Śuka continued his narration: After offering his respectful obeisances to Krishna, the chief of the Yadus and foremost among devotees, the great sage, having received permission, departed, his heart filled with delight at the vision he had just received. Meanwhile, Lord Govinda, having vanquished the demon Keśin in battle, joyfully tended the cows with His cowherd friends, bringing happiness to all the people of Vraja. One day, as the cowherds grazed their cattle on the slopes of the mountain, they began to play a lively game, dividing themselves into groups of thieves and protectors. Some played as thieves, some as cowherds, and others as sheep, all joining in the fun, carefree and without fear. At that time, Vyoma, the son of Maya and master of illusion, disguised himself as a cowherd. Taking the role of the leader of the sheep, he slyly led away many of the boys who were playing as thieves. The powerful demon, having thus lured them, cast them into a mountain cave, leaving only four or five outside, and blocked the entrance with a massive rock. Recognizing what had happened, Krishna, the protector of the virtuous, seized Vyoma just as a lion seizes a wolf, catching him in the act of leading away the cowherd boys. Vyoma then assumed his own gigantic, mountain-like form and tried to escape, but Krishna’s strength overpowered him and he could not break free. Acyuta subdued the demon with His mighty 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, with some effort, released the imprisoned cowherd boys. Praised by both the gods and His friends, Krishna returned to His beloved Vraja. Thus ends the thirty-seventh chapter, entitled "The Slaying of Vyomāsura," in the first half of the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas. Śuka then said: That night, Akrūra, the wise and devoted one, stayed in Mathurā. At dawn, he mounted his chariot and set out for Nanda’s Gokula. As he journeyed along the road, his heart awakened with devotion for the Lord with lotus eyes, and he began to reflect deeply. He wondered, "What virtuous act have I performed, what great austerity have I practiced, or what worthy gift have I given, that today I shall behold Keśava? I consider this vision of the Lord, renowned for His glory, to be the rarest of blessings—just as the chanting of Brahman is rare for one born as a śūdra, attached to sense pleasures. May it not be that, even for one as fallen as myself, the vision of Acyuta is denied; for sometimes, even someone being swept away by the river of Time manages to cross over. "Today, my misfortune is destroyed and my life has found its true purpose, for I am to offer my respects at the lotus feet of the Lord—those very feet which are the object of meditation for the yogis. Indeed, today even Kaṁsa has unwittingly shown me the highest favor, for I shall see the lotus feet of Hari, who has descended as an incarnation. The radiance of His toenails once dispelled the impenetrable darkness that even the ancient sages could not cross. "Those feet are worshipped by Brahmā, Śiva, and the other gods, by the goddess Śrī, by sages, and by the Sātvatas; they wander in the forest with His companions as He tends the cows, and are marked with the saffron of the gopīs’ breasts. Surely, I shall behold the face of Mukunda, with its beautiful cheeks and nose, its smiling, glancing, reddish lotus eyes, framed by curling locks, around which deer move as if in circumambulation. "Perhaps today my eyes will finally attain their true purpose, beholding Viṣṇu, who has assumed human form by His own will to relieve the earth’s burden, and who is the very abode of all 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 all 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 like beautiful corpses, for they lack true life. He has indeed descended in the lineage of the Sātvatas, bringing joy to the best of the gods who guard their realms. His fame spreads everywhere, and the gods in Vraja sing of 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 with the Lord, I shall gain for myself those 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 Viśvāmitra and Bali, having offered worship, attained the lordship of the three worlds; or, in sport, 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, both 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 experience 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 will sanctify me, and my bondage, born of karma, will be dispelled. When I, bowing with folded hands, attain the touch of His limbs, He, O Akrūra, will speak to me; for those who, though born as humans, are not honored by Him—their birth is truly to be lamented. "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. Moreover, the eldest and foremost among the Yadus, smiling, embraced him who had bowed with folded hands, led him into the house, where all honors had been arranged, and inquired about the troubles caused by Kaṁsa among his relatives." Thus reflecting on Krishna, Akrūra, the son of Śvaphalka, journeyed onward and arrived at Gokula by chariot, just as the sun reaches the western mountain at day’s end. As he entered the cowherd settlement, he saw the footprints of the One whose dust is worn by all the rulers of the worlds upon their crowns—prints distinguished by marks such as the lotus, barleycorn, and goad. At that sight, Akrūra was filled with joy and reverent excitement; his eyes overflowed with tears and his hair stood on end from love. He descended from his chariot and moved among the footprints, exclaiming, "Ah! These are the dust of the Lord’s feet!" For embodied beings, the greatest benefit is to abandon pride, fear, and sorrow—and this is first achieved by seeing, hearing, and other forms of contact with the signs of Hari. Soon, Akrūra saw Krishna and Balarāma in Vraja, returning from the cow-milking, dressed in yellow and blue garments, their eyes like autumn lotuses. They appeared in the full bloom of youth—one dark, one fair—abodes of beauty, with broad arms, handsome faces, splendid forms, and the strength and gait of young elephants.