Sāvitrī, steadfast and wise, chose Satyavān, the son of Dyumatsena, as her husband. The king, honoring her choice, gave her in marriage to Satyavān, adorning her with jewels and ornaments befitting her grace. A year passed, and Satyavān, unwavering in truth and valor, lived with her in harmony. Then, by divine arrangement, Sāvitrī journeyed to the forest, following Satyavān. There, O sage, Yama, the lord of death and restraint, arrived and bound the living soul of Satyavān, making it as small as a thumb. As Yama prepared to depart with Satyavān’s soul, he saw Sāvitrī, radiant and resolute. Yama addressed her, saying, “If you wish to accompany your beloved, then you must abandon the body. Mortals cannot depart while holding onto the body made of the five elements. The time allotted to your husband has come to completion while you remain in the land of Bharata.” He continued, imparting wisdom: “By action alone, a creature is born and by action, it perishes. Through one’s own actions, all accomplishments and even immortality are attained. By action, one becomes a Brahmin; by action, one attains liberation. By action, one becomes a great sage or an ascetic. By action, one becomes a Shudra, or even of the lowest birth. By action, one may become a foreigner, a mountain, or a tree. Through actions, one may become a small creature, a worm, a rakshasa, or a kinnara. By actions, one becomes a ghost or a vampire. By actions, one becomes a daitya, a danava, or an asura. Actions determine whether one is handsome and healthy, or afflicted with disease. Through actions, living beings go to hell or ascend to heaven. By his actions, a person attains the world of the moon, the world of fire, the world of Kubera, the world of the stars, and the world of truth. By his actions, he may go to Pātāla or to the world of Brahmā. By his actions, he attains Vaikuṇṭha and the flawless Goloka. Through actions, one may gain a lifespan of countless aeons, or find life diminished. Thus, O beautiful one, I have explained to you everything and the truth of existence.” At this moment, Śrī Nārāyaṇa spoke: With supreme devotion, Sāvitrī praised Yama, and the wise lady addressed him with questions. She asked, “By what means do the virtuous truly uproot karma? What is the seed-form of actions, and who bestows their fruits? Who experiences the fruits of actions, and who remains untouched? What is knowledge, mind, and intellect, and who are the life-forces in embodied beings? Who is the enjoyer, who causes enjoyment, what is enjoyment, and what is expiation?” Yama answered her: “That action which does not accord with the Vedas is unwholesome. Selfless service to Viṣṇu, performed by the virtuous without desire or motive, is the highest path. A man devoted to Hari is liberated; this is firmly declared in the scriptures. O virtuous one, liberation is of two kinds, as stated in the scriptures and accepted by all. The Vaiṣṇavas desire liberation in the form of devotion to Hari.” Thus, Sāvitrī’s devotion and wisdom shone forth, and Yama revealed to her the profound truths of karma, action, and liberation.