As Śuka spoke, the women of Vraja, hearts aching with separation from Kṛṣṇa, could not contain their grief. Their minds wholly absorbed in thoughts of him, they abandoned all shyness and wept aloud, crying out desperately, “Govinda! Dāmodara! Mādhava!” The morning sun rose as their lamentations echoed through the village. Akrūra, having fulfilled his duties as a friend and messenger, urged the chariot onward, carrying Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma away from their beloved home. The cowherds, led by Nanda and the elders, followed behind with their carts, bringing jars filled with the products of their sacred cows as gifts for the journey. The cowherd women, utterly enchanted by their beloved Kṛṣṇa, could not bear to let him go. They followed after him, longing for some sign or word from the Lord, and stood waiting, hoping for reassurance. Seeing their distress as he departed, Kṛṣṇa, the foremost among the Yadus, comforted them with loving words, sending messengers to assure them, “I will return.” As long as the banner of the chariot was visible and the dust stirred by its wheels could still be seen, the people of Vraja continued to follow, their hearts drawn to Kṛṣṇa as if captivated by painted images. But when all hope of Govinda’s return faded, they turned back. Free from sorrow, they spent their days singing of their beloved’s deeds, finding solace in his glories. Meanwhile, O King, Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Balarāma and Akrūra, swiftly reached the purifying banks of the Yamuna river. There, after rinsing his mouth and drinking the clear, jewel-like water, he entered a grove of trees with Balarāma and boarded the chariot. Akrūra, having bid them farewell and seated himself atop the chariot, went to the Yamuna’s pool to perform ritual bathing. Immersing himself in those sacred waters and reciting hymns to the eternal Brahman, Akrūra suddenly beheld a wondrous vision: Rama and Kṛṣṇa together in the water. He was astonished—how could the sons of Devaki be here, when they should be on the chariot? Rising up, he looked for them, and there again, as before, he saw them seated. He submerged once more, questioning whether his vision in the water was merely a trick of the mind. But again, he saw the great Lord, surrounded by Siddhas, Charanas, Gandharvas, and Asuras, all bowing their heads and praising him with musical instruments. He beheld the divine one, with a thousand heads crowned by a thousand serpent hoods, clad in blue garments, shining white like snowy peaks. On his lap rested a dark, cloud-hued person, dressed in yellow silk, four-armed, peaceful, with lotus-petal reddish eyes. His face was beautiful and serene, adorned with a charming smile; his brows, nose, ears, cheeks, and lips were all lovely and reddish. His arms were long and full, his chest broad and splendid, his neck like a conch, his navel deep, his abdomen marked with tender leaf-like folds. His hips and thighs were large, his hands and knees well-formed, his legs graceful and beautifully shaped. His ankles were high, his nails reddish and shining with rays; his feet, adorned with nine toes and thumb-like digits, gleamed like lotus flowers. He was adorned with priceless jewels: a crown, bracelets, armlets, sacred thread, waistband, garlands, anklets, and earrings. His lotus hands shone, holding a conch, discus, and mace; his chest bore the mark of Srivatsa, the radiant Kaustubha gem, and a garland of forest flowers. He was attended by Sunanda, Nanda, and other associates, by the Sanaka sages, the lords of the gods such as Brahma and Rudra, and by nine foremost twice-born sages. Prahlada, Narada, Vasu and other devotees praised him with words, each from their own perspective, their hearts pure and spotless. He was served by Sri (fortune), Pushti (nourishment), speech, brilliance, fame, satisfaction, dissolution, victory, knowledge, ignorance, power, and illusion. Beholding this divine vision, Akrūra was overwhelmed with delight and supreme devotion. His body thrilled with joy, his heart overflowing with emotion, his eyes moist with tears. With a choked voice, standing firm in goodness, he bowed low, palms joined in reverence, and slowly, with care, began to praise the Lord. And thus, the thirty-ninth chapter, “Akrūra’s Return,” concludes in the first half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the supreme scripture for the paramahaṃsas. Akrūra, filled with awe, spoke: “I bow to you, the cause of all causes, Nārāyaṇa, the primeval, imperishable Person, from whose navel-lotus Brahmā arose, and from whom this world has come forth. Earth, water, fire, wind, space, the great elements, the origin of the unmanifest, mind, senses, all the objects of the senses, and all the gods—these are the elements that make up the world, O Lord. Yet these, beginning with the unmanifest, do not know your true nature, for they are grasped as not-self; even the unborn, bound by qualities to the unborn, knows only what is beyond qualities, not your true form. Yogis worship you directly as the Supreme Person, the Lord, as the principle within the self, within beings, and within the gods. Some twice-born, following the Vedic path, worship you through the threefold Veda, with elaborate sacrifices of many forms and names. Others, having renounced all actions and attained tranquility, worship you, the embodiment of knowledge, through the sacrifice of wisdom. Still others, purified in mind and following prescribed rites, worship you, who are composed of all, as the one with many forms and yet a single form. Others worship you, O Lord, as Śiva, following the path taught by Śiva, in various ways according to the teachings of many teachers. Indeed, all worship you, the Lord in whom all gods reside, even those devoted to other deities, though their minds are set elsewhere, O Master. Just as rivers born from mountains, filled by rain, flow from all sides into the ocean, so too do all paths ultimately reach you. Sattva, rajas, and tamas are the qualities of your nature; in these, all beings from Brahmā down to the immovable are woven. Homage to you, whose vision is unattached, who are the self of all, the witness of all minds; this flow of qualities, produced by ignorance, moves among gods, humans, and animals. O Lord, fire is Your mouth, the earth is Your feet, the sun is Your eye, the sky is Your navel, the chariot is Your heart, the directions are Your ears, the heavens are Your head, Indra and the gods are Your arms, the oceans are Your belly, the wind is Your breath, and strength is established as Your energy.” Thus, Akrūra, his heart overflowing with devotion and wonder, offered his praises to the Supreme Lord, beholding the glorious, unfathomable form before him.