Within all beings, there exists a profound unity: beings dwelling within beings, through both the Self and the Supreme Self. Those who perceive the imperishable truth see both these aspects within me, and in the transcendent, recognizing the seamless connection between individual souls and the Supreme. Thus instructed in spiritual wisdom by Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs—whose very life force dissolved in remembrance of Him—transcended their sense of individual self. Overwhelmed by devotion, they prayed: “May the lotus-footed Lord, whose feet are contemplated in the heart by yogic masters endowed with deep 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.” So concludes the eighty-second chapter, “The Meeting of the Vṛṣṇis and Gopas,” in the tenth book, second half, of the glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, the scripture of the supreme paramahaṃsa. Śuka continued: Having blessed the gopīs, the Lord, their teacher and refuge, turned to inquire after Yudhiṣṭhira and all his steadfast friends. Those who had been so graciously questioned and honored by the Lord of the worlds replied with joyful hearts, their sins washed away by the sight of His feet. They spoke with reverence: “O great one, how could anything inauspicious arise from the nectar of your lotus feet, which sometimes flows from your mouth? Those who drink this nectar through their ears find it sufficient to sever the bondage of embodied existence and the forgetfulness caused by the body. Having abandoned the threefold states of self and purified 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 paramahaṃsa—though fashioned by māyā.” The sage narrated: Thus, the wives of the Andhaka and Kaurava clans, having gathered together, praised the crown-jewel of noble fame among people. Meeting each other, they sang Govinda’s stories, celebrated throughout the three worlds. Listen, I shall describe them to you. Śrī Draupadī addressed the assembled wives: “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?” Śrī Rukmiṇī replied, “When warriors with drawn bows sought to offer me to the king of Cedi, the dust of whose feet crowned the heads of the king’s soldiers, He carried me away like a lion seizing his share from a herd of goats. May the feet of that Lord, the abode of Śrī, be worshipped by me.” Śrī Satyabhāmā shared, “To wipe away the curse smeared upon me by my co-wife, He defeated the king of the earth and brought the jewel, frightening my father and others. Even though I was given to another, He took me for Himself.” Śrī Jāmbavatī spoke, “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.” Śrī Kālindī recounted, “Knowing I was performing austerities with the wish to touch His feet, He approached me as a friend, took my hand, and I became the sweeper of His house.” Śrī Mitravindā said, “He came to my svayaṃvara, defeated the kings, and carried me away like an elephant seizing his own mate from a herd. He drove away my brothers and brought me to His own city, the abode of fortune. May I have the privilege of serving His feet.” Śrī Satyā explained, “My father, to test the strength and valor of the kings, had seven fierce, sharp-horned bulls. He, the destroyer of the pride of heroes, subdued them with ease and bound them as a child binds young calves. Thus won, I was given as the price of valor, along with my maidservants and army, by defeating the kings on the road—may I become His servant.” Śrī Bhadrā said, “My father, inviting my maternal uncle, gave me to Kṛṣṇa, the dark one, whose mind was set on Him, along with an army and companions. May I have the touch of His feet in every birth, for by that, one who is wandering in the cycle of karma attains the highest good for the soul.” Śrī Lakṣmaṇā narrated, “Hearing again and again from Nārada the stories of the king’s birth and deeds, my mind was firmly drawn to Mukunda, the lotus-handed one, abandoning even the guardians of the world. Knowing my mind, my father, the affectionate Bṛhatsena, devised a means for my marriage. As in the svayaṃvara of the princess, a fish was set up for the sake of the Pāṇḍava’s desire; so here, one was concealed outside but could be seen in the water below. Hearing this, kings from all sides, skilled in the use of all weapons and missiles, came by the thousands with their teachers to my father’s city. All were honored by my father according to their strength and age; those who desired me took up bows with arrows to shoot in the assembly. Some, taking up the bow, tried to string it but were unable; some, drawing the bowstring to their chest, fell, struck by it. Other heroes, like the kings of Magadha, Ambashṭha, and Cedi, as well as Bhīma, Duryodhana, and Karṇa, managed to string the bow but did not understand the true challenge. Seeing the image of a fish in the water and understanding its position, Arjuna carefully released his arrow; it did not cut, but merely touched the target. When the kings had withdrawn, their pride broken, the Lord, taking up the bow, strung it effortlessly. Aiming the arrow at that target, seeing the fish just once in the water, He cut it down with His arrow and made it fall, while the sun stood in the Abhijit constellation.” Lakṣmaṇā continued, “Then I entered the arena, my anklets tinkling softly, holding a radiant golden garland of gems in my hands, dressed in a new silk garment, with a bashful smile on my face, my hair adorned with a floral wreath. Lifting my face, with large earrings shining and cheeks glowing, casting gentle, smiling glances, I slowly looked around at the kings, and with a heart devoted to Murāri, I placed my garland on His shoulder. At that moment, drums, kettledrums, conches, trumpets, and other instruments resounded; dancers danced and singers sang. When the Lord, the master of Māyā, was thus chosen by me, the chiefs of men, burning with desire, could not tolerate the choice of Draupadī and competed with each other. He placed me on His chariot, yoked with four excellent horses, took up the Śārṅga bow, donned His armor, and stood in the battle with four arms. Dāruka drove the chariot, adorned with golden fittings, as the kings looked on, just as the king of beasts carries off his prey before the other animals. Some of the kings pursued on the road to block Him, armed and with drawn bows, like village lions chasing Hari. Struck by volleys of arrows from the Śārṅga bow, their arms, legs, and necks severed, some fell in the battle, while others, abandoning the fight, fled. Then the Lord of the Yadus entered the city, splendidly decorated with sun-shaded banners and painted gateways, celebrated in heaven and on earth, like a ship reaching its own harbor. My father honored His friends, relatives, and kin with precious garments, ornaments, beds, seats, and other gifts.” Thus, the wives of Kṛṣṇa recounted their stories, each echoing their deep devotion and the wondrous ways in which the Lord, by His divine power, united with them.