The Vṛṣṇis, filled with devotion to Kṛṣṇa, first offered their own food to the revered twice-born, praying, “May we have devotion to Kṛṣṇa.” Once the ritual was complete and permission received, they themselves partook of the meal. After eating, they settled comfortably beneath gentle, shady trees, where they beheld the gathering of kings—friends and relatives who had arrived for the occasion. Among those present were the Matsyas, Śīnas, Kauśalyas, Vidarbhas, Kurus, Sṛñjayas, Kāmbojas, Kaikeyas, Madras, Kuntis, Anartas, and Keralas. Alongside them were hundreds more: both allies and rivals, as well as Nanda and his companions, dear friends, cowherds, and gopīs who had long yearned for this reunion. The joy of seeing each other was overwhelming. Hearts and faces bloomed like lotuses, and with tight embraces, tears streamed down their faces, their skin tingled, voices choked with emotion, and happiness filled them all. The women, too, met with deep affection—smiling with pure glances, they embraced, pressing their kumkum-smeared breasts against each other, arms entwined, eyes brimming with tears of love. After bowing respectfully to elders and exchanging greetings with the younger ones, everyone welcomed each other warmly, inquiring after each other's well-being. Their conversations centered on Kṛṣṇa, deepening their bonds. Pṛthā, seeing her brothers, sisters, their sons, her parents, the wives of her brothers, and Mukunda himself, felt her sorrow melt away in their company. Kuntī spoke with heartfelt candor: “Noble brothers, I feel my blessings remain unfulfilled, for in times of distress, you do not remember my plight.” She reflected that friends, relatives, sons, brothers, and even parents often fail to recall their kin when fate turns against them. Śrī Vasudeva comforted her: “O mother, do not bear resentment toward these men, for all are but toys in the hands of destiny. The world is under the Lord’s control, who causes and compels all actions. We all, tormented by Kaṃsa, were scattered in every direction. Yet now, O sister, by fate alone, we have once again reached our proper place.” Śuka continued: The kings, honored by Vasudeva, Ugrasena, and the Yadus, felt supreme joy and contentment upon beholding Acyuta. Among those present were Bhīṣma, Droṇa, the son of Ambikā, Gandhārī and her sons, the Pāṇḍavas with their wives, Kuntī, Sañjaya, Vidura, and Kṛpa. Also gathered were Kuntībhoja, Virāṭa, Bhīṣmaka, the great Nagnajit, Purujit, Drupada, Śalya, Dhṛṣṭaketu, the king of Kāśi, Damaghoṣa, Viśālākṣa, the king of Mithilā, the Madra and Kekaya kings, Yudhāmanyu, Suśarmā, and the sons of Bāhlika, among others. All the kings devoted to Yudhiṣṭhira were astonished, beholding the glorious form of Śauri, the abode of Śrī, surrounded by his wives. After being honored by Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, they joyfully praised the Vṛṣṇis, followers of Kṛṣṇa, saying, “O king of the Bhojas, you are truly blessed among men, for you behold Kṛṣṇa again and again, whom even yogis struggle to see. His fame is extolled by the Vedas, his pure glory sanctifies, his foot-washing water, words, and teachings purify. Though this earth is deprived of fortune by time, it is showered with all blessings by the touch of his lotus feet. By seeing him, touching him, following in his footsteps, conversing, sharing beds, seats, meals, kinship, and family ties—even while dwelling in houses on the path to hell—Vishnu himself, the giver of heaven and liberation, has become your companion.” Śuka narrated further: Nanda, learning of the arrival of the Yadus led by Kṛṣṇa, came surrounded by cowherds, eager to see them and bearing gifts suitable for the occasion. Upon seeing him, the Vṛṣṇis were overjoyed, as if their very lives had returned; longing for reunion after so long, they embraced him tightly. Vasudeva embraced Nanda with deep affection, overwhelmed with love, recalling the hardships caused by Kaṃsa and the entrusting of his son in Gokula. Kṛṣṇa and Rāma embraced their parents and offered obeisance, but, choked with tears of love, they could not utter a word. Seated on their own seats and embraced with both arms, the blessed Yaśodā and her husband released all their sorrows for their sons. Rohiṇī and Devakī then embraced the queen of Vraja. Recalling the friendship she had shown, their throats choked with tears as they spoke: “Who could ever forget your unwavering friendship, O Queen of Vraja? Even after attaining and relinquishing the sovereignty of Indra, there is no recompense for it in this world. Your parents, having delighted, prospered, nourished, and protected you, have fulfilled their duty. Just as eyelashes protect the eyes, so too do the virtuous have no fear, for heaven is not their ultimate goal.” Śuka continued: The gopīs, at last seeing their beloved Kṛṣṇa, cursed their own eyelashes for obstructing their vision. Embracing him with their eyes, they absorbed him into their hearts, attaining a state of devotion rarely achieved even by those always united with him. The Blessed Lord, approaching them in solitude, embraced them, inquired about their well-being, and smiling, spoke: “Do you remember our friendship and how, intent on fulfilling our own purposes, we departed for so long, absorbed in destroying the enemy’s faction? Did you perhaps resent us, suspecting us of ingratitude? Surely, the Lord unites and separates all beings. Just as the wind gathers and scatters clouds, grass, cotton, and dust, so too does the Creator unite and disperse all beings. Devotion to me among beings leads to immortality. By good fortune, your affection for me has arisen, dispelling all obstacles. I am indeed the beginning, end, and the inner and outer essence of all beings, just as space, water, earth, air, and light are for material elements. Thus, these beings exist within beings, through the Self and the Supreme Self. Both are seen in me and in the transcendent, by those who perceive the imperishable.” Śuka then said: In this way, instructed by Kṛṣṇa in spiritual knowledge, the gopīs, their vital energies dissolved through remembrance of him, transcended their individual selves. They prayed, “May the lotus-footed Lord, whose feet are contemplated in the heart by yogic masters endowed with profound wisdom, and who is the support for deliverance from the well of worldly existence, always arise in our minds, even as we dwell in our homes.” Thus ends the eighty-second chapter, entitled “The Meeting of the Vṛṣṇis and Gopas,” in the tenth book, second half, of the glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, the scripture of the supreme paramahaṃsa.