Akrūra, with deep reverence, gazed upon the world and saw the Divine everywhere. He recognized the trees and herbs as the very hairs on the Lord’s body, the lush vegetation as the hair upon His head. The clouds seemed to him the Lord’s bones and nails, the mighty mountains His teeth. Day and night passed as the Lord’s blinking, Prajapati was His mind, the rain His generative power, and all virility belonged to Him. In this imperishable Self, the Supreme Person, Akrūra beheld the entire universe established: the worlds with their guardians and all living beings, gathered as naturally as aquatic creatures in water, as gnats swarm around a fig tree, or as thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms the Lord chose to assume in this world for His divine play, by those very forms the worlds were cleansed of impurity and joyfully sang His glory. Thus, Akrūra offered his salutations to the Lord’s many incarnations: to the primal Fish who moved through the waters of dissolution; to the Horse-headed One, the slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha; to the vast, unbounded One, supporter of all, lifter of Mandara mountain; to the Boar who delighted in uplifting the earth. He bowed to the wondrous Lion, remover of the virtuous’ fear, and to Vāmana, who traversed the three worlds in three strides. He saluted the Lord of the Bhṛgus, destroyer of the proud Kṣatriyas in the forest, and to the best of the Raghus, who vanquished Rāvaṇa. He offered homage to Vāsudeva, to Saṅkarṣaṇa, to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, the Lords of the Sātvatas. He bowed to Buddha, the pure one who deluded the Daityas and Dānavas, and to Kalki, the destroyer of the impure and unrighteous rulers. Akrūra confessed, “O Lord, this world is bewildered by Your māyā. Grasping the false notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine,’ it wanders the tangled paths of karma. I, too, deluded, roam among body, children, home, wealth, and relatives, mistaking these dreamlike illusions for truth. My mind, confused by opposites and immersed in darkness, cannot discern what is truly dear to me. I cling to impermanent, painful things, turning away from You and chasing after mirages, just as an ignorant person forsakes real water hidden by grass to pursue a mirage. Struck down by desires and actions, my pitiable mind is unable to restrain itself, carried away by the unruly senses. Thus, I have come to Your feet, which are difficult for the unworthy to attain, and even this, I know, is by Your grace alone. Liberation from birth and death comes when the mind is devoted to worshiping You, O Lotus-naveled One. Salutations to You, pure consciousness, the cause of all certainty, Lord of Puruṣa and Pradhāna, the infinite Brahman. Salutations to You, Vāsudeva, destroyer of all beings. O Hṛṣīkeśa, protect me, for I have surrendered myself to You.” So ends the fortieth chapter, “Akrūra’s Praise,” in the first half of the tenth book of the glorious Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, scripture of the supreme renunciates. Śuka continued: As Akrūra offered his heartfelt praises, the Lord revealed His divine form in the water. Then, like an actor concluding his performance, Kṛṣṇa withdrew the vision once more. When Akrūra saw that the wondrous sight had vanished, he quickly emerged from the water, completed his necessary duties, and, filled with astonishment, returned to the chariot. Seeing Akrūra’s wonderstruck expression, Hṛṣīkeśa asked, “What wondrous thing did you see—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—that you appear so amazed?” Akrūra replied, “O Lord, 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 reside, seeing You, O Brahman, what marvel could I witness here?” Having spoken thus, the son of Gāndinī urged the chariot onward, and by the end of the day, brought Rāma and Kṛṣṇa to Mathurā. Along the way, villagers gathered in groups, their hearts delighted at the sight of Vasudeva’s sons, unable to turn their gaze away. Meanwhile, the residents of Vraja, led by Nanda and the cowherds, arrived at the city’s gardens and waited there in anticipation. Meeting them, the Lord, master of the universe, greeted Akrūra, taking his extended hand in His own and smiling warmly. 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 always fond of Your devotees. Come, let us go to our homes and make them blessed, O Acyuta, together with Your elder brother, the cowherds, and Your dearest friends. Sanctify the homes of us householders with the dust of Your feet; by its purity, even the ancestors, the sacrificial fires, and the gods are never fully satisfied. After washing Your feet, the great Bali became worthy of praise, attained incomparable prosperity, and the highest path of devotion. The waters from washing Your feet purified the three worlds; Śiva placed them on his head, and the sons of Sagara ascended to heaven. O God of gods, Lord of the universe, whose hearing and praise are holy, O foremost among the Yadus, praised by the best of hymns, O Nārāyaṇa, I bow to You.” The Blessed Lord replied, “I will come to your house, accompanied by the noble ones. After slaying the wicked Yadu king, I will bring joy to my friends.” Thus assured by the Lord, Akrūra, though troubled in mind, entered the city, reported his task to Kaṃsa, and went to his house. That afternoon, Lord Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Saṅkarṣaṇa and surrounded by eager cowherds, entered Mathurā. He beheld the city with its lofty crystal gates, grand doorways adorned with golden arches, copper-plated walls, deep and difficult moats, and beautiful gardens and groves. The city shone with palaces crowned by golden spires and balconies, with rows of assembly halls and mansions, and was adorned with balustrades and altars inlaid with beryl, diamonds, spotless sapphires, coral, pearls, and emeralds. The latticed windows, doorways, and floors resounded with the calls of pigeons and peacocks, while the streets, markets, and crossroads were sprinkled with water and strewn with garlands, sandalwood powder, and rice grains, welcoming the Lord and His companions into the heart of Mathurā.