He is the Lord whose realization is never diminished—neither by the passage of time, nor by creation or dissolution, nor by Himself, others, or qualities, from any place. This undivided Lord, whose experience is not hindered by the flows of suffering, karma, or the modes of nature, remains hidden by His own powers such as the vital force; just as the sun may be concealed by clouds, mist, or an eclipse, so too is He sometimes mistaken or unseen. At this time, O King, the assembled sages addressed Anakadundubhi, Vasudeva, in the presence of all the gathered kings and the two noble descendants of Acyuta. The sages declared that the destruction of karma through action is established by the wise: one should worship Viṣṇu, Lord of all sacrifices, with faith, by performing sacrificial rites. True tranquility of mind, as revealed by poets with the vision of scripture, is found on the easy and joyful path of yoga. This auspicious path is especially suited for the twice-born householder, who should practice it with pure means and faith, according to his resources. In due course, the wise are to renounce the pursuit of wealth through sacrifices and charity, the pursuit of wife and children through household life, and even the pursuit of the self through aspirations for spiritual worlds. Those who have abandoned all pursuits within the village have steadfastly gone to the forest of austerity. The sages reminded Vasudeva: O Lord, the twice-born is born with three debts—to the gods, the sages, and the ancestors. These are repaid by sacrifices, study, and begetting sons; if one departs life without settling them, he is said to fall. But today, O wise Vasudeva, you are freed from two of these debts—to the sages and the ancestors—and having discharged the debt to the gods through sacrifice, you now stand free from debt and without further obligation. They praised him further: O Vasudeva, surely you have worshipped Hari, the Lord of all worlds, with supreme devotion, and He has become your very son. Hearing these words, Vasudeva, great of mind, bowed his head, pleased the sages and priests, and chose them for the sacrifice. Those sages, chosen by him in righteousness, performed the sacrifice in that field with excellent rituals. As the consecration began, the Vrishnis adorned themselves with lotus garlands, bathed, and dressed in fine garments, and the kings, too, were splendidly arrayed. The queens, joyful and radiant, though without necklaces, came to the consecration hall in fine garments, anointed and bearing offerings. The air was filled with the sounds of drums, mridangas, kettledrums, conches, trumpets, and other instruments. Dancers and performers moved gracefully, bards and genealogists recited praises, and Gandharva women sang melodiously with their husbands. The priests, following the proper rituals, anointed Vasudeva—already bathed and smeared with unguents—along with his eighteen wives, just as the stars anoint the king of Soma. Adorned with silk, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, and earrings, Vasudeva shone, consecrated and clad in sacrificial garments. His priests, too, dressed in silk and adorned with jewels, stood with the assembly, shining like Indra at his great sacrifice. Rama and Krishna, accompanied by their relatives, shone resplendently with their sons and wives, appearing like lords of life in their own glory. Vasudeva worshipped the Lord of sacrifice, knowledge, and action, performing rites marked by agnihotra and others, both ordinary and special. When the time came, he gave the priests their due gifts—adorning them with cows, land, daughters, and great wealth. After performing the rites for the wives and the concluding ablution, the great sages, priests, and the sacrificer himself bathed together in the sacred Rama lake. Having bathed, Vasudeva gave his ornaments and garments to the bards and to the women; then, adorned anew, he honored the priests and others with generous food. He lavished honor upon his relatives, their wives and sons, and the people of Vidarbha, Kosala, Kuru, Kashi, Kekaya, and Sṛñjaya. He also honored the assembly members, officiating priests, sages, kings, spirits, ancestors, and wandering mendicants. After taking leave of the Lord’s abode, they departed, offering blessings for the sacrifice. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his younger brother, the sons of Pṛthā, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Pṛthā herself, the two sons of Yamā, Nārada, the divine Vyāsa, and their friends and relatives—embraced their kinsmen, the Yadus. Their hearts softened by affection, some departed for their own lands, enduring the pain of separation. Nanda, together with the cowherds, was honored with great affection by Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Ugrasena, and others, and, fond of his relatives, he remained there. Vasudeva, having easily crossed the vast ocean of his desires, surrounded by friends and joyful at heart, addressed Nanda, touching his hand. Vasudeva said: “Brother, the bond of affection among people, called love, is hard to abandon, even for heroes and yogis. This friendship, established by the noble even toward those who have not returned their kindness, and whose fruit is offered in friendship, should never be abandoned. In the past, we brothers did not act for each other’s welfare; now, blinded by pride in prosperity, we do not even see those standing before us. O bestower of honor, may the splendor of sovereignty never come to one who desires true welfare, for it blinds one to his own people and relatives.” Thus, with his heart loosened by affection, Vasudeva remembered the friendship that had been shown and wept, his eyes filled with tears. Nanda, honored by the Yadus for his love toward dear Govinda and Rāma, lingered there for three months, always thinking, “Today, tomorrow.” Then, filled with desires, Nanda and his kin, along with the people of Vraja, were honored with the finest ornaments, silks, and priceless gifts. Receiving abundant gifts from Vasudeva, Ugrasena, Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava, Balarāma, and others, Nanda and his companions set out on their way. Nanda, the cowherds, and the cowherd women, their minds absorbed in the lotus feet of Govinda, found it hard to withdraw their hearts as they departed for Mathurā. When their relatives had gone, the Vṛṣṇis, whose deity was Kṛṣṇa, seeing the approach of the rainy season, returned once more to Dvārakā. There, they recounted to the people the great festival of the Yadu gods that had taken place during the pilgrimage, along with the meetings with friends and all the wondrous events that had transpired.