Trembling with fear and overwhelmed by sorrow, she hurried again and again, finally reaching her own home in Gokula. The moment her voice rang out, her calf recognized his mother. But her arrival at such an unusual hour was fierce and terrifying, unsettling all who witnessed it. Her son, bewildered by her sudden appearance, asked, “Mother, for what reason have you come at this strange time?” She replied with deep affection, “I have come out of love for you. Fulfill your desire as you wish, for this meeting between us is rare and will not come again.” She continued, her voice heavy with fate, “I must give my life to the tiger who can take any form. Today, I must go to the presence of the king of beasts. Truly, dying today with you would be praiseworthy for me, without doubt. Even if I must die alone, since I would be without you, so be it. The destiny of those devoted to their mothers will surely be mine. Or else, remain here, and let your vows become mine.” Her son, moved by her words, declared, “Life is not dear to me when separated from my mother. There is no protector like a mother, nor any path equal to that of a mother. And this death that comes to beings is no different from any other death.” Then the mother offered her final and highest teaching: “O son, this is my last message to you. Always dwell in the forest, my child, with constant vigilance. Never, out of greed, should you seize even a blade of grass in a dangerous place. Deluded by greed, people enter the ocean, the wilderness, and battlefields. A person is afflicted by three things: greed, carelessness, and misplaced trust. Therefore, my son, always protect yourself with great effort. While roaming the forest, be ever watchful of animals and those born in evil wombs.” She continued, “Hear our reply, which destroys sorrow: just as one who rests returns, so too is the meeting of beings. They gathered there to see their mother and their circle of friends.” But grief for her son weighed heavily on her heart, and she spoke again, “My little son Phenapa is helpless, weak, and miserable. This son is destined for the future, and especially so now. He wanders in dangerous places, in another’s herd. Forgive me, O noble ones; I will go, relying on truth.” Hearing her words, all the women present were filled with sorrow and pleaded, “You must not go to Kapila; you will not incur any fault.” At that moment, a verse once sung by sages who speak of dharma was recalled. Kapila himself said, “I do not use even the slightest falsehood for my own sake, ever. When a thousand horse sacrifices are weighed against truth on a scale, truth is the heavier. Therefore, I will not speak falsehood even for the sake of preserving my life.” The others marveled, “That you abandon your life, so difficult to give up, for the sake of supreme truth—certainly, death will never come to you because of truth, under any circumstance.” Then, seeing Kapila, his eyes wide with astonishment, they realized: for those devoted to truth, nothing inauspicious ever occurs. “Kapila, you have spoken before, with oaths and for the sake of your vow.” Thus, the power of truth and the devotion between mother and son shone forth in that gathering, leaving all present deeply moved.