With deep reverence, Kuntī offered her salutations to the Lord, praising Him as the lotus-naveled, the lotus-garlanded, the lotus-eyed, and the One whose feet are as beautiful as lotuses. She recalled how Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, had freed Devakī from the long and painful imprisonment inflicted by the cruel Kaṃsa, and reflected that, in the same way, He had delivered her and her sons time and again from countless dangers. She remembered the deadly poison that threatened them, the great fire, the terrifying encounter with the man-eater, the humiliation in the assembly of the wicked, the hardships endured in the forest, the fierce battles with mighty warriors, and even the weapon of Drauṇa. Through all these perils, Hari had protected them. In her devotion, Kuntī prayed, “May those calamities always befall us, O Guru of the world, so that we may see You again and again. For seeing You means we shall not see repeated birth.” She observed that those who are proud of their birth, wealth, learning, or beauty cannot truly approach Him, for the Lord is accessible only to those who possess nothing. She saluted Him as the true wealth of those who have nothing, whose actions are untouched by the modes of nature, who delights in the self, who is peaceful, and who is the Lord of liberation. She contemplated that He is Time itself, the ruler, beginningless and endless, all-pervading, moving equally among all beings, and the source of their mutual discord. Kuntī acknowledged that no one can know the Lord’s intention, for His actions in this world are a mockery of men; He favors none and hates none, though people imagine partiality. The birth and deeds of the soul of the universe—the unborn, non-acting self—among beasts, humans, and aquatic creatures are the utmost mockery. She recalled the episode when the gopī, His mother, tried to bind Him for His mischief, and His eyes, troubled by fear, were smeared with tears and ointment. He bowed His face in dread, which bewildered her, for even the fearful fear Him. Various opinions about His incarnation were recounted: some say the unborn was born in the Yadu dynasty for the fame of the virtuous, just as sandalwood grows in the Malaya mountains. Others say He appeared at the request of Vasudeva and Devakī for the protection of the world and the destruction of those who oppose the gods. Some say He was born at the request of Brahmā when the earth, weighed down by a heavy burden, was sinking like a boat in the ocean, to relieve her load. Others believe He came to perform deeds worthy of being heard and remembered by those suffering from ignorance, desire, and action. Kuntī declared that those who constantly hear, sing, praise, remember, and rejoice in His deeds soon behold His lotus feet, which bring an end to the flow of worldly existence. She pleaded, “O Lord, will You now abandon us, Your devoted friends and dependents, for whose sake there is no other refuge but Your lotus feet, though we are bound to kingship and its sins?” She reflected, “Who are we, the Pāṇḍavas, along with the Yadus, but mere names and forms? When You, the Lord of the senses, are not seen, we are as nothing.” She lamented that the earth would not shine as it does now, adorned by His feet, marked with their unique signs. The lands are prosperous, their herbs and plants well-ripened; forests, mountains, rivers, and oceans flourish, all because of His glances. With humility, she prayed, “O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, form of the universe, please cut this strong bond of affection in me for the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis. May my mind, without any other object, always bear love for You directly, just as the Ganges flows unbroken to the sea.” Kuntī then addressed Him as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, friend of Kṛṣṇa, chief of the Vṛṣṇis, destroyer of the unrighteous, fire among royal lines, whose power brings liberation. Govinda, who relieves the distress of cows, brāhmaṇas, and gods, master of yoga, teacher of all, she bowed to Him. Sūta narrated that, thus praised by Pṛthā with sweet words, the all-auspicious Lord Vaikuṇṭha smiled gently, as if bewildering her with His māyā. Having affectionately bid her farewell, He entered Hastināpura. But as He was about to depart for His own city with the women, the king stopped Him out of love. Despite being instructed by Vyāsa and other sages, and by Kṛṣṇa Himself, performer of wondrous deeds, and though taught with histories, the king did not understand, overwhelmed by grief. The son of Dharma, thinking of the slaughter of his friends, spoke, overcome by attachment and delusion, with the mind of ordinary men. He lamented, “Alas, see my ignorance, deeply rooted in my wicked heart! For the sake of another’s body, I have caused the death of many armies. Even if I were freed from hell for ten thousand times ten thousand years, I would not be released from the sin of harming children, brāhmaṇas, friends, kin, fathers, brothers, and teachers. The killing of enemies in a righteous war is not a sin for a king who protects his people; yet, these words of command do not bring me understanding. The enmity that has arisen here against women whose relatives have been slain, through the actions of householders, I am not able to remove. Just as mud cannot cleanse muddy water, nor liquor remove the stain of liquor, so too a single act of killing living beings cannot be purified by sacrifices.” He then turned to the prince and said, “Now listen to the supreme secret mantra, which, when recited for seven nights, enables a person to see the beings who move in the sky. Om, obeisance to the Blessed Lord Vāsudeva. With this mantra of the Lord, the wise should perform worship with material offerings, using various substances, knowing the proper place and time.” He described that the Lord should be worshipped with pure water, flowers, wild roots, fruits, tender sprouts, and fresh garments, and especially with the beloved tulasī leaves. Upon obtaining a material 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. 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. All the forms of service previously performed should now be offered to the Lord’s form established by mantra, with the heart absorbed in the mantra. Thus, when the Lord is served with body, mind, and speech, and with devotion arising from the heart, He is truly worshipped. To those who are free from deceit and worship Him properly, the Lord increases their devotion and grants the highest good they desire, which is not attained by ordinary duties. One who is detached from sense pleasures should worship Him with constant and sincere devotion through the yoga of devotion, for complete liberation.