If even the Lord Himself, the very embodiment of righteousness, once assumed the form of Vāmana and, with the intention of obtaining the sacrificial offering, acted as He did, then why should we expect others not to act similarly? This world, O master, is such that one ought never to place unguarded trust in anyone. When greed arises in the heart, it gives birth to dreadful fear and leads to the most terrible deeds. Those who are overcome by greed will surely commit sinful acts, O noble sage. Such men, blinded by their desires, feel no fear of what awaits them in the next world. When greed afflicts the mind, men fall completely—by thought, word, and deed—seeking to seize the wealth belonging to others. People ceaselessly worship the gods, hoping thereby to gain riches, yet the gods, having fulfilled their part, are not able to bestow wealth directly. In this world, wealth is taken from others and given as one wishes—whether by trade, charity, theft, or even by force. Consider the merchant: he gathers grain, cloth, and other goods for sale, worships the gods, and prays, “May I obtain great prosperity.” But what is trade, O scorcher of foes, if not the desire for another’s wealth? When the time comes to acquire, he even wishes for the highest price. Thus, O Brahman, all creatures are ever intent on taking the property of others. Where, then, can there be true trust? For those enveloped in greed and delusion, even pilgrimage, charity, and study become fruitless; what is done becomes undone. Therefore, O most fortunate one, send this king away to his home. I will remain here with my son, O best of twice-born, just as Jānakī remained steadfast. Thus addressed, the sage went to King Yudhājit and spoke firmly, “Go, O king, as you wish, to your own city, best among rulers. Manorama will not come with you; she is deeply distressed, caring for her young son.” But Yudhājit replied, “O sage, abandon your stubbornness and send Manorama away. I will not depart without her, nor will I take her by force today.” The sage answered, “Take her, if you are able, by force from my hermitage today—just as Viśvāmitra once tried to seize the cow from the sage Vasiṣṭha.” Hearing these words, Vyāsa tells us, the king summoned his aged minister and questioned him with great care. “Tell me, wise one, what should be done here today? I am prepared to take her by force, along with her sons. Even a weak enemy should never be disregarded by one who desires well-being. When such an enemy matures, he becomes like a hidden disease, bringing certain death. Here, there is neither army nor warrior to restrain me. I will seize and destroy the enemy of my grandson. If I act by force today, the kingdom will be free of thorns, and once Sudarshana is slain, we shall be fearless.” But the chief minister counseled restraint: “One should not act rashly, O king. You have heard the sage’s words and the example he gave of Viśvāmitra. Long ago, the illustrious son of Gādhi, Viśvāmitra, renowned among kings, while wandering, arrived at the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha. Having bowed respectfully, the powerful king was offered a seat by the great sage. Vasiṣṭha, with a generous heart, invited Viśvāmitra and his army to partake of a meal. All kinds of food and delicacies were provided by Nandini, the divine cow, and the king and his army ate to their hearts’ content. Recognizing the wondrous powers of Nandini, Viśvāmitra approached Vasiṣṭha and requested the cow, saying, ‘O sage, I will give you a thousand milking cows; give me Nandini, I request you, O scorcher of foes.’ But Vasiṣṭha replied, ‘This is my sacrificial cow, O king. I will not give her under any circumstances. Even a thousand cows may remain with you, but this one stays with me.’ Viśvāmitra pressed further, ‘I will give you ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand, whatever you desire. Give me Nandini, O virtuous one, or else I will take her by force.’ Vasiṣṭha answered, ‘Take her by force today, O king, if you wish, but I will not willingly let Nandini go from my house.’ Hearing this, Viśvāmitra ordered his mighty servants, ‘Take Nandini, the cow, you who are proud of your strength!’ The servants seized her by force, restraining her. Trembling and with tearful eyes, Surabhi, the cow, called out to the sage, ‘O sage, why do you abandon me as they drag me away so harshly?’ The sage replied gently, ‘I do not abandon you, O giver of excellent milk. The king is taking you by force today, though I have honored him. What can I do? In my heart, I do not wish to abandon you.’ Thus addressed, the cow was filled with anger and immediately let out a harsh, dreadful bellow. From her body emerged fierce demons, armed and clad in armor, shouting, ‘Stop! Stop!’ These terrible beings destroyed the entire army, and Nandini was freed. King Viśvāmitra departed alone, deeply distressed. Overwhelmed by sorrow, he lamented the power of the warrior caste and realized the Brahmin’s strength was difficult to attain. Thus, he resolved to undertake severe austerities. For many years, Gādhi’s son performed penances in the great forest until he attained the status of a sage, forsaking the way of the warrior. Therefore, O king, you too should not create extraordinary enmity. Surely, conflict with ascetics brings destruction to one’s lineage.