Her heart and body aflame with longing, she gazed upon the Lord with yearning eyes. Drawing close, she inhaled the divine fragrance of His lotus feet, and as she lovingly massaged them, all her pains and sorrows seemed to melt away. Embracing her beloved tightly between her arms and bosom, she found her suffering dissolve in the blissful presence of the Lord Himself. Having at last attained Him—the Lord of liberation, so difficult to reach—she, though long considered unfortunate, offered Him sandal paste and humbly asked for a boon. With gentle words, she pleaded, “Let my beloved remain here with me for some days. O lotus-eyed one, enjoy with me, for I cannot bear to be parted from you.” The Lord, ever gracious and the bestower of honor, granted her wish, honored her, and then, together with Uddhava, returned to His own revered abode. Yet, it is said, one who worships Viṣṇu, the Lord of all lords, with great devotion and then seeks from Him a boon that merely pleases the mind, but is lacking in goodness, shows poor judgment. In time, Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Rāma and Uddhava, with a purpose in mind and wishing to please Akrūra, traveled to Akrūra’s house. As they approached, Akrūra saw from afar these best of men—his own kinsmen—and, overjoyed, rose up to greet them. He embraced them warmly and welcomed them with delight. Bowing to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, and being greeted in turn, he offered them seats as prescribed by tradition and worshipped them with reverence. He poured the water for washing their feet upon his own head, and honored them with divine garments, fragrant garlands, and the finest ornaments. With humility, he bowed low, washing their feet with his own hands, and then addressed Kṛṣṇa and Rāma with deep respect. “By your grace,” he said, “wicked Kaṃsa and his followers have been vanquished, and our family has been rescued from great distress and restored. You two are the Supreme Persons, the causes and very substance of the universe—there is nothing higher or lower apart from you. This universe, created by you, is entered by your own powers and manifested in countless forms, O Brahman, perceivable by hearing and direct experience. Just as various forms appear among all beings, moving and unmoving, so too do you, O Lord, manifest in many ways in beings born from yourself, being utterly self-reliant. “You create, destroy, and protect the universe through your powers of passion, darkness, and goodness, yet you remain untouched by these qualities or actions. 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 differences; thus, for you there is neither bondage nor liberation. May we never be confused about your true nature. “Whenever the ancient path of the Vedas is blocked by falsehood and misleading doctrines, 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 earth’s burden, to destroy hundreds of armies of hostile kings, and to spread the fame of this dynasty. “Today, O Lord, our homes are truly blessed, for you, who are 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 ever true, who are 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 great fortune, O Janārdana, you have appeared before us here, though even the greatest yogis and gods find you hard to reach. Please, swiftly cut for us the bonds of delusion—attachment to children, wife, wealth, relatives, home, body, and so forth—which are but your own māyā.” Thus worshipped and praised by his devotee, the Blessed Lord Hari smiled, enchanting Akrūra with his words. He spoke gently, “You are our teacher, our paternal uncle, our ever-honored kinsman. It is for you to protect, nourish, and show compassion to us, 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 may 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, as 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 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 Lord Hari, Supreme Controller, departed to his own residence, accompanied by 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 relative as appropriate, and was warmly asked by them about the well-being of friends, while he in turn inquired after their welfare. He stayed there for several months, wishing to observe the conduct of the king, who was ill-advised, lacking in substance, and acting according to the wishes of the wicked. Akrūra noticed that the king showed no desire to see the brilliance, strength, valor, humility, and other virtues of the sons of Pṛthā, nor did he appreciate the affection the people held for them. All the wrongs committed by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra—including the poisoning and other misdeeds—were recounted to him in detail by Pṛthā and also by Vidura. When Pṛthā saw her brother Akrūra had arrived, she approached him with tears in her eyes, remembering her birthplace, and spoke softly, “O gentle one, do my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, sisters-in-law, and friends still remember us? And does the illustrious Krishna, my cousin, who is the refuge and beloved of His devotees, and Rama, the lotus-eyed, remember their maternal aunt’s children?