Canto Ten - Chapter 38

Śrī Śuka said: The wise Akrūra spent that night in Mathurā. Then he mounted his chariot and set out for Nanda's Gokula.

As that greatly blessed soul traveled along the road, he entered a state of supreme devotion to lotus-eyed Bhagavān and reflected as follows.

'What auspicious deed have I performed? What supreme austerity have I undergone? What gift have I given to a worthy recipient that today I shall behold Keśava?

'I consider the sight of Uttamaḥśloka very difficult for me to attain, just as glorification of Brahman is difficult for a person of low birth whose mind is absorbed in sense objects.

'Yet I should not think this way. Even someone as fallen as I may obtain the sight of Acyuta, for a person swept along by the river of time sometimes reaches the far shore.

'Today all my inauspiciousness has been destroyed, and my birth has borne fruit, for I shall bow to Bhagavān's lotus feet, upon which yogīs meditate.

'Today Kaṃsa has truly bestowed extraordinary grace upon me by sending me to behold Hari's lotus feet. Through the radiance of their nails, people in former ages crossed the insurmountable darkness for whose destruction He has now descended.

'Those feet are worshiped by Brahmā, Śiva, and the other gods, by the goddess Śrī, by sages, and by the Sātvatas. As He walks through the forest with His companions to graze the cows, those same feet are marked with the kuṅkuma from the gopīs' breasts.

'Surely I shall behold Mukunda's face, with its fine cheeks and nose, reddish lotus eyes, smiling glances, and curling locks. The deer are passing to my right, an auspicious sign.

'May the true fruit of my eyes be granted today: the sight of Viṣṇu, the abode of beauty, who by His own will has assumed humanity to relieve the earth's burden.

'Though free of ego, He is the seer of both the unreal and the real. By His own radiance He dispels the darkness, division, and delusion that surround them. Through His glance, the living beings fashioned within Him by His Māyā carry out their activities in their dwellings by means of life breath, senses, and intelligence.

'Words blended with His all-auspicious qualities, deeds, and births destroy every sin. Such words enliven, beautify, and purify the world, while words devoid of Him are considered ornaments upon a corpse.

'That Lord has now descended in the Sātvata dynasty. Protecting the eternal boundaries of dharma and bringing happiness to the foremost gods, He dwells in Vraja, spreading the glory whose every feature is auspicious and which the gods themselves sing.

'This morning has surely become most auspicious. Today I shall behold Him, the destination and teacher of the great, the beloved of all three worlds, the supreme festival for the eyes, whose form is the cherished abode desired even by the goddess of fortune.

'As soon as I see those two Supreme Persons, I shall descend from my chariot and bow to Their feet, which yogīs hold within their contemplation. I shall also bow to Their companions who dwell in the forest.

'When I fall at His feet, may the almighty Lord place His lotus hand upon my head. That hand grants fearlessness to those who seek refuge after being terrified by the rushing serpent of time.

'By placing an offering in that hand, Purandara and Bali each attained sovereignty over the three worlds. Fragrant like the saugandhika lotus, that same hand wiped away the gopīs' weariness during His pastimes with them.

'Though Kaṃsa has sent me as his messenger, Acyuta will not regard me as an enemy. As the knower of the field and witness of the universe, He sees with stainless vision every purpose arising within and outside the heart.

'May He look upon me as I bow attentively at His feet with joined palms, smiling at me with a tender glance. In that instant all my sins will be destroyed, every doubt will vanish, and I shall experience overwhelming joy.

'Then He will embrace me with His two mighty arms as His dearest well-wisher, kinsman, and single-minded devotee. At that very moment my body will become sanctified, and the bond of karma will loosen.

'After embracing me as I bow with joined palms, the greatly renowned Lord will address me as Father Akrūra. Then our birth will truly have borne fruit. Condemned is the birth of anyone whom a great soul does not honor.

'No one is especially dear or intimate to Him, nor is anyone disliked, hated, or neglected. Yet He reciprocates with His devotees exactly according to their approach, like a celestial wish-tree that grants the desire of whoever seeks its shelter.

'And surely His elder brother, foremost of the Yadus, will smile, embrace me as I bow, and take my joined hands in His own. After leading me into the house and honoring me fully, He will ask what Kaṃsa has done to His relatives.'

Śrī Śuka said: Reflecting on Kṛṣṇa in this way as he traveled, Śvaphalka's son reached Gokula in his chariot just as the sun reached the western mountain.

In the cowherd settlement he saw the wondrous footprints of Him whose pure foot-dust adorns the crowns of all the guardians of the worlds. The marks of lotus, barleycorn, goad, and other emblems made those footprints distinct upon the earth.

His delight and reverence surged at that sight. His hairs stood on end in love, and his eyes overflowed with tears. Leaping from the chariot, he rolled in that dust, crying, 'Ah! This is the dust from my Lord's feet!'

Such is the true fulfillment of embodied life: by hearing Hari's message, beholding His marks, seeing Him, and similar acts, one abandons pride, fear, and grief.

He saw Kṛṣṇa and Rāma in Vraja at the place where the cows were being milked. They wore yellow and blue garments, and Their eyes resembled autumn lotuses.

The two youthful brothers, one dark and one fair, were the abodes of beauty. Their arms were mighty, Their faces lovely, and They were the finest of handsome youths, moving with the strength of young elephants.

Those great souls beautified Vraja with feet marked by the flag, thunderbolt, goad, and lotus. Their smiling glances were full of compassion.

Their generous and charming play delighted all. They wore flower garlands and forest garlands, Their bodies were anointed with sacred fragrances, and after bathing They wore spotless garments.

They were the primordial Pradhāna and Puruṣa, the causes and sovereigns of the universe. Balarāma and Keśava had descended by Their own portions for the welfare of the world.

O King, Their own radiance dispelled darkness in every direction. They appeared like an emerald mountain and a silver mountain, each adorned with gold.

Overcome with affection, Akrūra quickly leapt from the chariot and fell straight as a staff at the feet of Rāma and Kṛṣṇa.

O King, his eyes flooded with tears of joy at seeing Bhagavān, and his body erupted in ecstasy. Overwhelmed with longing, he could not even announce his own name.

Bhagavān understood who he was. The Lord, affectionate to those who bow before Him, gladly drew Akrūra near with His hand marked by the chariot wheel and embraced him.

The noble Saṅkarṣaṇa also embraced the bowing Akrūra. Taking him by the hands, Balarāma and His younger brother led him into Their home.

After asking about his well-being, They offered him an excellent seat, washed his feet according to custom, and presented the welcoming madhuparka offering.

The almighty Lord presented a cow to His guest, respectfully massaged his travel-weary limbs, and faithfully served him abundant, wholesome food of many excellent kinds.

After Akrūra had eaten, Rāma, the supreme knower of dharma, lovingly delighted him further with fragrant mouth fresheners, perfumes, and garlands.

Nanda then asked his honored guest, 'O Dāśārha, how do you all live under the merciless Kaṃsa? You are like sheep kept by a butcher.'

'That wicked, life-hungry man killed his own sister's infants as she cried out. What well-being could we possibly expect for you, his subjects?'

Thus warmly honored by Nanda's sincere words and carefully questioned about everything, Akrūra forgot the fatigue of his journey.