The noble assembly sat in awe, their hearts filled with a singular longing: to bear upon their heads the dust of Krishna’s glorious feet, fragrant with the unguent from his beloved consort’s breast, he who wields the mighty mace. Such was the yearning for the Lord’s touch that even the cowherd women of Vraja, the simple Pulinda women, the grasses and herbs, the cows, and the cowherd boys—all creatures, high and low—sought the blessing of his feet as he wandered the pastures, tending the cows. At that time, Śuka continued, Kuntī, Subhadrā, Draupadī, Mādhavī, the royal wives, and the gopīs themselves heard of Krishna’s deep and boundless affection for them. The Supreme Soul’s love left them astonished, their eyes brimming with tears of wonder and joy. As the women spoke softly among themselves and the men conversed together, a host of great sages arrived, eager to behold Krishna and Balarāma. Among them were Vyāsa, Nārada, Cyavana, Devala, Asita, Viśvāmitra, Śatānanda, Bharadvāja, Gautama, Rāma with his disciples, the venerable Vasiṣṭha, Gālava, Bhṛgu, Pulastya, Kaśyapa, Atri, Mārkaṇḍeya, and Bṛhaspati. Also present were Dvitas, Trita, Ekata, the sons of Brahmā, Aṅgirā, Agastya, Yājñavalkya, Vāmadeva, and many others. Seeing these revered sages, the assembled kings, the Pāṇḍavas, Krishna, and Balarāma immediately rose from their seats and bowed in deep respect. They worshipped the sages with all due honor, and Rāma and Acyuta welcomed them with kind words, offering them seats, water for washing their feet, garlands, incense, and ointments. Once the sages were comfortably seated, Krishna, the very embodiment of righteousness, addressed them while the great assembly listened in silent reverence to his measured words. The Blessed Lord said, “We who are born into this world have attained the highest fruit, a blessing difficult even for the gods to obtain—the sight of the masters of yoga. What to say, then, of those who, with little austerity, gain the chance to see, touch, question, and bow to such holy beings in the course of their worship? Sacred waters, or images of gods in clay and stone, do not purify as the holy ones do; even a moment’s sight of them purifies. Not fire, nor sun, nor moon and stars, nor earth, water, sky, wind, speech, or mind—though worshipped as separate—can remove sin; it is by serving the enlightened that sin is destroyed, even for a moment. He who identifies the self with the body, regards wife and kin as his own, worships earth as sacred, and sees holy places only as water, but never seeks out the wise—he is no better than a cow or donkey.” Hearing Krishna’s unfathomable words, the sages sat in silence, their minds perplexed by the depth of his wisdom. After much deliberation, they smiled at the Lord of the universe and spoke, recognizing that his sovereignty gathered all people together. They said, “O highest knower of truth, by your own mysterious power—even we, the lords among the creators of the world—are bewildered. Your mastery is hidden by your own māyā; how wondrous are your actions! Though without desire, you create, maintain, and withdraw the world in many ways, yet remain untouched, just as the earth, though appearing in many forms, remains unchanged. At the proper time, for the protection of your own people and the subjugation of the wicked, you assume the mode of goodness and uphold the eternal path of the Veda, O Supreme Person, soul of the varṇāśrama order. “O Brahman, your heart is pure, attained through austerity, study, and self-restraint; in it is realized all that is manifest, unmanifest, and beyond both. Therefore, you honor the community of Brahmins, the very source of the scriptures and of yourself; thus, you become the foremost among those devoted to Brahman. Today, our birth, our learning, our austerity, and our vision have borne fruit, for by meeting you, the highest goal, we have attained the supreme good. “Obeisance to that Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose intellect is unfailing, whose greatness is concealed by his own yogamāyā, and who is the Supreme Soul. He whom these kings and even the Vṛṣṇis, who delight in him alone, do not truly know—he is the Lord of time and the Self, hidden by the curtain of māyā. Just as a man lying asleep, though perceiving the elements and qualities, does not know his own true self, so too, by the delusion of māyā, the mind bewildered by attachment does not know you, O Lord, because memory is disturbed. “Today, we have seen your feet, which remove the mass of sins, which are the very abode of holy places, established in the heart by those whose yoga is fully matured. O Lord, whose devotees, their inner coverings pierced by overflowing devotion, attain your path—please grant them your grace.” Śuka continued: After taking leave of Krishna, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Yudhiṣṭhira, the royal sage, the assembled sages set their minds on returning to their hermitages. Seeing them depart, the illustrious Vasudeva approached, bowed, honored them, and spoke with great self-control, saying, “O sages, I bow to you, who are all the gods. Please tell us how, by action, the bondage of action may be destroyed.” Then Nārada replied, “O Brāhmaṇas, it is not surprising that Vasudeva, out of eagerness to know, asks us about the highest good for himself, considering Kṛṣṇa as his own child. Here, among mortals, close association leads to disregard, just as one, leaving the Ganges, seeks other water for purification. He whose realization is never diminished by time, creation, or dissolution, by himself, by others, or by qualities, from anywhere—he is the Lord. Though undivided, whose experience is unobstructed by suffering, karma, and qualities, yet is concealed by his own powers such as life-force—one may mistake him, just as one mistakes the sun covered by clouds, mist, or eclipse.” Then, O King, the sages addressed Anakadundubhi before all the assembled kings and the two descendants of Acyuta, and spoke thus: “The destruction of karma by action is established by the wise: with faith, one should worship Viṣṇu, the Lord of all sacrifices, through sacrificial rites. This tranquility of mind has been shown by poets with the eye of scripture; the path of yoga is easy and brings joy to the self. This is the auspicious path for the twice-born householder, who should worship with pure means and faith, according to his wealth. The wise should renounce the pursuit of wealth through sacrifices and charity, the pursuit of wife and children through household life, and the pursuit of self through spiritual worlds, O Lord, in due time; those who have abandoned all pursuits in the village have gone, steadfast, to the forest of austerity.” Thus, the assembly was blessed with the wisdom of the sages, the grace of Krishna, and the fulfillment of their highest aspirations.