At the appointed time, the sacrificer bestowed the prescribed gifts upon the priests, adorning these already honored men with cows, land, daughters, and abundant wealth. When the rituals for the wives and the final ablutions had been completed, the great sages, together with the priests and led by the sacrificer himself, all bathed together in the sacred waters of Rama lake. After bathing, the sacrificer offered his ornaments and garments to the bards and likewise to the women. Then, having adorned himself anew, he honored the priests and others with a lavish feast. He extended generous hospitality to his relatives, along with their wives and sons, and to the people from Vidarbha, Kosala, Kuru, Kashi, Kekaya, and Sṛñjaya, ensuring all were welcomed and honored. He did not forget any: the assembly members, officiating priests, sages, kings, spirits, ancestors, and wandering mendicants were all shown respect and hospitality. Having taken their leave from the Lord’s abode, they departed, offering blessings as they went to the sacrifice. Among those present were 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. Embracing their kinsmen, the Yadus, their hearts softened by affection, some departed for their own lands, enduring the pain of separation from their loved ones. Nanda, along with the cowherds, was worshipped with great honor by Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Ugrasena, and others. Fond of his relatives, Nanda remained there for some time. Vasudeva, now free from the ocean of his desires and surrounded by friends, addressed Nanda with a joyful heart, gently touching his hand. Vasudeva spoke with feeling: “Brother, the bond of affection among people, which is called love, is hard to abandon—even for heroes and great yogis. Such friendship, established by noble souls even toward those who have not returned their kindness, and whose fruit is friendship itself, should never be forsaken. In the past, brothers, we did not always act for each other’s welfare; and now, blinded by pride in our prosperity, we fail to see those who stand before us. O bestower of honor, may the splendor of sovereignty never come to one who seeks true welfare, for it blinds a person to his own people and relatives.” As he spoke, Vasudeva—his heart loosened by affection and remembering the friendship that had been shown to him—wept, his eyes brimming with tears. Nanda, honored by the Yadus for the love he had shown to his dear friends Govinda and Rāma, stayed there for three months, always thinking, “Today, tomorrow,” lingering in their company. At last, filled with desires, Nanda and his kin, along with the people of Vraja, were honored with the finest ornaments, silks, and various priceless gifts. Having received these abundant gifts from Vasudeva, Ugrasena, Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava, Balarāma, and others, Nanda, accompanied by the Yadus, set out on his way. The cowherds and cowherd women, their minds absorbed in the lotus feet of Govinda, found it hard to withdraw their hearts, but nevertheless departed for Mathurā. When their relatives had gone, the Vṛṣṇis—whose chosen deity was Kṛṣṇa—saw that the rainy season was approaching and returned once more to Dvārakā. There, they recounted to the people the great festival of the Yadu gods, which had taken place during the pilgrimage, along with all the joyful meetings with friends and the other wondrous events. Thus concludes the eighty-fourth chapter, entitled “The Description of Pilgrimage,” in the tenth book, second half, of the glorious Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the supreme renunciates. Later, King Parīkṣit inquired: “O Brahman, we wish to know about the sister of Rāma and Kṛṣṇa—how Arjuna married her, and how she became my grandmother.” Śuka replied: While journeying on pilgrimage, Arjuna, the great hero, wandered the earth and came to Prabhāsa, where he heard tidings of his maternal cousin. Some said that Rāma intended to give her in marriage to Duryodhana, while others disagreed. Desiring her for himself, Arjuna adopted the guise of a renunciate with three staffs and journeyed to Dvārakā. There, seeking his own purpose, he remained for several months, honored again and again by the townspeople and by Rāma, who did not recognize him in his ascetic disguise. One day, Rāma brought him home as a guest and, with faith, offered him food, which Arjuna accepted as alms. In that household, Arjuna beheld a maiden of wondrous beauty, captivating even to heroes. His heart was stirred by affection, his eyes blossoming with longing, and he set his mind upon her. She too, seeing Arjuna, was drawn to him, her heart naturally inclined toward him. Smiling, with bashful sidelong glances, she fixed her heart and gaze upon him. Arjuna, constantly thinking of her and longing for her, found no peace, his mind confused by overpowering passion. During a great festival, as she rode in a chariot and left the fortress, Arjuna—with the approval of her parents and Kṛṣṇa, the mighty charioteer—carried her away. Standing upon his chariot and taking up his bow, Arjuna drove away the brave warriors who sought to stop him, scattering his own people as a lion scatters deer. Upon hearing of this, Rāma was agitated, like the ocean swelling under the full moon. But Kṛṣṇa, along with friends, held Rāma’s feet and calmed him. Pleased at the wedding, Balarāma sent abundant gifts: elephants, chariots, horses, men, and women, all of great wealth. Śuka continued: Among Kṛṣṇa’s devotees there was an eminent Brahman named Śrutadeva, renowned for his exclusive devotion to Kṛṣṇa. He was fulfilled in all aims, peaceful, wise, and free from indulgence. Living among the Videhas in Mithilā, he dwelled as a householder, accepting only what came to him by chance and performing his own duties without effort. Each day, Śrutadeva accepted only what came for the sake of pilgrimage, satisfied with that alone, and performed the appropriate rites as needed. Likewise, the ruler of that land was Bahulāśva, a Maithila, known for his humility; both were dear to Acyuta. Pleased with both, the Lord mounted a chariot brought by Dāruka, and together with the sages, journeyed to the land of the Videhas. Nārada, Vāmadeva, Atri, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Asita, Aruṇi, Śuka himself, Bṛhaspati, Kaṇva, Maitreya, Cyavana, and others accompanied him. Wherever the Lord went, the citizens and people of the land approached him, bearing offerings, as if greeting the rising sun surrounded by its planets.