As Akrūra sat quietly, his face filled with wonder, Hṛṣīkeśa—Kṛṣṇa Himself—looked upon him and asked gently, “What marvelous thing have you seen, Akrūra? Was it upon the earth, in the sky, or in the waters, that you appear so astonished?” Akrūra, his heart overflowing with devotion, replied, “O Lord, whatever marvels exist anywhere—in earth, sky, or water—are all contained within You, the very soul of the universe. What could I possibly have seen that is not already known to me, who has beheld You? Wherever all wonders reside—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—seeing You, O Brahman, what marvel could I have witnessed here?” Having thus spoken, the noble Akrūra, son of Gāndinī, urged the chariot onward. As the sun set, he brought Rāma and Kṛṣṇa at last to the city of Mathurā. Along the way, O King, villagers gathered in clusters, their hearts filled with joy as they gazed upon the sons of Vasudeva. Their delight was so great, they simply could not look away. Meanwhile, the residents of Vraja, led by Nanda and the cowherds, arrived at the gardens outside Mathurā, waiting there in eager anticipation. When the Lord of the universe met them, He greeted Akrūra warmly, taking his outstretched hand in His own and smiling with affection. 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 replied earnestly, “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 pair of feet, the great Bali became worthy of praise, attained incomparable prosperity, and the ultimate devoted path. The waters from washing Your feet purified the three worlds; Śiva placed them upon 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.” Kṛṣṇa, 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 addressed by the Lord, Akrūra, though troubled in mind, entered the city, reported his task to Kaṃsa, and then went to his own house. Later, in the afternoon, Lord Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Saṅkarṣaṇa and surrounded by the eager cowherds, entered the city of Mathurā. As they entered, Kṛṣṇa beheld the city’s lofty crystal gates, grand doorways adorned with golden arches, copper-plated walls, deep moats difficult to cross, and beautiful gardens and groves enhancing its splendor. The city was decked with palaces crowned with golden spires and balconies, rows of assembly halls and mansions, and decorated with balustrades and altars inlaid with beryl, diamonds, spotless sapphires, coral, pearls, and emeralds. The latticed windows, doorways, and floors resounded with the cooing of pigeons and the cries of peacocks. The streets, markets, and crossroads were sprinkled with water and strewn with garlands, sandalwood powder, and rice grains. Doorways and homes were beautifully adorned with full pots anointed with yogurt and sandal paste, rows of flowers and lamps with tender leaves, clusters of plantain trees, and festoons with cloth banners. As Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma entered, surrounded by their friends and following the royal road, the women of Mathurā, eager to see them, rushed forth and climbed to the rooftops of the mansions, their hearts brimming with excitement. In their haste, some put on their clothes and ornaments incorrectly, some forgot to finish dressing, some wore only one earring or one anklet, while others adorned only one eye with collyrium. Some left their meals unfinished and the festivities aside, coming without bathing; others, roused from sleep by the commotion, left their children unweaned and hurried out—even the mothers themselves. With His lotus eyes, bold playful glances, and gentle smiles, Kṛṣṇa stole the minds of those women, like a proud, intoxicated elephant, bringing joy to their eyes and delight to their hearts. Seeing Him again and again, as they had so often heard of Him, their minds were drawn to Him. Their pride awakened by His smiling glances, they embraced with their eyes the very embodiment of bliss, and, their skin bristling with joy, forgot all their sorrows. Their faces blooming with happiness, the women climbed to the tops of the mansions and showered flowers of good wishes upon the two brothers, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. The delighted brāhmaṇas, at various places, worshipped them with curds, unbroken rice, water vessels, garlands, fragrant substances, and other offerings. The townspeople marveled, saying, “Oh, what great austerity did the cowherd women perform, that they are able to see these two, the great festival of the human world?” As they walked along, Kṛṣṇa, the elder brother of Gadā, saw a washerman approaching—a dyer—and asked him for some fine, clean clothes. He said, “O good man, give us suitable garments, for we are worthy; you will gain the highest good by giving—of this there is no doubt.” Thus requested by the Lord, who is perfect in every way, the king’s servant, full of arrogance, replied with contempt and anger, “Such clothes are only for those who dwell in the forest and mountains; why do you, so bold, desire the king’s property? Go quickly, children; do not ask for such things if you wish to live. The royal households, proud as they are, bind, kill, and plunder.” Hearing this boasting, the son of Devakī became angry and, with His hand, struck the washerman’s head from his body. All his attendants, abandoning their bundles of garments, fled in every direction, and Acyuta took the clothes. Having dressed themselves in garments pleasing to their hearts, both Kṛṣṇa and Saṅkarṣaṇa gave the remaining clothes to the cowherds, leaving some on the ground. Then a tailor, delighted, prepared attire for the two, with garments of various colors and suitable designs. Kṛṣṇa and Rāma shone forth in their diverse attire, adorned like young elephants—one fair and one dark—at a festival. Pleased with the tailor, the Lord granted him a form like His own, supreme fortune in the world, strength, sovereignty, memory, and mastery of the senses. After this, they went to the house of Sudāmā, the garland-maker. Seeing the two Lords, Sudāmā rose at once and bowed his head to the ground in reverence.