When one truly perceives the Self abiding within all beings, he beholds that most auspicious One—the Divine Mother herself. Having seen her in this way, he becomes a knower of Brahman, whose very nature is existence, consciousness, and bliss. In this realization, O King, all things beginning with Māyā—illusion and ignorance—are burned away, leaving only the karma already set in motion, which endures as long as the body remains. Such a soul is liberated while still alive, and when the body falls, he attains ultimate liberation. He has fulfilled the highest purpose, O dear one, for he has worshipped the Mother of the universe. Therefore, it is with all effort that one should meditate upon, listen to, and reflect upon the glorious Lady of the world, following the words of the Guru. Know this, O King: a sacrifice performed in this manner bestows liberation without doubt. Other sacrifices, driven by desire, are subject to decay and impermanence. The Vedas instruct that one may perform the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, according to proper rule, desiring heaven; the wise declare it so. Yet, when the merit of such rituals is exhausted, one returns again to the mortal world according to their inclination. Thus, the mental sacrifice—the inner offering of devotion and knowledge—is superior and truly imperishable. Such a sacrifice is not suitable for a king who seeks victory in battle; the serpent sacrifice you performed earlier was born of tamas, of darkness and ignorance. The enmity of the wicked Takṣaka has been enacted, O King, and for his sake, countless other serpents perished in your sacrificial fire. Now, O best of kings, you should perform the Devi-sacrifice, properly established and according to sacred rule, just as Vishnu himself did at the beginning of creation. In the same way, you too must act, O king of kings. I shall teach you the procedure. Here are Brahmins, most learned in the Vedas and the rituals, skilled in establishing the Devi’s presence and expert in the path of mantra; they shall serve as officiating priests, and you alone will be the sacrificer. By performing this sacrifice according to the prescribed rites, and by offering the merit thus gained, you will be able, O great king, to rescue your father who has fallen into misfortune. The sin of disrespecting Brahmins—a grave fault leading to hell—along with the curse incurred, weighs upon your father, O sinless one. Your father’s death was unusual: he did not die in battle, nor while bathing or giving gifts in the sacred Ganges. He did not die lying upon the ground, nor on a bed of sacred grass; instead, death came to him within the palace, bereft of such rites. All the sufferings of hell, O king, have but one cause, and for him, even that exceedingly rare cause did not arise. When death arrives, wherever the breath remains, one is helpless—means and resources fail, and distress prevails. Yet, if with a pure mind, one attains dispassion and thinks, “This body made of the five elements—what sorrow is there in it for me? Today, as it falls as it will, I am liberated, without qualities, imperishable; since the elements themselves are perishable, what is there to lament? I am truly Brahman, not bound to worldly existence, always free, eternal; my connection with the body is established only by karma.” Indeed, all things—auspicious or otherwise—are experienced through the human body, which is the means for both pleasure and pain. Freed from this dreadful bondage of worldly existence, if one contemplates thus—even without bathing or giving gifts—then, attaining death in such a state, one is freed from the suffering of birth. This is said to be the highest state, rare even for yogis. But your father, O tiger among kings, after hearing the sage’s curse, clung to attachment for his body and did not attain dispassion. He thought, “My body is healthy, my kingdom is secure and free from foes; how can I die willingly? Let those who know mantras be brought here.” Thus, the king resorted to medicine, precious gems, mantras, and every device, and ascended to the palace. Yet he did not bathe, did not give gifts, did not remember the Goddess, nor did he lie on the ground, believing fate to be supreme. Immersed in the dreadful ocean of delusion, he died in the palace, killed by a snake, having committed sin under the influence of the Kali age and by insulting an ascetic. Such actions certainly lead one to hell. Therefore, O best of kings, you must rescue your father from that sin. Hearing these words of Vyāsa, whose brilliance is immeasurable, Janamejaya was overcome by sorrow, his voice choked with tears. He lamented, “Fie upon my life today, for my father is in hell. I will act so that, like Uttara’s son, he may attain heaven.” Then Janamejaya asked, “O Grandfather, how did Hari—the all-powerful Vishnu, the very cause of the universe—perform the sacrifice in ancient times? Who were his assistants? Which Brahmins, which officiating priests, and those who knew the essence of the Vedas—tell me all this, O wise one. For after hearing how Vishnu performed the sacrifice for Ambikā, I too will perform the rite according to the prescribed rules.” Vyāsa replied, “O king, listen well to the wondrous and detailed account of how the Blessed Lord performed the sacrifice according to the proper method. When the Goddess released her power and granted those three energies, the Lords of action were born as men and took their places in splendid aerial vehicles. Those three foremost of the gods reached the dreadful great ocean, and, creating the earth, established their abodes for dwelling. Then, the immovable supporting power was released by the Goddess herself; that support, endowed with marrow, became the earth and was established. Because the earth arose from the union of the marrow of Madhu and Kaitabha, she is called Medinī; and because she supports, she is called Dharā; due to her expanse, she is called Pṛthvī.