Those who constantly listen to, sing about, praise, remember, and rejoice in your divine deeds, O Lord, soon behold your lotus feet, which alone can bring an end to the endless cycle of worldly existence. But now, O Lord, will you truly abandon us—your devoted friends and dependents, for whom there is no other refuge but your lotus feet? Though bound to the responsibilities and sins of kingship, we have surrendered entirely to you. Who are we—the Pāṇḍavas and the Yadus—but mere names and forms? Without your presence, O Lord of the senses, we are as nothing. O Gadādhara, when your feet, marked with their unique signs, no longer adorn this earth, it will lose the radiance it now possesses. It is only because of your glances that these lands are prosperous, that herbs and plants ripen, that forests, mountains, rivers, and oceans flourish. Therefore, O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, embodiment of all, I pray—please sever this powerful bond of affection I feel for the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis. May my mind, undistracted by any other object, always flow in love toward you, 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 lines, whose power brings liberation, Govinda, who relieves the distress of cows, brāhmaṇas, and gods, master of yoga, teacher of all—I bow to you. Thus, when Pṛthā praised the all-auspicious Lord Vaikuṇṭha with these sweet words, the Lord smiled gently, as if to bewilder her with his own divine māyā. After affectionately bidding her farewell, he entered Hastināpura. But as he was about to depart for his own city, accompanied by the women, the king stopped him, moved by deep love. Though instructed by Vyāsa and other sages, and by Kṛṣṇa himself—the performer of wondrous deeds—and though taught with histories, the king could not truly grasp their words, for he was overwhelmed by grief. The king, son of Dharma, thinking on the slaughter of his friends, spoke, overcome by attachment and delusion, his mind clouded like that of ordinary men. “Alas, see my ignorance, so 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 ten thousand times ten thousand years, I could not escape the sin of harming children, brāhmaṇas, friends, kin, fathers, brothers, and teachers. The killing of enemies in a righteous war is said to be no sin for a king who protects his people, yet these words of command bring me no peace or understanding. The enmity that has arisen here against women whose relatives have been slain, through the actions of householders, I am powerless to 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.” At this point, the sage instructed the prince, saying, “Now, O prince, listen to the supreme secret mantra. When recited for seven nights, it enables a person to see the beings who move in the sky. ‘Om, obeisance to the Blessed Lord Vāsudeva.’ With this mantra, the wise should perform worship with material offerings, using various substances, at the proper place and time. The Lord should be worshipped with pure water, flowers, wild roots and fruits, tender sprouts, fresh garments, and especially with the beloved tulasī leaves. Having obtained 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 to the Lord that were 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 cannot be attained by ordinary duties. One who is detached from sense pleasures should worship him constantly and sincerely through the yoga of devotion, for complete liberation.” Having received these instructions, the prince circumambulated and bowed, then went to the sacred Madhuvana, sanctified by the Lord’s footprints. When he had entered the forest of penance, the sage went into the inner chambers, was honored by the king, and, seated comfortably, spoke to him. Nārada said, “O King, why do you sit long in thought, your face dried with sorrow? Is it that desire or duty, joined with wealth, is not being fulfilled?” The king replied, “O brāhmaṇa, my son—though only five years old—has been exiled with his mother by a cruel-hearted woman. He is a great sage. Though he is helpless in the forest, may the wolves not harm that child—tired, lying down, hungry, his lotus-face withered. Alas, consider my wretchedness, conquered by a woman! I did not welcome that innocent one, who wished to climb into my lap out of love—how base I am!” Nārada replied, “O protector of the people, do not grieve for your son, who is guarded by the gods. Not knowing his greatness, you lament, though his fame will spread throughout the world. Having performed a deed difficult even for the guardians of the worlds, O King, he will soon bring you immense fame.” Maitreya continued: Hearing these words spoken by the divine sage, the lord of the earth, disregarding royal opulence, thought only of his son. There, having been consecrated and purified, he spent the night in observance, and with focused mind, served the Supreme Person as instructed. At the end of every three nights, subsisting on wood-apple and jujube fruits, he spent a month worshipping Hari according to his capacity. In the second month, on every sixth day, the boy prepared food from fallen leaves, grass, and such, and worshipped the Lord. In the third month, on every ninth day, he subsisted on water alone and, absorbed in meditation, approached the Glorious Lord. In the fourth month, on every twelfth day, he lived on air, having conquered his breath, and sustained his meditation on the Lord.