Dvitas, Trita, Ekata—the sons of Brahmā—arrived, accompanied by the venerable sages Aṅgirā, Agastya, Yājñavalkya, Vāmadeva, and many others. As these illustrious sages entered, the kings who had been seated before, along with the Pāṇḍavas, Krishna, and Balarāma, immediately rose from their places. With reverence, they bowed deeply before these world-honored ascetics. They all offered due worship to the sages, honoring them with the proper rituals. Rāma and Acyuta themselves greeted the holy men with words of welcome, offering them comfortable seats, water to wash their feet, fragrant garlands, incense, and ointments. When everyone was settled, the Lord—Krishna, the very embodiment of righteousness—addressed the gathering. The great assembly listened in respectful silence, attentive to his measured words. The Blessed Lord spoke: “Ah, we who are born into this world have attained the highest fruit, a blessing difficult even for the gods to obtain—the sight of these masters of yoga. What, then, can be said of ordinary men, who, though lacking great austerity, by worshipping the gods—the eyes of the world—are granted the chance to see, touch, question, and bow at the feet of such beings as you? Sacred rivers and images of the gods in clay or stone cannot purify as you do; it is the holy ones who, by their mere sight, purify even in a fleeting moment. “Neither 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, even briefly, that the wise are freed of impurity. He who identifies himself only with his body, regards wife and kin as his own, worships mere earth as sacred, and sees holy places as only water, but never seeks out the wise—such a person is no better than a cow or donkey.” Śuka then described how, upon hearing Krishna’s profound words, the sages sat in silence, their minds awed and perplexed by the depth of his speech. After much contemplation, the sages smiled at the Lord of the universe and replied, acknowledging that his sovereignty was for the gathering and upliftment of all beings. They said, “By your māyā, O highest knower of truth, even we, who are called lords among the creators of the world, are bewildered. Your mastery is hidden by your own mysterious power—how wondrous are your actions! Though you are without desire, you create, maintain, and dissolve the world in countless ways, yet remain unaffected—just as the earth, though appearing in many forms and names, is unchanged. How marvelous and mysterious are your deeds! “At the proper time, you assume the mode of goodness for the protection of your people and the subjugation of the wicked; by your divine play, you 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; within it is realized all that 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, the highest goal, we have attained the supreme good. Obeisance to that Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose intellect is unfailing, whose greatness is concealed by his 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, distinct from names and sense-objects, so too, by the delusion of māyā, the mind—bewildered by attachment to names, objects, and senses—fails to know you, its memory 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 offering their respects to Kṛṣṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and the royal sage Yudhiṣṭhira, the sages prepared to return to their own hermitages. As they were about to depart, the illustrious Vasudeva approached them. Bowing low, he honored the sages and addressed them with composed words. “O sages,” Vasudeva said, “I bow to you, who are all the gods. Please tell us how, by action, the bondage of action may be destroyed.” Śrī Nārada replied, “O Brāhmaṇas, it is not surprising that Vasudeva, out of eagerness to know, asks us about the highest good for himself, even though he considers Kṛṣṇa his own child. Among mortals, close association often leads to disregard, just as one, leaving the Ganges, seeks other water for purification. He whose realization is never diminished—by time, creation, dissolution, or anything else, by himself, by others, or by qualities, from anywhere—is that very Lord. Though undivided and unobstructed by suffering, karma, or qualities, he is concealed by his own powers, such as the life-force, and may be mistaken, just as the sun is hidden by clouds, mist, or an 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 established by the wise: with faith, one should worship Viṣṇu, the Lord of all sacrifices, through sacrificial rites. Poets, with the eye of scripture, have shown that tranquility of mind is achieved by this path; the way of yoga is easy and brings joy to the self. This is the auspicious path for the twice-born householder, to be followed with pure means and faith, according to one’s acquired wealth. “The wise should, in due time, 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; 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. “Today, O wise one, you are freed from two debts—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 narrated: Hearing these words, Vasudeva—great-hearted and pleased—bowed his head, honored the sages and priests, and chose them for the sacrifice. Those sages, chosen by him in righteousness, performed sacrifices for him in that field, employing excellent rituals. When the consecration began, the Vrishnis adorned themselves with lotus garlands, bathed, and dressed in fine garments. The assembled kings too were splendidly adorned, and the entire gathering radiated auspiciousness and joy.