Then, O King, the Lord Krishna, son of Devaki, together with his elder brother Sankarshana, approached Nanda Maharaja. With great warmth, they embraced their dear father from Vraja. Krishna spoke with deep affection, saying, “By you, our loving father, we were cherished and cared for with such devotion. Indeed, parents possess a love for their children that often surpasses even their love for themselves. A father and mother who nurture children abandoned by others, who cannot care for themselves, do so with the same affection as if they were their own sons.” He continued, “Please, father, return to Vraja. We will come to visit you and our dear relatives, who are pained by separation and affection, once we have ensured the happiness of our friends here.” Thus, Krishna, the infallible one, consoled Nanda and all the people of Vraja, honoring them with gifts of clothing, ornaments, vessels, and many other presents. Overwhelmed by love, Nanda embraced Krishna and Balarama, his eyes brimming with tears. With the cowherds, he took leave and returned to Vraja. Afterwards, Vasudeva, the noble son of Sura, arranged for the sacred thread ceremony of Krishna and Balarama. Priests and brahmins performed the rituals according to tradition. Vasudeva gave them gifts of cows, adorned with golden necklaces, beautifully decorated, with calves, and draped in fine cloth, honoring the priests with similar gifts. He also remembered the cows he had mentally dedicated at the birth of Krishna and Rama, which had been unlawfully taken by Kamsa; now, recalling this, he gave them as offerings. Having received their initiation and the status of twice-born, the two noble sons undertook the vow of study under Garga and other family preceptors. Though Krishna and Balarama are the very source of all knowledge, all-knowing and Lords of the universe, they concealed their flawless wisdom, behaving just like ordinary humans. Desiring to dwell in a teacher’s house, they approached Sandipani of Kashi, who lived in Avanti. With self-control and reverence, they served their teacher blamelessly, learning from him with devotion, as if he were a god. Pleased by their pure and devoted conduct, the foremost of the twice-born instructed them in all the Vedas and their branches, the Upanishads, and all the sacred knowledge. Sandipani also taught them the secret Dhanurveda, the principles of righteousness and justice, the science of reasoning, and the sixfold science of royal governance. Krishna and Balarama, initiators of all knowledge and best among men, comprehended everything at once, merely from a single utterance. In just sixty-four days and nights, they mastered all these arts. Then, as their teacher’s fee, they humbly asked their preceptor what he desired. Observing their wondrous and superhuman intelligence, Sandipani, after consulting with his wife, requested the return of his son, who had died at Prabhasa in the great ocean. Agreeing, Krishna and Balarama ascended their great chariot and journeyed to Prabhasa. They approached the ocean’s shore and sat for a moment. The ocean, recognizing the Lords, came forth with offerings of respect. Krishna spoke: “O Ocean, quickly return the son who was swallowed here, seized by a great wave.” The Ocean replied, “O Lord, I did not take him. The great demon Panchajana, who dwells in these waters in the form of a conch, seized him, O Krishna.” Hearing this, Krishna swiftly entered the water, slew the demon, but did not find the boy within its belly. Instead, he took the conch that emerged from the demon’s body and returned to the chariot. Then, they traveled to the city called Samyamani, beloved of Yama, the Lord of Death. Arriving there, Janardana sounded the conch. Hearing its mighty blast, Yama, the restrainer of beings, took notice. He came forth, offering them great worship and devotion, and bowed to Krishna, the indwelling soul of all beings. Yama said, “O Vishnu, who acts in human form, what shall we do for you both?” The Blessed Lord replied, “The son of our teacher, brought here by the bonds of his own deeds, O great king, bring him forth, commanded by my order.” Yama agreed, saying, “So be it,” and brought forth the teacher’s son to Krishna and Balarama. They returned him to their teacher and again asked Sandipani to choose a boon. The revered teacher replied, “My dear ones, you have fully repaid your teacher’s fee. What desire could remain for a teacher such as yours? Return home, O heroes. May your fame be pure, and may the Vedas you have learned remain with you here and hereafter.” Thus permitted by their teacher, Krishna and Balarama returned to their city in their chariot, swift as the wind, with a sound like thunderclouds. All the people rejoiced to see Rama and Janardana, as those who have recovered lost wealth after many days of deprivation. Now, as stated in the Śaiva Tantras, the sixty-four arts that Krishna and Balarama mastered are: singing; playing musical instruments; dancing; acting; painting; making decorative cuttings; rice and flower arrangements; making flower beds; tooth, clothing, and body adornment; arranging jeweled floors; preparing beds; playing water instruments; splashing water; various artistic combinations; weaving garlands; arranging head ornaments; preparing costumes; shaping ear ornaments; blending fragrances; arranging jewelry; conjuring tricks; wrestling techniques; sleight of hand; making various vegetable and flour foods; preparing drinks and flavored liquors; needlework; string games; riddles; reciting chains of verses; tongue-twisters; reading books; seeing plays and stories; completing poetic puzzles; making various mats and canes; spinning and weaving; carpentry; architecture; testing silver and gems; metallurgy; knowledge of gem colors; knowledge of mines; knowledge of tree life; rules for animal fights; training parrots and mynas to speak; cleaning; skill in hairdressing; reciting secret codes; mimicking foreign languages; knowledge of regional dialects; interpreting omens from flower garlands; making mechanical devices; making magical diagrams; reciting together; composing poetry in the mind; various creative activities; tricks and games; knowledge of dictionaries, meters, and prosody; methods of concealing clothes; special dice games; magnet games; children’s toys; and the knowledge of Vainayikī, Vaijayikī, and Vaitālikī arts. Among the Vṛṣṇis, Uddhava was foremost—a wise counselor, beloved friend of Krishna, and a direct disciple of Brihaspati, excelling in intelligence. To him, the Lord, remover of distress for those who seek shelter, once spoke, taking Uddhava’s hand in his own, for Uddhava was most dear and devoted. Krishna said, “Go, gentle Uddhava, to Vraja. Bring joy to my parents, and with my messages, relieve the agony of the gopīs caused by separation from me. Those women, their minds fixed on me, their very life devoted to me, have given up all bodily comforts for my sake. They have come to me, their beloved, their very self, in their hearts. Those who have abandoned worldly duties for my sake—I uphold them. For me, their dearest beloved, though far away, the women of Gokula are bewildered, constantly remembering me, overwhelmed by the pain and longing of separation. My cowherd maidens, whose hearts are united with me, somehow sustain their lives with great difficulty, holding on by the hope of my return and the messages I send.” Thus addressed, Uddhava, honoring his master’s command, mounted his chariot and departed for Nanda’s cowherd village. Arriving at Nanda’s Vraja as the sun was setting, the illustrious Uddhava entered, his chariot concealed by the dust raised from the hooves of the returning cattle.