Boundaries were set forth in the Vedas for the protection and preservation of all beings. Without these sacred limits, dharma itself would decay and be destroyed, just as it happened among the Buddhists in times past. When dharma is lost, the proper conduct of the castes dissolves and is transgressed. Therefore, auspiciousness comes to those who faithfully follow the path prescribed by the Vedas. Yet, Śuka, the wise son of Vyāsa, turned to King Janaka and spoke with persistent doubt. “O King,” he said, “a question lingers in my heart that nothing you have shared has yet resolved. In the dharma of the Vedas, violence is present, and it appears filled with unrighteousness. How, then, can the dharma proclaimed by the Vedas bestow liberation?” He continued, “There are acts directly prescribed that seem improper: drinking soma, killing animals, and eating flesh. Even in the Sautrāmaṇī rite, the drinking of liquor is explicitly enjoined. Gambling is mentioned as well, along with various vows. I have heard, O King, of Śaśabindu, that ancient ruler who was devoted to sacrifice, ever righteous, generous, and an ocean of truth. He protected the bridges of dharma and ruled even over those who strayed from the path. He performed countless sacrifices and gave abundant gifts. From the skins of animals sacrificed, a mountain arose, equal to the mighty Vindhya range; from the washing of clouds and water, the auspicious river Carmanvatī was born. That king too ascended to heaven, and his fame remains unshakable on earth. Yet, seeing all this, my mind does not incline toward the dharma of the Vedas.” Śuka’s doubts deepened. “Through association with women and constant enjoyment, a man finds happiness; in their absence, he suffers greatly. How, then, can one be liberated while living?” King Janaka replied gently, “Violence in sacrifice is indeed apparent, yet it is considered non-violence. Violence arises only due to circumstances—this is the settled understanding. Just as smoke arises from fire when there is fuel, but disappears when the fuel is gone and the fire burns clear, so too violence appears or vanishes according to one’s state. Understand, O best of sages, that the nonviolence taught in the Vedas is itself violence only for those who are attached. For those who are free from desire, it is not considered so. Whatever action is performed without attachment and without a sense of ego—such actions, the wise and learned in the Vedas declare, are not truly done. For householders, O best of twice-born, the violence involved in sacrifice is indeed present. But whatever action is performed without attachment and ego—that is true nonviolence, O illustrious one, for seekers of liberation who have mastered themselves.” At this point, the account turns to the marriage of Śuka and the rites connected with it. Śuka, still restless in heart, addressed the king once more: “O great king, a doubt remains. How can one living amidst illusion become free from desire? Even after attaining scriptural knowledge and discerning the eternal from the transient, the mind does not abandon delusion. How, then, is a person liberated? Scriptural understanding alone cannot dispel the inner darkness, just as darkness does not vanish merely by lighting a lamp. “The wise should always practice non-injury toward all beings, but how, O tiger among kings, can a householder maintain this? The desire for wealth is not calmed, nor the longing for royal pleasures; the urge for victory in battle persists. How, then, can one be liberated while living? Among thieves, the mind is that of a thief; among ascetics, the mind is saintly. The sense of ‘mine’ and ‘other’ exists for you as well, O king—how then can you be free from embodiment? “You experience harsh, sharp, bitter, and sour tastes, and perceive both auspicious and inauspicious things. Your mind delights in what is auspicious, but not in what is inauspicious. Waking, dreaming, and deep sleep are your states, O king; these occur according to time. How, then, can the fourth state—pure transcendence—be attained? “You command foot soldiers, horses, chariots, and elephants. You are the master of all—do you truly think so, or not? You are always pleased when eating delicious food, and likewise distressed. Whether adorned with a garland or encircled by a snake, where is equanimity, O best of kings? “One who is liberated, O king, regards earth, stone, and gold alike; with single-minded awareness everywhere, he acts for the welfare of all beings. Today, my mind does not delight in home, wife, or anything else; my resolve is to wander alone, utterly free from desire. Detached, free from possessiveness, peaceful, subsisting on leaves, roots, and fruits, I shall roam like a deer, without duality and without possessions. What use are a house, wealth, or a beautiful wife to me, O king, whose mind is detached and who has transcended the qualities? “You are concerned with various forms, filled with many attachments; this is mere pretension, for you claim to be liberated. Sometimes you worry about enemies, sometimes about wealth, sometimes about armies. O king, when are you truly free from care? Even the Vaikhānasa sages, who eat moderately and have mastered vows, become deluded in worldly life, though they know its falsity. “O king, those born in your lineage are called ‘Videha’—the bodiless ones; know that this name is twisted, for it does not match reality. Just as a Vidyādhara is ignorant, a person born blind is called the sun, or a wealthy man is called poor, such names are meaningless. All the kings of your lineage whom I have heard of before are renowned as ‘Videha’ by name, but not by their deeds. “Nimi, named as king, was once in your family, O king. For the sake of a sacrifice, that royal sage invited his own guru, the sage Vasiṣṭha. At that time, he invited him, and the sage said to the king: ‘I have now been invited by Indra for a sacrifice. After completing his sacrifice, I will perform yours as well; meanwhile, O king, gradually prepare the materials.