In days gone by, there lived a young woman, her eyes shining and restless from intoxication. She became enamored with a Brahmin and, filled with desire, made a secret appointment to meet him. The Brahmin, upon hearing her words, quietly withdrew and meditated upon her, pondering the situation deeply. As midnight approached, the woman, her heart intent on the Brahmin’s arrival, waited eagerly. But, by the force of fate, the Brahmin did not come. In that lonely hour, death claimed her, and she passed away. When the Brahmin learned of the beautiful-browed woman’s passing, moved by the power of death, he too approached that final threshold. At this time, Suvarna arrived and, seeing his beloved lifeless, began to lament for her with a heavy heart. After these events, the Vetala addressed King Vikrama, explaining the outcome: out of deep affection for the Brahmin, the woman died and was taken to the city of the gods. The Brahmin, possessing the form of Brahma, is always to be honored by the merchant class, yet he did not obtain the woman; instead, Hari, the Supreme Lord, granted her the path to heaven. Suvarna, reflecting in his heart, realized that his beloved was dear to Brahma himself. Thus concludes the twentieth chapter, the summary of the history of the Kali age, in the section concerning the cycles of the Four Ages, within the Pratisarga Parvan of the glorious Bhavishya Mahapurana. Now, Sūta continued: In the beautiful city of Jayasthala, there was a king named Vardhamāna. In his village lived a Brahmin, well-versed in the Vedas and all their branches. This Brahmin had four sons, each devoted to a different field of learning. Yet, by the force of fate, all four fell into poverty. Troubled, they approached their father and asked, “O dear father, tell us how our wealth was lost.” Their father replied, “Gambling, the root of sin and great wickedness, causes loss of wealth. Through the influence of gambling, your possessions have been destroyed. O sons, seek a means of livelihood; follow your parents’ advice with discernment. My son, you are a libertine, associating with courtesans, which is most inauspicious. Indulgence in sensual pleasures, meat, and wine ever increases sin. Therefore, you should worship the supreme lord Viṣṇu, the victorious lord of the universe. Abandon atheism and reviling of the gods; set your mind rightly. Remember, the gods dwell within the limbs of the self and in the hearts of all living beings.” Hearing these words, the sons journeyed to another holy place. At the end of a year, the great god granted them the knowledge of reviving the dead. Each performed the ritual: one sprinkled mantra-purified water on the best of tiger bones, another poured mantra-purified milk, a third poured pure water, and the atheist, seeing the tiger now alive and asleep, poured water upon it. Sūta then said: “O King, having heard this, the king asked—which of them is truly the fool?” The answer was clear: he who instructed the tiger was considered the most foolish of all. Thus ends the twenty-first chapter, the summary of the Kali Yuga narrative, in the Caturyuga Section of the Pratisarga Parvan of the illustrious Bhaviṣya Mahāpurāṇa. Sūta then spoke further: In a previous birth, I was Kṣatrasiṃha, a king. In his village lived a Brahmin, learned in the Vedas and their branches, who had two sons skilled in all knowledge. The younger, known as Mohana, became devoted to Śakti. Once, Kṣatrasiṃha, wishing to fulfill a ritual, himself arranged for a goat-sacrifice, dear to the gods. Śaṃbhudatta, a man of mature spirit, was devoted to the worship of Śiva. With well-prepared and delightful offerings, he joyfully performed the fire-ritual. At that moment, Līladhara saw the goat, about to meet its end...