Having thus spoken, Sutapa departed for his home, taking his son along with him. At that time, the Sun, the lord of the three worlds, was troubled, for his two sons had been stricken by disease. Filled with concern for their well-being, the Sun approached the sage Bharadvāja, foremost among sages, and spoke to him regarding the transgressions of his sons. The Sun said, “O Bharadvāja, you are chief among sages. Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesha, and all the gods are ever devoted to the Brahmin and are worshipped throughout all the worlds. When the Brahmin is satisfied, Narayana himself is pleased. There is no holy place as sacred as the Ganga, nor any god greater than Krishna. No dharma is higher than truth, and among virtuous women, none surpasses Parvati. There is no enemy more formidable than disease, and none is more worthy of honor than the guru. Of all austerities, the vow of Ekadashi is the greatest; no fast is superior to it. Among all the orders of life, the Brahmin is supreme, and there is no teacher equal to the Brahmin.” Hearing these words from the Sun, Bharadvāja bowed to him with reverence. The Sun then assured him, “In due time, your two sons will become recipients of sacrifice.” With this hope, Bharadvāja, anxious and devoted to serving Hari, went to the banks of the sacred Ganga. By the blessing of the twice-born Brahmin, those two sons became honored and worthy recipients of sacrifice. Indeed, by the grace of a Brahmin’s feet, one finds victory everywhere. Whoever rises in the morning and recites, “Salutations to the Brahmins,” attains great merit, for all the holy places on earth are also present in the ocean. As long as the earth endures, those who drink water that has washed a Brahmin’s feet with devotion are blessed. Even one afflicted with severe disease, if he drinks this sacred water, O twice-born, gains relief. Whether ignorant or learned, the twice-born who is purified by the sandhyā rites is to be respected. One should never strike or curse a Brahmin, even if he does so to you; rather, he is to be honored a hundred times more than cows and is regarded as a devotee of Hari. The twice-born who partakes of water from a Brahmin’s feet, or his offered food, gains merit. He who observes Ekadashi fast and always worships Krishna, or who eats only the remnants of food that has been offered as naivedya, is blessed. Food, excrement, milk, or urine that has not been offered to Vishnu is not pure. Brahma and his sons are all devoted to Vishnu. Regarding contact with one’s ancestors, maternal grandfathers, and even the teacher, the true worth of a teacher, father, son, or friend is measured by their devotion. Among the twice-born, a Brahmin who is not a Vaishnava is surpassed by a Vaishnava, even if the latter is a Chandala. A twice-born who neglects the sandhyā, remains impure, or is averse to Krishna, falls from his duty. He into whose ear the mantra of Vishnu has entered from the mouth of the guru, together with hundreds of his ancestors and maternal grandfathers, attains the abode of Hari. Just as there are four castes—Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra—so too do Vaishnavas always meditate upon the lotus feet of Govinda. For the protection of his devotees, the Lord has engaged the Sudarshana discus. At this point, Śaunaka spoke, “I have heard these things—through reproach, by way of introduction, and out of curiosity. Tell me, who created the beings, and who among them were the celibate ascetics? What happened as a result of the father’s curse upon the son, in their opposition?