Those who are childless may gain a child, and those separated from their beloved may be reunited. The sick find release from their ailments, and those bound in captivity are set free. Such are the blessings described in this hymn. Now, listen to the method of meditation and worship. I shall declare the way: one should worship her with devotion, even without formal invocation. Tulasī, the very essence of all flowers, is pure, chaste, worthy of worship, and enchanting. Among all flowers, none can compare to her, nor is there an equal among goddesses, O sage. She is to be worn upon the head by all, for she purifies the world and fulfills desires. After meditating upon her, worshipping, and offering praise, the wise should bow down before Tulasī. At this point, Nārada spoke, saying, "Please explain to me the story of Sāvitrī—how she arose in ancient times and how her story is connected to the origin of the Vedas." Nārāyaṇa replied, "In the second age, Sāvitrī was worshipped by the hosts of gods and, later, by groups of learned sages. In earlier times, King Aśvapati in Bhārata also worshipped her. Sāvitrī, who is worthy of all worship, is indeed remarkable. She takes away the strength of enemies and destroys the suffering of friends. King Aśvapati had a chief queen, a righteous consort devoted to dharma. This queen, a woman of great virtue, followed the instructions of Vasiṣṭha. Yet, she did not receive any command, nor did she have a vision of the goddess. The king, seeing his queen distressed, consoled her with wise words. There, with self-restraint, King Aśvapati performed austerities for a hundred years. In time, the king heard a voice from the sky, bodiless and divine. Meanwhile, at that very place, the sage Parāśara arrived. Parāśara spoke, saying, "By reciting this ten times, a person removes the sins of day and night. By reciting it a hundred times, even the gravest sin accumulated in a month is destroyed. Recitation grants liberation to brāhmaṇas, and is ten times more effective than other means. A twice-born should recite facing east, with head bowed and body steady. The method of recitation is on the hand, from the root to the tip of the index finger. Or, O King, one may make a rosary and recite at a sacred place or in a temple. The wise should smear the rosary with cow's yellow pigment and bathe it with the Gāyatrī. Alternatively, after bathing with pañcagavya, the rosary should be properly purified. In this manner, O royal sage, perform a hundred thousand recitations in sequence. Every day, at each of the three junctions of the day—morning, noon, and evening—you must do this continually. One who neglects the sandhyā rituals is always impure and unfit for all sacred rites. He who omits the earlier or the later rites falls short. But he who performs the three sandhyā rituals throughout his life purifies the earth instantly by the dust of his lotus feet. Even the sacred places become pure merely by his touch. The gods do not accept the worship of one who neglects these duties, nor do the ancestors accept his offerings of food and water. A twice-born who lacks the Viṣṇu mantra and neglects the three sandhyā rituals, who eats food not offered to Hari, who runs about or rides a bull, who cremates corpses, who is master of a Śūdra woman, or a Brāhmaṇa who is her husband—such a person is not regarded as pure or fit for sacred rites.