By great fortune, O Janārdana, you have come before us here—a sight so rare that even the lords of yoga and the gods themselves struggle to attain it. Please, swiftly cut the bonds of delusion for us—the attachments to children, spouse, wealth, kin, home, body, and all else—which are but your own māyā. Thus, when the devotee had worshipped and praised Him, the Blessed Lord Hari smiled, enchanting Akrura with His gentle words. The Lord said, “You are our teacher, our paternal uncle, and an honored member of our family. We, as your dependents, are to be protected, nourished, and shown compassion by you. Exalted souls like yourself, best among the worthy, should always be served by those who seek their own good. The gods act for their own benefit, but the virtuous do not. “Holy places are not sanctified merely by water, nor are the gods just images of clay and stone; it is the sight of the virtuous that purifies, even in a single 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 and 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, be it good or bad. Once you have understood, we will act to secure the welfare of our friends.” Having thus instructed Akrura, Lord Hari—the Supreme Controller—departed to His own residence, accompanied by Sankarṣaṇa and Uddhava. Thus concludes 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, along with Bhīṣma, Vidura, and Pṛthā. He also beheld Bāhlīka with his son, Bhāradvāja with Gautama, Karṇa, Suyodhana, Aśvatthāmā, the Pāṇḍavas, and other friends. As was appropriate, the son of Gāndinī approached each relative. They asked him about the well-being of their friends, and he, in turn, inquired after their welfare. Wishing to learn the true conduct of the king—who was ill-advised, lacking substance, and following the wishes of the wicked—Akrura stayed there for a few months. He observed that the king did not 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 by Vidura. When Pṛthā saw her brother Akrura had arrived, she approached him, her eyes brimming with tears as she remembered her birthplace, and 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 also comfort my children, who are bereft of their father. “O 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 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.” Śuka said: 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, speaking of the birth and destiny of her sons. As Akrura prepared to depart, he approached the ruler—who favored his own sons—and, among friends and relatives, spoke out of 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. By ruling the earth righteously, pleasing the people with virtue, and remaining impartial to your own, you will attain prosperity and fame. Otherwise, if you act differently in this world, 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, much less with wife, sons, and others. A being is born alone and dies alone; alone one enjoys the results of good deeds, and alone also 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, 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. He who, by His own inscrutable power, creates this world and divides the qualities, then enters into it—unto Him, the Supreme Lord, whose play is beyond comprehension, who moves within the wheel of worldly existence, I offer my respects.