As Krishna and Balarama departed from Vraja, anticipation swelled among the citizens of Mathura. “Today will be a festival for our eyes,” they thought, “as we behold the beautiful limbs of Govinda.” The blessed women of Mathura, whose wide-eyed gaze would soon freely rest upon the transcendent Lord, wondered who among their own people was truly fortunate enough to be seen by them. But in Vraja, sorrow overcame the hearts of the cowherd women. “Alas!” they lamented, “after showing this great treasure—Krishna—to us, the Creator, whose heart is unkind, now turns our eyes elsewhere.” As Hari departed, their affection grew faint; even the bangles on their hands loosened, as if the joy of their lives was slipping away. Akrura, whose heart seemed cruel to them in their grief, urged the horses on swiftly. With the women so distressed, who could help but feel pity? They watched helplessly as Krishna’s chariot raised a cloud of dust, and as Hari was carried far away, even that dust vanished from their sight. In deep anguish, the cowherd women gazed after him, while Keshava departed from the land of Vraja together with Rama. Traveling swiftly by chariot with fast horses, Rama, Akrura, and Krishna—the subduer of enemies—reached the bank of the Yamuna at midday. There, Akrura turned to Krishna and said, “Please allow me a moment; I wish to perform my midday ablutions in the waters of the Kalindi.” Krishna agreed, and the wise Akrura, having received permission, entered the waters of the Yamuna and began to meditate on the supreme Brahman. In the depths of his meditation, Akrura beheld a wondrous vision. He saw Balabhadra, adorned with a garland of a thousand hoods, his body bright as jasmine, his eyes red as lotus petals and wide open. He was surrounded by Vasuki and other great, wind-like serpents, praised by Gandharvas, and adorned with a garland of forest flowers. Wearing dark garments, with a lovely lotus ornament on his head and shining earrings, Balabhadra stood beneath the surface of the water. On his lap rested a dark-hued one—Krishna—with coppery, wide eyes and four arms, noble limbs, and adorned with weapons such as the discus. Krishna was clad in yellow garments, adorned with varied garlands and ornaments, appearing like a raincloud splendidly decorated with a garland of the rainbow. His chest bore the mark of Srivatsa; he was radiant with armlets and a shining crown, adorned with an unblemished lotus as an ornament. Akrura saw Krishna contemplated by Sanandana and other sages, accomplished in yoga and free from impurity, their gaze fixed at the tip of their noses. Astonished, Akrura wondered, “How did Balarama and Krishna come here so swiftly from the chariot?” As he wished to speak, Janardana restrained his words. Emerging from the water, Akrura returned to the chariot, where he saw both Rama and Krishna seated as before, in their human forms. Immersing himself again in the water, he saw them likewise, being praised by Gandharvas, sages, Siddhas, and great serpents. Realizing their true nature, Akrura, that lord of gifts, praised the infallible Lord, the embodiment of all knowledge. With deep reverence, he offered his obeisance: “To you, who are pure existence, of inconceivable greatness, the supreme self, all-pervading, of many forms and yet of one imperishable form, I bow. Salutations to you, O inconceivable one, who are of the form of sattva, who have become the oblation; obeisance to you, Lord, unknowable in your limit, supreme over nature. You are the self of beings, the self of the senses, and also the self of primordial matter; you are both the self and the supreme self, existing singly in fivefold ways. Be gracious, O soul of all, Lord of the perishable and imperishable; you are spoken of through the concepts of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and others. O one whose form, purpose, and name are indescribable! I bow to you, Supreme Lord. Where there are no concepts such as name or class, that is the supreme, eternal, unchanging Brahman—you are that unborn one. Since all understanding of objects is only through conceptualization, therefore you are praised by the names Krishna, Achyuta, Ananta, and Vishnu.” He continued, “You are all that exists, O unborn one! By these conceptualizations, this entire world is truly you alone, the universe. You are the soul of the universe, free from all change and modification; in you there is nothing other. You are Brahma, Shiva, Aryaman, the creator, the sustainer, the lord of the gods, the wind, fire, lord of waters, lord of wealth, the ender—alone you protect the world, though its purposes are diverse, by the divisions of your power. You create the universe, having the form of the sun’s rays; and this entire world, O unborn one, is pervaded by your qualities. That supreme form, called imperishable, is declared to be existence; I bow to that, the soul of knowledge, the real and the unreal. Salutations to Vāsudeva, salutations to Sankarṣaṇa, salutations to Pradyumna, and salutations to Aniruddha.” Thus, in the waters of the Yamuna, Akrura praised Vishnu and worshipped the Lord of all with delightful flowers and incense. Withdrawing his mind from all other objects and fixing it there, he remained for a long time absorbed in the state of Brahman, and then ceased from his meditation. Thinking himself to have accomplished his purpose, Akrura emerged from the Yamuna and approached the chariot once again. He saw Rama and Krishna standing on the chariot just as before. His eyes wide with wonder, Akrura was addressed by Krishna: “Surely, Akrura, you have seen something marvelous in the waters of the Yamuna, for your eyes are wide with astonishment.” Akrura replied, “O Achyuta, whatever wonder I saw in the water, I see that very form standing here before me as well. By your supreme power, Krishna, I have been united with you, whose wondrous form is the very essence of the universe. Then what is the use of this? Shall we go to Mathura, O Madhusudana? I fear Kamsa—alas for the fate of those who live off others!” Thus, the journey continued, with Akrura’s heart full of awe and devotion, as Krishna and Balarama proceeded toward Mathura.