Vasudeva, with deep compassion, addressed his mother, “O revered mother, please do not harbor anger toward these men. They are but instruments in the hands of destiny, mere playthings of fate. All actions in this world are governed and compelled by the Supreme Lord, who alone holds the reins of all that transpires.” He continued, “We were all scattered in every direction, tormented by the cruelty of Kaṁsa. Yet now, O my sister, by the workings of fate alone, we have returned to our rightful place, reunited as family.” As Śuka narrated, the kings—honored by Vasudeva, Ugrasena, and the Yadus—were filled with supreme joy and contentment upon beholding Acyuta, the infallible Lord. Among them were Bhīṣma, Droṇa, the son of Ambikā (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), Gandhārī and her sons, the Pāṇḍavas with their wives, Kuntī, Sañjaya, Vidura, and Kṛpa. There too were Kuntībhoja, Virāṭa, Bhīṣmaka, the mighty Nagnajit, Purujit, Drupada, Śalya, Dhṛṣṭaketu, and the king of Kāśi. Damaghoṣa, Viśālākṣa, the king of Mithilā, the Madra and Kekaya kings, Yudhāmanyu, Suśarmā, the sons of Bāhlika, and many others—all the kings devoted to Yudhiṣṭhira—were astonished as they gazed upon the radiant form of Śauri, the abode of fortune, surrounded by his wives. After being duly honored by Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, these kings joyfully praised the Vṛṣṇis, Kṛṣṇa’s own clan. They exclaimed, “O king of the Bhojas, how truly blessed you are among men! Again and again you behold Kṛṣṇa, who is difficult even for yogis to see. The Vedas extol his fame, his pure glory sanctifies all, and the water that washes his feet, his words, and his teachings purify the world. Even though the earth has lost her fortune through the passage of time, she is blessed anew by the touch of his lotus feet. “To see him, to touch him, to follow in his footsteps, to converse, share beds, seats, and meals, to be bound by kinship and family ties—though living in houses that are on the path to hell—Viṣṇu himself, the giver of heaven and liberation, has become your companion.” Śuka continued: Nanda, upon learning that the Yadus had arrived led by Kṛṣṇa, came eagerly, surrounded by the cowherds and bearing gifts suitable for the occasion. When the Vṛṣṇis saw Nanda, joy flooded their hearts as if their very lives had returned to them. Longing for reunion after so long, they embraced him tightly. Vasudeva, filled with affection and overwhelmed by love, embraced Nanda and remembered the hardships caused by Kaṁsa and how he had entrusted his son to Gokula. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, embracing their parents and offering obeisance, were so overcome with tears of love that they could not utter a word. Seating Yaśodā and her husband on their own seats, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma embraced them with both arms. In that moment, the blessed Yaśodā and Nanda let go of all their sorrows for their beloved sons. Rohiṇī and Devakī then embraced the queen of Vraja, Yaśodā. Remembering the deep friendship she had shown, their voices choked with emotion as they spoke, “Who could ever forget your unwavering friendship, O Queen of Vraja? Even if one were to attain and relinquish the sovereignty of Indra, there is no way to repay such devotion in this world.” They continued, “We have seen how your parents, rejoicing, prospered, nourished, and protected you, fulfilling their duty. Just as eyelashes protect the eyes, so too do the virtuous have nothing to fear, for heaven is not their ultimate goal.” Meanwhile, the gopīs, having at last seen their beloved Kṛṣṇa, cursed their own eyelashes for obstructing their vision even for a moment. With their eyes, they embraced him and absorbed him into their hearts, attaining a state of devotion rarely achieved even by those always united with him. The Blessed Lord approached the gopīs in solitude, embraced them, inquired about their well-being, and, smiling, spoke gently, “Do you remember our friendship? We, intent on fulfilling our own purposes, departed for so long, our minds absorbed in destroying the enemy’s forces. Did you perhaps resent us, suspecting us of ingratitude? Surely, it is the Lord who 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. “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, the 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.” Hearing these words, the gopīs, instructed by Kṛṣṇa in spiritual knowledge, let their vital energies dissolve through remembrance of him and transcended their individual selves. They prayed, “May the lotus-footed Lord, whose feet are contemplated in the heart by yogic masters endowed with 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 concludes the eighty-second chapter, “The Meeting of the Vṛṣṇis and Gopas,” in the tenth book, second half, of the glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, scripture of the supreme paramahaṁsa. Śuka then continued: Having thus blessed the gopīs, the Lord, their teacher and refuge, inquired after Yudhiṣṭhira and all his steadfast friends. Those who had been thus questioned by the Lord of the worlds, and honored by him, replied with joyful hearts, their sins destroyed by the sight of his feet. They said, “How could anything inauspicious arise from the nectar of your lotus feet, O great one, which sometimes flows from your mouth? Those who drink it with the cups of their ears, O Lord, find it sufficient to sever the bondage of embodied existence and the forgetfulness caused by the body. Having abandoned the threefold states of self, purified of all actions, we have attained uninterrupted bliss and unimpeded knowledge. Through yoga, established by the scriptures and time, we have bowed to your form, the supreme path of the paramahaṁsa, though fashioned by māyā.” The sage continued: The wives of the Andhaka and Kaurava clans, having gathered together, praised the crown-jewel among those of noble fame. Meeting together, they sang Govinda’s stories to each other, celebrated throughout the three worlds. Listen, I shall describe them to you. Draupadī then spoke, “O Vaidarbhī, O Bhadrā, O Jāmbavatī, O Kauśalā, O Satyabhāmā, O Kālindī, O Śaibyā, O Rohiṇī, O Lakṣmaṇā—O wives of Kṛṣṇa, please tell us: how did the Lord Himself marry you, imitating worldly ways by His own divine power?” Rukmiṇī replied, “When warriors with drawn bows tried to offer me to the king of Cedi, the dust of whose feet crowned the heads of the king’s soldiers, He swept me away like a lion seizing his share from a herd of goats. May the feet of that Lord, the abode of Śrī, always be worshipped by me.” Satyabhāmā spoke next, “He, who to wipe away the curse smeared upon me by my co-wife, defeated the king of the earth and brought the jewel, frightening my father and others. Even though I was promised to another, He took me for Himself.” Jāmbavatī added, “Recognizing Him as the maker of bodies and my destined Lord, the husband of Sītā fought with my father for twenty-one days. Knowing Him to be tested, my father offered me to Him, and grasping His feet with the jewel, I became His servant.” Thus, the stories of the Lord’s divine marriages and the blessings of His presence were lovingly recounted among the assembled queens, filling all hearts with wonder and devotion.