As the radiant head, adorned with splendid earrings and a dazzling crown, fell to the earth, its brilliance captivated all who beheld it. The assembled sages and the lords of the gods exclaimed in wonder, "Alas! Well done!" Their voices rang with praise for Mukunda, and, in their joy, they showered him with fragrant garlands. In that sacred moment, the earth herself approached Krishna. With deep reverence, she brought before him earrings gleaming with refined gold and studded with jewels, the celestial Vaijayanti garland, a magnificent gem, and a royal umbrella. Humbly, she offered all these treasures to Krishna, the son of Prachetas, as tokens of her devotion. Then, the goddess Bhūmi—honored by the greatest of gods—stood before the Lord of the universe. With her hands joined and her heart filled with loving reverence, she began to praise him: "Obeisance to you, Lord of gods, bearer of the conch, discus, and mace; you who take on forms according to the wishes of your devotees, Supreme Soul, I bow to you. Salutations to you, lotus-naveled one, adorned with a garland of lotuses; salutations to you, lotus-eyed one, whose feet are like lotuses. O Bhagavan, Vāsudeva, Viṣṇu, Supreme Person, original seed, and knower of all, I bow to you. O unborn one, creator of the universe, possessor of infinite power, soul of all, supreme and immanent, I bow to you. Desiring to create, you assume fierce forms for dissolution, and for the world’s stability you embody sattva, O Lord of the universe; you are time, matter, and the supreme person—all that is. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, the senses, the gods, the mind, and the great principle—all that moves and does not move, O Lord, in you, the non-dual, this delusion does not exist. This son of yours, frightened, has taken refuge at your lotus feet, seeking relief from distress. Therefore, protect him—place your lotus hand, which removes all sin, upon his head." Thus addressed by Bhūmi, with words full of humility and devotion, the Lord gently assured her and then entered the opulent palace of the earth-born king. Within, Hari beheld over sixteen thousand royal maidens, whom the earth-born one had seized and whom Krishna had rescued from the hands of cruel kings. As the best of men entered, the women, bewildered and awestruck, each felt her heart drawn to him, longing for Krishna as her chosen husband, brought to her by fate itself. In their hearts, each prayed, "May this one become my husband, and may the Creator approve it." Thus, with individual feelings, each woman offered her heart to Krishna. With great kindness, Krishna sent them to Dvārakā, adorned in spotless garments and accompanied by attendants, treasures, chariots, horses, and abundant wealth. Keśava also dispatched sixty-four swift, four-tusked, white elephants from the line of Airāvata. Then, journeying to the abode of the king of the gods, Krishna presented the radiant earrings to Aditi. The king of the gods and his beloved Indrani honored him with deep respect. At Satyabhama’s request, Krishna uprooted the celestial Parijata tree and, placing it on Garuda, defeated the gods, including Indra, and brought the divine tree to his own city. He planted it for Satyabhama, enhancing the splendor of her garden. The Parijata’s intoxicating fragrance was so alluring that swarms of bees followed it all the way from heaven. Satyabhama, overwhelmed with joy, bowed low, touching Acyuta’s feet with the tips of her crown, and humbly asked for the fulfillment of her heart’s desire. Witnessing this, it was clear how the darkness of pride can even touch the gods themselves. Then, in a single moment, the Lord, unchanging and yet assuming as many forms as needed, married each of those women in their respective mansions. Dwelling in their homes, surpassing all comparison and distinction, he remained with his consorts, delighting in their company, just as an ordinary householder lives with his wives. Having attained the Lord of Lakshmi as their husband—a path unknown even to Brahma and the greatest of gods—the women served Krishna with ever-increasing joy and love. Their service was expressed through smiles, affectionate glances, intimate union, playful words, and bashfulness. Hundreds of maidservants attended to Krishna as well, performing acts of service such as greeting him, offering seats, worship, washing his feet, presenting betel, providing rest, fanning him, bringing fragrant garlands, arranging his hair, preparing his bed, bathing him, and offering gifts. Thus concludes the fifty-ninth chapter, "The Taking of the Parijata Tree and the Slaying of Naraka," in the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas. Once, Bhāīṣmī attended to her husband, Krishna, the teacher of the world, as he sat contentedly on his own bed. She, along with her companions, gently fanned him, serving him with devotion. He, who by his playful will creates, sustains, and destroys the universe, had been born among the Yadus for the protection of the cows and his own kin. The inner chamber was adorned with a hanging pearl necklace, a canopy, and jeweled lamps. Garlands of jasmine and other blossoms filled the air with fragrance, while the hum of bees mingled with the pure moonlight streaming through the lattice windows. Breezes carried the sweet scent of the Parijata grove, and incense of aloe wood wafted gently through the openings. On a couch, white as milk foam, Bhāīṣmī attended her husband, the Lord of the worlds, as he reclined comfortably. Taking a yak-tail fan with a jeweled handle from her companion, the goddess herself fanned the Lord, rendering him worship. Her anklets of jewels softly chimed as she moved; her hands, adorned with rings and bangles, held the fan. Her necklace, tinged with the saffron from her hidden breasts beneath her garment, and her hips, encircled by a priceless girdle, made her shine with beauty beside Acyuta. Seeing her, the very embodiment of beauty and fortune, who had no other refuge and whose form perfectly matched his own, Hari was pleased. Smiling, with his curling locks, earrings, and shining necklace, and with nectar-like smiles on his lips, he spoke to her: "O princess, you were desired by kings—the guardians of the world—endowed with great power, wealth, beauty, generosity, and strength. Rejecting those suitors who sought your hand, scorning proud kings like Shishupala and others, you were given by your brother and father—why did you not choose someone equal to yourself? O beautiful-browed one, out of fear of the kings, you sought refuge in the ocean, having made enemies of the powerful and abandoned royal seats. O lovely-browed one, women who follow men whose path is unclear, who have left the way of the world, generally come to grief. We are always destitute, and dear to those who are destitute; therefore, O slender-waisted one, wealthy women generally do not choose me. Marriage and friendship are proper between those whose wealth, birth, power, beauty, and status are equal; never between the highest and the lowest.