The tales of Lord Krishna’s wondrous deeds were recounted with reverence: how He obtained the Syamantaka jewel and its keeper’s wife, and how, from His own abode, He restored a Brahmin’s dead son to life. His might was displayed in the slaying of Pauṇḍraka, the burning of Kāśī, the destruction of Dantavakra, and the death of Śiśupāla at the grand sacrifice. Countless heroic acts performed during His residence in Dvārakā were sung by poets across the earth, and the speaker, filled with awe, declared he would witness them all. Now, the destruction of assembled armies would unfold, enacted by Krishna—Time personified, the great annihilator—with Arjuna as His charioteer. The Lord was contemplated as the embodiment of pure knowledge, established in His own nature, whose every desire is fulfilled, who is forever free from illusion by His own splendor, and who is the source of all qualities. The devotee bowed to Krishna—the refuge of all—who, by His power of illusion, creates distinctions, who assumes human form for divine play, and who is the foremost among the Yadus, Vṛṣṇis, and Sātvatas. After offering his respects to Krishna, the chief of the Yadus, the foremost sage among devotees, having received permission, departed, delighted by the vision he had beheld. Meanwhile, Govinda, having slain the demon Keśin in battle, tended the cows with joyful cowherds, bringing happiness to the land of Vraja. One day, as the cowherds grazed their cattle upon the mountain slopes, they played a lively game of hiding, dividing themselves into teams of thieves and protectors. Some acted as thieves, some as cowherds, and some as sheep; all played together, fearless and carefree. Among them, Vyoma, the son of Maya and master of illusion, disguised himself as a cowherd. Pretending to be the leader of the sheep, he cunningly led away many who played as thieves. The demon, having separated them, cast them into a mountain cave, leaving only four or five outside, and sealed the entrance with a massive rock. Krishna, perceiving Vyoma’s wicked deed, seized the demon as he was leading the cowherds away, just as a lion would seize a wolf. Vyoma then assumed his true, enormous form, as massive as a mountain, and tried to escape. Yet, overpowered by Krishna, he could not break free. Acyuta subdued him with His arms, threw him to the ground, and, as the gods watched from the heavens, killed the slayer of cattle. Krishna then broke open the cave’s entrance and released the cowherds, who had been trapped inside. Praised by gods and cowherds alike, He returned to His beloved Vraja. Thus concludes the thirty-seventh chapter, “The Slaying of Vyomāsura,” in the first half of the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas. The story continues as Śuka speaks: Akrūra, the wise devotee, spent the night in Mathurā. At dawn, he mounted his chariot and set out for Nanda’s Gokula. As he traveled, his heart awakened in devotion to the Lord with lotus eyes, and he reflected deeply: “What good deed have I performed, what great austerity have I practiced, or what worthy gift have I given, that today I shall behold Keśava? This vision of the Lord of excellent fame is most rare for me, just as the chanting of Brahman is rare for one born as a śūdra, attached to sense objects. May it not be that even one as fallen as myself is denied the vision of Acyuta; for sometimes, even someone swept away by the river of Time manages to cross over. Today, my misfortune is destroyed and my existence has borne fruit, for I bow to the lotus feet of the Lord, which are the object of meditation for yogis. Indeed, today Kaṁsa has shown me the utmost favor, for I shall see the lotus feet of Hari, who has descended as an incarnation, whose nails’ radiance once dispelled the impenetrable darkness that even the ancients could not cross. Those feet, worshipped by Brahmā, Śiva, and other gods, by the goddess Śrī, by sages, and by the Sātvatas, wander in the forest with His companions tending the cows, and are marked with the saffron of the gopīs’ breasts. Surely, I shall behold Mukunda’s face, with its beautiful cheeks and nose, its smiling, glancing, reddish lotus eyes, covered with curling locks, around which deer move in circumambulation. Perhaps today my eyes will directly attain the fruit of beholding Viṣṇu, who has assumed human form by His own will to relieve the earth’s burden, who is the very abode of beauty. He, whom I am about to see, though free from ego and duality, dispels the darkness of ignorance by His own radiance; by His māyā He is perceived in the homes of beings through their life, senses, and intellect. His words, filled with auspicious qualities, deeds, and birth, destroy all inauspiciousness, enliven, purify, and sanctify the world; those who are indifferent to them are considered as beautiful corpses. He has indeed descended in the lineage of the Sātvatas, bringing joy to the best of the gods who guard their realms; spreading His fame, the Lord dwells in Vraja, where the gods sing His all-auspicious deeds. Today, surely, I shall see Him—the goal of the great, the teacher, the delight of the three worlds, the festival for the eyes, bearing a form that is the desired abode of Śrī, with my own eyes at the break of dawn. Then, as He descends from the chariot along with the Lord, I shall obtain for myself the feet that even yogis hold in their minds; I shall bow to them, as will His friends and the dwellers of the forest. Perhaps the Lord will place His own lotus hand upon my head as I fall at His feet, granting fearlessness to those terrified by the serpent of Time and seeking refuge. It is by that touch that Kauśika (Viśvāmitra) and Bali, having offered worship, attained the lordship of the three worlds; or, in play, He removed the fatigue of the women of Vraja by the touch of His fragrant hand. Acyuta, who sees all, will not regard me with enmity, even though I am Kaṁsa’s messenger; for He, the knower of the field, perceives with pure vision all that is done, within and without, by the mind. Perhaps He will look upon me, fallen at His feet with folded hands, with a gentle, smiling, compassionate gaze; and at once, all my sins will be destroyed, and I shall bear great, fearless joy. Then, the best of friends, my kinsman, my only deity, will embrace me with His broad arms; for at that very moment, He sanctifies me, and my bondage, born of karma, is dispelled. When I, bowing with folded hands, attain the touch of His limbs, He, O Akrūra, will speak to me; then, though we are born as humans, if we are not honored by Him, the birth of such a one is indeed to be condemned. He has no one as dearest, no best friend, nor anyone unloved, hated, or neglected; yet, just as the wish-fulfilling tree gives to those who approach it, so does He favor His devotees.” As Akrūra thus pondered, Krishna, the eldest and foremost among the Yadus, smiling, embraced him who had bowed with folded hands. Krishna led him into the house, where all honors had been arranged, and inquired about the troubles caused by Kaṁsa among his relatives. Thus, the blessed devotee’s journey was fulfilled, and the Lord’s grace shone forth.