Yama, the lord of death, responded to the Yadus’ request with the words, “So be it,” and brought forth their teacher's son, restoring him to life. With reverence, the Yadus handed the boy back to their teacher, fulfilling the promise they had made. Grateful for their devotion, the teacher invited them once more to choose a boon. Yet, he spoke with affection: “My dear ones, you have fully repaid your teacher’s fee. What more could a teacher desire from students such as you?” He blessed them, saying, “Return home, O heroes, may your fame remain pure. May the Vedas you have learned stay with you, now and hereafter.” Thus permitted by their teacher, the Yadus mounted their chariot, swift as the wind, its thunderous sound echoing as they journeyed back to their city. The people rejoiced at the sight of Rama and Janardana, as if they had recovered precious treasure lost for many days. In accordance with the Śaiva Tantras, the sixty-four arts were then 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, sleight of hand, making foods from vegetables and flour, preparing drinks and flavored liquors, needlework, string games, riddles, reciting chains of verses, tongue-twisters, reading books, seeing plays and stories, poetic puzzles, making mats and canes, spinning and weaving, carpentry, architecture, testing silver and gems, metallurgy, knowledge of gem colors, mines, tree life, rules for animal fights, training parrots and mynas, cleaning, hairdressing, reciting secret codes, mimicking foreign languages, dialects, interpreting flower garland omens, making mechanical devices, magical diagrams, reciting together, composing poetry in the mind, creative activities, tricks and games, dictionaries and prosody, concealing clothes, dice games, magnet games, children's toys, and knowledge of the Vainayikī, Vaijayikī, and Vaitālikī arts. Among the Vṛṣṇis, Uddhava stood foremost—a wise counselor, beloved friend of Krishna, and direct disciple of Bṛhaspati, excelling in intelligence. Once, Krishna, the remover of distress for those who seek refuge, took Uddhava’s hand and spoke to him, for Uddhava was most dear and devoted. “Go, O gentle Uddhava, to Vraja,” Krishna said. “Bring joy to my parents, and with my messages, relieve the agony of the gopīs, whose hearts ache from separation. Those women, their minds fixed on 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 longing. My cowherd maidens, whose hearts are united with me, sustain their lives with great difficulty, holding on by the hope of my return and the messages I send.” Thus addressed, Uddhava honored his master’s command, mounted his chariot, and departed for Nanda’s cowherd village. He arrived at Vraja as the sun was setting, his chariot hidden in the dust raised by the hooves of the returning cattle. The air resounded with the bellowing of strong bulls competing for the cows, and with the cries of calves running to their mothers, heavy with milk. White calves leaped about here and there, and the village was filled with the sounds of milking and the melodies of flutes. Beautifully adorned gopīs and the cowherd men sang the auspicious deeds of Balarāma and Krishna, making the village splendid. The settlement was vibrant with rituals for fire, sun, guests, cows, brāhmaṇas, ancestors, and gods, and decorated with 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 Uddhava arrived, Nanda, recognizing Krishna’s dear companion, joyfully embraced him 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,” 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 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 from 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.” Śuka continued: Thus, 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, listening to stories of her son’s deeds, wept tears of affection, her breasts flowing and wet. 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 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. In him, Nārāyaṇa, cause of all, who has taken a mortal form for the sake of all souls—since you have set your hearts so deeply, O great ones, what greater merit could there be for you? Within a short time, Acyuta, the Lord of the Sātvatas, will come to Vraja and bring joy to his parents.