Within the resplendent inner chambers of Dvārakā, honored by all the householders, the divine artistry of Hari was fully evident, as if the master craftsman Tvaṣṭṛ himself had created them. Entering one among the sixteen thousand beautifully adorned mansions—each a grand residence belonging to a wife of Śauri, Kṛṣṇa—one beheld wonders beyond compare. The palace stood upon pillars of coral, its floors the finest lapis lazuli, its walls of sapphire, and the ground shone with a brilliance that surpassed all else. Canopies fashioned by Tvaṣṭṛ were strung with pearls, and the seats and couches were adorned with the choicest gems and ivory. The rooms were graced by maidservants in splendid garments, though they wore no necklaces, and by men in fine robes, sashes, turbans, and jeweled earrings. The darkness was dispelled by the radiance of jeweled lamps, while in the balconies, peacocks danced joyfully. The air was fragrant with incense and sacred offerings, and those of deep intellect, observing the auspicious exit, sang aloud. Amid thousands of maidservants, all equal in beauty, youth, and attire, the sage Nārada saw the queen herself fanning the Lord of the Sātvatas with a golden-handled camara. Beholding the sage, the Blessed Lord—greatest upholder of dharma—immediately rose from his couch, bowed his crowned head to 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 is the supreme teacher of the world and lord of the virtuous; for the purity of his feet, known as Brahmaṇyadeva, is the ultimate holy place. Having honored the foremost of divine sages, the ancient ṛṣi Nārāyaṇa, friend of Nara, Kṛṣṇa spoke with sweet, measured words, as tradition prescribes: “O Lord, what may we do for you, O Blessed One?” Śrī Nārada replied, “It is not surprising in you, O master of all worlds, that you show friendship to all, 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 seen your feet, which grant liberation and are contemplated by Brahmā and the wise, and which support those fallen in worldly existence, I wander, meditating—grant me your grace, that remembrance may arise.” On another day, Nārada entered the house of another wife of Kṛṣṇa, wishing to understand the Lord’s yoga-māyā. There, he found Kṛṣṇa playing dice with his beloved and Uddhava, being honored with supreme devotion through rising, offering a seat, and other acts. Kṛṣṇa, as if ignorant, asked, “When did you arrive, O Lord? What could those like us, who are incomplete, do for those who are complete?” Yet still, he requested, “O brāhmaṇa, tell us about this beautiful birth.” Astonished, Nārada rose and silently went to another house. There too, he saw Govinda delighting his young sons; in another house, he saw him preparing for bathing. Elsewhere, Kṛṣṇa was offering oblations into sacrificial fires, performing sacrifices with five kinds of rituals, feeding the brāhmaṇas in some places, and in others, eating what remained. In some places, he was seated at twilight, reciting the Veda with controlled speech; elsewhere, he walked the paths of archers with sword and shield. In other homes, he traveled with horses, elephants, and chariots, accompanied by Balarāma; elsewhere, he reclined on a couch, praised by bards. Sometimes he consulted with ministers like Uddhava; elsewhere, he engaged in water sports, surrounded by the foremost women of the palace. In some places, he gave well-adorned cows to the foremost brāhmaṇas; in others, he listened to auspicious histories and Purāṇas. At times, he was seen laughing at home with his beloved, exchanging humorous stories; elsewhere, he was engaged in dharma, and in other places, in pursuits of wealth and desire. In one place, he sat alone, meditating on the Supreme Person beyond nature; elsewhere, he served his teachers with pleasures and offerings. Sometimes, Keśava made treaties with some, and in others, waged war; elsewhere, together with Rāma, he contemplated the welfare of the virtuous. At the proper time, he arranged the marriages of his sons and daughters with spouses equal to them, providing them with appropriate wealth. He observed great festivals for his children, such as their departure and initiation ceremonies. Seeing all this, the worlds were astonished at the Lord of the masters of yoga. In some places, he worshipped all the gods with powerful sacrifices; elsewhere, he fulfilled dharma through wells, gardens, monasteries, and the like. Sometimes, he was seen hunting, riding a Sindhu horse, killing sacrificial animals, surrounded by the foremost of the Yadus. With unmanifest form, the Lord of yoga moved among the residences of the inner apartments and elsewhere, desiring to experience various states. Then Nārada, as if smiling, spoke to Hṛṣīkeśa, having witnessed the wondrous display of yoga-māyā and the human-like conduct the Lord had assumed: “We know your yoga-māyā, which is difficult to perceive even for those skilled in illusion; it shines forth from the Lord of yogis, through service at your feet. Permit me, O Lord, to depart for the worlds flooded with your fame; I will wander, singing your playful deeds that purify the universe.” The Blessed Lord replied, “I am the speaker and agent of the duties of householders, acting with their approval; teaching this, I have taken up this world—do not grieve, my son.” Śuka then said: Thus, as he practiced the pure duties that sanctify householders, Nārada saw the Lord present in every home, the one abiding everywhere. Repeatedly witnessing the great manifestation of Kṛṣṇa’s yoga-māyā, whose power is limitless, the sage was filled with astonishment and curiosity. Thus, honored fully by Kṛṣṇa, who was devoted in mind to the duties of wealth, pleasure, and righteousness, Nārada departed, remembering only Him, pleased. Thus, following the path of human life, Nārāyaṇa—whose power is taken up for the sake of all beings—enjoyed himself among sixteen thousand chosen women, surrounded by their bashful, friendly glances and smiles. Whatever actions Hari performed here, which are the cause of the creation and dissolution of the universe and have no other object, whoever, O dear one, sings, hears, or approves them, devotion arises for the Lord on the path of liberation. Thus ends the sixty-ninth chapter, named “The Vision of Krishna’s Household Life,” in the tenth book, second half, of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the great Purāṇa, the scripture of the supreme swan.