Though Krishna and Balarama are the very source of all knowledge, all-knowing Lords of the universe, they chose to veil their flawless wisdom, living and acting as ordinary humans among men. Desiring to reside at a teacher’s house and learn as students, they approached the renowned Sandipani of Kashi, who dwelled in Avanti. With self-control and proper humility, Krishna and Balarama entered the service of their teacher. They attended to Sandipani blamelessly, learning from him with deep devotion, as if he were a god himself. Pleased by the purity and dedication of their conduct, Sandipani, the foremost among the twice-born, instructed them in all the Vedas, including their branches and the Upanishads. He also imparted to them the secret teachings of Dhanurveda—the science of archery and weaponry—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, grasped every lesson instantly, needing only a single utterance to comprehend the entirety. In just sixty-four days and nights, they mastered all these arts. Then, as was proper, they asked their teacher to name the fee he desired for their education. Observing their wondrous and superhuman intelligence, Sandipani, after consulting with his wife, requested as his fee the return of his son, who had died at Prabhasa, swallowed by the great ocean. Krishna and Balarama agreed. They ascended their mighty chariot and journeyed to Prabhasa, where they approached the shore and sat for a moment. The ocean, recognizing their divine presence, 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 lives 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. However, he took the conch that emerged from the demon’s body, returned to his chariot, and then traveled to the city of Samyamani, beloved of Yama, the Lord of Death. Upon arrival, Janardana sounded the conch with his weapons. The loud blast caught Yama’s attention, and he approached, offering great worship filled with devotion. He bowed to Krishna, the abode of all beings’ hearts, and said, “O Vishnu, acting in human form, what shall we do for you both?” Krishna 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. After returning the boy to Sandipani, they again asked their teacher to choose a boon. Sandipani 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; may the Vedas you have learned remain with you here and hereafter.” Thus permitted, Krishna and Balarama returned to their city in their chariot, swift as the wind and sounding like thunderclouds. All the people rejoiced to see Rama and Janardana, as if they had recovered lost wealth after many days of deprivation. Now, as stated in the Śaiva Tantras, the sixty-four arts they mastered are: singing, playing musical instruments, dancing, acting, painting, 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 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 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 birds 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 and prosody, methods of concealing clothes, special dice games, magnet games, children’s toys, knowledge of Vainayikī, Vaijayikī, and Vaitālikī arts. Among the Vrishnis, Uddhava was the foremost—wise counselor, beloved friend of Krishna, and direct disciple of Brihaspati, excelling in intelligence. To him, the Lord, remover of distress for those who seek refuge, once spoke, taking Uddhava’s hand, for he was most dear and devoted. “Go, O 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 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 me—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. The air resounded with the bellowing of strong bulls vying for the company of cows, and with the cries of calves running to their mothers, heavy with milk. The place was adorned here and there by white calves leaping about, filled with the sounds of milking and the melodies of flutes. There, gopīs beautifully adorned, along with the cowherd men, sang the auspicious deeds of Balarama and Krishna, making the village splendid. The delightful cowherd settlement was filled with rituals for fire, sun, guests, cows, brāhmaṇas, ancestors, and gods, as well as incense, lamps, and garlands. All around bloomed flower-filled groves, echoing with the songs of flocks of birds, and adorned with ponds full of swans, cranes, and lotuses. When he arrived, Nanda, meeting Krishna’s dear companion, joyfully embraced Uddhava and honored him with the devotion he felt for Vasudeva. After feeding him the finest food and seating him comfortably on a soft couch, Nanda, seeing Uddhava’s fatigue gone, inquired after his well-being, offering foot massages and other services. “O fortunate one, is our friend, the son of Sura, well? Is he surrounded by his family and children, free from troubles, and steadfast in his friendship? By good fortune, the wicked Kamsa, always hating the virtuous and righteous Yadus, has been slain along with his followers by his own evil. Does Krishna still remember us—his mother, his friends, the cowherds, the village, his own dear ones, the cows, Vrindavana, and the hill?