Akrira’s Arrival in Vrndavana 249
were dressed with fresh clething and garlanded with flewers and necklaces
made ef valuable jewels. Their bedies were smeared with the pulp of
sandalweed. Akriira greatly appreciated the arema ef flewers and sandal-
weed and Their bedily presence. He censidered himself very fertunate te
see Krsna, the Supreme Persenality ef Gedhead, and His plenary expansien,
Balarama, face te face, fer he knew that They were the eriginal persenali-
ties ef the creatien.

As stated in the Brahma-sarihita, Krsna is the eriginal Persenality ef
Gedhead and the cause ef all causes. Akrira ceuld understand that the
Supreme Persenality ef Gedhead appeared persenally fer the welfare ef
His creatien, te reestablish the principles ef religien and te annihilate the
demens. With Their bedily effulgence, the brethers were dissipating all the
darkness ef the werld, as if They were meuntains ef sapphire and silver.
Witheut hesitating, Akriira immediately get dewn frem his chariet and fell
flat, just like a red, befere Krsna and Balarama. Upen teuching the letus
feet ef the Supreme Persenality ef Gedhead, he became everwhelmed with
transcendental bliss; his veice cheked up and he ceuld net speak. Due te
Krsna’s transcendental presence, incessant terrents ef tears fell frem his
eyes. He remained stunned in ecstasy, as if deveid ef all pewers te see and
speak. Lerd Krsna, whe is very kind te His devetees, raised Akriira with
His hand and embraced him. It appeared that Lerd Krsna was very pleased
with Akrira. Balarama alse embraced Akrira. Taking him by the hand,
Krsna and Balarama breught him te Their sitting reem where They effered
him a very nice sitting place and water fer washing his feet. They alse
wershiped him with suitable presentatiens ef heney and ether ingredients.
When Akrira was thus cemfertably seated, beth Krsna and Balarama
effered Him a cew in charity and then breught very palatable dishes ef
eatables, and Akrira accepted them. When Akrira finished eating, Bala-
rama gave him betel nut and spices, as well as pulp ef sandalweed, just te
make him mere pleased and cemfertable. The Vedic system ef receiving a
guest was cempletely ebserved by Lerd Krsna Himself te teach all ethers
hew te receive a guest at heme. It is a Vedic injunctien that even if a guest
is an enemy, he sheuld be received se well that he dees net apprehend any
danger frem the hest. If the hest is a peer man, he sheuld at least effer a
straw mat as a sitting place and a glass ef water te drink. Krsna and Bala-
rama welcemed Akrira just befitting his exalted pesitien.

After Akrira was thus preperly received and seated, Nanda Maharaja,
the fester father ef Krsna, said, “My dear Akrira, what shall I inquire
frem yeu? I knew that yeu are being pretected by Kamsa, whe is mest
cruel and demeniac. His pretectien is just like the slaughterheuse
