Sūta said: Thus, when Gokarṇa questioned the mysterious presence, a great cry rang out again and again. The being, overwhelmed and unable to form words, could only make gestures that revealed a flicker of consciousness. Moved by compassion, Gokarṇa took water in his palms and sprinkled it over the suffering soul. By this simple, sacred act, the tormented sinner was freed enough to speak at last. With a voice trembling from the weight of his past, the ghost revealed, “I am your brother, Dhundhukārī. Through my own faults, I have destroyed the precious gift of human birth. There is no end to my misdeeds, born of deep ignorance. I brought harm to the world, and ultimately, I was killed by women through great suffering. As a result, I have taken this wretched form of a ghost, subsisting on air, receiving the fruits of my actions only as fate allows. O friend, ocean of compassion, my brother—please, quickly release me from this torment!” Hearing these pitiable words, Gokarṇa replied with concern, “For your sake, I have performed the ancestral offerings at Gayā, as prescribed by tradition. How is it that you have not found liberation? This truly astonishes me. If even the sacred rites at Gayā cannot free you, what else can be done? Tell me, O departed one, what should I do for you? Speak the truth in detail.” Dhundhukārī responded, “Even with a hundred Gayā śrāddhas, I will not be liberated. Please, consider some other means for my release.” Gokarṇa was amazed by this confession. “If a hundred śrāddhas at Gayā cannot grant you freedom, your deliverance must indeed be difficult. Still, remain in your place without fear. I will think deeply and perform some act to secure your liberation.” Obeying his brother’s words, Dhundhukārī returned to his own place, while Gokarṇa spent the night in restless contemplation, unable to sleep as he pondered a way to save his brother. At dawn, Gokarṇa came before the people, who gathered joyously to see him. He recounted all that had transpired during the night. The learned, the steadfast in yoga, the wise, and the speakers of Brahman all assembled and searched through the scriptures, but none could find a means for Dhundhukārī’s liberation. Then, the words of the Sun were universally recognized as supreme in this matter. At that moment, Gokarṇa, with great devotion, restrained the Sun’s course and prayed, “O witness of the world, I offer you my respects. Please tell me the sure means of liberation.” From afar, the Sun responded in a clear voice, “Recite the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam for seven days—this brings liberation.” All present recognized this as the true form of dharma. Everyone agreed, “This must be done with effort, for it is both easy and effective.” With firm resolve, Gokarṇa began the sacred recitation. People flocked from villages and distant regions—the lame, the blind, the old, and the slow—all drawn by the hope of destroying their sins through hearing the holy narration. A great assembly gathered, so wondrous that even the gods marveled, as Gokarṇa took his seat and began to narrate the divine story. At that time, Dhundhukārī also arrived, searching for a place to listen. He saw before him a bamboo with seven knots, standing upright. Entering a hole at its base, he took his place within, unable to remain in his ghostly, airy form, and thus entered the bamboo itself. Recognizing the chief Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa as the foremost listener, Gokarṇa, the son of Dhenu, began the clear narration of the Bhāgavatam, starting from the first book. At the end of the first day, as the final verse was recited, a wondrous event occurred: the first knot of the bamboo split open with a resounding crack, witnessed by all the virtuous. On the second evening, the second knot broke; on the third evening, the third knot, and so on, until, after seven days, all seven knots had been split. Having heard the twelve cantos of the Bhāgavatam, Dhundhukārī was freed from the state of a wandering soul. He emerged in a divine form, adorned with a garland of tulasī, clad in yellow garments, his complexion dark as a rain cloud, crowned and wearing shining earrings. He immediately bowed before his brother Gokarṇa and said, “By your compassion, I am freed from bondage and the impurity of being a departed soul.” He continued, “Blessed is the discourse of the Bhāgavatam, which destroys the suffering of wandering souls. Blessed, too, is the seven-day recitation, which grants the fruit of attaining Krishna’s realm. All sins tremble when the seven-day hearing is undertaken; this narration brings immediate deliverance. Whether moist or dry, light or heavy, done by speech, mind, or action, hearing burns away sin just as fire consumes fuel. In this land of Bhārata, among the wise and in the assembly of gods, the birth of those who do not hear this narration is declared fruitless.” He reflected, “What is the use of protecting a well-nourished, strong body, which is unstable, without hearing the teachings of Śuka? This body is a pillar of bones, bound by sinews, smeared with flesh and blood, covered by skin, foul-smelling, a vessel for urine and excrement. Afflicted by old age, sorrow, and the consequences of actions, it is a house of disease and suffering, hard to fill, hard to bear, corrupted, flawed, and perishable in a moment. Ultimately, it ends in worms, filth, and ashes—how can unstable actions performed with such a body ever accomplish anything lasting? The food prepared in the morning perishes by evening; in a body nourished by such food, what permanence can there be?” He concluded, “By hearing the Bhāgavatam for seven days, Hari is attained in this very world; therefore, for the removal of faults, this alone is the means. Like bubbles in water, like insects among creatures, those who lack the hearing of this narration are born only to die. Where the knot of a dry bamboo is split, that is wondrous; but how much more wondrous is the splitting of the knot in the heart by hearing the Bhāgavatam!” In this way, the power of the seven-day recitation of the Bhāgavatam was glorified, bringing deliverance not only to Dhundhukārī, but to all who listened with faith and devotion.