Narada, the great sage, addressed the king with deep compassion and wisdom. “O King, observe the ways of the deer,” he advised, “and learn to restrain your mind within your own heart, just as a charioteer skillfully holds the reins of his horses. Abandon the distracting company of women and the alluring songs of the herd. Instead, gradually seek shelter in the presence of the Supreme Swan, the soul of all. Cultivate satisfaction within and withdraw, step by step, from worldly attachments.” Hearing these profound words, the king respectfully replied, “O brāhmaṇa, I have listened and reflected upon what the Lord has revealed through you. But why, if the teachers know these truths, do they not explain them more clearly?” Narada’s instructions had dispelled the king’s doubts. The king confessed, “O brāhmaṇa, your words have removed my confusion. Even great sages are bewildered when their senses cannot reach the truth.” He pondered further, “Whatever actions a person performs in this life, upon leaving this body, he must enjoy the results of those actions in another body. This is the debate among those learned in the Vedas: the results of actions are hidden, not always manifest.” Narada then explained, “By whatever actions one acts, by those very actions he experiences their 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 his deeds, whether with this body or another. Whatever a person identifies with, thinking ‘I am this,’ and grasps with his mind, he attains the results of those actions, and thus rebirth continues.” He continued, “Just as the mind is inferred from the activities of the senses, so too are past actions recognized by the movements of the mind. Even if, in this body, one has not seen, heard, or experienced something, at some time that form may appear within, for it is present within oneself. Therefore, O King, the embodied soul attains a form arising from the body; meanings not directly experienced cannot be grasped by the mind. The mind alone reveals to a person the previous forms, those yet to be, and even those that will never be—may you be blessed.” Narada further instructed, “Sometimes, what has never 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 due order, and all people share this experience. When the mind is fixed solely in sattva, dwelling near the Lord, then darkness is dispelled, just as the shadow is removed from the moon, and everything is illumined.” He explained, “The sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ persists as long as the arrangement of intellect, mind, senses, and their qualities—beginningless as they are—remains. During sleep, fainting, or suffering, when the flow of breath is disturbed, the awareness ‘I am’ does not arise—even at the moment of death. In the womb and in childhood, due to immaturity, the elevenfold subtle body is not manifest, just as the new moon is hidden.” “Even when the object is absent, the cycle does not cease. As one contemplates objects, misfortune may arise in dreams, though dreams 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 death.” He continued, “The unseen does not perish like the seen, but exists in another way, like a dream. The past, present, and future all rest in sleep, day and night. When one repeatedly contemplates actions performed by the senses, as long as ignorance persists, bondage arises for the non-self. Therefore, to be freed from that bondage, worship Hari with all your being, seeing the universe as His own, from whom creation, maintenance, and dissolution arise.” Having thus shown the royal path of the swans, Narada, the foremost devotee, bid farewell and departed for Siddhaloka. King Prācīnabarhī, the royal sage, after instructing his sons in the protection of creation, went to the hermitage of Kapila to practice austerity. There, with a mind fixed in one-pointed concentration, he worshipped the lotus feet of Govinda. 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 or hears it is liberated from material bondage. This purifying glory of Mukunda, sanctifying the world, has flowed from the mouth of the foremost sage, embodying the purity of the Self. Whoever hears it attains the supreme state and, freed from all bonds, no longer wanders in this existence. “This wondrous transcendental teaching, which I have now received,” the king reflected, “resolves all doubts regarding the duties of women and men, both now and hereafter.” Śuka then spoke: “When the Lord suddenly disappeared from their sight, the women of Vraja were tormented, just like female elephants separated from their leader. Absorbed in His movements, affection, smiles, playful glances, charming speech, and delightful pastimes, their minds were captivated by the Lord of Lakṣmī. Each began to imitate His actions, identifying herself with Him.” “In walking, smiling, glancing, speaking, and other acts, the beloveds of the Beloved, embodying His very form, imitated Kṛṣṇa’s playful ways, each convinced in her heart, ‘I am He.’ Gathered together, they sang of Him loudly and wandered from forest to forest like those possessed, searching for Him. They questioned the trees, who, though standing apart, contain the Supreme Person within, as if asking the sky.” They cried out, “O Aśvattha, Plakṣa, Nyagrodha trees, have you seen the son of Nanda pass this way, stealing our minds with His loving glances and radiant smiles? O Kurabaka, Aśoka, Nāga, Punnāga, Campaka trees, has Rāma’s younger brother, whose smile humbles the proud, passed this way among the haughty maidens? O blessed Tulasī, dear to Govinda’s feet, surrounded by swarms of bees, have you seen the beloved Acyuta pass by, adorned with you? O Mālatī, O Mallikā, O Jāti, O Yūthikā, have you seen Mādhava pass by, delighting you with His touch? O Cūta, Priyāla, Panasa, Āsana, Kovida, Jambu, Arka, Bilva, Bakula, Āmra, Kadamba, Nīpa, and all other trees on the banks of Yamunā, please reveal to us, whose hearts are empty, the path Kṛṣṇa has taken.” Thus, their love and longing poured out into the forest, as their hearts sought the beloved Lord.