The sage, eager and full of devotion, addressed Sauti, “O Sauti, please tell me about that as well; my heart yearns to hear it.” Sauti, honoring the request, replied, “Listen now to the very hymn, the sacred mantra, and the protective charm that were bestowed in ancient times. The mantra is this: ‘Om, obeisance to the Lord of the circle of Rāsa, svāhā.’ Long ago, at the holy site of Puṣkara, Brahmā imparted this mantra to Kumāra, and it concerns the glories of Hari. The meditation upon Viṣṇu, as extolled in the Vedas, is eternal and exceedingly rare. The supremely secret protective charm I speak of—I heard it directly from my own father’s lips. It was given by Brahmā to the trident-bearing Lord Śiva in the highest realm of Goloka, within the sacred circle of Rāsa. On that occasion, Brahmā, moved by compassion, addressed the Lord: ‘O Lord, out of mercy, please reveal this to the one called Brahmāṇḍa-pāvana, and also to me, to Maheśa, to Dharma, and to Your devoted servant, O lover of devotees.’ Śrī Kṛṣṇa then spoke, ‘I shall give you that which is to be carefully guarded, a secret most rare. This must not be given to just anyone; it is as dear to me as my very life. By upholding this, you, Brahmā, will become the creator and sustainer of the three worlds. O Dharma, by holding this, you will become the witness to all actions. Know that Hari himself is the purifier of this cosmic egg and of this protective mantra. Its application is to be found in the realms of righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation. Whoever possesses this perfected protective mantra becomes equal to me.’ Then the Lord described the details of protection: ‘Let the syllable praṇava, Om, protect my head, and salutations to Rāmeśvara as well. May Kṛṣṇa protect both my ears, and O Hari, protect my very breath. Let the six-syllabled mantra, “śrīkṛṣṇāya svāha,” guard my throat. Let the eight-syllabled mantra, “namo gopāṅganeśāya,” shield my shoulders. Again: Om, salutations to the Lord of the Rāsa circle, svāhā. Let the mantra “aiṃ kṛṣṇāya svāha” always protect both my ears. Let “om haraye namaḥ” always protect my back and feet. May Śrī Kṛṣṇa protect me in the east, Mādhava in the southeast, Govinda in the west, and Rādhikeśvara in the northwest. May the supreme Nārāyaṇa himself always protect me everywhere.’ Having bestowed this, the Lord said, ‘I have given you something as precious as my own life. By wearing this protective mantra, none are worthy of even a fraction of it unless they are truly devoted. After properly worshipping the guru with garments, ornaments, and sandalwood, by the grace of this protective mantra, a person attains liberation even while living.’ Sauti continued, “There is also the mantra that Vasiṣṭha gave to the Gandharva, and the one given to Manu—the mantra is: ‘Om, obeisance to the Blessed Shiva, svaha.’ This mantra was once given to Ravana by Brahmā himself. With its root, all offerings and the finest foods should be dedicated. The prayer is thus: ‘Om, obeisance to the great god; O Maheshvara, greatly fortunate one, the armor that has been revealed—’ Then Maheshvara declared, ‘I shall give you this, which is to be kept secret and is extremely rare. Long ago, it was given to the sage Durvasa for the conquest of the three worlds. Whoever, with devotion and wisdom, wears this armor of mine—know that this armor purifies worldly existence and its application is for righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation. By reciting it five hundred thousand times, the armor bestows success—by brilliance, by accomplishment, by yoga, by austerity, and by valor. May Shambhu protect my head, may Maheshvara protect my face.’ Thus, the sacred mantras and their protective powers, given by the great ones out of compassion, are to be treasured, honored, and kept with utmost reverence, for they bring the highest blessings to those who receive them in faith and devotion.