The sage spoke gravely of the consequences of unrighteous offerings, saying, “When an offering is made without proper intent, it becomes mere urine, and the rice-ball meant for the departed turns instantly to excrement. The chosen deity does not accept such food or water, for the essence is lost.” For such misdeeds, the soul is cast into the dreadful Kumbhipaka hell, suffering there for a span as long as Indra’s reign. He continued, “If a Brahmin eats food left by his wife, he falls to the lowest state among Brahmins, becoming like a Shudra. And if a Shudra, lacking in sacred knowledge, takes a Brahmin woman, he is condemned to the terrible realm of Kālāsūtra for eighteen Indra-periods. Afterwards, the Brahmin woman is reborn in the lineage of Chandalas, bearing the weight of her actions.” Having thus spoken, the venerable Shaunaka fell silent, the gravity of his words lingering in the air. Meanwhile, Menaka continued along her path. On that journey, an outcaste woman, purified after her period, paused to drink with delight for a moment. She then went to her beloved Drumila, enchanting in form, and bowed before him. When Drumila heard Kalavati’s words, his face brightened with joy. He said to her, “You, chaste lady, will bear a son devoted to Vishnu, and you will be truly fortunate. Whichever womb a Vaishnava is born from, and by whose seed, both mother and father ascend together in a radiant, jewel-studded Vishnu-airplane.” He then instructed her, “Go, auspicious-faced one, to the house of a Brahmin.” Having given this blessing, Drumila, king of cowherds, bathed and performed a grand offering. The scale of his generosity was immense: he gave away four hundred thousand horses, one hundred thousand elephants, and five hundred thousand Uccaiḥśravas horses. There were a thousand chariots, twelve hundred thousand cows, and three hundred thousand buffaloes. To the sages, he gave a hundred thousand doves and a hundred parrots, as well as a thousand villages and a hundred times a hundred cities. He bestowed a hundred crores of gold coins, a thousand gems, and countless golden vessels and ornaments. Having given away his entire kingdom, the great king, his heart filled with remembrance of Hari within and without, joyfully went to Badari as a cowherd, his mind at peace. On the beautiful banks of the Ganges, he performed austerities for a month. At the end of his penance, he ascended to heaven in a celestial chariot fashioned by Vishnu, the lord of jewels. There, he attained the blessed service of Hari, becoming a devoted servant of the Lord. When her beloved departed, Kalavati wept aloud in sorrow. A compassionate Brahmin, addressing her as “Mother,” welcomed her into his home with joy. There, the virtuous Kalavati gave birth to an excellent son. All the women present marveled at the auspicious boy, who surpassed even Kamadeva in beauty; his face shone more brilliantly than the moon, his hands and feet were charming, his cheeks lovely, and his form captivating to behold. With restless hands, he cried for his mother’s breast, and the Brahmin cared for both mother and child as his own. Sauti, the storyteller, then said: “This child was blessed with the memory of his past births, endowed with knowledge, and always recalled sacred mantras from before. In his presence, the glories, names, and virtues of Krishna were always sung. Wherever a verse connected to Krishna was heard, his entire body would be covered in dust, and he would yearn to offer even that dust as a sacred offering.