Canto Ten - Chapter 48

Śrī Śuka said: Bhagavān, the all-seeing Self of all, understood the desire of the maidservant who burned with passion. Wishing to please her, He went to her house.

Her home was furnished with costly articles and everything that stimulates desire. It was adorned with strings of pearls, banners, canopies, couches and seats, fragrant incense, lamps, garlands, and perfumes.

Seeing Him enter her home, she immediately rose from her seat in excited confusion. Accompanied by her friends, she approached Acyuta and honored Him with an excellent seat and other offerings.

Uddhava was also respectfully worshiped for his saintly character. He touched the offered seat and sat upon the floor, while Kṛṣṇa promptly reclined upon the luxurious bed, following ordinary social custom.

After bathing and anointing herself and dressing in fine garments and ornaments, garlands, perfume, betel, sweet liquor, and other adornments, she approached Mādhava with shy, playful smiles, alluring gestures, and glances.

Calling the beautiful woman, who hesitated in the modesty of a new union, Kṛṣṇa took her bracelet-adorned hand and drew her onto the bed. He enjoyed with her, granting the fruit of the slight merit she had earned by offering Him ointment.

Placing Ananta's feet upon her passion-tormented breasts, chest, and eyes and inhaling their fragrance, she erased her pain. Embracing her beloved, the embodiment of bliss, between her arms and against her breasts, she ended the torment she had endured so long.

Thus she attained the Lord of liberation, the Supreme Master so difficult to attain. Yet, unfortunate woman that she was, merely because she had offered Him bodily ointment, she asked this of Him.

'Dearest lotus-eyed one, please remain here with me for a few days and enjoy. I cannot bear to give up Your company.'

The giver of honor granted her desired boon and treated her respectfully. Then the Lord of all returned with Uddhava to His opulent abode.

A foolish person of impure understanding who perfectly worships Viṣṇu, the Lord of all lords who is exceedingly difficult to propitiate, but then chooses a perishable object grasped by the mind, is truly unfortunate.

Then Lord Kṛṣṇa went with Balarāma and Uddhava to Akrūra's home, wishing to please Akrūra and accomplish a certain purpose.

Seeing from a distance those supreme men, his own relatives, Akrūra joyfully rose, embraced them, and welcomed them.

He bowed to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma and received their respectful greetings in return. After they had accepted seats, he worshiped them according to scriptural rule.

O King, Akrūra placed upon his head the water that had washed their feet and honored them with offerings, divine garments, fragrances, garlands, and the finest ornaments.

After worshiping them, he bowed his head and placed their feet upon his lap, gently massaging them. Bending humbly, Akrūra addressed Kṛṣṇa and Rāma.

'By good fortune sinful Kaṃsa and his followers have been killed. You two have rescued our dynasty from unbearable distress and enabled it to flourish.'

'You are the primal material cause and the Supreme Person, the two causes of the universe and its all-pervading reality. Nothing higher or lower exists apart from You.'

'O Supreme Reality, after creating this universe from Yourself, You enter it through Your own energies and appear in the many forms known through revelation and direct perception.'

'Just as earth and the other elements appear in many forms within the various moving and nonmoving species, You alone, the independent Self and source of all selves, appear manifold within them.'

'Through Your own energies of passion, ignorance, and goodness, You create, dissolve, and protect the universe. Yet You are not bound by those qualities or their actions. You are consciousness itself; where could a cause of bondage exist in You?'

'Because the bodily designations imposed upon the Self have no ultimate reality, birth and difference cannot truly belong to You. Thus You have neither bondage nor liberation; the complete ignorance lies only in us, not in You.'

'You revealed the ancient Vedic path for the welfare of the world. Whenever wicked heretical paths obstruct it, You assume the quality of pure goodness.'

'You, my Lord, have now descended into Vasudeva's home with Your plenary expansion to remove the earth's burden by destroying hundreds of armies and the kings who embody demonic powers, while spreading the fame of our dynasty.'

'Today, Lord, our home has become supremely blessed, for You have entered it. You are the form of all gods, ancestors, living beings, and human rulers; You are Adhokṣaja, teacher of the universe, and the water washing Your feet purifies the three worlds.'

'What wise person would seek shelter apart from You, who love Your devotees, speak truth, are their grateful friend, and grant every desire to those who worship You, even giving Your own Self, which neither increases nor diminishes?'

'By great fortune, Janārdana, You have revealed Yourself here to us, though even masters of yoga and rulers of the gods find You difficult to attain. Quickly cut the binding rope of Your māyā that deludes us with sons, spouse, wealth, relatives, home, body, and all the rest.'

Thus worshiped and praised by His devotee, Bhagavān Hari smiled and addressed Akrūra with words that seemed almost to enchant him.

Śrī Bhagavān said: You are Our elder, paternal uncle, praiseworthy relative, and constant well-wisher. We are like your children and dependents, to be protected, nourished, and treated with compassion.

Greatly fortunate saints such as you are the most worshipable and should always be served by people who desire the highest good. The gods seek their own interests, but saints do not.

Sacred waters alone are not the true holy places, nor are forms made of earth and stone the true gods. These purify only after a long time, but saints purify immediately by their very sight.

Therefore, because you are the greatest well-wisher among Our friends and desire Our welfare, please go to Hastināpura, the elephant-named city, and learn how the Pāṇḍavas are faring.

We have heard that after their father died, the grieving young brothers and their mother were brought by the king to his capital and are living there.

Surely the king, Ambikā's son, blinded in judgment and controlled by his wicked sons, does not treat his brother's sons impartially.

Go now and determine whether their situation is favorable or dangerous. Once We know the truth, We shall act so that Our friends may be protected and prosper.

After giving Akrūra these instructions, Bhagavān Hari, the Supreme Lord, returned to His residence with Saṅkarṣaṇa and Uddhava.