The king beheld before him the radiant form of the god, adorned with a crown shaped like a lotus, his splendor shining in all directions. Moved by awe and devotion, the king gazed directly at Madhusudana and bowed low in reverence. Following the prescribed manner, he approached with his knees and head touching the ground, and offered heartfelt praises to Madhusudana, reciting a thousand sacred names in veneration. Rising again and again, the king circumambulated the beautiful sanctuary, expressing his devotion through every step. Afterwards, he remained in the hermitage, his heart fixed on the divine presence. Eventually, he left the cave and sought refuge in another enchanting grotto nearby, dedicating himself once more to austerities and the worship of Madhusudana. He worshipped with offerings of various flowers, fruits, roots, and milk, faithfully bathing three times each day and performing fire rituals with unwavering devotion. Drawing pure water from sacred ponds, he practiced constant breath control and gradually renounced all solid food. Sustaining himself only on water, he slept in an unprepared cave, having abandoned all rituals related to food. Remarkably, his body showed no signs of weariness, a wonder in itself. Thus, absorbed in deep austerities and unceasing worship of the supreme god, the king dwelled in the hermitage for a long time. He was untouched by sorrow, as if he lived in a heavenly realm. Within that delightful hermitage, having given up food and worldly possessions, the king observed the celestial Gandharvas playing and sporting with the enchanting Apsaras. He gathered many flowers and wove garlands, offering the finest to the god first, and then sharing them with the Gandharvas. Though he watched the varied activities of those who gathered flowers and played as they pleased, his mind remained detached; he did not truly see them, absorbed as he was in his devotion. Among the Apsaras, one, engrossed in gathering flowers, became entangled in a lattice of vines, left behind by her companions and her beloved. Another, fragrant with the scent of lotuses and troubled by bees drawn to her sighs, was freed from her predicament by her beloved. A third, her eyes covered by honey-laden bees, found her vision obscured by her lover’s breath as he came close. A radiant woman, having gathered flowers, presented them to her beloved; adorned with garlands woven by him, she shone with a crown of blooms. Another, having woven her own garland and crowned by her beloved, felt fulfilled, her passion growing stronger. In a secluded grove, a particular creeper, adorned with exceptional flowers, was led away in secret by her eager lover. As they searched for flowers among the creepers, one woman, entwined with her beloved, considered herself superior to all others in every virtue. Some among the Gandharvas and Apsaras saw the king himself among the lotuses, playing separately with the celestial beings and the charming women. One woman, smiling brightly, playfully struck her beloved with water; when he struck her in return, she rejoiced with laughter. Another, beautiful and weary, struck her beloved as her splendid form danced with breath, her heaving chest revealing her excitement. Her hair, disheveled from playful tugs during water games, framed her face in tangled locks, making her shine like a lotus surrounded by bees. Hidden in the lotus grove, covered with flowers that mirrored her eyes, one woman remained concealed for a long time until her lover, after much searching, finally found her. Having bathed and feeling the refreshing coolness, another woman eagerly embraced her beloved, fulfilling a long-held desire. Clad in a fine, wet garment that clung to her limbs, one woman smiled brightly, stirring passion in those who saw her. With a garland around her neck, she was drawn into the water by her lover; as her necklace broke and fell, she laughed for a long time. Another, bent over and scratched on the knee by a friend, was startled and sought refuge with her lover, remaining close to him for a long while. One woman, her back wet from water poured over her hair, sat on a stone slab, catching the desirous gaze of her husband. With garlands torn and her breasts smeared with saffron transferred from her lover, she emerged from the water, the lake itself shining as if it had witnessed their amorous play. Janardana, the god of gods, was seen there, honored by groups of Gandharvas and celestial women after his splendid bath. Elsewhere, the king observed women in vine-covered houses adorning themselves, their thoughts absorbed in their beloveds. One woman, busy with a mirror in hand, listened to loving words sent by her beloved through a messenger, her beauty shining all the more. Another, hurried by her messenger, was so absorbed in love that, while rearranging her ornaments, she was unaware of her own actions. In a meadow of blue grass, fragrant with flowers stirred by the wind, one woman was seen drinking mairea wine. Another beautiful woman herself served her beloved with drink, while yet another, of lovely form, drank from her lover’s own hand. One woman, after drinking milk adorned with blue lotuses, cast playful glances at her beloved and asked, “Where have you gone, my lotus?” When her lover replied, “You yourself have surely drunk them both,” she realized her innocence and became bashful. A woman with beautiful brows drank the remaining drink, offered by her beloved, which was rich in special flavor and increased her passion. In those gatherings, the king, eminent among men, listened to various sweet songs sung by the women, accompanied by the music of stringed instruments. As twilight descended, the women, accompanied by many instruments, danced before Janardana, the god of gods, filling the hermitage with divine joy and beauty.