The wise sage, reflecting upon the nature of happiness and distress, pondered aloud: If karma—the accumulated actions of a person—is said to be the cause of joy and sorrow, what relevance does that have for the soul itself? For karma pertains to both the sentient and the insentient; this body is merely a covering of skin, while the true person is the conscious self, the suparna. To whom, then, should one direct anger? Karma is not the root cause. He continued: If time is considered the cause of happiness and distress, what concern is that for the soul? Time shares the same essence as the soul. Just as heat is not the intrinsic property of fire, nor cold of snow, to whom should one be angry? Duality does not belong to another. For the supreme soul, who transcends all, duality does not arise anywhere, by anyone, in any way. Just as I am, so is the cycle of birth and death; thus, one who is awakened does not fear the elements. With this supreme devotion to the transcendent self, practiced by the ancient sages, I shall cross the boundless and impassable darkness by serving the feet of Mukunda. The Blessed Lord then spoke: Having become indifferent, bereft of possessions, free from fatigue, wandering the earth as a renunciant, and remaining steadfast in his own duty even when rejected by the wicked, the sage uttered this verse. He declared: No one but the soul itself is the cause of happiness and distress for a person; friends, neutrals, and enemies are all creations of worldly ignorance. Therefore, O dear one, with all your being, restrain the mind by intelligence fixed in Me; this alone is the essence of yoga. Whoever, with a focused mind, holds, recites, or listens to this song sung by the sage, established in Brahman, is not overcome by the dualities of life. Śuka then spoke: The Lord, accompanied by Balarāma, was residing in Vraja and saw the cowherds preparing for a sacrifice to Indra. Although fully aware, the Lord—the soul of all and seer of everything—humbly approached and inquired of the elders, led by Nanda. He asked, “Father, what is this commotion that has arisen? What is its purpose, for whom is it intended, and by whom is this sacrifice performed?” “O Father, I greatly desire to hear this; please tell me, for I am eager to listen. Indeed, the righteous, who are devoted in all ways, do not keep their actions secret.” He further observed, “One who is indifferent to friends, neutrals, and enemies, who is impartial and avoids hostility, is called a true friend, seeing others as oneself. People perform actions both knowingly and unknowingly; for the wise, actions bring success, but not so for the unwise. So, what is the purpose of this ritual activity you have considered? Or is it merely customary? Please, as I ask, speak well and tell me.” Nanda replied, “The god Indra is the lord of rain; the clouds are his very form. They pour down water, which delights and sustains all beings. We and others worship that lord of the rain-bringers, the master, with offerings and sacrifices prepared with materials and clarified butter. By what remains from that, people live for the sake of the three aims of life; for human efforts, the rain-god is the cause of their fruits. A man who abandons this traditional dharma, passed down through generations, out of desire, greed, fear, or hatred, does not attain good fortune.” Śuka narrated: Hearing the words of Nanda and the other residents of Vraja, Keśava, stirring up anger toward Indra, spoke to his father. The Blessed Lord explained, “A living being is born by action and is dissolved by action; happiness, sorrow, fear, and safety all arise from action alone. If there is some lord who gives the fruits of others' actions, he too depends on the doer; for he has no power over one who does not act. What need is there for Indra among beings who follow their own actions? He is powerless to alter what is ordained by their own nature. Indeed, people act according to their own nature, being governed by it; all this—gods, demons, and humans—remains established in its own nature. A living being, attaining a body high or low, acts and gives up by action; friend, foe, or neutral—action alone is the teacher and lord. Therefore, one should worship through action, remaining in one's own nature and performing one's own duty; that by which one lives directly, that alone is truly one's deity. He who, having the means to live by one path, depends on another for his livelihood, does not attain well-being from that, just as an unchaste woman does not from a paramour. A brāhmaṇa should live by Brahman, a kṣatriya by protecting the earth, a vaiśya should live by commerce, and a śūdra by serving the twice-born. Farming, trade, and cow protection—lending at interest and music are also said; thus, there are four kinds of livelihoods, among which we are always engaged in tending cows. Sattva, rajas, and tamas are the causes of maintenance, creation, and destruction; from rajas arises the universe, the diverse world, each from the other. Urged by rajas, the clouds pour water everywhere; by that alone do beings thrive—what then can Indra do?” He continued, “We have no cities, towns, or houses; we always dwell in the forest, O dear one, living among woods and mountains. Therefore, let a sacrifice be begun for the cows, brāhmaṇas, and the mountain; let the materials for Indra's worship be used for this sacrifice. Let various kinds of cooked foods be prepared, including soups, rice puddings, and the like; let cakes, fried flour cakes, and other milk-based dishes be gathered. Let the fires be properly offered into by brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda; let abundant, excellent food be given to them, and cows as gifts. To others, such as horse-keepers, outcastes, and the fallen, let gifts be given as appropriate; after giving barley to the cows, let an offering be made to the mountain. Adorned, having eaten, anointed, and dressed in fine garments, perform circumambulation of the cows, brāhmaṇas, fires, and the mountain. This is my opinion, dear one; let it be done if it pleases you. This sacrifice is dear to the cows, brāhmaṇas, the mountain, and to me.” Śuka concluded: Hearing these words spoken by the Lord, who, as Time itself, wished to humble Indra's pride, Nanda and the others accepted them as proper. And so, they did everything as Madhusūdana had instructed, having the brāhmaṇas recite blessings and using those materials for the mountain and the brāhmaṇas. Having properly offered all the gifts, and respectfully giving barley to the cows, placing the herds at the forefront, they circumambulated the mountain, honoring the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the fires, and the mountain as Krishna had advised.