O brāhmaṇa, is not the Lord—husband of Śrī herself—your friend? He is ever devoted to 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 lotus feet, He offers Himself to His devotees. Why would the teacher of the world not grant the desired objects—even those not sought—to one who worships Him? Thus, gently and repeatedly entreated by his wife, the brāhmaṇa pondered, “Indeed, the greatest gain is to see the Lord, praised in the highest hymns.” Thinking thus, he resolved to go: “Is there any gift at home, O good lady? Let something be given.” His wife then begged four handfuls of flat rice from the brāhmaṇas, tied them in a cloth, and gave them to her husband as a gift. Taking this humble offering, the foremost brāhmaṇa set out for Dvārakā, his mind fixed on how he might obtain a vision of Kṛṣṇa. Passing through three enclosures and three courtyards, he entered the homes of the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis, who followed the path of the infallible Lord. He entered one of the houses of Hari’s sixteen thousand queens and, as if attaining divine bliss, was filled with joy. From afar, Acyuta—seated on his beloved’s couch—immediately rose, approached the brāhmaṇa, and joyfully embraced him with both arms. Delighted by the touch of his dear friend, the sage among the twice-born, the lotus-eyed Lord, overwhelmed with joy, shed tears from his eyes. After seating his friend upon the couch, the Lord Himself performed proper honors, bringing water and washing his feet with His own hands. O King, the Lord, purifier of the worlds, respectfully took the water with His head and anointed His guest with divine fragrances of sandalwood, aguru, and saffron. With fragrant incense and rows of lamps, He worshipped His friend in joy, offered him betel nut, and, after presenting a cow, spoke words of welcome. The goddess herself served the twice-born, who was clad in worn, soiled garments, emaciated, and with veins prominent, by fanning him with a yak-tail fan. Seeing 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 act has this avadhūta, this mendicant, performed—he who is destitute of fortune, despised and lowly in this world?” He, so honored by Śrīnivāsa, the preceptor of the three worlds, was embraced like an elder brother, even as the goddess of fortune remained seated on the couch. Together, they began to recount delightful stories from their time in the preceptor’s house, O King, holding each other’s hands as they spoke. 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? It is well known to me, wise one, that your mind is not attached to household life or to wealth, for you act without desire and do not take much pleasure in such things. Some perform actions, their minds deluded by 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, he is the very origin here 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. O brāhmaṇa, 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, prompted by the preceptor’s wives, we sometimes went to gather firewood? As we entered the great forest, O twice-born one, 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 repeatedly 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, searching for us, saw his students in a wretched state. ‘Ah, dear children, 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.’ In this way, by the guru’s grace alone, a person living in the teacher’s house attains completeness and peace through many such experiences.” The blessed brāhmaṇa replied, “What remains unfulfilled for us, O Lord of gods, teacher of the world, when we have lived in your house, you who are ever true to your word? For him whose body is composed of Vedic sound, O mighty one, dwelling with a teacher is the highest honor among all blessings.” Thus ends the eightieth chapter, entitled ‘The Story of Śrīdāma,’ in the second half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the supreme renunciants. Śrī Śuka continued: Thus, as Hari conversed with the foremost brāhmaṇa, He, who knows the minds of all beings, smiled and spoke to him. Kṛṣṇa, the Lord devoted to the brāhmaṇas, gazed affectionately at the brāhmaṇa, and with a loving smile—indeed, such a look is the goal of the virtuous.