru, and fragrant waters, one should bathe the deity daily with appropriate mantras, as means allow. The worshipper should recite sacred hymns—the Svarṇagharman, Mahāpuruṣa-vidyā, Pauruṣa Sūkta, and Sāman hymns—while performing the rituals. With love, the devotee should adorn the Lord with garments, sacred threads, ornaments, garlands of leaves, and fragrant ointments. Offerings of water for washing the feet, for sipping, fragrant flowers, unbroken rice, incense, lamps, and other items should be presented with faith. Foods such as sweet rice with jaggery, clarified butter, fried cakes, rice cakes, sweets, curd, soup, and other delicacies may be offered, as available. Oiling, massaging, mirrors, tooth-cleaning, bathing, food, drink, singing, dancing, and similar acts should be performed daily and on festival days. 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 the area, the offerings should be placed and purified with water, then offered to the Lord in the fire. The devotee should meditate on Krishna as resplendent as molten gold, bearing 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, marked with Śrīvatsa on his chest, adorned with the Kaustubha gem and a garland of forest flowers. While meditating and worshipping, the devotee offers wooden sticks and clarified butter, presenting portions for the ancestors and gods, and finally the main oblation immersed in ghee. After worship and prostration, gifts are offered to the attendants; reciting the root mantra, the devotee contemplates Brahman, remembering the essence of Nārāyaṇa. After giving water for sipping and distributing the remnants, the devotee prepares offerings for Viṣvaksena, and presents fragrant mouth-fresheners such as betel. Singing, praising, dancing, and enacting the Lord’s deeds, narrating and listening to his stories, the devotee becomes absorbed, even if only for a moment. With hymns—both exalted and simple—and praises from the Purāṇas and even common speech, the devotee extols the Lord, prays for his grace, and prostrates. Placing his head at the Lord’s feet, arms crossed, he implores, “Protect me, O Lord! I have surrendered to you, frightened by the ocean of death and its snares.” Taking the remnants given by the Lord and placing them reverently on his head, if the worship is to conclude, the devotee respectfully returns the offering to the light, and again to the supreme light. Wherever and whenever there is faith in worship, the devotee should worship the Lord there, for the Lord is present in all beings and within the self, as the universal soul. By the paths of ritual and yoga, both Vedic and Tantric, whoever worships the Lord attains the desired perfection. Establishing the Lord’s image, one should build a firm temple, with delightful flower gardens for worship and festivals. For the continuous flow of worship and related rites, on great festivals and daily, one should dedicate fields, shops, towns, and villages, thereby attaining the Lord’s realm. Through consecration, one becomes sovereign over the three worlds with a residence; through worship and related acts, one attains Brahma’s world; and by all three, one attains equality with the Lord. By exclusive devotion and yoga, one attains the Lord alone. Thus, whoever worships the Lord obtains the path of devotion.