The teacher, filled with devotion, offered worship to Krishna and Balarama, bowing before Krishna, the indwelling Lord of all hearts. With reverence, he addressed them, "O Vishnu, who acts in human form, what shall we do for you both?" The Blessed Lord replied, "O great king, the son of our teacher, bound here by the results of his own deeds—bring him forth at my command." Yama, the lord of death, responded, "So be it," and brought the teacher’s son before Krishna, the best of the Yadus. After restoring the boy to their teacher, Krishna and Balarama again invited their teacher to request a boon. The venerable teacher, moved, said, "My dear ones, you have fully repaid your teacher’s fee. What desire could remain for a teacher such as yours?" He blessed them: "Return home, O heroes. May your fame be pure, and may the Vedas you have learned remain with you now and forever." Thus permitted by their teacher, Krishna and Balarama returned to their city in a chariot swift as the wind, its thunderous sound echoing through the streets. The people rejoiced at the sight of Rama and Janardana, as if regaining lost treasure after long deprivation. Now, as described in the Śaiva Tantras, the sixty-four arts were enumerated—singing, playing musical instruments, dancing, acting, painting, decorative cuttings, arranging rice and flowers, making flower beds, adorning teeth, clothing, and body, arranging jeweled floors, preparing beds, playing water instruments, splashing water, 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 parrots and mynas to speak, cleaning, hairdressing, reciting secret codes, mimicking foreign languages, knowledge of regional dialects, interpreting omens from flower garlands, making mechanical devices, magical diagrams, reciting together, composing poetry in the mind, 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 Vṛṣṇis, Uddhava stood foremost. Wise counselor, beloved friend of Krishna, and disciple of Bṛhaspati, he excelled in intelligence. Once, the Lord, remover of distress for those who seek refuge, spoke to Uddhava, taking his hand, for Uddhava 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, have given up bodily comforts for my sake; their hearts have come to me, their beloved, their very self. 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 commanded, Uddhava honored his master’s words, mounted his chariot, and departed for Nanda’s cowherd village. He arrived in Vraja as the sun was setting, his chariot veiled by the dust raised from the hooves of returning cattle. The air was alive with the bellowing of strong bulls vying for the cows, and with calves running to their mothers, heavy with milk. White calves leaped about, and the sounds of milking and flute melodies filled the place. The gopīs, beautifully adorned, along with the cowherd men, sang the auspicious deeds of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, making the village splendid. The settlement was vibrant, filled with rituals for fire, sun, guests, cows, brāhmaṇas, ancestors, and gods, as well as incense, lamps, and garlands. Flower-filled groves bloomed all around, echoing with birdsong, and ponds were adorned with swans, cranes, and lotuses. Nanda, meeting Krishna’s dear companion, joyfully embraced Uddhava and honored him with the devotion he felt for Vāsudeva. 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 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 always hated the virtuous 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 own people? Then we shall behold that face of his, with its fine nose and beautiful, smiling eyes. From forest fires, storms and rains, wild bulls and serpents, and dangers impossible to cross—even from 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, O dear one, all our activities become slack. 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, strong as a great bow, 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, whose mind was devoted to Krishna, became overwhelmed with longing and sat silent, overcome by the surge of love. Yaśodā, as she listened to stories of her son’s deeds, her eyes filled with tears, and her breasts, flowing with affection, became wet. Seeing such supreme love for Krishna in Nanda and Yaśodā, Uddhava, filled with joy, spoke to Nanda: "You two are surely the most praiseworthy among all embodied beings, O bestowers of honor, for your minds are fixed in this way upon Nārāyaṇa, the teacher of all. For these two—Rāma and Mukunda—are the 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. He, in whom, at the time of death, a person fixes even an impure mind for a moment, who swiftly removes the store of karma—he, radiant as the sun and full of Brahman, leads one to the supreme path.