192 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

the karmis. Whena karmi performs some ritualistic ceremony, his ambition
is sense gratification—good position, good wife, good house, good children
or good wealth; but the ambition of the members of the Yadu dynasty
was different. Their ambition was to offer perpetual faith and devotion to
Krsna. All the members of the Yadu dynasty were great devotees. As
such, after many births of accumulated pious activities, they were given
the chance to associate with Lord Krsna. In going to take their baths in the
place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra or observing the regulative principles
during the solar eclipse or feeding the brahmanas—in all their activities—
they simply thought of devotion to Krsna. Their ideal worshipable Lord
was Krsna, and no one else.

After feeding the brahmanas, it is the custom for the host, with their
permission, to accept prasadam. Thus, with the permission of the brahma-
nas, all the members of the Yadu dynasty took lunch. Then they selected
resting places underneath big, shadowy trees, and when they had taken
sufficient rest, they prepared to receive visitors, among whom there were
relatives and friends, as well as many subordinate kings and rulers. There
were the rulers of the Matsya Province, USinara Province, KoSala Province,
Vidarbha Province, Kuru Province, Srfijaya Province, Kamboja Province,
Kekaya Province and many other countries and provinces. Some of the
rulers belonged to opposing parties, and some were friends. But above all,
the visitors from Vrndavana were most prominent. The residents of
Vrndavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja, had been living in great anxiety
because of separation from Krsna and Balarama. Taking advantage of the
solar eclipse, they all came to see their life and soul, Krsna and Balarama.

The inhabitants of Vrndavana were well-wishers and intimate friends of
the Yadu dynasty. This meeting of the two parties after long separation
was a very touching incident. Both the Yadus and the residents of Vrnda-
vana felt such great pleasure in meeting and talking together that it was a
unique scene. Meeting after long separation, they were all jubilant; their
hearts were throbbing, and their faces appeared like freshly bloomed lotus
flowers. There were drops of tears falling from their eyes, the hair on their
bodies stood on end, and because of their extreme ecstasy, they were
temporarily speechless. In other words, they began to dive in the ocean of
happiness.

While the men were meeting in that way, the women were also meeting
one another in the same manner. They were embracing each other in great
friendship, smiling very mildly, and looking at one another with much
affection. When they were embracing each other in their arms, the saffron
and kunkuma spread on their breasts was exchanged from one person to
