The great devotee Akrūra, his heart overflowing with reverence, praised the Supreme Lord with folded hands. He spoke of how the yogis, through their inner vision, worship the Lord directly as the Supreme Person—present within the self, within all living beings, and even within the gods. He described how the twice-born, faithfully following the path of the Vedas, honor the Lord through the threefold Veda, performing elaborate sacrifices of many kinds and names. Akrūra acknowledged the wise ones who, having renounced all actions and attained tranquility, worship the Lord as the very embodiment of knowledge, offering the sacrifice of wisdom itself. Others, purified in mind and following the prescribed rites, worship the Lord, who is the sum of all things—He who has countless forms and yet remains one. Still others, guided by the teachings of Śiva, worship the Lord as Śiva Himself, each in their own way, following the instructions of many teachers. Indeed, Akrūra recognized, all beings worship the Lord, in whom all the gods dwell—even those who seem devoted to other deities, their minds set elsewhere, are truly worshipping the Supreme Master. Just as rivers, born from the mountains and filled by rain, flow from all sides into the ocean, so too do all paths of worship ultimately reach the Lord. He reflected on the nature of existence: the qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas are the Lord’s very own, and all beings—whether Brahmā or the smallest plant—are woven into these qualities. Akrūra offered homage to the Lord, the unattached witness of all, the true self within all beings, who observes the restless flow of qualities produced by ignorance as they move among gods, humans, and animals. He described the Lord’s cosmic form: fire is His mouth, the earth His feet, the sun His eye, the sky His navel, the chariot His heart, the directions His ears, the heavens His head, Indra and the gods His arms, the oceans His belly, the wind His breath, and strength is His energy. The trees and herbs are His body hair, the hair on His head is the vegetation, the clouds are His bones and nails, the mountains His teeth, blinking is day and night, Prajapati is His mind, rain is His generative organ, and virility is His power. In the imperishable Self of the Lord, all the worlds, their guardians, and the multitude of living beings are established—just as creatures gather in water, gnats assemble on a fig tree, or thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms the Lord assumes for His divine play, by those very forms the worlds are purified and joyfully sing His glory. Akrūra offered salutations to the Lord’s various incarnations: to the primal Fish who moved in the waters of dissolution, to the Horse-headed One who slew Madhu and Kaitabha, to the vast Tortoise who supported the world, to the Boar who lifted the earth, to the wondrous Lion who removed the fears of the virtuous, and to Vāmana who traversed the three worlds. He bowed to Paraśurāma, the destroyer of arrogant kṣatriyas, to Rāma of the Raghu dynasty who vanquished Rāvaṇa, and to the fourfold Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, the Lords of the Sātvatas. He honored Buddha, the pure one who bewildered the demons, and Kalki, the destroyer of the impure and unrighteous rulers. Akrūra confessed that the world is bewildered by the Lord’s māyā; deluded by false notions of “I” and “mine,” beings wander the endless paths of karma. He admitted his own confusion—how he, too, is lost among attachments to body, children, home, wealth, and relatives, mistaking these dreamlike illusions for reality. His mind, caught in the web of opposites and darkness, clings to impermanent and painful things, not knowing what is truly dear to his own self. He compared himself to an ignorant man who, leaving aside water hidden by grass, chases after a mirage—so too had he turned away from the Lord, pursuing illusions. Helpless before his own desires and actions, his mind was carried away by the unruly senses. Yet, by the Lord’s grace, he had come to the Lord’s feet, which are difficult for the unworthy to attain. He understood that liberation from the cycle of birth and death comes to one whose mind is devoted to the Lord’s worship. Akrūra concluded his praise, offering salutations to the Lord who is pure consciousness, the cause of all certainty, the Lord of both spirit and matter, Brahman of infinite power, Vāsudeva, the destroyer of all beings. He prayed to Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses, to protect him, for he had surrendered completely. Thus ended Akrūra’s heartfelt praise, marking the close of the fortieth chapter, “Akrūra’s Praise,” in the first half of the tenth book of the glorious Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture of supreme renunciates. At that moment, Śrī Śuka continued the narration. As Akrūra offered his praises, the Lord revealed His divine form in the water before him. Then, like an actor concluding his performance, Kṛṣṇa withdrew the vision. When the sight vanished, Akrūra quickly emerged from the water, completed his necessary duties, and, filled with astonishment, returned to the chariot. Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord Himself, asked Akrūra, “What wondrous thing did you see—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—that you appear so amazed?” Akrūra replied humbly, “Whatever marvels exist—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—are all found in You, the soul of the universe. What could I have seen that is not already known to me? Wherever all wonders are found, seeing You, O Brahman, what marvel could I have witnessed here?” Having spoken thus, Akrūra, the son of Gāndinī, urged the chariot onward. As the day came to a close, he brought Rāma and Kṛṣṇa to the city of Mathurā. Along the way, villagers gathered, drawn by the news, and, seeing the sons of Vasudeva, were filled with delight and could not turn their eyes away. Meanwhile, the residents of Vraja, led by Nanda and the cowherds, arrived at the city’s gardens and waited there eagerly. The Lord, master of the universe, greeted Akrūra warmly, taking his outstretched hand and smiling. Kṛṣṇa said, “You should enter the city and your house ahead of us, accompanied by your chariot. We will remain here for now, and then come to see the city.” But Akrūra pleaded, “O Lord, I will not enter Mathurā without You both. Do not abandon me, O master, for I am Your devotee and You are fond of Your devotees.” He entreated further, “Come, let us go to our homes and make them blessed, O Acyuta, together with Your elder brother, the cowherds, and Your dearest friends.” Thus, the Lord’s journey into Mathurā continued, surrounded by love, devotion, and the eager anticipation of all who beheld Him.