Suvarna, feeling a profound realization within his heart, understood that his beloved was especially dear to Brahma himself. Thus, the account of the Kali age—its summary and the stories of the other Four Ages—came to a close within the Pratisarga Parvan of the illustrious Bhavishya Mahapurana. Then, Sūta continued his narration: In the splendid city of Jayasthala, there once ruled a king named Vardhamāna. In a village within his domain lived a learned brāhmaṇa, deeply versed in the Vedas and all their branches. This brāhmaṇa had four sons, each devoted to a different field of knowledge. However, by the workings of fate, all four fell into poverty. Distressed, the sons approached their father and asked, “Dear father, tell us how we lost our wealth.” The father replied, “Gambling, the root of sin and great wickedness, is the cause of your loss. Through the influence of gambling, all your possessions have been destroyed. My sons, seek a means of livelihood; heed the advice of your parents with discernment. And you, my son, who consorts with courtesans and indulges in libertine ways—know that this is most inauspicious. Indulgence in sensual pleasures, meat, and wine only increases sin. Therefore, worship the supreme lord Viṣṇu, the victorious lord of the universe. Abandon atheism and refrain from reviling the gods; set your mind on the right path. Remember, the gods dwell within the very limbs of the self and in the hearts of all living beings.” Hearing their father’s wise words, the brothers journeyed to another holy place. After a year had passed, the great god blessed them with the knowledge to revive the dead. They decided to test this knowledge: one sprinkled mantra-purified water on the best of tiger bones; the libertine poured mantra-purified milk upon them; the sensualist poured pure water as well. Finally, the atheist, seeing the tiger revived and asleep, poured water onto it. At this point, Sūta paused and said, “O King, after hearing this, the king asked: ‘Who among these brothers is truly the fool?’” The answer was clear: the one who instructed the tiger was considered the most foolish of all. Thus ended the twenty-first chapter, summarizing the Kali Yuga narrative in the Caturyuga Section of the Pratisarga Parvan of the Bhaviṣya Mahāpurāṇa. Continuing, Sūta revealed, “In a previous birth, I was Kṣatrasiṃha, a king. In my village lived a brāhmaṇa, learned in the Vedas and their branches. He had two sons, both skilled in all branches of knowledge. The younger, Mohana, became devoted to the goddess Śakti. Once, desiring to perform a ritual sacrifice, I, Kṣatrasiṃha, arranged for a goat-sacrifice, an offering dear to the gods. Śaṃbhudatta, a man of mature spirit, was devoted to the worship of Śiva. With great joy and well-prepared offerings, he performed the fire-ritual. Līladhara, seeing the goat about to be sacrificed, thought to himself, ‘Such violence against life leads to a terrible hell.’ Hearing these words from his elder brother, Mohana responded, ‘In the former Satya Yuga, O brother, brāhmaṇas were devoted to sacrifice. Considering sesame superior to a goat, they set their minds on offering it in the fire instead.’ The brāhmaṇas replied with sweet words, ‘Your opinion yields no fruit.’ At that very moment, a pitṛ named Amāvasu appeared before them, descending in a splendid aerial chariot. Without fear, he addressed the sages. Upon hearing his words, the sages followed his guidance and thus attained auspiciousness. Having heard those grave words, Līladhara, possessed of noble intellect, reflected further: the world, now suffused with the quality of passion, had arisen in the Treta age.