Vyāsa spoke to Janamejaya, the king of kings, saying, “You too should perform such a rite. I will explain the proper procedure. There are Brahmins here, O king, deeply learned in the Vedas and all the rituals. They are skilled in establishing the Devi’s seed and are experts in the path of mantra. These Brahmins will serve as the officiating priests, while you alone will be the sacrificer. “By performing the sacrifice according to the prescribed rules and offering the merit gained from it, O great king, you can rescue your father who has fallen into misfortune. The sin your father incurred—disrespecting Brahmins, which is difficult to overcome and leads to hell—as well as the fault from the curse, has brought him suffering, O sinless one. “When your father met his terrible death by snakebite, he did not die on the ground nor on a bed of sacred grass. He did not die in battle, nor while bathing or giving gifts in the Ganges. His death occurred in the palace, deprived of such rites, O best of the Kurus. “All his sufferings in hell have a single cause, and for him, that rare cause did not arise. When death comes, wherever the breath remains, even in the absence of proper means and in distress, one is helpless. Yet, if a person attains dispassion and thinks with a pure mind, ‘This body made of the five elements—what sorrow is there in it for me? Today, as it falls, 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 by karma.’ “All experiences, auspicious or otherwise, are released through the human body, which is the means for pleasure and pain. If, freed from the dreadful bondage of worldly existence, one contemplates thus—even without bathing or giving gifts—such a person, upon death, is freed from the suffering of birth. This is the highest state, rare even for yogis. “But your father, O tiger among kings, after hearing the sage’s curse, held on to attachment for his body and did not attain dispassion. He thought, ‘My body is healthy, my kingdom is secure; how can I die willingly? Let those skilled in mantras be brought here.’ He then used medicines, gems, mantras, and all manner of devices, and ascended to the palace. 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 due to the Kali age and by insulting the ascetic. By such actions, one surely goes to hell. Therefore, O best of kings, rescue your father from this sin.” Sūta then said: Hearing Vyāsa’s words, radiant and profound, Janamejaya was overcome with sorrow, his voice choked with tears. He cried, “Fie upon my life, for my father is in hell! I will act so that, like the son of Uttara, he may attain heaven.” The king then asked, “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, O wise one. After hearing about Vishnu’s sacrifice for Ambika, I too will perform the rite as prescribed.” Vyāsa replied, “O king, listen to the wondrous, detailed account of how the Blessed Lord performed the sacrifice according to proper method. “When the Goddess released her power and granted three energies, the Lords of action were born as men and took their places in splendid aerial vehicles. Those three foremost 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 Medini; because she supports, she is called Dharā; and due to her expanse, she is called Pṛthvī. “This earth, the greatest, is borne on the head of Shesha, and all the mountains were made broad and vast for support. Just as iron pegs are fixed in wood, so were those mountains made. The great mountain is called Mahīdhara by the wise and by the people. “Mount Meru, made of gold and stretching many yojanas, was created, adorned with peaks of precious gems, wondrous to behold. Marichi, Narada, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Daksha, and Vasishta—these are the renowned sons of Brahma. From Marichi was born Kashyapa; and from the thirteen daughters of Daksha, many gods and demons were born. “From Kashyapa arose an exceedingly vast creation of many kinds: humans, animals, serpents, and others of various species. From half the body of Brahma was born Manu, called Svayambhuva, and from his left side came Shatarupa. To them were born two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada, and three daughters of excellent beauty. “Thus, having brought forth creation, the Blessed One, born from the lotus, made the delightful world of Brahma on the summit of Meru. The Blessed Vishnu created Vaikuntha, the supreme abode of delight for Lakshmi, a most beautiful place of play, situated above all the worlds.” So Vyāsa revealed the ancient story, guiding the king to understand the path of sacrifice and the origins of the cosmos, so that Janamejaya might rescue his father and fulfill the sacred rites as Vishnu himself once did.