One should, each day, worship the gods, sages, ancestors, and all living beings—who are but different forms of the Divine—by studying the Vedas, performing offerings to the gods and forefathers, giving gifts, and sharing food as one is able. Whatever wealth comes—whether by chance or earned honestly without harming others—should be used to support one’s dependents and to perform sacrifices, always by just and fair means. Yet, even as a householder, one must not become attached to family or be careless in duties; the wise view all that is perishable as already gone, even if it still appears before their eyes. The meeting of sons, wives, and close relatives is like the gathering of travelers along a road—they part from the body just as dreams fade after sleep. Reflecting thus, a liberated soul lives in the household like a guest, unattached and free from possessiveness and ego. With devotion, performing all prescribed duties for the sake of the Lord alone, one may choose to remain at home, retire to the forest, or, if blessed with offspring, renounce all and wander as a mendicant. But if one’s mind clings to home, tormented by desires for children, wealth, and the company of women, deluded by thoughts of “I” and “mine,” he becomes pitiable and bound. He thinks, “Alas, my aged parents, my wife, my young sons and daughters—helpless and miserable without me—how will they live, afflicted by suffering?” Thus, seized by attachment, his mind unsatisfied and ever brooding, such a person, when death comes, enters into deep darkness. Sūta then spoke: The one who, though struck by the weapon of Aśvatthāmā, was not slain in his mother’s womb, was saved by the wondrous grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When his life was threatened by Takṣaka—born from a brāhmaṇa’s wrath—he was not bewildered by the pain of death, for his mind was wholly offered to the Lord. Having abandoned all attachments and understanding the true nature of the unconquerable, the disciple of Vyāsa—Parīkṣit—gave up his body in the sacred Gaṅgā. For those who delight in the nectar of the Lord’s glorious stories, there is no confusion even at the time of death, for their minds remember His lotus feet. As long as Parīkṣit, the great devotee and son of Abhimanyu, ruled the earth, Kali, though present everywhere, could not prevail. But on the very day and at the very moment the Lord departed from this world, Kali, the source of unrighteousness, entered. Yet the emperor did not hate Kali; just as a bee takes the essence from flowers, he drew the good from every situation, and auspicious results came quickly to him, unlike others. What can Kali, bold with the weak but fearful of the strong, do to the wise and fearless? Among the careless, he moves like a wolf among men. I have thus described to you, as you requested, the sacred story of Parīkṣit, filled with the tales of Vāsudeva. All stories of the Lord—of His virtues and wondrous deeds—should be cherished by those who desire true life. The sages then said: “O gentle Sūta, may you live long and your pure fame endure, for you bestow on mortals the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s deeds. In this uncertain world, where minds are clouded, you make us drink the honey-wine of Govinda’s lotus feet. We would not trade even a moment’s association with the Lord’s devotees for heaven or liberation—what then of lesser blessings? Who could ever tire of hearing the nectar of stories about the supreme refuge of the greatest souls? Even the masters of yoga, born from Brahmā, have not reached the end of the Lord’s qualities, for He is beyond all qualities. “Therefore, O foremost devotee, please narrate to us the noble and pure deeds of Hari, for we are eager to listen. Parīkṣit, the great devotee, whose unwavering mind was fixed on liberation, attained the feet of the Lord whose banner bears the eagle, by the knowledge spoken by Vyāsa’s son. Please tell us that supremely auspicious, wondrous, and yoga-centered story, whose meaning is not concealed, filled with the endless deeds of the Lord, which delighted Parīkṣit and the devotees.” Sūta replied: “Today we, though born in a lower lineage, are blessed by following the elders. The company of the great swiftly removes the impurity of a bad family and mental distress. How much more so for one who praises the Supreme, the ultimate refuge of the greatest souls! The infinite Lord, whose power is boundless, is called limitless for His supreme qualities. What has already been said is enough to show the unequalled qualities of the Lord, whose feet’s dust is sought even by those who have renounced all, though He Himself does not desire such worship. The water offered by Brahmā—produced from the nails of His feet—purifies the world; who, desiring the Lord’s feet, would not be purified by Mukunda? “There, the devoted and wise, suddenly abandoning attachment to body and all connections, attain the highest state of the swan-like sages, where nonviolence, tranquility, and true duty prevail. You have questioned me, O noble ones, so I shall explain as far as I have realized. Just as birds fly in the sky according to their strength, so do the wise attain the path of Viṣṇu according to their understanding. “Once, while wandering in the forest for hunting, with his bow raised, Parīkṣit pursued a deer and became exhausted, greatly hungry and thirsty. He entered a hermitage in search of water and saw a sage seated in tranquility, eyes closed. The sage, with senses, breath, mind, and intellect restrained, had attained a state beyond the three realms, becoming one with Brahman, unchanging. Covered with matted hair and a deerskin, his throat parched for water, the king begged from him in that condition. “But the king could not obtain grass, earth, water, or even kind words; feeling disregarded, he became angry. Never before had he been so afflicted by hunger and thirst, and toward the Brahmin arose envy and anger. In his anger, he placed a lifeless snake upon the sage’s shoulder, then left the hermitage and returned to his city, wondering, ‘Is this one, with all senses withdrawn and eyes closed, truly absorbed in meditation, or is it merely pretense? What is the case with those of the warrior class?