Akrura, the son of Gāndinī, arrived in Hastināpura and found himself amidst many notable figures: Bāhlīka and his son, Bhāradvāja with Gautama, Karṇa, Suyodhana, Aśvatthāmā, the Pāṇḍavas, and other friends. He approached each relative in the manner appropriate for their relationship, exchanged warm inquiries about the well-being of friends and family, and responded in kind to their questions. Akrura remained in the city for several months, intent on understanding the conduct of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who was poorly counseled, lacking in integrity, and swayed by the wishes of the wicked. During his stay, he observed that the king had little interest in the virtues—brilliance, strength, valor, humility, and the affection of the people—for the sons of Pṛthā. The wrongs committed by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, including the poisoning and many other offenses, were recounted to him in detail by Pṛthā herself and by Vidura. When Pṛthā saw her brother Akrura had arrived, she approached him with tears in her eyes, remembering her childhood home. She spoke, “O gentle one, do my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, sisters-in-law, and friends still remember us? And what of Krishna, my illustrious cousin, refuge and beloved of His devotees, and Rama, the lotus-eyed—do they 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, for 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, the sage, explained: Thus, remembering her relatives and Krishna, the Lord of the universe, your great-grandmother, O King, prayed, overwhelmed by sorrow. Vidura, impartial in happiness and distress, and Akrura, renowned for his wisdom, comforted Kunti with reasoning that recalled the divine circumstances of her sons’ birth. When Akrura was about to depart, he approached King Dhṛtarāṣṭra—who favored his own sons—and spoke among friends and relatives, motivated by goodwill. He said, “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 narrated: Understanding the king’s intentions, Akrura, the Yadava, having been permitted by his friends, returned to the city of the Yadus. Upon arrival, he reported to Rāma and Kṛṣṇa all that Dhṛtarāṣṭra had done regarding the Pāṇḍavas, for which he himself had been sent. Thus concludes the forty-ninth chapter of the first half of the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas. Śuka continued: O best of the Bharatas, Asti and Prāpti, the wives of Kaṃsa, grieving over the death of their husband, went to the house of their father. There, they revealed everything—the cause of their widowhood—to their father, Jarāsandha, king of Magadha, who was deeply distressed. Hearing this painful news, Jarāsandha, overwhelmed by grief and anger, resolved to destroy the Yadava clan. He assembled a mighty force—twenty akṣauhiṇīs and three more—and besieged Mathurā, the capital of the Yadus, on all sides. The army swelled like the ocean, and the city was surrounded, filling the people with fear. Kṛṣṇa observed the situation: his city besieged, his people anxious, and the enemy’s army vast. Lord Hari, in his human form, reflected upon the purpose of his descent, considering the time, place, and circumstances. He thought, “I will destroy this force, which has gathered as a burden upon the earth, brought together by the king of Magadha from all the subjugated rulers. The armies, counted by akṣauhiṇīs, with soldiers, horses, chariots, and elephants, are to be destroyed, but the king of Magadha is not to be slain, for he will again assemble a force. This is the purpose of my descent: to relieve the earth of its burden, to protect the virtuous, and to destroy others.