Nārada, the wise sage, looked upon the earnest questioner with affection and said, “Since you have asked, dear child, listen closely. I will tell you everything, and your confusion shall be dispelled. When Mukunda, the Supreme Lord, departed from the earth and returned to His own realm, from that very day, the age of Kali arrived, blocking all paths of virtue. During his conquest in all directions, the king encountered Kali, who, miserable and destitute, sought refuge. The king, however, did not slay him—just as a honey-gatherer spares a bee. In this Kali age, what cannot be attained by austerity, yoga, or meditation is fully gained simply by praising Keśava, the Lord. Seeing Kali as uniform and empty, devoid of true essence, Viṣṇurāta established him in such a way as to bring happiness even to those born in this difficult age. But now, because of the prevalence of evil deeds, the true essence has departed from everywhere; all things in the world remain like husks without seed. The brāhmaṇas once spread the teachings of the Bhāgavata in every home and to every person, but, driven by greed for reward, the very essence of those stories has faded away. Even those who perform terrible and abundant acts, the atheistic and hellish people, reside at holy places, yet the sanctity of those places is lost. Those whose minds are agitated by desire, anger, greed, and thirst may still practice austerity, but the true spirit of austerity is gone. Because of the mind’s defeat—through greed, hypocrisy, heresy, and even mere study of scriptures—the fruits of meditation and yoga are lost. The learned delight with their wives like buffaloes, skillful only in producing sons, but lacking the skill to attain liberation. True Vaiṣṇavism is nowhere to be found, not even among the leaders of the spiritual traditions; thus, the true essence of reality has perished everywhere. Yet, who can be blamed? Such is the nature of this age. Therefore, the Lotus-eyed Lord silently endures, standing ever near. At this, Sūta spoke: Hearing these words, all present were filled with great wonder. Then Bhakti herself spoke again, “Let this also be heard, O Śaunaka.” Bhakti said, “O sage among the gods, you are truly blessed, for by my good fortune you have come here. The sight of the virtuous in this world bestows all perfections. Victory, victory to Him whose very body is the foundation of illusion, who, by a single utterance, brings forth all speech! By His grace, Dhruva attained the eternal state. I bow to the son of Brahmā, the vessel of all auspiciousness.” As the second chapter began, Nārada sought to remove Bhakti’s distress. He said, “Child, why do you grieve in vain, so troubled by anxiety? Remember the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa—your sorrow will depart. It was He who rescued Draupadī from her calamity at the hands of the Kauravas, and who protected the cowherd women; where has that Kṛṣṇa gone now? Yet, O Bhakti, you are always dearer to Him than life itself. When you call, the Lord comes even to the homes of the lowly. In the first three ages, truth, knowledge, and detachment are the means to liberation; but in Kali, only Bhakti grants union with Brahman. Thus, the Conscious One created you, of the same nature, as a beautiful form of supreme bliss, beloved of Kṛṣṇa. With folded hands, you once asked, ‘What shall I do?’ Then Kṛṣṇa instructed you: ‘Nourish my devotees.’ You accepted that command, and Hari was pleased. He gave you Mukti as a maidservant, and these two—Jñāna and Vairāgya—as your sons. In Vaikuṇṭha, you nourish by your own form; on earth, to sustain the devotees, you manifest a shadow-form. With Mukti, Jñāna, and Vairāgya, you descended to earth and remained in great joy until the end of Dvāpara, beginning from Kṛta. But in Kali, Mukti was destroyed, afflicted by heresy; at your command, she quickly returned to Vaikuṇṭha. Liberation comes and goes here as you remember, and your two sons, whom you made your own, remain protected at your side. Yet now, because of neglect, your sons have become weak and old in this age of Kali. But do not worry—I will think of a way. O beautiful one, there is no age like Kali; in this age, I will establish you in every home, among all people. Setting aside other duties and giving priority to great festivals, at that time, I will not serve Hari, nor will I spread you in the world. Yet those living beings who are accompanied by you in this Kali age—even if sinful—will go without fear to Krishna’s temple. For those whose hearts are always filled with devotion in the form of love, impure beings cannot harm them, not even in dreams. Neither ghosts, nor spirits, nor demons, nor even asuras, can overpower those whose minds are endowed with devotion, even by touch. Neither by austerities, nor by the Vedas, nor by knowledge or actions, is Hari attained—only by devotion; the gopīs are the proof of this. After thousands of human births, love for devotion arises; in Kali, devotion, devotion—by devotion, Krishna stands before you. Those who are hostile to devotion sink in all three worlds; even Durvāsā once suffered misery for insulting a devotee. Enough of vows, enough of pilgrimages, enough of yogas, enough of sacrifices, enough of discussions on knowledge—devotion alone grants liberation.” Sūta continued: Hearing thus the true nature of herself as revealed by Nārada, Bhakti, now radiant with all auspiciousness, spoke to him: “O Nārada, how blessed you are! Your love for me is unwavering. I will never leave you; I will always remain in your heart. O compassionate sage, by you my affliction was destroyed in an instant. My two sons, however, lack consciousness—therefore, awaken them, awaken them.