Thus ends the thirty-seventh chapter, "The Slaying of Vyomāsura," in the first half of the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture cherished by the paramahaṃsas. Now, Śuka continued: Akrūra, renowned for his wisdom, spent the night in Mathurā. As dawn broke, he ascended his chariot and set out toward Nanda’s Gokula, his heart filled with anticipation. As the chariot rolled along the road, Akrūra, the blessed one, found his devotion to the lotus-eyed Lord stirring deeply within him. Thoughts arose in his mind as he reflected: “What good deed have I performed? What great austerity have I undertaken? What worthy gift have I given, that today I am to behold Keśava Himself? Truly, to see the Lord of such excellent fame is most rare for one like me—just as the chanting of the sacred Brahman is rare for 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 swept away by the river of Time manages, by fortune, to cross over. Today, my misfortune is destroyed and my very existence has borne fruit, for I will bow to the lotus feet of the Lord, the very focus of the yogis’ meditation. “Indeed, today Kaṁsa has unwittingly bestowed his greatest favor upon me, for I shall see the lotus feet of Hari, the Lord who has descended in incarnation, whose radiant nails once dispelled the impenetrable darkness that even the ancients could not cross. Those feet—worshipped by Brahmā, Śiva, all the gods, by the goddess Śrī, by sages and the Sātvatas—wander the forests with His companions as He tends the cows, and are marked with the saffron from the gopīs’ breasts. “Surely, I shall behold Mukunda’s face: cheeks and nose beautifully formed, smiling, glancing, reddish lotus eyes, framed by curling locks, around which the deer seem to circumambulate. Perhaps today my own eyes will finally attain their highest purpose, beholding Viṣṇu Himself, who has assumed a 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 beyond all ego and duality, dispels the darkness of ignorance by His own radiance. Through His māyā, He is perceived in the homes of living beings, present in 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 remain indifferent to Him are but beautiful corpses. He has descended in the Sātvata lineage, giving joy to the best of the gods who guard their realms. His fame spreads everywhere as He dwells in Vraja, where the gods themselves sing of His all-auspicious deeds. “Today, surely, I shall see Him—the goal of the great, the supreme teacher, the delight of the three worlds, a festival for the eyes, bearing a form that is the cherished abode of Śrī—with my own eyes at the break of dawn. “Then, as He descends from the chariot 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 was 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 all, 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. At once, all my sins will be destroyed and I shall be filled with great, fearless joy. “Then, the best of friends, my kinsman, my only deity, will embrace me with His broad arms. 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. Yet, though we are born as humans, if we are not honored by Him, such a birth is truly 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. “Moreover, the eldest, the 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 kin.” Thus, as Akrūra journeyed, his mind absorbed in thoughts of Krishna, he arrived at Gokula by chariot, just as the sun reaches the western mountain at day’s end. Entering the cowherd settlement, Akrūra saw the footprints of the Lord, the dust of which is carried on the crowns of all rulers of the worlds. These footprints were distinguished by marks such as the lotus, barleycorn, and goad. At the sight, joy surged within him, his eyes filled with tears, and his hair stood on end from love. Descending from his chariot, he moved among those footprints, exclaiming, “Ah! This is the dust of the Lord’s feet!” For embodied beings, the greatest blessing is to abandon pride, fear, and sorrow, and this is first attained by seeing, hearing, or otherwise coming into contact with the signs of Hari. Akrūra then beheld Krishna and Balarāma in Vraja, returning from the cow-milking, dressed in yellow and blue garments, their eyes like autumn lotuses. They were youthful—one dark, one fair—abodes of beauty, with broad arms, handsome faces, splendid forms, and the strength and gait of young elephants. Their feet, marked by banners, thunderbolts, goads, and lotuses, adorned Vraja. Their glances were smiling and full of compassion. Noble and charming in play, adorned with garlands and forest wreaths, their bodies anointed with sacred fragrances, bathed and clad in spotless garments, these two—the primeval Purushas, causes and lords of the world—had descended as Balarāma and Keśava for the sake of the earth. O King, they dispelled darkness in all directions with their own radiance, like an emerald mountain and a silver one adorned with gold. Overwhelmed with affection, Akrūra swiftly leapt from his chariot and fell prostrate at the feet of Rāma and Krishna. Overjoyed at the sight of the Lord, his eyes streamed with tears, his body covered in goosebumps, and in his eagerness, he could not even speak his own name. The Lord, approaching him, the chariot wheel mark upon His hand, embraced him and drew him near with affection, for He is ever fond of those who bow before Him. Sankarṣaṇa, of great mind, also embraced the one who had bowed, took his hand in his own, and, together with His brother, led him into the house. After inquiring about his welfare and offering him a seat of honor, they washed his feet according to custom and brought him a honey-mixture as a welcome gift. Presenting a cow to their guest and respectfully massaging his tired limbs, the Lord then offered Akrūra abundant, pure food with loving devotion.