Those whose hearts and breasts have been adorned with the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa—the Lord worshipped by Lakṣmī herself, revered by the greatest of yogis, and the supreme goal of the rāsa dance—have, by embracing Him, cast off all suffering. Such is the transformative power of His presence. Again and again, let us bow to the dust of the feet of the women of Nanda’s Vraja, whose singing of Hari’s glories purifies all the three worlds. Śuka continued: After taking leave of the gopīs, Yaśodā, Nanda, and bidding farewell to all the cowherds, Uddhava prepared to depart, ascending his chariot. As he was leaving, Nanda and the others approached him with affection, their hands full of various gifts, and their eyes brimming with tears. With voices trembling, they spoke: “May our minds always rest at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa; may our words speak only His names; may our bodies bow in His service. Though we are tossed about by our actions wherever the Lord’s will may send us, may our devotion to Kṛṣṇa remain steady through auspicious acts and charity.” Thus honored by the cowherds, their hearts full of devotion to Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava returned to Mathurā, protected by the Lord. Upon arrival, he bowed to Kṛṣṇa, and, his heart overflowing with devotion for the people of Vraja, offered gifts to Vasudeva, Rāma, and the king. Śuka then narrated: The Lord, the Soul of all, who sees everything, knowing the desire of Sairandhrī (Kubjā) and wishing to please her, went to her house. Her dwelling was rich with splendid furnishings, prepared for pleasure, adorned with pearl garlands, banners, canopies, beds, and seats. The air was fragrant with incense, bright with lamps, and filled with garlands and perfumes. When Kubjā saw Him enter, she was flustered and immediately rose from her seat. She approached Him as was proper and, together with her companions, honored Acyuta with a seat and other offerings. Uddhava, too, was respectfully welcomed and, after touching the seat, sat down; Kṛṣṇa, following worldly custom, quickly entered the splendid bed. Kubjā, having bathed, anointed herself, dressed in fine garments and ornaments, garlanded and perfumed, and having chewed betel, approached Mādhava. Her bashful, sidelong, smiling glances betrayed her excitement. Kṛṣṇa called His beloved, who was shy at their first meeting and hesitant, her hand adorned with bracelets. Taking her gently by the hand, He seated her on the bed and enjoyed her company, she blessed by the merit of anointing Him. Her breasts and heart burned with passion, her eyes longing for Him. She inhaled the fragrance of His feet, massaged away her pains with them, and, embracing her beloved between her arms and breasts, found in the embodiment of bliss the end of her long suffering. Having attained Him, the Lord of liberation, so hard to attain, Kubjā, though unfortunate, offered Him sandal paste and asked for a boon: “Let my beloved stay here with me for a few days; enjoy with me, O lotus-eyed one, for I cannot bear to be parted from you.” Kṛṣṇa granted her the boon she desired and, having honored her, departed with Uddhava, returning to His own revered abode. Indeed, he who by great worship propitiates Viṣṇu, the Lord of all lords, and then chooses a boon pleasing only to the mind, if lacking in goodness, is of poor judgment. Then, Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Rāma and Uddhava, desiring to accomplish something and wishing to please Akrūra, went to Akrūra’s house. Seeing from a distance those best of men, his own kinsmen, Akrūra rose joyfully, embraced them, and welcomed them with delight. He bowed to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, and they too greeted him. After accepting their seats as prescribed, Akrūra worshipped them properly, holding the water for washing their feet upon his head, and honoring them with divine garments, fragrant garlands, and the finest ornaments. Having worshipped them, bowing his head, and washing their feet with his hands, Akrūra, full of humility, addressed Kṛṣṇa and Rāma: “By good fortune, wicked Kaṃsa and his followers have been slain, and this family has been rescued from great distress and restored by you both. You two are the Supreme Persons, the causes and the substance of the universe; apart from you, there is nothing higher or lower. This universe, created by yourself, you enter with your own powers and manifest in many ways, O Brahman, perceivable by hearing and direct experience. “Just as in all beings, moving and non-moving, various forms appear in wombs such as mine, so you, O Lord, alone manifest in many ways in beings born from yourself, being self-dependent. You create, destroy, and protect the universe by your own powers of passion, darkness, and goodness; yet you are not bound by those qualities or actions, for you are the self of knowledge—how could there be any cause of bondage for you? “Because your existence is not defined by body or other limiting adjuncts, you are not directly subject to difference; therefore, for you there is neither bondage nor liberation—may there never be confusion about you for us. Whenever the ancient Vedic path is obstructed by false doctrines and untruth, you, for the welfare of the world, manifest yourself, endowed with the quality of goodness. “Therefore, O Lord, today you have descended into the house of Vasudeva, with your own portion, to remove the burden of the earth, destroying hundreds of armies of hostile kings, and spreading the fame of this dynasty. Today, O Lord, our dwellings are truly blessed, for you, who are the form of all gods, ancestors, beings, and men, whose foot-washing water purifies the three worlds, O teacher of the universe, Adhokṣaja, have entered them. “What wise man would seek shelter anywhere else but you, who are dear to your devotees, whose words are true, who are a friend to all and grateful, who grants all desires to those who worship you, and for whom gain and loss of self mean nothing? By good fortune, O Janārdana, you have appeared before us here, though even the lords of yoga and the gods find you hard to reach; quickly cut for us the bonds of delusion—attachment to children, wife, wealth, relatives, home, body, and so on—which are your own māyā.” Thus worshipped and praised by the devotee, the Blessed Lord Hari spoke to Akrūra with a smile, enchanting him with His words: “You are our teacher, paternal uncle, ever-honored kinsman; and we are to be protected, nourished, and shown compassion by you, for we are your dependents. Exalted souls like you, best among the worthy, should always be served by those who seek their own good; gods act for their own sake, but the virtuous do not. “Holy places are not truly sanctified by water, nor are gods merely images of clay and stone; it is the sight of the virtuous that purifies, even in a moment. You, being our well-wisher, are most capable of seeking our welfare; therefore, for the sake of learning about the Pāṇḍavas, go now to Hastināpura.