After affectionately bidding her farewell, Lord Kṛṣṇa entered Hastināpura. As He prepared to depart for His own city, accompanied by the women, King Yudhiṣṭhira, out of deep love, stopped Him from leaving. Although instructed by the wise Vyāsa and other sages, and even by Kṛṣṇa Himself—renowned for His wondrous deeds—and taught through many histories, Yudhiṣṭhira remained unable to understand, his heart weighed down by grief. The king, son of Dharma, was overwhelmed by thoughts of the slaughter of his friends. O brāhmaṇas, he spoke with the confusion of an ordinary man, his heart clouded by attachment and delusion: “Alas, see my ignorance, embedded deep in my sinful heart! For the sake of another’s body, I have caused the death of so many armies. Even if I were freed from hell ten thousand times ten thousand years, I would not escape the sin of harming children, brāhmaṇas, friends, kin, fathers, brothers, and teachers. Though it is said that the killing of enemies in a righteous war is not sinful for a king who protects his people, these words of command do not bring me peace or understanding. “The enmity that has arisen here against women whose relatives have been slain, through the actions of householders, I am unable to dispel. Just as mud cannot clean muddy water, nor liquor remove the stain of liquor, so too, a single act of killing living beings cannot be purified by sacrifices.” Then, turning to the prince, he said, “Now, O prince, 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, the wise should worship the Lord with material offerings, using various substances, knowing the proper place and time. He should worship the Lord with pure water, flowers, wild roots, fruits, tender sprouts, and 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, who is 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 freely chosen deeds; one should meditate on Him as present in the heart. All 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 springing 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.” Having been thus instructed, the prince circumambulated and bowed, then journeyed to the sacred Madhuvana, sanctified by the Lord’s footprints. Entering the forest of penance, the sage arrived at the inner chambers, where he was honored by the king and, after being 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, a mere child of five, 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 gently 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 attain for you a fame that will become immense.” Maitreya continued: Hearing these words spoken by the divine sage, the king, disregarding all 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. When the fifth month arrived, the prince, having mastered his breath, stood on one leg, meditating on the Absolute, unmoving like a pillar. Withdrawing his mind from everywhere and fixing it in his heart—the seat of the elements and senses—he meditated on the form of the Lord and saw nothing else. As he sustained the Supreme, the Lord of primordial matter and the great elements, the support of all, the three worlds began to tremble. When that royal boy stood on one foot, the earth, pressed by his big toe, bent wherever he stood, as an elephant’s platform tilts under its weight. As he meditated on the Self of the universe, closing the door of his senses with unwavering concentration, the worlds and their guardians, oppressed and breathless, sought refuge in Hari. The gods prayed, “O Lord, we do not know such restraint of life-breath in all beings, moving and unmoving, whose abode is You. Please grant us release from this distress; we have come to You, the ultimate refuge.” The Blessed Lord replied, “Do not fear. I will cause the boy to desist from this arduous austerity. Return to your own realms. For it was because of his union with Me that your breath was restrained, O sons of Uttānapāda.” Sūta said: Thus, out of concern for the well-being of his subjects and desiring to understand all righteousness, the king went to the place where Devavrata lay. At that time, all his brothers, with horses adorned in gold, followed in chariots, as did the sages Vyāsa, Dhaumya, and others.