That speech which praises the glories of the Supreme Lord, those hands that serve Him, that mind which remembers Him abiding in all beings, and those ears that delight in hearing His sacred stories—these alone are truly worthy of their names. Only that head is truly noble which bows before the Lord who manifests in dual forms; only those eyes are truly eyes which behold Him. Those limbs are blessed indeed which serve the water that has washed the feet of Viṣṇu or His devotees. Sūta continued: Thus, when Parīkṣit, the protector of the devotees, inquired in this way, the blessed son of Vyāsa, Śuka, whose heart was absorbed in Lord Vāsudeva, began to speak. Śuka said: Kṛṣṇa had a brāhmaṇa friend, a man learned in the Vedas, detached from sense pleasures, peaceful, and self-controlled. Though a householder, he lived simply, accepting whatever came to him by chance. His wife, thin from hunger, was just like him in her simplicity, her clothes worn and tattered. One day, this devoted wife, her face pale from want, approached her suffering husband, trembling with concern, and spoke gently to him. “O brāhmaṇa,” she said, “is not the Lord, the very husband of Śrī herself, your friend? He is ever devoted to the brāhmaṇas, the refuge of all, and the exalted Lord of the Sātvatas. Go to Him, O blessed one. He is the supreme shelter of the virtuous and will surely grant you, a householder in distress, abundant wealth. He now resides in Dvārakā as the Lord of the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas. Even as He remembers His own lotus feet, He offers Himself to His devotees. Why would the teacher of the world not grant the desires—even unsought—of one who worships Him?” Thus entreated again and again by his gentle wife, the brāhmaṇa reflected, “Indeed, the greatest fortune is to behold the Lord, whose praises are sung in the highest hymns.” Resolving to go, he asked his wife, “Is there any gift at home, O good lady? Let something be offered.” She went out and begged four handfuls of flat rice from the brāhmaṇas, tied them in a piece of cloth, and gave them to her husband as an offering. Taking these, the foremost of brāhmaṇas set out for Dvārakā, his mind filled with thoughts of how he might obtain a vision of Kṛṣṇa. Passing through three enclosures and three courtyards, he entered the homes of the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis, all followers of the infallible Lord. He entered one of the houses of Hari’s sixteen thousand queens, and, as if attaining divine bliss, his heart overflowed with joy. From afar, Kṛṣṇa, seated on his beloved’s couch, saw his friend. Instantly, He rose, approached the brāhmaṇa, and joyfully embraced him with both arms. Overwhelmed with delight at the touch of his dear friend, the sage among the twice-born, the lotus-eyed Lord shed tears of joy. Kṛṣṇa then seated his friend upon the couch and, with his own hands, brought water and washed the brāhmaṇa’s feet, performing all the proper honors. Taking the water, the Lord, purifier of the worlds, respectfully placed it on his own head and anointed his guest with divine fragrances of sandalwood, aguru, and saffron. With fragrant incense and rows of lamps, he worshipped his friend with joy, offered him betel nut, and, after presenting him with a cow, spoke words of warm welcome. Even the goddess herself served the brāhmaṇa—though he was clad in worn, soiled garments, emaciated, and with veins showing—fanning him with a yak-tail fan. Witnessing the avadhūta so honored by Kṛṣṇa of spotless fame, the women of the inner chambers were amazed and filled with great affection. They wondered, “What pious deed has this avadhūta, this mendicant, performed—he who is destitute of fortune, despised and lowly in this world?” Yet he was so honored by Śrīnivāsa, the preceptor of the three worlds, embraced like an elder brother even as the goddess of fortune herself remained seated on the couch. The two friends began to speak of the delightful times they had shared in their teacher’s house, holding each other’s hands as they reminisced. The Blessed Lord said, “O brāhmaṇa, after you completed your studies in the preceptor’s house and offered the proper fee, did you marry a suitable wife or not, O knower of dharma? I know well, wise one, that your mind is not attached to household life or to wealth, for you act without desire and take little pleasure in such things. Some act out of deluded desire, abandoning their divine natures, just as I do for the sake of maintaining the world. O brāhmaṇa, do you remember our time living together in the preceptor’s house? For the twice-born, by knowing what is to be known, crosses beyond darkness. Indeed, the preceptor is the very origin of those devoted to righteous action, born of the twice-born, and the foremost among those in the āśramas, just as I am the giver of knowledge and the teacher. Those skilled in the true meaning, among those who follow varṇa and āśrama, easily cross the ocean of worldly existence by my instruction as their teacher. I, the indwelling soul of all beings, am not satisfied by worship, offspring, austerity, or restraint, as I am by service to the teacher. O brāhmaṇa, do you remember our conduct while living with the preceptor, when, at the request of our teacher’s wives, we sometimes went to gather firewood? Once, as we entered the great forest, a fierce storm arose, with violent winds and harsh thunder. By then, the sun had set and darkness covered all directions; the low-lying riverbank, now flooded, could not be discerned at all. There we were, struck again and again by powerful winds and torrents of water, overwhelmed by the flood; unable to tell the directions or see each other in the forest, we wandered about, holding hands, distressed. At sunrise, our teacher Sāndīpani came searching for us and found his students in a wretched state. ‘Ah, dear children,’ he said, ‘you have suffered greatly for my sake; yet, forgoing your own well-being, you have devoted yourselves to me. Indeed, this is what true disciples must do for their teacher: to dedicate all their efforts and very selves to the guru with pure intent. I am pleased, O best of the twice-born; may all your true wishes be fulfilled, and may you master the Vedas and their limbs, here and hereafter.