Having accepted all the honors and arrangements made for him, the Supreme Lord—foremost among the Sātvatas—departed with his son and daughter-in-law, respectfully accompanied by his friends. Meanwhile, Halāyudha, the mighty Balarāma, returned to his own city, his heart full of affection for his relatives. In the assembly of the Yadus, he joyfully recounted all the deeds he had accomplished among the Kurus. Even today, that city stands proud and elevated to the south of the Ganga, bearing the marks of Balarāma’s strength—a testament to his might, visible to all. Thus concludes the sixty-eighth chapter, entitled “The Victory of Sankarshana in the Form of Dragging Hastinapura,” from the Uttara section of the Tenth Book of the glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Now, Śuka continued: The sage Nārada, having heard that Naraka had been slain and that Krishna had married many women, was filled with wonder and curiosity. How astonishing it seemed, that with a single body, Krishna had simultaneously married eight thousand and two hundred women, each in her own home! Eager to witness this marvel, the divine sage journeyed to Dvārakā. Arriving there, Nārada beheld a city resplendent with blossoming gardens and parks, their air filled with the songs of flocks of birds and the sacred recitations of brahmins. The lakes shimmered with fully blossomed blue lotuses, water lilies, day-blooming lotuses, and kumudas, their surfaces alive with tall reeds and the musical calls of swans and cranes. The city itself was a vision of splendor, graced with nine hundred thousand palaces fashioned from crystal and silver, shining like great emeralds, and adorned with golden and jeweled decorations. Its avenues, streets, squares, and marketplaces were well distinguished; beautiful halls and assembly chambers stood beside celestial temples. The roads, courtyards, alleys, and thresholds were freshly sprinkled with water, and flags and banners fluttered to shield the city from the sun. Within the city, the splendid inner chambers were honored by all the householders. There, the supreme artistry of Hari was displayed in full, as if the divine craftsman Tvaṣṭṛ himself had fashioned them. Nārada entered one among the sixteen thousand beautifully adorned mansions, a grand residence belonging to one of Śauri’s wives. Inside, coral pillars supported the palace; the floors were of the finest lapis lazuli, and the walls gleamed with sapphire, the ground shining with unmatched brilliance. Canopies crafted by Tvaṣṭṛ hung overhead, strung with pearls, while seats and couches were adorned with the finest gems and ivory. Maidservants, clad in splendid garments but no necklaces, and men dressed in fine robes with sashes, turbans, and jeweled earrings, attended the palace. The darkness was dispelled by the radiance of jeweled lamps; on the varied balconies, peacocks danced, incense and sacred offerings were arranged, and those of keen intellect sang loudly in praise. Among thousands of maidservants, all equal in qualities, beauty, youth, and attire, Nārada saw the queen herself, fanning the Lord of the Sātvatas with a golden-handled camara. Upon seeing the sage, the Blessed Lord—greatest upholder of dharma—immediately rose from his couch, bowed his crowned head at Nārada’s feet, and, with joined palms, welcomed him to his own seat. He washed the sage’s feet and reverently placed that water upon his own head, though he himself is the supreme teacher of the world and lord of the virtuous. For the water that has touched the feet of such pure souls as Nārada, known as ‘Brahmaṇyadeva,’ is the ultimate holy place. Having honored the foremost of divine sages, the ancient ṛṣi Nārāyaṇa, friend of Nara, Krishna spoke to him with sweet, measured words, as tradition prescribes: “O Lord, what may we do for you, O Blessed One?” Nārada replied, “It is not surprising in you, O master of all worlds, that you show friendship to all people, and self-restraint toward the wicked. For the welfare of the world, you maintain and protect it through your free descents, O praised one, as we well know. Having beheld your feet, which grant liberation, which are meditated upon by Brahmā and the wise, and which support those fallen into worldly existence, I wander, ever meditating. Grant me your grace, that remembrance may arise.” On another day, Nārada entered the house of another wife of Krishna, eager to witness the wondrous yoga-māyā of the Lord of yogis. There, he saw Krishna engaged in a game of dice with his beloved and Uddhava. Krishna rose with supreme devotion, offering Nārada a seat and other honors. He then inquired, as if he were ignorant, “When did you arrive, O Lord? What could those like us, who are incomplete, do for those who are complete?” He also invited Nārada to speak of his beautiful birth. Yet, astonished by what he saw, Nārada rose and silently moved to another house. There, too, he saw Govinda delighting his young sons; elsewhere, he saw him preparing for his bath. In another residence, Krishna was offering oblations into sacrificial fires, performing sacrifices of five kinds, feeding the brahmins in some places, and in others, eating what remained after the offerings. At twilight, in some homes, Krishna was seated, reciting the Veda with controlled speech; elsewhere, he was seen walking the paths of archers, sword and shield in hand. In some places, he traveled with horses, elephants, and chariots, accompanied by Balarāma; elsewhere, he reclined on a couch, being praised by bards. In other places, he was seen consulting with his ministers, such as Uddhava; elsewhere, he engaged in water sports, surrounded by the foremost women of the palace. Somewhere, he was giving well-adorned cows to the leading brahmins; in other places, he listened to auspicious histories and Purāṇas. Sometimes, he laughed at home with his beloved, delighting in humorous stories; elsewhere, he was engaged in dharma, or in pursuits of wealth and desire. In one place, he sat alone, meditating on the Supreme Person beyond nature; in another, he served his teachers with pleasures and offerings. In some places, Keśava was seen making treaties with some, and waging war with others; elsewhere, together with Rāma, he contemplated the welfare of the virtuous. At the proper times, he arranged the marriages of his sons and daughters with spouses worthy of them, providing them with suitable wealth. He observed grand festivals for his children, such as their departure and initiation ceremonies; witnessing all this, the worlds were astonished at the Lord of yoga-masters. In some places, Krishna was seen worshipping all the gods with powerful sacrifices; elsewhere, fulfilling dharma through the digging of wells, establishment of gardens, monasteries, and similar acts. In some places, he hunted, riding a Sindhu horse, and there, he performed the ritual killing of sacrificial animals, surrounded by the foremost of the Yadus. With his unmanifest form, the Lord of yoga moved among the inner residences and elsewhere, desiring to experience the various states of existence. Thus, Nārada saw the wondrous, multifaceted life of Krishna, who, through his divine power, performed countless deeds simultaneously, ever upholding dharma and delighting all the worlds.