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Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
some presentation for his friend. The wife immediately collected four palmsful of chipped rice from her neighboring friends and tied it in a small cloth, like a handkerchief, and gave it to her husband to present to Krṣṇa. Without waiting any longer, the  brāhmaṇa  took the presentation and began to proceed toward Dvārakā to see his Lord. While he was proceeding toward Dvārakā he was absorbed in the thought of how he could be able to see Lord Krṣṇa. He had no thought within his heart other than Krṣṇa.
It was of course very difficult to reach the palaces of the kings of the Yadu dynasty, but  brāhmaṇas  were allowed to visit, and when the  brāhmaṇa  friend of Lord Krṣṇa went there, he, along with other  brāhmaṇas , had to pass through three military encampments. In each camp there were very big gates, and he also had to pass through them. After the gates and the camps, there were sixteen thousand big palaces, the residential quarters of the sixteen thousand queens of Lord Krṣṇa. The  brāhmaṇa  entered one palace which was very gorgeously decorated. When he entered this beautiful palace, he felt that he was swimming in the ocean of transcendental pleasure. He felt himself constantly diving and surfacing in that transcendental ocean.
At that time, Lord Krṣṇa was sitting on the bedstead of Queen Rukmiṇī. Even from a considerable distance He could see the  brāhmaṇa  coming to His home, and He could recognize him as His friend. Lord Krṣṇa immediately left His seat and came forward to receive His  brāhmaṇa  friend and, upon reaching him, embraced the  brāhmaṇa  with His two arms. Lord Krṣṇa is the reservoir of all transcendental pleasure, and yet He Himself felt great pleasure upon embracing the poor  brāhmaṇa  because He was meeting His very dear friend. Lord Krṣṇa had him seated on His own bedstead and personally brought him all kinds of fruits and drinks to offer him, as is proper in receiving a worshipable guest. Lord Śrī Krṣṇa is the supreme pure, but because He was playing the role of an ordinary human being, He immediately washed the  brāhmaṇa 's feet and, for His own purification, sprinkled the water onto His head. After this the Lord smeared the body of the  brāhmaṇa  with different kinds of scented pulp, such as sandalwood,  aguru  and saffron. He immediately burned several kinds of scented incense, and, as is usual, He offered him  ārātrika  with burning lamps. After thus offering him an adequate welcome and after the  brāhmaṇa  had taken food and drink, Lord Krṣṇa said, "My dear friend, it is a great fortune that you have come here."
The  brāhmaṇa , being very poor, was not dressed nicely; his clothing was torn and dirty, and his body was also very lean and thin. He appeared not