Who, among the wise, would seek shelter anywhere but at Your feet, O Lord? You are most dear to Your devotees, Your words are ever true, and You are the friend of all, ever grateful and generous. Whatever one may desire, You grant to those who worship You, yet gain and loss, even of Yourself, mean nothing to You. Who else is there to turn to? O Janārdana, by great good fortune, You have appeared before us here—though even the great lords of yoga and the gods themselves find You so difficult to approach. Please, swiftly sever for us the tight bonds of delusion: our attachments to children, spouse, wealth, relatives, home, and body—these are but Your own māyā, binding us to this world. As Akrura offered his heartfelt worship and praise, the Blessed Lord Hari, with a gentle and enchanting smile, spoke to him, his words full of warmth and affection. “You are our teacher, our paternal uncle, ever-honored kinsman,” said the Lord. “It is for you to protect, nourish, and show us compassion, for we are your dependents. Exalted souls such as yourself, best among the worthy, should always be served by those who seek their own good. Even the gods act for their own interests, but the virtuous do not. Holy places are not truly sanctified by their waters, nor are the gods merely clay and stone images; it is the sight of the virtuous that purifies, even in a single moment. You are our well-wisher and 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 and their mother were brought to their city by the king, and now reside there, deeply distressed. Among them, the king—the son of Ambikā—is not impartial toward his brother’s sons; surely, under the sway of his wicked son, his judgment is clouded. Go and learn their present condition, whether good or bad. When you have understood, we will act to ensure the welfare of our friends.” Thus instructing Akrura, the Supreme Lord Hari, the Controller of all, 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: Akrura journeyed to Hastināpura, famed among the kings of the Paurava line. There he saw the son of Ambikā, together with Bhīṣma, Vidura, and Pṛthā. He also encountered Bāhlīka and his son, Bhāradvāja and Gautama, Karṇa, Suyodhana, Aśvatthāmā, the Pāṇḍavas, and other friends and relatives. The son of Gāndinī approached each relative as was proper, exchanging inquiries about the well-being of friends and kin. He stayed there for several months, carefully observing the conduct of the king—who was ill-advised, lacking substance, and under the sway of the wicked. Akrura soon noticed that the king showed no wish to see the brilliance, strength, valor, humility, and other virtues of the sons of Pṛthā, nor did he appreciate the people’s affection for them. All the wrongs done by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra—including the poisoning and other misdeeds—were related to him in full by Pṛthā and Vidura. When Pṛthā saw her brother Akrura had arrived, she approached him with eyes full of tears, her heart heavy as she remembered her birthplace. She spoke, “O gentle one, do my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, sisters-in-law, and friends still remember us? 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? In the midst of my co-wives, grieving like a doe among wolves, He will console me with His words and comfort my children, who are bereft of their father. Krishna, Krishna, great yogi, soul of the universe, creator of the world—protect me, O Govinda! I have taken refuge in You and am sinking together with my children. I see no other refuge for people than Your lotus feet, O Lord, who delivers us from the fearful ocean of birth and death. Salutations to Krishna, the pure, the Supreme Spirit, the Supreme Soul, the Lord of yoga and embodiment of yoga; I have sought refuge in You.” Thus, remembering her relatives and Krishna, the Lord of the universe, your great-grandmother, O King, began to pray, afflicted with sorrow. The noble Vidura, impartial in happiness and distress, and the renowned Akrura, comforted Kunti with words of reason, reminding her of the divine birth of her sons. When Akrura was about to depart, he approached the king—who was partial to his own sons—and spoke among friends and relatives, his words prompted by goodwill. “O descendant of Vicitravīrya, you who increase the fame of the Kurus, now that your brother Pāṇḍu has departed, you have assumed the throne. Rule the earth righteously, please the people with virtue, and remain impartial to your own; thus you will attain prosperity and fame. Otherwise, if you act differently, you will be condemned and fall into darkness. Therefore, remain impartial toward the Pāṇḍavas and your own sons. In this world, O King, no one has perpetual association with anyone—not even with one’s own body, what to speak of wife, sons, and others. A being is born alone and dies alone; alone one enjoys the results of good deeds, and alone endures the results of evil. Wealth acquired unrighteously is seized by others of little intelligence, just as leeches take water under the pretext of friendship. He who, lacking wisdom, supports others unrighteously by his own judgment, finds that his life, wealth, sons, and others abandon him unfulfilled. Having taken on sin himself, abandoned by those for whom he was not wise in wealth, he, failing in his purpose, enters blind darkness, turning away from his own duty. Therefore, O King, seeing this world as a dream, illusion, and fantasy, know yourself by yourself, and be equal-minded and peaceful, O master.” Dhṛtarāṣṭra replied, “O lord of charity, just as you speak these auspicious words, so I am never satisfied by them—just as a mortal is never satisfied upon obtaining nectar. Still, gentle one, though words may be sweet, they do not remain steady in the heart, which is restless with the poison of attachment to one’s children, just as lightning does not linger in the sky. Who indeed can overturn the will of the Lord, O man? He who has descended in the Yadu dynasty for the removal of the earth’s burden.” Thus unfolded the events, as narrated in the sacred Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa.