Pleased with the devotion of both King Bahulāśva of Mithilā and the humble brāhmaṇa Śrutadeva, Lord Krishna mounted the chariot brought by his charioteer Dāruka. Accompanied by a host of great sages—Nārada, Vāmadeva, Atri, Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, Rāma, Asita, Aruṇi, Śuka himself, Bṛhaspati, Kaṇva, Maitreya, Cyavana, and others—the Lord set forth towards the land of the Videhas. As Krishna traveled with the sages, wherever he went, the people of each land flocked to see him, approaching with offerings in their hands, just as planets gather around the rising sun. The citizens of Ānarta, Dhanva, Kuru, Jāṅgala, Kaṅka, Matsya, Pāñcāla, Kunti, Madhu, Kekaya, Kośala, Arṇa, and many other regions gazed upon his lotus-like face, radiant with a gentle smile and compassionate eyes. Men and women alike drank in the sight, their hearts filled with joy. Those upon whom Krishna cast his glance felt the darkness lifted from their vision. To them, the Guru of the three worlds granted safety and the rare blessing of seeing his divine form. As he heard the praises sung by gods and men—praises that spread everywhere, pure as the sky and able to dispel all misfortune—Krishna slowly entered Videha. News of Acyuta’s arrival spread swiftly. The citizens and people of Videha, delighted, hurried to greet him, bearing gifts in their hands. When they beheld the illustrious Lord, their faces blossomed with happiness. They bowed with joined palms, as did the sages, whom they had only heard of before but now saw with their own eyes. Both King Bahulāśva and Śrutadeva, thinking that the Guru of the world had come for their own blessing, fell at his feet in reverence. With folded hands, they each invited Krishna, along with the assembled brāhmaṇas, to accept their hospitality at the same time. Understanding their equal devotion and desiring to please them both, the Lord manifested himself in both homes simultaneously, so that neither knew he was also with the other. In the palace of Janaka (Bahulāśva), the noble king welcomed all who had come, even those not of the highest conduct, seating them on the finest seats and listening to them with respect. With his heart overflowing with devotion, joy, and tears, he bowed at their feet, washed them, and reverently took that sacred water upon himself, knowing it purifies the world. With his family, he bore this water on his head and worshipped the Lord and the sages with fragrant substances, garlands, fine garments, incense, lamps, offerings, and gifts of cows and bulls. He spoke to them with sweet words, seeking to please them as they sat, not yet fully satisfied, and gently touched the feet of Vishnu, who sat with his legs drawn up, his own heart filled with joy. King Bahulāśva then addressed the Lord: “You are indeed the Self, the witness, the seer of all beings, O Lord. Now, for us who remember your lotus feet, you have come before our very eyes. To fulfill your own words, you have become visible to us, for you have said that your devotees, who are exclusively devoted, are most dear to you—even more than Lakṣmī or Brahmā. Who would abandon your lotus feet, O giver of the Self to the renounced, peaceful sages? You descended in the Yadu dynasty among men to spread your fame and bring peace, removing the suffering of the three worlds. Obeisance to you, O Bhagavān Krishna, of unfailing wisdom, Nārāyaṇa, the sage of tranquil austerities. Please, O Lord, dwell in our home for a few days with these brāhmaṇas, sanctifying the lineage of Nimi with the dust of your feet.” Thus invited by the king, Krishna, creator of the worlds, stayed there, bestowing auspiciousness upon the men and women of Mithilā. At the same time, Śrutadeva, overwhelmed with joy, welcomed Acyuta to his humble house just as Janaka had. He bowed to the sages and danced with delight, shaking the ends of his garment. He seated his guests on mats of grass and ox hides, brought out with care, and, together with his wife, washed their feet and offered them hospitality with a joyful heart. He, his family, and his household bathed themselves with that sacred water, feeling as if all their desires had been fulfilled. Śrutadeva worshipped the Lord and the sages with what he had—fruits, fragrant roots, pure water, clay, cow products, tulasi leaves, sacred grass, and lotuses—performing the proper rites that increase goodness and dispel darkness. Amazed, he wondered, “How is it that I, fallen into the blind well of household life, have gained this meeting—with Krishna himself, the dust of whose feet is the abode of all holy places, and with these brāhmaṇas who are his very home?” When his guests were seated and honored, Śrutadeva, with his wife, children, and relatives, approached and touched their feet in reverence. He spoke: “Today, the Supreme Person, who after creating this world with his energies enters it by his own being, has not come to our sight for the first time. Just as a man, lying down, creates a dream world by his own mind and then enters and illuminates it, so does he. To those who listen, speak, worship, bow to you, and converse sincerely, you reveal yourself within their pure hearts. Though dwelling in the heart, you remain far from those whose minds are distracted by action and, though inaccessible by your own power, are not grasped by those attached to the qualities of matter. Obeisance to you, the Supreme Self, knower of the inner reality, who is beyond the self, who divides the self from death, who assumes forms with and without cause, and whose vision is veiled by your own māyā. Therefore, O Lord, instruct us, your servants—what should we do? For the greatest suffering of people is that you are beyond the reach of their senses.” Hearing these humble words, Lord Krishna, remover of the distress of those who bow to him, smiled, took Śrutadeva’s hand in his own, and addressed him kindly: “O brāhmaṇa, know that these sages have come here for your blessing. They wander the worlds with me, purifying all with the dust of their feet. The gods, sacred places, and holy waters purify gradually through sight, touch, and worship, but even they are purified instantly by the gaze of the best of brāhmaṇas. Among all living beings, the brāhmaṇa is superior by birth; how much more so when endowed with austerity, knowledge, and contentment, and especially when devoted to me. This four-armed form is not as dear to me as the brāhmaṇas are. O brāhmaṇa, you are the embodiment of all the Vedas, and I am the embodiment of all the gods. Those of poor understanding, who do not know this, who are envious and disrespectful, see me, the guru, the brāhmaṇa, and their own self as mere idols during worship. But whatever is moving or unmoving in this universe, and all the causes of these, the brāhmaṇa, by my vision, regards as my forms in his mind.” Thus, in the homes of both the king and the humble brāhmaṇa, the Lord bestowed his presence, his teachings, and his blessings, delighting the hearts of all who beheld him.