When the sacred fire was blazing brightly, a Brahmin, intent upon his ritual, separated thousands of iron nets, each one woven with its own mesh, and placed them around the fire, though the fire itself remained in a single spot. As this was being done, a hunter approached and addressed the Brahmin, saying, “O great sage, take just one flame from this fire, so that I may use it to destroy the rest here.” Without waiting, the hunter swiftly threw a pot filled with water onto the sacrificial fire, and in an instant, the flames were extinguished, just as before. The hunter then turned to the ascetic Brahmin and said, “O revered one, give me that flame which you took from the fire, for I wish to go and cook the meat I have brought.” The Brahmin, hearing these words, looked intently at the iron nets, searching for the fire, but he found no trace of it—its root had been destroyed, and it was gone. Steadfast in his vows, the Brahmin stood silently, a sense of embarrassment upon him. The hunter, seeing this, spoke again: “O noble one, in this fire, many branches blaze forth, but when the root is destroyed, all the flames are extinguished. Tell me, O Brahmin, is this not so?” He continued, “The Self, abiding in its own nature, is the refuge of all beings. From that Self, this creation arises, and in that Self, the world exists. By accepting alms and following the vows prescribed for him, uniting those actions with the Self, one does not fall.” As the hunter spoke these profound words, O best of kings, a shower of flowers fell from the heavens upon him. The Brahmin beheld wondrous, divine aerial chariots, adorned with many jewels and able to travel anywhere at will. Among them, he saw the once harsh and greedy hunter standing resplendent, and there he beheld the Supreme Being of manifold forms. Perfected in the understanding of non-duality, and possessing many bodies through the power of yoga, the Brahmin was filled with joy at this vision and returned to his own hermitage. Thus, O noble Raibhya, even while performing actions proper to one’s own station, the wise certainly attain liberation. In this way, Raibhya and Vasu’s doubts were resolved, and, departing from the abode of Brihaspati, they returned to their own hermitages. Therefore, O king of kings, you too should worship Lord Nārāyaṇa, seeing Him as non-different and abiding within your own heart. Hearing the words of the sage Kapila, the mighty king Aśvaśiras summoned his eldest son, the blessed Sthūlaśiras, and installed him as king. Then, relinquishing his kingdom, the king departed for the forest. There, at the sacred place called Naimisha, he worshipped the divine form of sacrifice—his guru—through austerity and by hymns addressed to the embodiment of sacrifice. The Earth then asked, “How did the king compose a hymn of praise to Nārāyaṇa, the embodiment of sacrifice? O greatly fortunate one, tell me again about this praise.” Śrī Varāha replied, “I bow to Him who is worshipped in sacrifice, the Lord of the gods, of Bhava, of the Sun, of Fire, of Soma the king, and of the Maruts—to Hari, the embodiment of sacrifice, of many forms, I bow. I bow to the eternal sacrificial man, with splendid tusks, with the Moon and Sun as his eyes, whose belly is the two solstices of the year, whose body hair is darbha grass, whose power is fuel. The space between heaven and earth is pervaded by his body, and all directions as well; to that praiseworthy Lord, the source of the worlds—Janārdana—I bow always. For the victory or defeat of gods and demons in every age, He, the beginningless Supreme Lord, creates his own primordial body. To that Lord, the embodiment of sacrifice, I bow. Fierce in energy, formed of illusion, He bears the discus shining with spotless rays for victory; this four-armed one holds the mace, sword, and the bow Śārṅga—to that embodiment of sacrifice I bow always. Sometimes He bears a thousand heads, sometimes His body is as great as a mighty mountain, sometimes as minute as a speck of dust—to that eternal sacrificial man I bow always. He who, four-faced, creates all, who holds the wheel for protection, who for destruction is like the fire at the end of time—to that embodiment of sacrifice I bow always. He who is worshipped for the movement of the wheel of worldly existence, who is all-pervading and ancient, who is meditated upon by yogis and is immeasurable—to that embodiment of sacrifice I bow always. I have truly offered my mind to you; when your true nature is clearly seen in your own form, my mind remains steady, knowing nothing else exists—may you preserve my pure devotion.” As the king offered this praise, a radiance like the flame of fire appeared before him. The king fixed his mind upon it, entered that radiance, and attained dissolution in the embodiment of sacrifice. The Earth then asked, “After Vasu and the excellent Raibhya attained the removal of their doubts, O Lord, what did the two do, having heard the words of Āṅgirasa?” Śrī Varāha answered, “That Vasu, knower of all dharma, ruled his own kingdom and performed many great sacrifices with abundant gifts. The king, seeing himself as non-different from the Lord, propitiated Hari Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of the gods, through ritual acts. Then, after a long time, the king’s mind, having enjoyed the pleasures of sovereignty, came to the end of duality. He installed his best son, Vivasvat—foremost among a hundred brothers—as king, and went to the forest of ascetics. There is a holy place called Puṣkara, foremost among sacred sites, where Keśava, known as Puṇḍarīkākṣa, is worshipped by the devoted. There, the royal sage Vasu, king of Kashmir, performed intense austerities, causing his body to waste away. With devotion, he recited the supreme hymn to Puṇḍarīkākṣa, seeking to please the sinless Lord Nārāyaṇa. At the end of the hymn, that best of kings attained union with the Lord. The Earth asked, “O Lord, how is the supreme hymn to Puṇḍarīkākṣa remembered? What is it like? Please tell me this truthfully, O Supreme Lord.” Śrī Varāha replied, “Salutations to you, Puṇḍarīkākṣa; salutations to you, Madhusūdana; salutations to you, Lord of all worlds; salutations to you, wielder of the fierce discus. I bow to Puṇḍarīkākṣa, the universal form, mighty-armed, bestower of boons, of all-pervading brilliance, the Lord who is both knowledge and ignorance.” Thus, through devotion, knowledge, and the performance of their proper duties, these wise and noble souls attained the highest union with the Supreme Lord.