With reverence, I bow to the Supreme Person, the foremost among all, known as Krishna. Like a bee that draws the purest nectar from the heart of flowers, Krishna draws forth the very essence of the Vedas and imparts it as the nectar of wisdom and realization to His devoted servants, removing their fear of worldly existence. Hari, the Lord Himself, is the soul within all embodied beings, the very master of nature. His feet are the true refuge, the source of safety for all who dwell in this world. He alone is the dearest Self, from whom not even the slightest fear can arise. One who knows this is truly wise, and such wisdom itself is the teacher—Hari in the heart. Thus, O best of men, your question has been answered. Now, listen carefully as I reveal to you a secret, well-established truth. Imagine a small, wandering creature, seeking shelter among the gentle, drawn to the sweet songs of six-legged bees, greedy for their sound. Unaware of the wolves that lie ahead—wolves who are never satisfied—he moves forward, while behind him, a deer wounded by a hunter’s arrow gives chase. The meaning is this: Among gentle-natured women, the shelter of the hermitage is like the faint fragrance of a flower—hardly perceptible. Seeking fleeting pleasure born of desire, one becomes absorbed in union, the mind fixed there. Like the alluring songs of bees, the sweet speech of women captivates the ear. Ahead, like a pack of wolves, time devours one’s life, day and night, unnoticed as one enjoys the comforts of home. Meanwhile, unseen, the hunter—Death—strikes with his arrow. O King, behold this self, whose heart is pierced. Therefore, observe the behavior of the deer and restrain your own mind within your heart, just as a charioteer controls his horses with the reins. Abandon the company of women and the songs of the herd, and gradually seek refuge in the shelter of the Swan, becoming satisfied and withdrawing step by step. The king then asked, “O brāhmaṇa, I have heard and reflected on what the Lord has spoken. If teachers know this, why do they not explain it?” He continued, “O brāhmaṇa, my great doubt has been dispelled by your words. Even sages are bewildered by that which the senses cannot reach.” Nārada replied, “By whatever actions a person acts here, when they abandon this body, with another body they will experience the results of those actions. This is the debate among those who know the Vedas: the actions performed are said to be hidden, not manifest.” He continued, “By whatever actions one acts, by those very actions one enjoys the results in the next life, without interruption, through the subtle body and mind. Just as a man leaves behind a sleeping, breathing body, so does he enjoy the results of actions, either with that body or with another. Whatever this person, saying ‘I am this,’ grasps with his mind, he attains the results of those actions, which bring about rebirth. Just as the mind is inferred from the activities of both types of senses, so too are actions from previous bodies recognized by the movements of the mind. With this body, one may not have experienced, seen, or heard something, yet at some time that form may be perceived, for it exists within oneself. Therefore, O King, the embodied soul attains such a form arising from the body; the meaning not directly experienced cannot be grasped by the mind. The mind alone reveals to a person the previous forms, and likewise those that will be, as well as those that will not be—may you be blessed. Sometimes, even what has not been seen or heard appears in the mind; thus, one should infer according to place, time, and action. All objects accessible to the mind and senses come and go repeatedly in accordance with sequence; all people share this experience. “When the mind is fixed solely in sattva, dwelling near the Lord, then darkness—like the moon’s shadow—is dispelled, and all is illuminated. The notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are interrupted in a person only as long as the arrangement of intellect, mind, senses, and qualities—without beginning—persists. During sleep, fainting, and suffering, due to disruption of breath, the awareness ‘I am’ does not arise—even in the burning of death. In the womb and in childhood, due to immaturity, the elevenfold subtle body is not manifest, just as the moon is hidden in the new phase. Even when the object is absent, the cycle does not cease; as one contemplates objects, misfortune comes in dreams, though they are unreal. Thus, the fivefold subtle body, expanded in three and sixteen ways, when joined with consciousness, is called the living being. By this, the person takes up and abandons bodies, and through this experiences joy, sorrow, fear, pain, and happiness. “Just as a leech on grass and water neither departs nor remains, so a person does not abandon identification with the body, even at the time of death. The unseen does not perish like the seen, but exists otherwise, like a dream; what has been, what is, and what will be, all sleep day and night. When one repeatedly contemplates actions performed by the senses, as long as ignorance persists in action, bondage arises for the non-self. Therefore, for the sake of liberation from that, worship Hari with all your being, seeing the universe as His own, from whom arise creation, maintenance, and dissolution.” Maitreya then said: The foremost devotee, the sage Nārada, having shown the path of the swans and bidding them farewell, went on to Siddhaloka. King Prācīnabarhī, the royal sage, after instructing his sons in the protection of creation, went to the hermitage of Kapila to perform austerities. There, with his mind fixed in one-pointed concentration, the steadfast king worshipped Govinda’s lotus feet. Freed from all attachment, he attained likeness with the Lord through devotion. O sinless one, this teaching on the transcendental Self was sung by the divine sage. Whoever recites it or hears it is liberated from material bondage. This purifying glory of Mukunda, which sanctifies the world, has flowed from the mouth of the foremost divine sage, embodying the purity of the Self; whoever hears it being recited attains the supreme state and, freed from all bonds, no longer wanders in this existence. This wondrous transcendental teaching, which I have now obtained, resolves all doubts regarding the duties of women and men, both here and hereafter. Śuka then spoke: When the Lord suddenly disappeared, the women of Vraja, unable to see Him, were tormented, just like female elephants separated from their leader. Absorbed in His movements, affection, smiles, playful glances, charming speech, and delightful pastimes, the women, their minds captivated by the Lord of Lakṣmī, began to imitate His actions, each identifying herself with Him. In walking, smiling, glancing, speaking, and all other acts, the beloveds of the Beloved, embodying His very form, imitated Krishna’s playful ways, each one saying, “I am He,” convinced in her heart.