The Blessed Lord addressed Akrura with deep respect, acknowledging him as their teacher, paternal uncle, and ever-honored kinsman. He reminded Akrura that he was entrusted with the care, protection, and compassion for his dependents, for such was the duty of one in his position. The Lord spoke of the importance of serving exalted souls like Akrura, who were the best among the worthy. Those who seek their own welfare should always honor the virtuous, for while gods act for their own purposes, the truly noble act selflessly. He further explained that holy places are not sanctified merely by water, nor are gods simply images of clay and stone. True purification comes from the sight of virtuous souls, even if only for a moment. With this, the Lord entreated Akrura, their well-wisher, to seek the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas by traveling to Hastināpura. The Lord shared what he had heard: after the death of their father, the Pāṇḍava children, along with their mother, had been brought to their city by the king and now lived there, deeply distressed. He observed that the king, son of Ambikā, was not impartial toward his brother’s sons, his judgment clouded under the influence of his own wicked child. The Lord instructed Akrura to ascertain the true condition of the Pāṇḍavas, whether good or bad, so that, understanding their situation, they might act to secure the welfare of their friends. Having thus instructed Akrura, Lord Hari, the Supreme Controller, departed to his residence along with Sankarṣaṇa and Uddhava. So 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 the tale, recounting how Akrura journeyed to Hastināpura, renowned among the kings of the Paurava lineage. There, he beheld the son of Ambikā, together with Bhīṣma, Vidura, and Pṛthā. He also saw Bāhlīka with his son, Bhāradvāja with Gautama, Karṇa, Suyodhana, Aśvatthāmā, the Pāṇḍavas, and many other friends. With warmth and propriety, Akrura approached each relative, exchanging greetings and inquiries about the well-being of friends and family. He stayed in Hastināpura for several months, wishing to observe the conduct of the king—who was ill-advised, lacking substance, and swayed by the wishes of the wicked. Akrura noticed that the king did not wish to acknowledge the brilliance, strength, valor, humility, and other virtues, nor the people’s affection for the sons of Pṛthā. All the wrongs committed by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra—including the poisoning and other misdeeds—were related to him in full by Pṛthā and Vidura. Pṛthā, upon seeing her brother Akrura, approached him with tears in her eyes, recalling her birthplace, and spoke to him: “O gentle one, do my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, sisters-in-law, and friends still remember us? Does the illustrious Krishna, my cousin—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 words and comfort my children, bereft of their father. Krishna, Krishna, great yogi, soul of the universe, creator of the world, protect me, O Govinda, who 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, deliverer 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 that, 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 reasons related to the birth of her sons. As Akrura prepared to depart, he approached the ruler—who was partial to his own sons—and spoke among friends and relatives, 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. 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, 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 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.” Śuka concluded that, understanding the king’s intentions, Akrura, having been permitted by his friends, returned to the city of the Yadus. He reported to Rāma and Kṛṣṇa all that Dhṛtarāṣṭra had done regarding the Pāṇḍavas, for which he himself had been sent.