When the Lord Kṛṣṇa entered her house, she was overcome with excitement and, flustered, immediately rose from her seat. With proper decorum, she approached Him, and together with her companions, honored Acyuta with a seat and other offerings. Uddhava, too, was received with respect; after touching the seat as a sign of reverence, he sat down. Following the customary ways of the world, Kṛṣṇa quickly made His way to the splendid bed. She, meanwhile, bathed and adorned herself—anointing her body, dressing in fine garments and ornaments, garlanding herself, perfuming her person, and chewing betel to freshen her breath. Thus prepared, she approached Mādhava, her excitement revealed in her bashful, sidelong, smiling glances. Kṛṣṇa, seeing His beloved hesitant and shy at their first meeting, her hand adorned with bracelets, called her near, took her by the hand, and seated her beside Him on the bed. Blessed by the merit of having anointed Him, she enjoyed His company. Her heart and body, burning with passion, her eyes full of longing, she inhaled the fragrance of His feet and, massaging them, found relief from her pains. Embracing her beloved between her arms and breasts, she found in Him, the very embodiment of bliss, the end of her long suffering. Having at last attained the Lord of liberation—so difficult to reach—she, though once considered unfortunate, offered Him sandal paste and asked for a boon: “Let my beloved stay here with me for a few days; please 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. After honoring her, He, along with Uddhava, returned to His own revered abode. Yet, it is said that one who worships Viṣṇu, Lord of all lords, with great devotion and then asks for a boon that merely pleases the mind, but is lacking in true goodness, shows poor judgment. Later, Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, together with Balarāma and Uddhava, wishing to accomplish something and to please Akrūra, went to Akrūra’s house. From a distance, Akrūra saw these best of men—his own kinsmen—and, overjoyed, rose, embraced them, and welcomed them with delight. He bowed to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, and they too greeted him warmly. Accepting their seats as prescribed, they were worshipped properly by Akrūra, who poured water for washing their feet and, in reverence, held it upon his head. He honored them with divine garments, fragrant garlands, and the finest ornaments. Having worshipped them, 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 with your own powers and manifests in many ways, O Brahman, perceivable both by hearing and direct experience. Just as various forms appear in all beings, moving and unmoving, in wombs such as mine, so you alone, O Lord, 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 these qualities or actions, for you are the very self of knowledge. How could there be any cause of bondage for you? Because your existence is not defined by body or any limiting adjuncts, you are not subject to difference; therefore, for you, there is neither bondage nor liberation—may we never be confused about your true nature. Whenever the ancient Vedic path is obstructed by false doctrines and untruth, you manifest yourself, endowed with the quality of goodness, for the welfare of the world. “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, the very 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 mean nothing? By great fortune, O Janārdana, you have appeared before us here, though even the lords of yoga and the gods find you hard to reach. Please 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: “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. The gods act for their own sake, but the virtuous do not. Holy places are not truly sanctified by water, nor are the 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, the Supreme Lord Hari 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: Having journeyed to Hastināpura, famed among the kings of the Paurava line, Akrūra 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 of his relatives as was proper, 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. Akrūra saw that the king had no desire to witness the brilliance, strength, valor, humility, and other virtues of the sons of Pṛthā, nor did he care for the people’s affection for them.