Sacrificial Ceremonies Performed by Vasudeva
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service of the Lord. Everyone, even if born in a higher status of life as  brāhmaṇa ,  kṣatriya , or  vaiśya , is certainly indebted to the demigods, to the sages, to the forefathers, to living entities and so on, and in order to liquidate all these debts, one has to perform sacrifices, study the Vedic literature, and generate children in religious householder life. If somehow one accepts the renounced order of life without fulfilling this debt, certainly he falls down from his position. Today you have already liquidated your debts to your forefathers and the sages. Now, by performing sacrifices, you can free yourself from indebtedness to the demigods and thus take complete shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. My dear Vasudeva, certainly you have already performed many pious activities in your previous lives. Otherwise, how could you be the father of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?”
Saintly Vasudeva, after hearing all the sages, offered his respectful obeisances unto their lotus feet. In this way he pleased the sages, and then he elected for them to perform the  yajñas . When the sages were elected as priests of the sacrifices, they also in their turn induced Vasudeva to collect the required paraphernalia for executing the  yajñas  in that place of pilgrimage. Thus Vasudeva was persuaded to start to perform the  yajñas , and all the members of the Yadu dynasty took their baths, dressed themselves very nicely, and decorated themselves beautifully and garlanded themselves with lotus flowers. Vasudeva’s wives, dressed with nice garments and ornaments and golden necklaces, approached the arena of sacrifice carrying in their hands the required articles to offer in the sacrifice.
When everything was complete, there was heard the vibration of  mṛdaṅgas , conchshells, kettledrums and other musical instruments. Professional dancers, both male and female, began to dance. The  sūtas  and  māgadhas , who were professional singers, began to offer prayers by singing. The Gandharvas and their wives, whose voices were very sweet, began to sing many auspicious songs. Vasudeva anointed his eyes with collyrium, smeared butter over his body, and then, along with his eighteen wives, headed by Devakī, sat before the priests to be purified by the  abhiṣeka  ceremony. All such ceremonies were observed strictly according to the principles of scriptures, as was done formerly in the case of the moon with the stars. Vasudeva, because he was being initiated for the sacrifice, was dressed in deerskin, but all his wives were dressed with very nice saris, bangles, necklaces, ankle bells, earrings and many other ornaments. Vasudeva looked very beautiful surrounded by his wives, exactly like the King of heaven when he performs such sacrifices.
At that time, when Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma, along with Their