As Akrūra gazed upon the divine vision before him, his heart overflowed with reverence and wonder. He began to praise the Lord, saying, “Just as countless rivers, born from the mountains and filled by rain, flow from all directions into the ocean, so too do all paths and all beings, in the end, find their way to You. The qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas—these are but the strands of Your own nature, and within them, all beings, from the creator Brahmā down to the smallest immovable thing, are woven together. “O Lord, I bow to You, whose vision remains ever unattached, who are the Self within all, the silent witness of every mind. This restless flow of qualities, born from ignorance, moves through gods, humans, and animals alike. Fire is Your mouth; the earth, Your feet; the sun, Your eye; the sky, Your navel. The chariot is Your heart, the directions are Your ears, the heavens are Your head, Indra and the gods are Your arms, the oceans are Your belly, the wind is Your breath, and strength itself is established as Your energy. “The trees and herbs are like the hair of Your body, while the vegetation upon the earth is the hair on Your head. The clouds are Your bones and nails, the mountains are Your teeth, and the blinking of Your eyes marks the passage of day and night. Prajapati is Your mind, rain is Your generative organ, and virility is Yours alone. “O Imperishable One, in You, O Person, the entire universe—with its guardians and all living beings—is established, just as aquatic creatures gather in water, as gnats swarm about a fig tree, or as thoughts arise in the mind. Whatever forms You assume in this world for the sake of divine play, by those very forms the worlds are cleansed of impurity and joyfully sing Your glory. “Salutations to You, the primal Fish who moved through the waters at the time of dissolution; to You with the head of a horse, O slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha, I bow. Salutations to the vast One, the unfathomable support, the lifter of the Mandara mountain; to You, the Boar who delights in uplifting the earth, I offer my praise. Salutations to You, wondrous Lion, who removes the fear of the virtuous, and to You, Vāmana, who traversed the three worlds. Salutations to the Lord of the Bhṛgus, destroyer of the proud Kṣatriyas in the forest, and to the best of the Raghus, destroyer of Rāvaṇa. Salutations to Vāsudeva, to Saṅkarṣaṇa, to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, to the Lord of the Sātvatas. Salutations to Buddha, the pure one who deludes the Daityas and Dānavas, and to You as Kalki, destroyer of the impure and unrighteous rulers. “O Lord, this world of living beings is bewildered by Your māyā. Grasping the false notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine,’ it wanders endlessly along the tangled paths of karma. I too, deluded, wander among things like body, children, home, wealth, and relatives, mistaking them for real. I roam in dreamlike illusions, thinking them to be the truth. “With my mind confused by opposites and immersed in darkness, I do not know what is truly dear to my own self, being attached instead to impermanent, painful, and non-self things. Just as an ignorant person, leaving aside water hidden by grass, chases after a mirage, so too do I, turning away from You, pursue illusions. Struck down by desires and actions, my pitiable mind is unable to restrain itself, carried away here and there by the unruly senses. “Thus I have come to Your feet, which are difficult for the unworthy to attain; even this, I know, is only by Your grace, O Lord. Liberation from the cycle of birth and death comes to a person when, O Lotus-naveled One, the mind is devoted to properly worshipping You. Salutations to the One who is pure consciousness, the cause of all certainty; to the Lord of Puruṣa and Pradhāna, to Brahman of infinite power. Salutations to Vāsudeva, destroyer of all beings; O Hṛṣīkeśa, I bow to You—protect me, who has surrendered, O Lord.” Thus ended Akrūra’s heartfelt praise, marking the close of the fortieth chapter, “Akrūra’s Praise,” in the first half of the tenth book of the glorious Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture of the supreme renunciates. At this moment, Śrī Śuka continued the narration: As Akrūra offered his praises, the Lord graciously revealed His divine form in the water. Then, like an actor concluding his performance, Kṛṣṇa withdrew that wondrous vision once more. When Akrūra saw that the vision had vanished, he quickly emerged from the water, completed all his necessary duties, and, still astonished, returned to the chariot. There, Hṛṣīkeśa—Kṛṣṇa Himself—asked him, “What wondrous thing did you see—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—that you appear so amazed?” Akrūra replied, “O Lord, whatever marvels exist here—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—are all found in You, the soul of the universe. What could I have seen that is not already known to me? Wherever all wonders are found—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—seeing You, O Brahman, what marvel could I have witnessed here?” Having spoken thus, the son of Gāndinī urged the chariot onward, and by the end of the day, brought Rāma and Kṛṣṇa to the city of Mathurā. Along the way, villagers gathered here and there, and, catching sight of the sons of Vasudeva, their hearts filled with delight—they could not turn their gaze away. Meanwhile, the residents of Vraja, led by Nanda and the cowherds, arrived at the city’s gardens and waited there in anticipation. When the Lord, master of the universe, met them, He greeted Akrūra, taking his extended hand in His own and smiling warmly. Kṛṣṇa then said, “You should enter the city and your home ahead of us, accompanied by your chariot. We will remain here for now and then come to see the city.” But Akrūra replied, “O Lord, I cannot enter Mathurā without You both. Do not abandon me, O master, for I am Your devotee and You are always fond of Your devotees. Come, let us go to our homes and make them blessed, O Acyuta, together with Your elder brother, the cowherds, and Your dearest friends. Sanctify the homes of us householders with the dust of Your feet; by its purity, even the ancestors, the sacrificial fires, and the gods are never fully satisfied. After washing Your feet, the great Bali became worthy of praise, attained incomparable prosperity, and the ultimate path of devotion. The waters from washing Your feet purified the three worlds; Śiva placed them on his head, and the sons of Sagara ascended to heaven. O God of gods, Lord of the universe, whose hearing and praise are holy, O foremost among the Yadus, praised by the best of hymns, O Nārāyaṇa, I bow to You.” The Blessed Lord replied, “I will come to your house, accompanied by these noble ones. After slaying the wicked Yadu king, I will bring joy to my friends.” Thus addressed by the Lord, Akrūra, though troubled in mind, entered the city, reported his task to Kaṃsa, and then went to his own house.