Let me recount to you a wondrous episode from the Srimad Bhagavata, where the hearts and words of Krishna’s queens overflowed with longing, devotion, and love for the lotus-eyed Lord, Mukunda. Their minds were fixed solely upon him, and their speech, muddled and broken like those of the intoxicated or the simple-minded, revealed the depth of their absorption. Listen as their voices, filled with yearning, reach out to the beings of nature, seeking solace and kinship. "O kurarī," they called to the night bird, "you lament in sleeplessness, never resting. The Lord of the world sleeps, hidden from our awareness. Are you, like us, pierced deeply in heart by the generous glances and smiles of the lotus-eyed one?" To the cakravākī, another bird, they spoke: "You 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?" They addressed the birds by the water, saying, "You groan always by the waters, awake through the night. Is it because Mukunda has taken away the mark of your soul, that you, too, endure such difficulty?" Turning to the moon, they lamented, "O Moon, you have been seized by a powerful consumption; your light is waning and you cannot dispel the darkness with your rays. Like us, bewildered and speaking in broken words, have you too forgotten, and thus remain silent, unnoticed by us?" The wind from the Malaya mountains did not escape their notice. "O wind, have we displeased you? Pierced by the sidelong glances of Govinda, you stir in our hearts the pain of longing." To the clouds, they poured out their hearts: "O splendid cloud, you must be dear to the chief of the Yadus; like us, you are bound by love, constantly meditating on him who bears the Śrīvatsa mark. Overwhelmed with longing, your heart agitated like ours, you shed streams of tears again and again, remembering him—such is the pain of his association." The cuckoo’s sweet call seemed to echo their own yearning. "O cuckoo, with your trembling throat, you utter words that revive the dead with sweetness. Tell me, what can I do for you, dear one? Speak, for you seem to call out the beloved’s name." Even the silent mountain received their address. "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." They observed the wives of the ocean, whose lakes had dried up, their hands parched, and the beauty of their lotuses lost. "Just as we, tormented and hearts seized by longing, suffer without the loving glance of the Lord of the bees." To the swan, they offered welcome and hope. "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, the sage, then explained: Thus, with such feelings toward Krishna, the Lord of yogis, the women of Mādhava attained the highest state. Krishna’s fame, 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? By practicing the dharma taught in the Vedas, Krishna showed the path of righteousness to householders and repeatedly demonstrated the ideals of dharma, artha, and kāma in the home. For Krishna, 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, and their sons are listed in order. From each of his wives, Krishna, the unfailing Lord, begot ten sons, as many as he had wives. Among these sons, who were of great valor, there were eighteen great chariot-warriors, renowned for their noble deeds. Their names are: Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Dīptimān, Bhānu, Sāmba, Madhu, Bṛhadbhānu, Citrabhānu, Vṛka, Aruṇa, Puṣkara, Vedabāhu, Śrutadeva, Sunandana, Citrabāhu, Virūpa, Kavi, and Nyagrodha. Of all these sons of Krishna, Pradyumna, the son of Rukmiṇī, was the foremost, just like his father. That mighty warrior married the daughter of Rukmi, and from her, Aniruddha was born, endowed with the strength of a thousand elephants. Aniruddha, in turn, took the granddaughter of Rukmi as his wife, and from her was born Vajra, who survived the destruction of the Yadus. From Vajra came Pratibahu, and from Pratibahu, Subahu was born; from Subahu came Shantasena, and Shatasena was his son. In this lineage, none were born poor, with few children, short-lived, weak, or lacking in devotion to the Brahmanas. Even in ten thousand years, it would not be possible to count the men born in the Yadu dynasty, whose deeds are renowned. It is heard that there were three crore eighty-eight thousand princes in the Yadu dynasty, instructed by family teachers. Who could count the Yadavas, those great souls, among whom even Ahuka was surrounded by a hundred thousand tens of thousands? Those fierce Daityas, slain in battles between gods and demons, were born among humans and, being proud, oppressed the people. To subdue them, the gods were instructed by Hari to descend into the Yadu dynasty; they appeared in a hundred families, plus one. Among them, Lord Hari became the measure of greatness by His sovereignty, and all the Yadavas who followed Him flourished. Absorbed in Krishna, the Vrishnis, in their beds, seats, walking, conversations, games, bathing, and other activities, did not perceive their own true selves. Krishna made the earth a holy place when He was born among the Yadus; the river of heaven became pure by washing His feet; those who hated and those who loved Him attained their true forms, being conquered by the unconquerable; His name, which removes inauspiciousness, when heard or spoken, established the sacred lineage. It is not surprising that Krishna, wielder of the wheel of time, removed the burden of the earth. Victory to Him who is the abode of all beings, whose birth from Devaki is proclaimed, who, surrounded by the best of the Yadus, destroyed unrighteousness with His own arms; who removes the suffering of the moving and unmoving with His beautiful, smiling face, and who increased the god of love in the women of Vraja and the city. Thus, may the deeds of the foremost Yadu, whose playful form enacted such fitting pastimes to protect His own path, and whose actions destroy the bonds of karma, be heard by those who wish to follow in His footsteps. By hearing, chanting, or contemplating the glorious stories of Mukunda, even a mortal, through such devotion, attains His abode, which is beyond the swift reach of death; for His sake, even kings left their homes for the forest. Thus ends the ninetieth chapter, entitled 'The Description of the Deeds of Sri Krishna,' in the tenth canto, second half, of the great Purana, Srimad Bhagavata, the scripture for the paramahamsas.