Indra, the king of the gods, approached the radiant goddess Śrī with deep reverence and offered his salutations: “I bow to you, Śrī, mother of all worlds, who arose from the ocean’s depths, whose eyes bloom like lotuses, and who dwells ever upon the chest of Viṣṇu. You are the very embodiment of success, the sacrificial offerings, the sacred exclamation, and the nectar that purifies the worlds. You are twilight, night, radiance, prosperity, intelligence, faith, and Sarasvatī herself. “O beautiful one, you are the knowledge of sacrifice, supreme wisdom, the most secret truths, and the knowledge of the self. O goddess, you bestow the fruits of liberation. You alone are inquiry, the threefold Veda, commerce, and governance; with your gentle forms, you fill this entire world with your presence. “O goddess, who but you possesses the form composed of all sacrifices, the form that yogis contemplate, which is the very body of the mace-bearing Lord of gods? When you abandoned the worlds, all three nearly perished; but now, by your presence, the worlds flourish again. Wives, sons, homes, friends, grain, wealth, and all such blessings come to the fortunate through your gracious glance, O goddess. “Health, prosperity, victory over enemies, and happiness—all these are easily attained by those upon whom your gaze falls. You are the mother of all beings, while Hari, the god of gods, is their father. Together with Viṣṇu, O mother, you pervade the entire world, both moving and unmoving. “Do not abandon honor, wealth, storehouses, home, possessions, body, or spouse, O purifier of all. Do not forsake sons, friends, cattle, or ornaments, for you dwell ever upon the chest of my Lord Viṣṇu, O goddess. Those men whom you abandon, O pure one, are at once forsaken by virtue, truth, purity, and good conduct. But those upon whom you cast your glance, O goddess, are immediately endowed with all virtues and family prosperity, even if they lacked qualities before. “He is praiseworthy, virtuous, fortunate, noble, wise, heroic, and valiant, whom you have looked upon, O goddess. But all virtues swiftly depart from him whom you turn away from, O sustainer of the world, beloved of Viṣṇu. Even the tongue of Brahmā cannot fully describe your qualities; be gracious, O lotus-eyed goddess, and never forsake us.” Hearing these heartfelt praises, Śrī was pleased and granted Indra the boon he desired: stability for his kingdom, victory in battle, and all that he wished for. Thus, it is said, whoever recites or listens to this hymn to Śrī will attain both enjoyment and liberation. Then Agni spoke, “I shall now declare the policy spoken by Puṣkara and the teaching that Rāma imparted to Lakṣmaṇa for victory—wisdom which increases righteousness and brings prosperity. Listen attentively. Rāma said: ‘A king should acquire wealth by just means, increase and protect it, and bestow it upon those who are worthy—these are the four duties of a king. Discipline is the root of good governance, and discipline arises from certainty in the scriptures. True discipline is mastery over the senses; endowed with these, one should rule the earth. ‘Noble birth, purity, friendship, generosity, truthfulness, gratitude, family, character, and self-restraint—these virtues are the causes of prosperity. In the forest of scattered sense-objects, the mind runs wild and destructive; with the goad of knowledge, one should bring the elephant of the senses under control. Desire, anger, greed, delight, pride, and arrogance—these six should be abandoned; the king who gives them up is happy. ‘A king should reflect, with discipline, upon inquiry, the three Vedas, commerce, and the science of governance, using the knowledge and practices associated with each. Inquiry leads to understanding of meaning; righteousness and unrighteousness are found in the three Vedas; gain and loss are in commerce; right and wrong policy are in the science of governance. ‘Nonviolence, gentle speech, truthfulness, purity, compassion, and forgiveness—these are the common duties for both householders and renunciants. The king should care for his people, establish proper conduct, speak kindly, show compassion, give gifts, and protect the oppressed. Such conduct is the vow of the virtuous, beneficial to the good; for those afflicted by sorrow and disease, whether today or tomorrow, it is their support. ‘What king would act unrighteously for the sake of his own body? Seeking his own happiness, he should not oppress the unfortunate. If the unfortunate are oppressed, they turn their anger toward the king, just as one offers reverence to those worthy among their own people. Therefore, one should act even more virtuously toward the wicked, with auspicious intent; always show kindness to the good and even to those who are hostile. ‘Those who speak kindly are like gods; those who speak harshly are like beasts. One whose mind is pure and faithful should always worship the deities. One should honor the deities, teachers, and friends as oneself; a teacher is to be approached with reverence and without false conduct. One should face servants with kindness for their good deeds, treat friends with affection, and relatives with respect. Toward women and servants, one should show love and generosity; toward others, courtesy. Do not criticize others’ actions, and always uphold one’s own duty. ‘Be compassionate to the unfortunate, speak sweetly to all, and remain unwaveringly loyal to a friend, even at the cost of one’s own life. When a guest arrives, embrace them, give gifts according to your ability, be patient; do not be arrogant in your own prosperity, nor envious of another’s success. Even without direct opposition, speech, observance of the vow of silence, union with relatives, and cleverness among one’s own people—all are important. ‘And know that the master, the minister, the territory, the fortress, the treasury, the army, and the friend—these seven mutually supporting elements are called the limbs of a kingdom.’” Thus, the wisdom of the gods and the teachings of Rāma were revealed, guiding all toward righteousness, prosperity, and the well-being of the world.