Within the radiant palaces of Dvārakā, darkness was driven away by the brilliance of jeweled lamps. In the balconies, peacocks danced amidst fragrant incense and sacred offerings, and those of deep intellect, perceiving the moment, sang aloud in celebration. Among thousands of maidservants, all equal in beauty, youth, and attire, the sage Nārada beheld the queen herself, fanning the Lord of the Sātvatas with a camara whose handle gleamed with gold. Upon seeing Nārada, the Blessed Lord Kṛṣṇa, greatest among the upholders of dharma, immediately rose from his couch. He bowed, his crowned head at the sage’s feet, and with joined palms, welcomed him, offering his own seat. Though he is the supreme teacher of the world and lord of the virtuous, Kṛṣṇa washed Nārada’s feet and placed that water upon his own head, for the purity of the sage’s feet—known as 'Brahmaṇyadeva'—is the ultimate holy place. Having thus honored the foremost of divine sages, the ancient ṛṣi Nārāyaṇa, friend of Nara, Kṛṣṇa addressed him with sweet and measured words, as tradition prescribes: “O Lord, what may we do for you, O Blessed One?” Nārada replied, “It is no surprise, 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, are contemplated in the hearts of Brahmā and others of profound wisdom, and serve as a support for those fallen into worldly existence—I wander, meditating. Grant me your grace, so that remembrance may arise.” On another day, Nārada entered the house of another of Kṛṣṇa’s wives, eager to understand the wondrous yoga-māyā of the Lord of Yogis. There, he found Kṛṣṇa playing dice with his beloved and Uddhava, 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? Still, O brāhmaṇa, tell us about this beautiful birth.” Yet, astonished, Nārada rose and silently went to another house. There, he saw Govinda delighting his young sons; in another house, preparing for bathing. Elsewhere, he saw Kṛṣṇa offering oblations into sacrificial fires, performing sacrifices with five kinds of rituals, feeding brāhmaṇas in some places, and eating what remained in others. In some places, he was seated at twilight, reciting the Vedas with controlled speech; elsewhere, walking the paths of archers with sword and shield. In other places, he traveled with horses, elephants, and chariots, accompanied by Balarāma; elsewhere, reclining on a couch, praised by bards. Sometimes, he was seen consulting with ministers like Uddhava; elsewhere, engaged in water sports, surrounded by the foremost women of the palace. Somewhere, he was giving well-adorned cows to the foremost brāhmaṇas; elsewhere, listening to auspicious histories and Purāṇas. At times, he laughed at home with his beloved, sharing humorous stories; elsewhere, 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, serving his teachers with pleasures and offerings. In some places, Keśava was making treaties with some, and in others, making war; elsewhere, together with Rāma, contemplating the welfare of the virtuous. At the proper time, he arranged the marriages of his sons and daughters with spouses equal to them, providing appropriate wealth. He observed great festivals for his children, such as their departure and initiation ceremonies, astonishing the worlds with his divine household life. In some places, he was seen worshipping all the gods with powerful sacrifices; elsewhere, fulfilling dharma through wells, gardens, monasteries, and the like. Sometimes, he hunted, riding a Sindhu horse, killing sacrificial animals, surrounded by the foremost of the Yadus. With his unmanifest form, the Lord of yoga moved among the residences of the inner apartments and elsewhere, desiring to experience various states. Witnessing all this, Nārada, smiling, spoke to Hṛṣīkeśa, having seen the manifestation of yoga-māyā and the human-like conduct Kṛṣṇa had assumed: “We know your yoga-māyā, which is difficult to perceive even for those skilled in illusion. It shines forth from you, 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 explained: Thus, as Kṛṣṇa practiced the pure duties that sanctify householders, Nārada saw the Lord present in every home, the one abiding everywhere. Repeatedly witnessing Kṛṣṇa’s great manifestation of yoga-māyā, whose power is limitless, the sage was astonished and filled with curiosity. Thus, honored fully by Kṛṣṇa, who was devoted to the duties of wealth, pleasure, and righteousness, Nārada departed, remembering only Him, pleased. 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—actions 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 concludes the sixty-ninth chapter, “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. Then, as dawn approached and the roosters crowed, Kṛṣṇa’s wives, afflicted by separation, were embraced by their husbands. The birds, awakening, seemed to praise Krishna, singing sleepless songs, stirred by the gentle breezes from the Mandara forest. For a moment, Vaidarbhi could not bear the beautiful separation from her beloved’s embrace, having entered between his arms. At the Brahma hour, rising and touching water, Mādhava, with a clear mind, meditated on himself, the one beyond darkness. He is the one, self-luminous, unique, imperishable, eternally pure by his own nature, called Brahman, whose manifestation and dissolution are caused by his own powers, and whose bliss is revealed through those energies.