In a gathering of kings and sages, a discussion arose about righteousness, gifts, and the proper conduct of rulers. One king, not a Brahmin nor a knower of Brahman, addressed the foremost among the kings: “O King, those like me, who are neither Brahmins nor versed in the highest knowledge, do not accept gifts. Gifts are meant always for the twice-born, and so I have given as is proper in the past.” He continued, “A man who is not a Brahmin, especially if he is miserable, should not live, nor his wife, even if she is the wife of a hero. I would never act in a way that has not been done before, for I seek to know what is right. How could acting otherwise bring any good?” Then, with humility and directness, he asked, “O one of noble form, I am Pratardana. Tell me, are there worlds for me—whether in the sky or established in heaven? I trust you as the knower of the field of righteousness.” The sage replied, “O King, there are indeed many worlds for you. Each world lasts for seven days and nights, overflowing with honey, mixed with ghee, free from sorrow—endless worlds await you. I give them to you—do not let yourself fall into the abyss. The worlds that are mine, let them now be yours. Whether in the sky or heaven, ascend to them swiftly, freed from delusion.” He then offered counsel: “A king should not covet the prosperity of one whose power is not equal, even if that one is righteous. When misfortune comes through fate, the wise king must never act with cruelty. A king who walks the path of righteousness, seeking fame, should always act with an eye to dharma. One who knows righteousness as I do should not be treated in the pitiable way you have suggested.” He continued, “One should not do what has never been done before by others, merely out of desire. Where is the virtue in that? Instead, one should act with careful discernment between righteousness and unrighteousness, ever vigilant about what ought and ought not to be done.” He concluded his teaching: “A wise, truthful, self-controlled king becomes the protector of the world by his greatness. When there is doubt in matters of righteousness, or where desire and gain are equally present, then righteousness should be chosen first. That is true righteousness which does not conflict with desire or gain.” Another king, Śibi, son of Uśīnara, stepped forward and asked, “O wealthy one, possessor of healing herbs, tell me: is there a world in heaven for me? If there is a world in the sky, O great-souled one, I trust you to know the field of that righteousness.” The sage answered, “Whatever space, earth, and directions there are, and the sun that shines by your brilliance—all these worlds are established in heaven, and by them, all beings are sustained. I give you these worlds; do not fall into ruin. Whatever worlds are mine, let them be yours. Even if you must buy them with a blade of grass, accept them, O wise king, if your acceptance is not tainted.” He added, “I do not recall ever making a false sale, nor ever taking anything in vain, fearing the reproach even of children. Nor would I do what has not been done before merely out of desire; what virtue could there be in that? O king, accept these worlds I have given; if you do not wish to offer a price, let it be so. I will not take them back; let all these worlds be yours.” Śibi then asked again, “I am Śibi, son of Uśīnara. If there are worlds for me here, whether in the sky or established in heaven, I trust you to know the field of that righteousness.” The sage replied, “Because you, O king, did not disdain the good, either in word or in heart, when they sought your help, those infinite worlds established in heaven—vast and resounding like thunderclouds—are yours. Accept these worlds, O king; if you do not wish to offer a price, let it be so. I will not take them back after giving, for these are the realms where the steadfast go and do not grieve.” He continued, “Just as you possess power like Indra, these worlds are indeed infinite. Today, I do not delight in a gift received from another; therefore, O Śibi, I do not welcome the share.” He warned, “If you do not accept our worlds one by one, then, having given all to you, we shall all go to hell.” Śibi replied, “Whatever I am worthy of, let that be given, O virtuous ones who rejoice in truth. I do not know of anything I have done before that would entitle me to this.” A question was then posed, “To whom do these five golden chariots appear? Mounting them, a man desires the eternal worlds.” The answer came: “These five golden chariots are for you; they shine high and bright, blazing like tongues of fire.” The narrative then turned to the great horse sacrifice, the Aśvamedha, ordained by the Self-born. In this sacrifice, all the limbs of the horse are gathered together in due order. The Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, Udgātṛ, and Brahman, together with all sixteen officiating priests, offer oblations into the fire as prescribed. Even the most sinful men on earth who inhale the scent of the sacrificial smoke are purified and freed from sin in that very instant. Meanwhile, Mādhavī, rich in austerity, covered herself with a deerskin and moved about with the deer, living as they did. She entered the sacrificial enclosure with the herds of deer, filled with wonder. Smelling the scent of the sacrificial smoke, she wandered there with the deer and saw her sons, now defeated. Witnessing the greatness of the sacrifice, Mādhavī felt joy and saw Yayāti, son of Nahusha, not touching the earth—he had attained the heavens. Realizing this, she bowed to her father and then addressed her mother: “Mother, whose feet you have just worshipped—who is this king, equal to the gods, whom you have greeted? Tell me.” Her mother replied to her and her sons: “Hear, all of you. This is Nahusha, my father. Yayāti is remembered as the maternal grandfather of my sons. Having installed my brother Pūru in the kingdom, he went to heaven. For what reason has this illustrious one come here?” Upon hearing these words, Mādhavī learned that her father had fallen from heaven. Disturbed by this, she addressed her father, surrounded by her grandsons: “By my austerities, I have conquered worlds—accept them from me.” She explained, “Just as wealth gained by sons is inherited by grandsons through righteousness, so say the sages who know dharma; therefore, by gift and austerity, ascend to heaven through us.” Nahusha replied, “If this is indeed the excellent fruit of righteousness for me, then I have been carried across by my daughter and grandsons, who are great-souled.” Thus, the teaching was established: from that day forward, the relationship with a daughter’s son became pure in matters of ancestor rites. In the śrāddha, three things are pure: the daughter’s son, the kutapa time, and sesame seeds. And it was said: here, three things are praised—purity, absence of anger, and absence of haste. Among those present, those who eat, those who serve, and those who recite are purifiers. Thus, through questions, answers, and noble acts, the kings and sages revealed the subtle truths of righteousness, gift, lineage, and the path to the blessed worlds.