A great and auspicious gathering took place, drawing together the most revered sages from across the land. Vyāsa, Nārada, Cyavana, Devala, Asita, Viśvāmitra, Śatānanda, Bharadvāja, and Gautama arrived first, their presence radiating wisdom and sanctity. Soon after, Rāma came with his disciples, accompanied by the venerable Vasiṣṭha, Gālava, Bhṛgu, Pulastya, Kaśyapa, Atri, Mārkaṇḍeya, and Bṛhaspati. The sons of Brahmā—Dvitas, Trita, and Ekata—joined them, along with Aṅgirā, Agastya, Yājñavalkya, Vāmadeva, and many other illustrious sages. Upon seeing these holy men, the kings who had been seated, together with the Pāṇḍavas, Krishna, and Balarāma, immediately rose to their feet. With deep respect, they bowed to those who are honored throughout the world. They proceeded to worship the sages as was proper, offering them seats, water for washing their feet, garlands, incense, ointments, and words of welcome. Rāma and Acyuta themselves honored the sages, ensuring their comfort and expressing reverence. When the sages were settled, the Lord—embodiment of righteousness—addressed them. The entire assembly listened in silent attention as Krishna spoke with measured wisdom. With humility, he said, “Ah, we who are born into this world have attained the highest fruit, which is difficult even for the gods to obtain—the sight of the masters of yoga. What to say of those men of little austerity, who, in worshipping the gods—the very eyes of the world—gain the chance to see, touch, question, and bow to the feet of such beings? Neither sacred waters nor gods made of clay and stone purify in the same way; it is the holy ones who purify, simply by their sight, even for a brief moment. Neither fire nor sun, nor moon and stars, nor earth, water, sky, wind, speech, or mind—though worshipped as separate—remove sin; the wise destroy it by serving the enlightened, even for a moment. He who identifies the self with the body of three elements, 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.” Śuka, the narrator, relates that upon hearing Krishna’s profound words, the sages sat in silence, their minds awed and perplexed by the depth of his speech. After much deliberation, the sages smiled at the Lord of the universe and acknowledged that his sovereignty served to gather people together. They addressed Krishna, saying, “By your māyā, O highest knower of truth, even we, the lords among the creators of the world, are bewildered; your mastery is hidden by your own mysterious power—how wondrous are the Lord's actions! Though without desire, you create, maintain, and withdraw the world in many ways, yet are not bound—just as the earth, though appearing in many forms and names, remains unchanged. How marvelous and mysterious are the acts of your greatness! Yet, at the proper time, for the protection of Your own people, You assume the mode of goodness, and also for the subjugation of the wicked; by Your own play, You uphold the eternal path of the Veda, O Supreme Person, who are the soul of the varṇāśrama order. “O Brahman, Your heart is pure, attained through austerity, study, and self-restraint; in it is realized that which is manifest, unmanifest, and beyond both. Therefore, O Brahman, 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, who are 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 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, which is distinct from mere names and sense-objects, so too, by the delusion of māyā, the mind bewildered by attachment to names, objects, and senses, does not know You, due to the disturbance of memory. “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 continues: After offering their respects to Kṛṣṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Yudhiṣṭhira, the royal sage, the assembled sages prepared to return to their own hermitages. Vasudeva, seeing them depart, approached and bowed, honoring them and speaking with humility. He said, “O sages, I bow to you, who are all the gods. Please tell us how, by action, the bondage of action may be destroyed.” Nārada replied, “O Brāhmaṇas, it is not surprising that Vasudeva, eager 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, by time, creation, dissolution, and so on, is never diminished by himself, by others, or by qualities, from anywhere. That Lord, who is undivided, whose experience is unobstructed by the flows of suffering, karma, and qualities, yet is concealed by His own powers such as life-force—one may mistake Him, as one mistakes the sun covered by clouds, mist, or eclipse.” Then, O King, the sages addressed Anakadundubhi (Vasudeva) before all the assembled kings and the two descendants of Acyuta. They declared, “The destruction of karma by action is thus established by the wise: with faith, one should worship Viṣṇu, the Lord of all sacrifices, through sacrificial rites. This tranquility of the mind, indeed, 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, which a person should worship with pure means and faith, according to his acquired 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. “O Lord, the twice-born is born with three debts—to the gods, sages, and ancestors; by sacrifices, study, and sons, he repays them; if he departs without settling them, he falls. You, today, are freed from two debts, O wise one, to the sages and ancestors; having discharged the debt to the gods with sacrifices, become free from debt and without refuge. O Vasudeva, surely you have worshipped Hari, the Lord of the worlds, with supreme devotion, and He has become your son.” Śuka concludes: Hearing these words, Vasudeva, great-minded, bowed his head, pleased the sages and priests, and chose them, honoring their wisdom and guidance.