When Janardana, the Lord Krishna, arrived at the realm of Yama accompanied by his divine weapons, he sounded his mighty conch shell. Its resounding blast echoed through the worlds, catching the attention of Yama, the restrainer of all living beings. Recognizing the arrival of the Lord, Yama received Krishna and his companion with the highest honors, his worship deepened by heartfelt devotion. Bowing before Krishna, the indweller of all hearts, Yama addressed him: “O Vishnu, who assumes a human form, what can we do for you both?” Krishna replied, “The son of our revered teacher has come here, bound by the consequences of his own deeds. O great king, at my command, bring him forth.” Yama, bowing in assent, immediately returned the teacher’s son to the best of the Yadus. After presenting the boy to their guru, Krishna and his companion once again invited their teacher to request a boon. Their honored teacher, filled with affection, said, “My dear ones, you have fully repaid your teacher’s fee. What desire could remain for a teacher who has disciples such as you?” He blessed them, saying, “Return home, O heroes. May your fame be spotless, and may the Vedas you have learned remain with you in this life and beyond.” Thus permitted by their teacher, Krishna and his brother mounted their chariot, which sped like the wind, rumbling like thunderclouds, and returned to their city. The people rejoiced at the sight of Rama and Janardana, their joy like that of those who recover lost treasure after long deprivation. It is said, according to the Śaiva Tantras, that there are sixty-four arts: singing, playing musical instruments, dancing, acting, painting, making decorative cuttings, arranging rice and flowers, making flower beds, adorning the teeth, body, and clothes, arranging jeweled floors, preparing beds, playing water instruments, splashing water, creating artistic combinations, weaving garlands, arranging head ornaments, preparing costumes, shaping ear ornaments, blending fragrances, arranging jewelry, performing conjuring tricks, wrestling techniques, sleight of hand, preparing various foods, making drinks, needlework, string games, riddles, reciting linked verses, tongue-twisters, reading books, watching plays, solving poetic puzzles, making mats and canes, spinning and weaving, carpentry, architecture, testing silver and gems, metallurgy, knowledge of gem colors and mines, understanding the lives of trees, rules for animal fights, training birds to speak, cleaning, hairdressing, reciting secret codes, mimicking foreign languages, knowledge of dialects, interpreting omens from garlands, making mechanical devices, creating magical diagrams, group recitation, composing poetry in the mind, creative activities, games and tricks, knowledge of dictionaries and prosody, concealing clothes, special dice games, magnet games, children’s toys, and the arts called Vainayikī, Vaijayikī, and Vaitālikī. Among the Vṛṣṇis, there was none greater than Uddhava—a wise counselor, beloved friend of Krishna, and direct disciple of Bṛhaspati, renowned for his intelligence. One day, Krishna, the remover of distress for those who seek his protection, took Uddhava’s hand in his own and spoke to him with affection, for Uddhava was most dear and devoted. He said, “Go, gentle Uddhava, to Vraja. Bring joy to my parents, and with my messages, ease the agony of the gopīs, who suffer in separation from me. These women, their minds fixed on me, have given up all bodily comforts for my sake. In their hearts, they have come to me, their beloved, their very self. Those who have abandoned all worldly duties for me—I uphold them. Though far away, I am their dearest beloved, and the women of Gokula are bewildered, constantly remembering me and overwhelmed by longing. My cowherd maidens, their hearts united with me, somehow sustain their lives by holding onto the hope of my return and the messages I send.” Thus instructed, Uddhava honored his master’s command. He mounted his chariot and departed for Nanda’s cowherd village. As the sun was setting, he arrived in Nanda’s Vraja, his chariot veiled by the dust raised from the hooves of the returning cattle. The air was alive with the bellowing of mighty bulls competing for the cows, and with the cries of calves running to their mothers, heavy with milk. White calves leapt about, and the village resounded with the sounds of milking and the melodies of flutes. The gopīs, beautifully adorned, together with the cowherd men, sang the auspicious deeds of Balarāma and Krishna, making the village splendid. The delightful settlement was filled with rituals for the fire, sun, guests, cows, brāhmaṇas, ancestors, and gods, as well as incense, lamps, and garlands. All around, flowering groves echoed with the songs of birds, and ponds brimmed with swans, cranes, and blooming lotuses. As Uddhava arrived, Nanda, recognizing Krishna’s dear companion, embraced him joyfully and honored him with the same devotion he felt for Vāsudeva. After offering him the finest food and seating him on a soft couch, Nanda, seeing that Uddhava’s fatigue had vanished, inquired after his well-being, offering foot massages and other services. “O fortunate one,” Nanda asked, “is our friend, the son of Śūra, well? Is he surrounded by his family and children, free from troubles, and steadfast in his friendship? By good fortune, the wicked Kaṃsa, who hated the 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? Will Govinda return, even once, to see his people? Then we could behold that face of his, with its fine nose and beautiful, smiling eyes. From forest fires, storms, wild bulls, serpents, and even death itself, we were protected by Krishna, the supremely great soul. When we remember Krishna’s heroic deeds, his playful glances, his laughter and speech, all our activities fall away. Our minds become absorbed in those places—rivers, mountains, and forests—adorned by Mukunda’s footsteps, where we saw him play. I think Krishna and Rama, the best among the gods, have come here for some great purpose of the gods, just as Garga said. Kamsa, whose strength was like ten thousand elephants, the wrestlers, and the lord of elephants—he destroyed them all effortlessly, as a lion does beasts. He broke the three mighty palm trees with one hand, and for seven days he held up the mountain. Pralamba, Dhenuka, Arishta, Trinavarta, Baka, and others—these demons, conquerors of gods and demons, were slain by him here in play.” Remembering again and again, Nanda, his mind devoted to Krishna, became silent, overwhelmed with longing and love. Yaśodā, too, listening to the stories of her son’s deeds, wept tears of love, her affection overflowing. Seeing such supreme love for Krishna in Nanda and Yaśodā, Uddhava was filled with joy and spoke to Nanda: “You two are surely the most praiseworthy among all beings, for your minds are fixed in this way upon Nārāyaṇa, the teacher of all. For these two—Rāma and Mukunda—are the very seed and womb of the universe: the Person and the Primal Matter. In all beings, they are the ancient lords of knowledge and mastery, distinct from all else.