In the sacred city, the women gathered, their hearts overflowing with devotion, and spoke of the Lord whose presence sanctified their lives. They marveled that the very abode which the sages, having mastered their senses and conquered the wind, could perceive only with minds purified by boundless love, was now graced by the Being who alone is worthy to purify all existence. They praised Him, whose friendship is celebrated, whose divine stories fill the Vedas and are whispered in secret by those who know the mysteries. He is the sole Lord, the soul of the universe, who, by His playful will, creates, maintains, and destroys, yet remains unattached to these acts. Whenever rulers, blinded by darkness, govern through unrighteousness, this Lord appears among the Sātvatas, assuming forms that embody fortune, truth, compassion, and fame, for the welfare of the world, age after age. The women exclaimed how truly praiseworthy was the lineage of Yadu, and how supremely holy was the forest of Madhu, where the foremost of men, the Lord of Śrī, delights both by His birth and by His wandering. Kuśasthalī, they said, eclipses the fame of heaven and brings virtue to earth, for its people, by His grace, constantly behold their Lord’s smiling, glancing face. They noted that the Lord had been worshipped by these women through vows, ritual baths, offerings, and other observances, for He had taken their hands in marriage. Repeatedly drinking the nectar of His affectionate speech, the women of Vraja became utterly absorbed in Him. Those whom He won at their own svayamvara by the price of His valor, after subduing powerful kings like Shishupala and others, and those other maidens, daughters of kings such as Pradyumna and Samba, whom He rescued by slaying Bhauma, were brought to Him by the thousands. These women, though they had abandoned all decorum and purity, attained the highest womanhood, for their lotus-eyed husband never departs from their homes, touching their hearts with His presence. As the women of the city spoke in this way, Hari, with a smiling glance, acknowledged their words and proceeded on His way. Ajātaśatru, out of affection and concern for the safety of the enemy of Madhu, deployed his fourfold army to protect Him from possible threats by others. Then Śauri, seeing the Kauravas who had come from afar and were distressed by separation, affectionately persuaded them to return, and departed for His own city with His beloveds. He passed through the lands of the Kurus, Jāngalas, Pāñcālas, Śūrasenas, those along the Yamunā, Brahmāvarta, Kurukṣetra, Matsyas, and Sārasvatas. Crossing the desert of Marudhanva, He traveled to the regions of the Sauvīras and Ābhīras, and then to Ānarta, accompanied by Bhārgava, His horses somewhat fatigued. At each place, Hari was duly honored by the local people; in the evening, He turned westward and, seeking pasture, went to the land of the cows. There, His attendants and servants addressed Him: "O Supreme Lord, permit us to depart; by the sage's grace, we have been blessed with the sight of the Lord." They prayed, "May our speech be used in recounting Your virtues, our ears in hearing Your stories, our hands in Your service, our minds at Your feet; may our heads bow in remembrance to You, the abode of the universe, and may our eyes behold the holy ones who embody You." Śuka narrated: As the two praised Him, the Lord of Gokula, bound to the mortar by the rope, smiled and spoke to the celestial beings. The Blessed Lord said, "This was already known to Me, revealed by the compassionate sage, that by the words of those blinded by wealth, you were deprived of your position and received My grace. For those who are virtuous, even-minded, and wholly devoted to Me, there is no bondage from seeing Me, just as the sun does not bind the eyes of men. Now go to your own abode, O Nalakūbara, for the supreme devotion you both desired for Me has arisen in your hearts." Śuka continued: Thus addressed, the two circumambulated Him, bowed again and again, took leave of the bound mortar, and departed for the northern direction. In this way, the Supreme Lord was revealed through devotion; without such devotion, even the wise are not able to behold Him. His actions, birth, and so forth are not subject to the laws governing others; these are ascribed to Him by Māyā, only to refute the notion of agency. This is called Brahmā's kalpa, which is described as having distinctions; in it, the general process of creation occurs, both primary and secondary. "I will explain the measure of time," said Śuka, "the form that marks a kalpa, and, as before, describe the Padma Kalpa—now listen." Then Śaunaka inquired: "O Sūta, you told us that Vidura, the foremost devotee, left behind his most difficult-to-abandon relatives and wandered to holy places on earth. The conversation between Vidura, son of Vyāsa, and the sage Kauśārava was based on spiritual inquiry; or, that great soul, when questioned, spoke the truth to him. Please tell us, gentle one, what Vidura did, and for what reason he renounced his family and then returned again." Sūta replied: "What the great sage replied when King Parīkṣit asked him, I will now relate to you—listen, as it follows the king’s questions." The king had asked: "In which action of the Lord, the maker of the universe and my own self, was his fame increased by Kṛṣṇa? Please describe this." Śrī Nārada spoke: "When the demons were defeated in battle by the gods, who were strengthened by him, they approached Maya, the supreme master of illusion, for refuge. Maya, the powerful one, constructed three cities—of gold, silver, and iron—difficult to perceive, joined by subtle means, and furnished with defenses beyond imagination. With those cities, the armies of the demons, along with their lords, remembering their ancient enmity, began to destroy the three worlds, O king. Then, the rulers of the worlds, along with their lords, approached the Lord, bowed down, and said: 'Protect us, O God! We are being destroyed by the inhabitants of Tripura.' The Lord, showing them favor, said, 'Do not fear,' and, stringing an arrow to his bow, released a weapon upon the cities. Arrows blazing like fire arose from the solar orb; just as rays of light, they were not seen as they approached the cities. Struck by these, all the inhabitants of the cities lost their lives and fell; Maya, the great yogī, gathered them and cast them into a well of nectar. Touched by the nectar of immortality, they, strong as thunderbolts and full of great energy, rose up, splitting the clouds like flashes of lightning. Seeing his resolve broken, and Vṛṣadhvaja disheartened, the Lord Viṣṇu then devised another means at that place. At that time, Brahmā became the calf, Viṣṇu himself became the cow, and, entering Tripura at the right moment, drank the nectar from the well." Thus, the story flows, revealing the Lord’s wondrous deeds and the devotion that alone unveils His true nature.