On the sacred eleventh day, it is enjoined that beans must not be consumed; on the twelfth day, putikā beans are likewise to be avoided. The fourteenth day brings a grave warning: eating black gram on this day is considered a great sin. For those householders who maintain their duties, meat that has been ritually sprinkled with water may be permitted on other days, but with discernment and care. Mustard oil and oil that has been thoroughly cooked are praised, O Nārada, as wholesome and suitable. Yet, on days of śrāddha, during the observance of vows, and on Sundays, oil pressed by the hands of women is regarded as impure and should be avoided. Sleeping during sacred observances is forbidden, as is the consumption of turtle meat that has been consecrated with mantras. At night, curd is not to be eaten, nor should one sleep during the time of twilight, for these acts are not in harmony with dharma. Food prepared by a woman who draws water, or by a woman of promiscuous conduct, is unfit to eat. O best of sages, food that belongs to a woman of low caste is likewise prohibited. Food that has first been given to a non-brāhmaṇa, or which comes from one who practices medicine, is also to be avoided. In the month of Bhādrapada, meat taken from the root of the deer is considered as sinful as eating the flesh of a cow. Whoever, after engaging in sexual union or after shaving, seeks to offer satisfaction to the gods and ancestors—such actions are not in accordance with what ought to be done. Thus, O Nārada, whatever is fit or unfit to be done, whatever is proper or improper to eat, all these must be discerned with care and reverence. At this point, Nārada, ever eager to understand the highest truths, approached and asked, “Please describe to me the true nature of Brahman and its definition. O Lord, is Brahman possessed of form, or is it formless, O Master? Is it visible or invisible, attached to embodied beings or not? Is Prakṛti distinct from Brahman, or is she of the same nature as Brahman? Of the two, which holds supremacy in creation, and which is the highest choice between them?” Hearing these profound questions, the five-faced Mahādeva smiled gently and replied, “O Nārada, such matters are exceedingly rare in the Vedas and Purāṇas. I, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śeṣa, Dharma, the great Virāṭ—whatever is endowed with attributes and is visible or perceptible—these are all bound by limitation. Long ago, in Vaikuṇṭha, Dharma put forth this very question to Brahmā. The answer that was given is the very essence of all principles, the eye for those blinded by ignorance. It is the true form of the Supreme Self, the supreme, eternal Brahman. Know that the five vital airs are none other than Viṣṇu himself; the mind is Brahmā, the lord of creatures. All beings, all gods, depend upon the Self; as long as that Self abides, so do we. The individual soul is but a reflection of that Self, the experiencer of the fruits of actions. Just as the reflection disappears when a pot is broken, so too do the forms of the moon and sun vanish from water when the vessel is gone. In the end, only the supreme Brahman remains, dear one, when the world dissolves. That Brahman is of the nature of light, appearing as a radiant circle; it is vast as space, all-pervading, and imperishable. There, the yogis declare, is the supreme, eternal Brahman: without desire, without form, the Supreme Self, the Lord. It is of the very nature of supreme bliss, the cause of all bliss; and there, too, Prakriti—the source of all seeds—merges into it. Just as the power to burn resides in fire, and radiance is in the sun, O sage, just as sound pervades the sky and scent is always present in the earth, so too, when Brahman inclines toward creation, a portion of it becomes known as Purusha. There, Prakriti is threefold in qualities and is remembered as the supreme, shadowy form. Just as a potter is always able to fashion a pot from clay, so too does creation arise from the Supreme by its own inherent power.