Kuntī, mother of the Pāṇḍavas, approached Kṛṣṇa with deep reverence and humility. With folded hands and a bowed head, she offered her heartfelt salutations: “I bow to you, O original Person, the Supreme Lord who stands beyond the reach of material nature. Though invisible to all beings, you are present both within and without; none can truly perceive you unless you will it so. “Covered by the veil of your own illusion, unknowable and imperishable, you remain unseen by those whose vision is clouded by delusion—just as an actor remains hidden beneath his costume. You are revealed only to those of pure heart and supreme renunciation, the great sages who have established devotion, but how can we, mere women, ever hope to perceive you? “Again and again, I offer my obeisance to Kṛṣṇa, to Vāsudeva, to the son of Devakī, to the beloved child of Nanda and the cowherds, to Govinda. I bow to you whose navel is like a lotus, who wears a garland of lotuses, whose eyes are like lotuses, and whose feet are as beautiful as lotuses. “O Hṛṣīkeśa, just as you freed Devakī from her long years of suffering and imprisonment at the hands of cruel Kaṃsa, so too have you delivered me and my sons from countless dangers. You protected us from deadly poison, from the great fire, from the monstrous man-eater, from the assembly of the wicked, from the trials of the forest, from the relentless battles against mighty warriors, and from the terrible weapon of Drauṇa. O Hari, you have been our constant savior. “May such calamities always befall us, O Guru of the world, for in those moments we see you again and again, and seeing you means we shall not see repeated birth and death. Those who are proud of their birth, wealth, learning, or beauty cannot truly call upon you, for you reveal yourself only to those who possess nothing. “I bow to you, the true wealth of those who have nothing, whose actions are free from the modes of nature, who delights in the self, who is ever peaceful, and who is the Lord of liberation. I understand you as Time itself, the beginningless and endless ruler, pervading all, moving equally among all beings, from whom all discord arises. “No one can fathom your intentions, O Lord. Your actions in this world seem to mock human understanding; you show neither favor nor hatred, yet people imagine you to be partial. The very birth and deeds of the soul of the universe, the unborn and non-acting self, among beasts, humans, and aquatic creatures, are the greatest of mysteries. “I am bewildered when I recall how, as a mischievous child, you were bound by the gopī, your eyes wide with fear, smeared with tears and ointment, your face bowed in dread—even though the most fearful beings fear you. Some say the unborn Lord took birth in the Yadu dynasty to bring fame to the virtuous, just as sandalwood grows in the Malaya mountains. Others say you appeared at the request of Vasudeva and Devakī, to protect the world and destroy those who hate the gods. Some believe you came at Brahmā’s plea, when the earth was burdened and sinking, to relieve her load. Others say you have manifested to perform deeds worthy of being heard and remembered by those suffering from ignorance, desire, and karma. “Those who constantly hear, sing, praise, remember, and rejoice in your deeds soon behold your lotus feet, which end the cycle of worldly existence. O Lord, will you now abandon us, your devoted friends and dependents, for whom there is no refuge but your lotus feet, even though we remain entangled in the duties and sins of kingship? Who are we—the Pāṇḍavas and the Yadus—but mere names and forms? Without your presence, O Lord of the senses, we are nothing. “O Gadādhara, the earth will lose her luster when your feet, marked with their unique signs, no longer tread upon her. The lands, herbs, plants, forests, mountains, rivers, and oceans all flourish because of your gracious glances. “Therefore, O Lord of the universe, soul of all, please sever this strong bond of affection that binds me to the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis. O Lord of Madhu, may my mind, undistracted by any other object, flow with love towards you alone, just as the sacred Ganges flows unbroken to the sea. “O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, friend of Kṛṣṇa, chief of the Vṛṣṇis, destroyer of the unrighteous, fire among royal dynasties, whose power brings liberation, Govinda—reliever of the distress of cows, brāhmaṇas, and gods, master of yoga, teacher of all—I bow to you.” Sūta continued: Thus did Pṛthā praise the all-auspicious Lord Vaikuṇṭha with sweet and heartfelt words. The Lord smiled gently, as if enchanting her with his own divine illusion. After affectionately bidding her farewell, he entered Hastināpura. Yet, as he prepared to depart for his own city with the women, King Yudhiṣṭhira stopped him out of love. Though instructed by Vyāsa and other sages, and by Kṛṣṇa himself—the performer of wondrous deeds—and though taught with histories, Yudhiṣṭhira remained overwhelmed by grief and could not understand. Thinking constantly of the slaughter of his friends, the son of Dharma spoke, O brāhmaṇas, his mind clouded by attachment and delusion, like an ordinary man. He lamented, “Alas, see my ignorance, so deeply rooted in my wicked heart! For the sake of another’s body, I have caused the death of countless warriors. Even if I were freed from hell for ten thousand times ten thousand years, I would not be absolved of the sin of harming children, brāhmaṇas, friends, kin, fathers, brothers, and teachers. Though the killing of enemies in a righteous war is not sinful for a king who protects his people, these words bring me no peace. “The enmity that has arisen here among women whose relatives have been slain, because of the actions of householders like me, I cannot remove. Just as mud cannot cleanse muddy water, nor liquor remove the stain of liquor, so a single act of killing cannot be purified by sacrifices. “And now, O prince, listen to the supreme secret mantra, which, when recited for seven nights, enables one to see the beings who move in the sky: ‘Om, obeisance to the Blessed Lord Vāsudeva.’ “With this mantra, the wise should worship the Lord with various offerings, knowing the proper place and time. He should use pure water, flowers, wild roots, fruits, tender sprouts, fresh garments, and especially the beloved tulasī leaves. Having obtained an image for worship—whether of earth, water, or other elements—the sage, self-controlled, peaceful, restrained in speech, and moderate in food, should worship it with devotion. “The Lord, praised in sublime verses, will manifest by his own inconceivable power and by his freely chosen deeds. One should meditate on him as present in the heart.