Sūta continued his narration: When Nārada heard the sorrowful words of Bhakti, his heart overflowed with compassion. He approached the two slumbering figures—Jñāna and Vairāgya—and, gently rubbing them with his fingertips, sought to awaken them from their deep sleep. Placing his mouth close to their ears, he called out loudly, “O Jñāna, awaken quickly! O Vairāgya, awaken!” With great effort, Nārada recited the Vedas, the Vedānta, and the Gītā again and again, hoping these sacred sounds would stir them to life. Slowly, with difficulty, the two began to rise. Yet, even as they sat up, they could barely open their eyes. Yawning feebly, they appeared as weak and exhausted as herons, their bodies grey and withered, like dry, lifeless wood. Seeing them so emaciated by hunger, unable to stay awake and soon slipping back into sleep, Nārada became deeply thoughtful. He pondered what more he could do to help them. “How has such sleep overtaken them? What has caused this premature old age?” he wondered. As these thoughts filled his mind, the sage Bhārgava began to recall Govinda, seeking divine guidance. At that very moment, a voice resounded from the sky: “O sage, do not be distressed. Your efforts will surely bear fruit; there is no doubt. For this purpose, perform a virtuous act. The noble ones, adorned with virtue, will declare your deed. When that virtuous act is performed, sleep and old age will depart from these two at once, and devotion will spread everywhere.” Everyone present heard the clear, divine voice, and Nārada was amazed, exclaiming, “This was not known to me.” Yet, even with this celestial guidance, the true means remained hidden. Nārada asked aloud, “Even with this heavenly speech, the matter is kept secret. What is this means? What action must be done to fulfill their purpose? Where can I find these virtuous ones, and how will they reveal the means? What exactly must I do, as the voice from the sky has spoken?” Sūta explained that, after settling Jñāna and Vairāgya where they were, Nārada set out, traveling from one holy place to another, seeking answers from the great sages he met along the way. He recounted the whole situation to them, but after much deliberation, none could provide a solution. Some declared it impossible, others found it too difficult to understand, some remained silent, and a few even fled in confusion. A great commotion arose throughout the three worlds, as the Vedas, Vedānta, and Gītā were proclaimed everywhere, yet the triad of devotion, knowledge, and detachment failed to awaken. People whispered to one another, “There is no other means.” If even the yogi Nārada could not understand, how could others among men hope to explain it? Thus, when the groups of sages were questioned, they all declared that the means was inaccessible. Troubled and filled with concern, Nārada journeyed to the sacred Badarī forest, determined to undertake austerities there to find a solution. As he arrived, he beheld the great sages Sanaka and his brothers, radiant like millions of suns. The foremost among them spoke, and Nārada, overjoyed, addressed them: “By great fortune, I have met you, O Kumāras. Please, out of compassion, speak quickly and show me the way. You are yogis, wise and learned, endowed with perfect restraint, and ancestors even of the earliest sages. Always residing in Vaikuntha, you are devoted to singing the praises of Hari, intoxicated by the nectar of his pastimes, living solely for the sake of his stories. For those whose mouths constantly utter the name of Hari as their only refuge, old age, decreed by time, does not trouble them. “By merely a frown from you, the two gatekeepers of Hari once instantly fell at your feet, and by your compassion, they returned to the city. By the fortune of yoga, I have gained your sight here; you, full of compassion, ought to show grace to me, who am destitute. Please explain in detail the means spoken by the bodiless voice—how it is to be practiced. How does happiness arise for those endowed with devotion, knowledge, and detachment? How can it be established among all classes, with love and effort?” The Kumāras replied, “Do not be anxious, O divine sage. Let your heart be joyful. The means, easily accomplished, is already present here. O Nārada, you are blessed—the crest-jewel among the detached, always foremost among the servants of Śrī Krishna, the sun among yogis. It is not surprising that you, who always follow the path of devotion, are destined to establish devotion for Krishna’s servant. “Many sages have taught various paths in this world, all difficult and achieved by effort, and for the most part, they yield only the fruits of heaven. But the path that leads to Vaikuntha is kept secret; its teacher is rarely found, and it is attained mostly by good fortune. The noble act prescribed to you by the voice in the sky—now it will be explained; listen with steady mind and clear intellect. “Some perform sacrifices with offerings, others with austerity, some with yoga, and others with study and knowledge; these are all known as actions. Among them, the sacrifice of knowledge is regarded by the wise as the mark of noble action—the discourse on the Śrīmad Bhāgavata, sung by Śuka and others. By the proclamation of that, great strength arises for devotion, knowledge, and detachment; the suffering of Jñāna and Vairāgya will depart, and happiness will come to the devotee. Indeed, at the sound of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata’s path, all the faults of Kali will perish, like wolves fleeing the roar of a lion. Devotion, joined with knowledge and detachment, bringing the flavor of love, will play from house to house, from person to person.