Though their every desire had already been fulfilled, the two exalted sages, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, continued to practice righteousness, upholding dharma for the stability of the world and the welfare of all living beings. Acting for the good of others, they remained steadfast in their noble conduct. After receiving instruction from the Supreme Lord, those two—known as the two Kṛṣṇas—bowed in reverence, uttering “Om.” With humility, they took the brāhmaṇa boys and the great Lord himself and departed from that divine realm. Filled with joy, they returned to their own abode as before. There, in a gesture of compassion and fulfillment, they restored the brāhmaṇa’s sons to him, each child returned in the very form and age at which he had been lost. Hearing of that wondrous, Vaiṣṇava realm, Arjuna—Pārtha—was utterly amazed. He realized that all the prowess and abilities seen among men were not their own, but arose solely from Kṛṣṇa’s boundless compassion. In this way, Kṛṣṇa displayed many such miraculous deeds upon the earth. He enjoyed worldly pleasures and performed sacrifices that surpassed all others in grandeur. At the proper times, he bestowed all blessings and boons upon the people—brāhmaṇas and others—just as Lord Indra, once he had attained supremacy, showers rain upon the world. Having slain the unrighteous kings and caused their destruction through Arjuna and other heroes, Kṛṣṇa established dharma anew, appointing the sons of Dharma and other righteous rulers to ensure justice and order. Śuka now continued: Dwelling happily in his own city of Dvārakā, the Lord of Fortune, Kṛṣṇa, resided in a place abundant with every prosperity, surrounded by the foremost members of the Vṛṣṇi clan. Within Dvārakā, women adorned in splendid attire, radiant with the charm of youth, played with balls and other games in the palaces, shining like flashes of lightning. The city’s streets were always bustling, filled with intoxicated elephants, valiant warriors, horses, and golden chariots, all splendidly decorated. Gardens and groves abounded, their blossoming trees resounding with the sweet songs of bees and birds. Amidst such beauty, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed himself as the sole beloved of sixteen thousand wives, each living in a magnificent home and displaying wondrous forms. He sported in pure waters scented by the pollen of fully bloomed lotuses, lilies, and blue water-lilies, surrounded by flocks of chirping birds. Entering the lakes, his body was smeared with saffron from the embraces of his beloved wives. Gandharvas sang to him joyfully, accompanied by the playing of drums, cymbals, and kettledrums, while bards, genealogists, and singers played the lute. Acyuta was sprinkled by his wives, who laughed with playful gestures; he sported among them as the lord of the Yakṣas does among Yakṣīs. Their garments soaked and their broad breasts exposed, the women sprinkled him with large handfuls of flowers. They embraced their beloved with playful intent, their faces radiant with smiles born of awakened longing. Kṛṣṇa’s chest was adorned by garlands smeared with saffron, his hair loosened from the play and embraces. Repeatedly sprinkled by the young women, he enjoyed himself, surrounded like a mighty elephant by female elephants. To the dancers, dancing women, singers, musicians, and his wives, Kṛṣṇa gave ornaments and garments for their enjoyment. As he delighted in their company, with smiles and glances that answered their movements, with playful jokes and embraces, the minds of the women were utterly captivated. Their hearts fixed solely on Mukunda, the queens spoke in words made incoherent by longing, as if intoxicated or bewildered, thinking always of the lotus-eyed one. Listen now to the words they uttered: The queens said: “O kurarī bird, you lament sleeplessly through the night, never resting. The Lord of the world sleeps, hidden from our sight. Are you, like us, pierced deep in the heart by the generous glances and smiles of the lotus-eyed one? You, cakravākī, close your eyes at night unseen by your companion and cry out plaintively. We, too, have attained servitude at Acyuta’s feet. Or do you long for a garland to wear in your hair? You groan always by the waters, sleepless and awake through the night. Is it because Mukunda has taken away the mark of your soul, that you too have reached this state, so difficult to endure? O Moon, you seem seized by a wasting disease; your light wanes and cannot dispel the darkness. Like us, bewildered and speaking in broken words, have you too forgotten, and now remain silent, unnoticed by us? O wind from the Malaya mountains, have we done something to displease you? For, pierced by the sidelong glances of Govinda, you stir in our hearts the pain of longing. O splendid cloud, you must be dear to the chief of the Yadus. Like us, you are bound by love, always meditating on him who bears the Śrīvatsa mark. Overwhelmed with longing, your heart agitated like ours, you shed streams of tears, remembering him—such is the pain of his association. O cuckoo, with your trembling throat, you utter words that revive the dead with their sweetness. Tell me, what can I do for you today, dear one? Speak, for you seem to call out the beloved’s name. O mountain, wise one, you do not move or speak; you seem to contemplate some great purpose. Surely, like us, you long to embrace the feet of Vasudeva’s son, holding him to your breast. Alas, the wives of the ocean, their lakes dried up and hands parched, have now lost the beauty of their lotuses, deprived of their beloved. Just as we, tormented and hearts seized by longing, suffer without the loving glance of the Lord of the bees. O swan, welcome! Sit and drink this water. Tell us, dear one, news of Śauri. Are you his messenger? Is the unconquered one well, as he said before? Or has his affection for us wavered? Why should we serve him if he forgets us? Speak sweetly, for apart from his grace, there is no other refuge for women.” Śuka concluded: In this way, filled with such feelings for Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of yogis, the women of Mādhava attained the highest spiritual state. He, whose fame is sung in great songs, even when merely heard of, forcibly attracts the minds of women—what then of those who see him directly? Those who, out of love, served the Lord of the universe as their husband by massaging his feet and other acts—what penance of theirs can be described? Thus, by practicing the dharma taught in the Vedas, Kṛṣṇa showed the righteous path to householders, again and again demonstrating the ideal of dharma, artha, and kāma in the home. For Kṛṣṇa, who established the supreme dharma among householders, there were sixteen thousand and more than a hundred queens. Of these, the foremost eight, led by Rukmiṇī, were the chief jewels among women, O King, and their sons are listed in order. From each of his wives, Kṛṣṇa, the unfailing Lord, begot ten sons, as many as he had wives. Among these sons—valiant and noble—there were eighteen great chariot-warriors renowned for their deeds. Their names are: Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Dīptimān, Bhānu, Sāmba, Madhu, Bṛhadbhānu, Citrabhānu, Vṛka, and Aruṇa.