In a place adorned with beauty and grace, men and women with doe-like eyes, splendidly dressed, gathered in joy. A blessed Brahmin, arriving there, gazed in wonder at the scene before him. He pondered, “What is this? Whose abode is this? How has such splendor come to be?” As he stood lost in thought, the radiant men and women, shining like celestial beings, came forward to welcome him. Their greeting was filled with melodious singing and the music of instruments, enveloping him in celebration. Within the house, his wife heard of her husband’s arrival. Overcome with excitement and joy, she hurried out, appearing as Lakshmi herself emerging from her divine home. When she saw her beloved, her eyes overflowed with love and longing. Closing her eyes, she embraced him with reverence, her mind and heart united in devotion. The Brahmin was astonished. He beheld his wife among the maidservants, shining like a goddess, radiant and resplendent, adorned with necklaces while others were not. Joyful and reunited, he entered his palace with her. The palace itself was magnificent, decorated with hundreds of jeweled pillars, resembling Indra’s heavenly mansion. Inside, beds soft as milk foam and decorated with gold awaited, along with couches bordered in gold and yak-tail fans. Golden seats with plush cushions were arranged, canopies hung with pearl garlands, and shining coverings completed the opulence. Crystal-clear walls and vast emerald surfaces reflected the light of jeweled lamps, while women adorned with gems filled the halls. Seeing the abundance of riches around him, the Brahmin reflected calmly on his newfound prosperity, which had arrived without any apparent cause. He thought, “Surely, this is the source of my fortune. I, who have always been poor and unfortunate, could never have gained such wealth by my own means. It must be due to the generosity of the foremost Yadu.” He considered the king’s kindness, “Without even being asked, 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, he does so as a friend. Though he is a great giver, he accepted from me a handful of parched grain, offered with affection.” The Brahmin prayed, “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 grants wondrous prosperity and kingdoms, but the unborn one does not bestow them on those lacking discernment, seeing himself as the downfall and pride of the wealthy.” With his mind resolved, the devotee of Janardana, though surrounded by pleasures, enjoyed them without excessive attachment. He remembered, “For that Lord of sacrifice, Hari, the god of gods, the Brahmins are his origin; nothing is higher than them.” Thus, the Brahmin, friend of the Lord, saw the unconquered one humbled by his own servants. With his mind bound in meditation on the Lord, he soon attained the abode of the virtuous. It is said, whoever hears of the Lord’s devotion to Brahmins and gains devotion to him is freed from the bondage of karma. Thus concludes the eighty-first chapter, “The Story of Prithu’s Anger,” in the tenth book, second half, of the great Purana, Srimad Bhagavata, scripture of the supreme paramahamsas. Shri Shuka continued: Once, while Rama and Krishna resided in Dvaraka, a great solar eclipse occurred, as happens at the end of a kalpa. O King, knowing the significance of this event, people from all directions journeyed to the field of Samantapañcaka, seeking auspiciousness. Rāma, the foremost among wielders of weapons, had made the earth devoid of kṣatriyas, creating lakes with the flood of kings’ blood. There, Bhagavān Rāma performed sacrifice, though untouched by karma, gathering the people as the Lord does, just as others do to remove sin. During this great pilgrimage, the people of Bhārata, the Vṛṣṇis, as well as Akrūra, Vasudeva, Ahuka, and others, arrived. The descendants of Bhārata, including Gada, Pradyumna, Sāmba, Sucandra, Śuka, and Sāraṇa, came to the field, wishing to expiate their own sins. Aniruddha remained for protection, and Kṛtavarmā, the leader, too; they shone, riding chariots adorned with divine emblems and swift horses. With elephants roaring like clouds, men accompanied by Vidyādharas and celestial beings, all adorned with golden garlands, shone on the road. Wearing divine garlands, garments, and armor, accompanied by their wives, they appeared as beings who move in the sky. After bathing, the highly fortunate ones fasted, fully composed. They gave cows, garments, garlands, and gold ornaments to the brāhmaṇas. Then, in the lakes of Rāma, the Vṛṣṇis bathed again, following the prescribed rites. They offered their own food to the foremost twice-born, saying, “May we have devotion to Kṛṣṇa.” Having received permission, the Vṛṣṇis, devoted to Kṛṣṇa, partook of the food themselves. After eating, they sat as they pleased, beneath gentle, shady trees. There, they saw the kings who had arrived, their friends and relatives. They saw the Matsyas, Śīnas, Kauśalyas, Vidarbhas, Kurus, Sṛñjayas, Kāmbojas, Kaikeyas, Madras, Kuntis, Anartas, and Keralas. And, O King, hundreds of others—both allies and rivals—as well as Nanda and other friends, cowherds, and gopīs who had long yearned for this meeting. With the intense joy of reunion, their hearts and faces bloomed like lotuses. They embraced tightly, tears flowing from their eyes, their skin thrilled, and their voices choked with emotion, finding happiness in each other’s presence. The women, seeing each other with deep affection, smiled with pure glances and embraced. Pressing their breasts, smeared with kumkum, against one another, their arms entwined, their eyes filled with tears of love. After bowing to the elders and being greeted by the younger ones, they exchanged welcomes and inquiries of well-being, engaging in mutual discussions about Kṛṣṇa. Pṛthā, seeing her brothers, sisters, their sons, and her parents, as well as the wives of her brothers and Mukunda, found relief from her sorrow through conversation. Kuntī spoke, “Noble brothers, I consider myself without fulfilled blessings, for, O best of men, in times of distress, you do not remember my plight.” She reflected, “Friends, relatives, sons, brothers, and even parents do not remember their own kin when fate turns against them.” Thus, amidst the gathering of kings, relatives, and devotees, the hearts of all were united in devotion and joy, their bonds strengthened by the presence of the Lord and the sharing of stories and affection.