O friend, Krishna said, this simple offering you have brought Me gives supreme satisfaction; these grains of parched rice, dear one, please not only Me, but the entire universe. Having eaten a single handful, Krishna reached for a second, but at that moment, Lakshmi, ever devoted to Him, gently seized His hand and said, “O Soul of the Universe, this alone is enough to bring abundance and prosperity—here and hereafter—for anyone whose purpose is to please You.” The Brahmin spent that night in Achyuta’s abode, eating, drinking, and basking in happiness, feeling as if he were in heaven itself. When morning dawned, he was honored with universal affection and personal joy, and so he returned home, accompanied along the way. He had not received wealth from Krishna, nor had he asked for it; feeling bashful yet fulfilled by the great vision of the Lord, he made his way back. Reflecting, he thought, “I have witnessed the devotion of the Lord who cherishes the Brahmins. Though I am the poorest, Lakshmi herself embraced Him upon His chest. Where am I, poor and sinful, and where is Krishna, the abode of fortune? Though I am only a Brahmin in name, I was embraced by His arms. I was seated on a couch, cherished by my dear friend as brothers are, fanned by the queen herself, who held a child’s fan in her hand, though she was weary. With utmost service, such as massaging my feet, I was honored by the Lord of gods, the god of Brahmins, as though I were a god myself. For men, the root of all happiness in heaven and liberation, wealth on earth, and all perfections, is the worship of His feet. If I, a poor man, were to obtain wealth, I might become intoxicated and forget Him; thus, out of compassion, He surely did not give me abundant riches.” Thinking thus, he approached his humble home—but now it was surrounded on all sides by aerial palaces, shining like the sun, fire, and moon. The grounds were adorned with wondrous groves and gardens, filled with the songs of flocks of birds, and with blossoming lotuses, water lilies, and blue lotuses in the ponds. Men and women, beautifully adorned with doe-like eyes, graced the place. The Brahmin wondered, “What is this? Whose place is this? How has this come to be?” As he pondered, men and women, radiant as immortals, welcomed him with abundant singing and instrumental music. Hearing that her husband had arrived, his wife, overwhelmed with joy and excitement, quickly came out of the house, like Lakshmi herself emerging from her abode. Seeing her husband, with eyes brimming with love and longing, she closed her eyes and embraced him with reverent mind and heart. Astonished, the Brahmin beheld his wife shining among the maidservants, radiant like a celestial goddess, standing out among those without necklaces. Pleased and united with her, he entered his own palace, adorned with hundreds of jeweled pillars, resembling Indra’s mansion. Beds resembling milk foam, gentle and decorated with gold, couches with golden rails, and yak-tail fans were present. There were golden seats with soft cushions, canopies hung with pearl garlands, and shining coverings. On clear crystal walls and great emerald surfaces, jeweled lamps shone, and women adorned with gems were present. Seeing such abundance of riches, the Brahmin calmly reflected on his own prosperity, which had come without cause. He thought, “Surely, this is the cause of prosperity for me, so unfortunate and always poor; nothing else could explain the wealth of the foremost Yadu. Indeed, even without asking, the generous king gives abundantly to those who request; like a cloud, he observes and provides, my friend, the chief of the Dasharhas. Whatever little he gives, even if small, is done as a friend; though he is a great giver, he accepted from me a handful of parched grain, offered with affection. May I have friendship, companionship, and service to him, birth after birth; through association with that great soul, the abode of virtues, my attachment is fixed. For the devoted, the Lord indeed grants wondrous prosperity and kingdoms; but the unborn one does not bestow them on those lacking discernment, seeing himself the downfall and pride of the wealthy.” Thus resolved in mind, the devotee of Janardana, though surrounded by pleasures, enjoyed them without excessive attachment. For Hari, the Lord of sacrifice, god of gods, the Brahmins are his origin; nothing is higher than them. Thus, the Brahmin, friend of the Lord, seeing the unconquered one defeated by his own servants, with mind bound by meditation on Him, soon attained His abode, the path of the virtuous. Whoever hears this story of the Lord’s devotion to Brahmins and gains devotion to Him is freed from the bondage of karma. Thus ends the eighty-first chapter, named “The Story of Prithu’s Anger,” in the tenth book, second half, of the great Purana, Srimad Bhagavata, the scripture of the supreme paramahamsas. Shri Shuka then continued: Once, while Rama and Krishna were residing in Dvaraka, a great solar eclipse occurred, as happens at the end of a kalpa. O King, knowing Him, people came from all directions to the field of Samantapanchaka, desiring to attain auspiciousness. Rama, the foremost among wielders of weapons, had made the earth devoid of kshatriyas, where, by the flood of kings’ blood, he had created great lakes. There, Bhagavan Rama performed sacrifice, though untouched by karma, gathering the people as the Lord, just as others do to remove sin. During that great pilgrimage, the people of Bharata, the Vrishnis, as well as Akrura, Vasudeva, Ahuka, and others, arrived. Those descendants of Bharata went to that field, wishing to expiate their own sins—Gada, Pradyumna, Samba, and others, along with Sucandra, Shuka, and Sarana.