In that sacred place, the great soul, having bathed at the proper times and offered oblations into the fire as prescribed, lived on water alone. His mind was tranquil, completely freed from desires. Having mastered his posture and breath, he withdrew his six senses and, through meditation on Lord Hari, eradicated the impurities of passion and ignorance. Thus, he became pure, established firmly in the mode of goodness. He merged his mind into knowledge itself, dissolved the knower of the field into the Self, and then placed the Self in Brahman, just as space within a pot merges seamlessly into the vast sky. In this way, he abided, his illusion and its qualities destroyed. With his senses and mind restrained and having renounced all food, he sat unmoving like a pillar, having given up all actions. For such a renunciant, let there be no obstacle. O King, Narada then revealed: “On the fifth day from today, he will abandon his body, which will be reduced to ashes. As her husband’s body burns in the fire, his faithful wife, accompanied by her brother-in-law, will stand outside, gazing upon her beloved as he enters the flames.” Hearing this astonishing prophecy, Vidura—descendant of the Kurus—was filled with both joy and sorrow. With a heavy but resolute heart, he departed to visit holy places. Having spoken thus, Narada, accompanied by Tumburu, ascended to the heavens. Yudhishthira, holding Narada’s words deep in his heart, relinquished his grief. Meanwhile, in Vraja, something most wonderful was taking place. In Vasudeva, the Soul of all, unprecedented love blossomed among the people of Vraja and their children. In that land where the unconquered Lord resided, even natural enemies—men and beasts—lived together as friends, and swift deer moved among them without fear. There, the Supreme, non-dual, infinite Lord, whose knowledge is unfathomable, enacted His childhood pastimes as a cowherd boy. He searched for calves and friends as before, holding a morsel of food in His hand, and was beheld by Brahma, the creator himself. Upon seeing the Lord, Brahma swiftly descended from his own vehicle, bowed down to the earth as if laying down a golden staff, and touched the Lord’s two feet with the crowns of his four heads. With tears of joy, Brahma performed an abhisheka, bathing Krishna’s feet. Again and again, Brahma rose and fell at Krishna’s feet, overwhelmed by the greatness he had previously witnessed. After a long while, he slowly rose, wiped his eyes, and with his neck bowed, gazed upon Mukunda. With palms joined in reverence, humility, and composure, trembling and speaking in a choked, tearful voice, Brahma offered his praise. Sūta continued: When Arjuna departed for Dvārakā, longing to see his relatives and to learn of the deeds of the illustrious Krishna, several months passed, yet Arjuna did not return. Then, O best of the Kurus, ominous and dreadful signs began to appear. Yudhishthira observed the fierce march of Time, the reversal of natural order, and the decline in people’s conduct—now driven by anger, greed, and falsehood. Dealings became mostly crooked, friendship was tainted with deceit, and quarrels arose among fathers, mothers, friends, brothers, and married couples. As these dire omens appeared and unrighteousness increased, the king, seeing the rise of greed, spoke to his younger brother. He said, “Arjuna was sent to Dvārakā, longing to see our relatives and to learn of Krishna’s deeds. Now, seven months have passed, and your younger brother Bhīmasena has not returned; I do not know the reason at all. Has the time foretold by the divine sage now arrived, when the Lord intends to end His earthly play? For by His grace we have gained wealth, kingdom, wives, life, family, subjects, victory over enemies, and even the worlds. “See these portents, O tiger among men—celestial, terrestrial, and bodily—terrible and ominous, appearing near us, filling us with fear and confusion. My thighs, eyes, and arms tremble again and again, and my heart is unsteady; surely, something inauspicious is approaching. The she-jackal, with fiery mouth, howls at the rising sun, and this dog cries at me like one who is afraid. Animals circle me on both sides, and even my horses are weeping. “This pigeon, a messenger of death, and the owl, unsettling my mind, and the screeching of the night-owl all portend sleeplessness and emptiness. The quarters are filled with smoke, the horizons tremble with the mountains, and there are great thunderclaps with lightning. The wind blows harshly, scattering dust and darkness, and the clouds rain blood everywhere, in a dreadful manner. “See the sun, its brilliance dimmed, and the planets colliding in the sky, while the heavens seem ablaze and crowded with strange beings. Rivers and streams are agitated, as are the lakes and people’s minds; the fire does not blaze even when fed with ghee. What will this time bring? Calves do not drink from their mothers, nor do the cows yield milk; the cows, with tearful faces, cry, and the bulls in the herd do not rejoice. The deities seem to weep, sweat, and tremble; towns, villages, gardens, lakes, and hermitages have lost their splendor and joy. What misfortune are they showing us? “I think, by these great omens, surely the earth has been deprived of the feet of the Lord, and of those unique persons blessed with His fortune, and has lost its prosperity.” As Yudhishthira reflected in this way, his mind disturbed by these portents, the one with the monkey-banner—Arjuna—returned from the city of the Yadus. Yudhishthira saw him fallen at his feet, unlike before, distressed, his face lowered, shedding tears from the lotus of his eyes. Seeing his brother, whose heart was troubled and whose appearance had changed, the king, recalling Narada’s words, questioned him in the midst of friends: “Are our relatives in Anarta city well—the Madhus, Bhojas, Dasharhas, Ahukas, Satvatas, Andhakas, and Vrishnis? Is Shura, our maternal grandfather, well, and his wife also? Is our uncle, along with his younger brothers, Anakadundubhi, safe?” Thus, the hearts of the Pandavas trembled as omens darkened the world, and the fate of their beloved kin and Lord Krishna weighed heavily upon them.