May our minds forever rest at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa; may our words speak only His holy names; and may our bodies bow in His service. Though we are tossed about by the results of our own actions and carried wherever the Lord’s will may send us, may our devotion to Kṛṣṇa remain unwavering, supported by acts of goodness and charity. Thus, honored by the cowherds with devotion to Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava returned to Mathurā, protected by the Lord. He bowed before Kṛṣṇa, his heart overflowing with love for the people of Vraja, and offered gifts to Vasudeva, Rāma, and the king. Śuka continued: At that time, the Lord, the Soul of all beings who sees everything, knew the longing in the heart of Sairandhrī—Kubjā—and desiring to please her, He went to her house. Her home was resplendent with luxurious furnishings, adorned with garlands of pearls, banners, canopies, beds, and seats. The air was fragrant with incense, bright with lamps, and filled with garlands and perfumes. When Kubjā saw Kṛṣṇa enter, she became flustered and immediately rose from her seat. With her companions, she approached Him respectfully and offered Acyuta a seat and other honors. Uddhava too was received with respect and, after touching his seat, sat down. Kṛṣṇa, following worldly custom, quickly entered the splendid bed. Kubjā, having bathed and anointed herself, dressed in fine garments and ornaments, adorned with garlands and perfumes and having chewed betel, approached Mādhava. Her sidelong, bashful glances and gentle smile revealed her excitement. Kṛṣṇa called His beloved to Him, seeing her shyness and hesitation, her hand adorned with bracelets. He took her by the hand, seated her on the bed, and enjoyed her company—she, blessed by the merit of having anointed Him. Her heart and body burning with passion, her eyes longing, Kubjā 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 the Lord of liberation, so difficult to reach, Kubjā, though not fortunate by birth, 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, the Giver of Honor, granted her the boon she desired and, honoring her, departed with Uddhava to His own revered abode. Yet, one who worships Viṣṇu with great devotion and then seeks a boon pleasing only to the mind, if lacking in goodness, is of poor judgment. Thereafter, Kṛṣṇa, together with Rāma and Uddhava, wishing to please Akrūra and accomplish a purpose, went to Akrūra’s house. Seeing those best of men and his own kinsmen approaching from a distance, Akrūra rose joyfully, embraced them, and welcomed them with delight. He bowed to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, who greeted him in return. After they accepted their seats as prescribed, he worshipped them properly. He held the water for washing their feet upon his head and honored 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 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 by 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 His devotee, the Blessed Lord Hari smiled and spoke to Akrūra, enchanting him with His words. The Lord said, “You are our teacher, paternal uncle, ever-honored kinsman; 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. We have heard that, after their father’s death, the children, together with their mother, were brought to their own city by the king and now reside there, deeply distressed. Among them, the king, son of Ambikā, is not impartial toward his brother’s sons; surely, under the sway of his wicked son, his vision is clouded. Go and learn their present condition, whether good or bad; having understood, we will act so that the welfare of our friends may be secured.” Thus instructing Akrūra, Lord Hari, the Supreme Controller, departed to His own residence, together with Sankarṣaṇa and Uddhava.