Thus, after being addressed, the illustrious Mucukunda bowed reverently to the gods and entered the cave. There, overcome by the divine sleep granted him, he lay down to rest. Meanwhile, the Yavana who had disturbed his slumber was reduced to ashes. At that very moment, the Blessed Lord—Krishna, the best of the Sātvatas—revealed Himself to the wise Mucukunda. As Mucukunda opened his eyes, he beheld a wondrous sight: before him stood a figure dark as a rain-laden cloud, clad in radiant yellow silk, bearing the shining Śrīvatsa mark upon His chest and glowing with the Kaustubha gem. The Lord had four resplendent arms, adorned with the Vaijayantī garland, a beautiful and gracious face, and sparkling makara-shaped earrings. His eyes smiled with affection, and He appeared ever youthful, majestic as a proud lion, and possessed of noble prowess—a vision delightful to all humankind. Overwhelmed by the Lord’s dazzling brilliance, Mucukunda, wise yet cautious, addressed Him gently, as if speaking to a power beyond all conquest. He asked, “Who are you, who have come into this forest, entering this mountain cave, wandering with your lotus-like feet among the thorny undergrowth? What is the radiance of any being—be it the Lord, fire, sun, moon, Indra, or any guardian of the worlds—compared to yours? I see you as the foremost among the gods of gods, for you dispel the darkness of this cave as a lamp banishes night. O best of men, if it pleases you, tell me—who am eager to serve you without fault—of your birth, your deeds, and your lineage. “As for myself, O tiger among men, I am of the Ikshvaku clan, a kshatriya by birth, called Mucukunda, son of Yuvanashva. Exhausted by long wakefulness, my senses dulled by sleep, I lay here alone until someone awakened me just now. That one, surely consumed by his own wickedness, was reduced to ashes, and immediately you, renowned for subduing enemies, appeared before me. Your radiance is so unbearable that I cannot gaze upon you; O illustrious one, you are worthy of honor among all embodied beings.” Thus addressed, the Lord—the creator of all beings—smiled, His voice deep as thunderclouds, and replied, “O friend, my births, my deeds, and my names are countless; even I could not enumerate them, for they are infinite. Sometimes I have taken birth on earth among great beings, but my births are never defined by qualities, actions, or names. My appearances and deeds span all three times—past, present, and future—and even the greatest sages, tracing them in order, can never reach their end. “Yet, O friend, listen as I speak to you of my present birth. Long ago, at the request of Brahma, I descended to protect dharma. To relieve the earth of its burden and destroy the asuras, I was born in the Yadu dynasty, in the house of Anakadundubhi; people call me Vasudeva, the son of Vasudeva. Kalanemi, Kamsa, Pralamba, and other evil ones have been slain, and now this Yavana too has been burned by your fierce gaze. “I have come to this cave for your sake, to show you my favor; in the past, you prayed to me with great devotion, and I am ever devoted to my devotees. Therefore, O royal sage, choose your boons; I grant all desires. One who has my favor need never grieve again.” Hearing these words, Mucukunda was filled with joy. Recognizing Narayana before him and recalling the teachings of the sage Garga, he bowed to the Lord and spoke with deep humility: “O Lord, people deluded by your maya do not worship you, seeing only misfortune. Seeking happiness, they become attached to home, to women and men, and are thus deceived. “O sinless one, when a person attains this rare human birth—healthy and without effort—yet does not worship your lotus feet due to a misguided mind, he falls into the dark well of household life, like an animal. O Unconquered Lord, my own time has passed fruitlessly, intoxicated as I was by royal opulence, absorbed in the mortal conception of self, deeply attached to children, wife, wealth, and possessions, and tormented by endless anxieties. “In this body, like a clay pot, I was established as ‘king of men,’ surrounded by chariots, elephants, horses, infantry, and retinues, roaming the earth in great arrogance, not counting anyone else. Intoxicated, I was absorbed in loud thoughts of what to do next, with ever-increasing greed and craving for sense pleasures. But you, unbewildered, suddenly approach, O Death, like a snake licking at a mouse’s hole. “Once I rode in chariots adorned with gold or on mighty elephants and was called ‘king of men’; yet by the inescapable force of time, this very body becomes known as excrement, worms, or ashes. Having conquered the directions, assuming a form as vast as the earth, seated on a splendid throne and honored by other kings, a man is led, O Lord, like a plaything of women, into the pleasures of home, as a beast for their sport. “Even one who performs actions, firmly established in austerity, renouncing enjoyment and giving charity as required, again desires, ‘May I become a sovereign king,’ and with growing thirst, does not attain happiness. Only when, after wandering in worldly existence, a person attains liberation, O Infallible One, does he gain the association of the virtuous; and when such association occurs, at that very moment, devotion to you, Lord of all, arises. “O Lord, I consider it your favor upon me that, by chance, my attachment to kingdom has been removed—something sought by the virtuous, who, desiring to enter the forest, renounce the unbroken expanse of land. O Master, I desire no boon other than service at your feet, which is most sought after even by those who have nothing; for who, having worshiped you, the giver of liberation, would choose any other boon that binds the soul? “Therefore, O Lord, abandoning all desires everywhere, which are bound to the qualities of passion, ignorance, and goodness, I approach you—the pure, qualityless, nondual, supreme Person, who is pure consciousness. Long tormented here by suffering and remorse, afflicted by enemies such as thirst, never finding peace, I have somehow come to your lotus feet, O shelter-giving Supreme Soul. Protect me, O Lord, who am helpless, with fearlessness, immortality, and freedom from sorrow.” The Blessed Lord replied, “O great king, ruler of the earth, your mind is pure and steadfast, for even when tempted by boons, it has not been disturbed by desires. Know that my offer of boons was only to test your vigilance, for the mind of those with exclusive devotion is never shaken by blessings. But for those who practice yoga without devotion, O king, the mind, with its undiminished desires, is seen to rise again, even after control through breath and other means.