Within her resplendent home, adorned with exquisite furnishings, garlands of pearls, fluttering banners, elegant canopies, luxurious beds and seats, and filled with the fragrance of incense and perfumes, the atmosphere was brightened by radiant lamps and further beautified with fresh garlands. As Kṛṣṇa entered this splendid abode, she was immediately flustered and, rising from her seat, approached Him with due decorum. Along with her companions, she offered Acyuta a seat and other tokens of honor. Uddhava, too, was received with respect; after touching the seat as a mark of reverence, he sat down. Following the customs of the world, Kṛṣṇa Himself quickly entered the magnificent bedchamber. She, having bathed, anointed herself with fragrant oils, dressed in fine garments and ornaments, adorned herself with garlands, applied perfume, and chewed betel, approached Mādhava. Her excitement was evident in her bashful, sidelong, smiling glances. Kṛṣṇa called His beloved to Him, though she was shy and hesitant at their first meeting, her hand glittering with bracelets. Taking her gently by the hand, He seated her on the bed. Blessed by the merit of having anointed Him, she enjoyed His company. Her heart and breasts burned with passion, her eyes full of longing. She inhaled the fragrance of His feet, massaged away her pains with them, and, embracing her beloved tightly, found in His blissful presence the end of her long suffering. Having attained the Lord of liberation—so difficult to attain—she, though considered 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.” Granting her the boon she desired, and having duly honored her, the Lord, along with Uddhava, returned to His own revered abode. Yet, it is said: one who, by great worship, propitiates Viṣṇu, Lord of all lords, and then asks for a boon pleasing only to the mind, but lacking in goodness, shows poor judgment. Later, Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Rāma and Uddhava, wishing to accomplish a certain task and to please Akrūra, went to Akrūra’s house. Seeing these best of men, his own relatives, approaching from a distance, Akrūra rose with joy, embraced them warmly, and welcomed them with delight. He bowed to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, and they greeted him in return. After accepting their seats as prescribed, he worshipped them properly, pouring water for washing their feet and then holding that sacred water upon his head. He honored them with divine garments, fragrant garlands, and the finest ornaments. Having worshipped them thus, bowing his head and washing their feet with his own hands, Akrūra, full of humility, addressed Kṛṣṇa and Rāma: “By your grace, wicked Kaṃsa and his followers have been slain, and our family has been rescued from great distress and restored. 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 you, is entered by you in various forms, O Brahman, perceivable by both hearing and direct experience. Just as in all beings, moving and non-moving, various forms appear in wombs such as mine, so you alone manifest in many ways in beings born from yourself, being self-dependent. You create, destroy, and protect the universe by your 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 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. Thus, O Lord, 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 as if 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. 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.” Having thus instructed Akrūra, Lord Hari, the Supreme Controller, departed to His own residence together with Sankarṣaṇa and Uddhava. Thus ends the forty-eighth chapter of the first half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas. Śuka continued: Akrūra, having gone to Hastināpura—renowned among the kings of the Paurava line—saw there the son of Ambikā, along with Bhīṣma, Vidura, and Pṛthā. He also saw Bāhlīka with his son, Bhāradvāja with Gautama, Karṇa, Suyodhana, Aśvatthāmā, the Pāṇḍavas, and other friends. The son of Gāndinī approached each relative as appropriate, was asked by them about the well-being of friends, and in turn inquired about their welfare. He stayed there for a few months, wishing to observe the conduct of the king, who was ill-advised, lacking in substance, and following the wishes of the wicked.