Even those who have mastered the scriptures and gained wisdom, if not careful, find themselves striving for wealth, bound to the actions set before them, performing their duties much like servants, unable to act otherwise. In this world, whether one is a child, a youth, or an old man, each person—by their own good or evil deeds—must experience the results, carrying those consequences from one birth to the next. No matter where a person may be, even unseen or in a distant land, the wind of their own karma will carry them inevitably to the place where the fruits of their actions await. What is destined for someone cannot be prevented, not even by the gods themselves. Thus, there is no reason for grief or astonishment, for what is marked as one's own fate does not become another’s. Just as a snake trapped in a well, an elephant burdened on its shoulders, or a mouse scurrying into its hole cannot escape their circumstances, so too no person can outrun the results of their karma. Yet, true knowledge, even when received in small measure, grows steadily—like water rising in a well—until it becomes abundant. Wealth that is gained through righteousness alone is true and lasting; riches obtained through unrighteous means are not. Remembering that both righteousness (dharma) and material prosperity (artha) are esteemed in the world, one should pursue wealth in accordance with dharma. The hardships a person endures for the sake of food and wealth, if undertaken for the sake of righteousness and prosperity, lose their sting and cease to be sources of pain. Of all forms of purity, purity of food is regarded as the highest. One who is pure in relation to food is truly pure, not merely by washing with earth or water. Purity is found in truthfulness, in purity of mind, in control of the senses, in compassion toward all beings, and in the purity of water. For one who possesses truth and purity, heaven is not difficult to attain; indeed, a person whose speech is truthful surpasses even those who perform the great Aśvamedha sacrifice. A wicked person, whose mind is tainted by evil intent, cannot become pure, no matter how many times they cleanse themselves with clay or water. The one who restrains hands, feet, and mind, who possesses knowledge, austerity, and good reputation, attains the true fruits of pilgrimage. Such a virtuous person does not rejoice in honors nor become angry at insults; even when angered, he does not speak harshly. When timely and beneficial words are spoken to those who are poor, wise, or gentle-natured, strangely, such words often go unappreciated. No matter how powerful the spells, strength, intelligence, or effort, mortals cannot obtain what is unattainable; so, there is no cause for sorrow. What comes to us without asking, and what departs after we send it away—both return to the source from which they came; there is no reason for grief in this. Just as many birds gather on a tree at night and fly away at dawn, so too do things and people come together and part ways in life—what cause is there for sorrow? Among travelers in a caravan, if one departs quickly on his own, why should there be grief in that? All beings begin in the unmanifest, exist in the manifest for a time, and return to the unmanifest, O Śaunaka; what cause is there for sorrow in this natural cycle? One whose time has not come will not die, even if struck by a hundred arrows; but when the destined time arrives, even a blade of grass can bring death. A person receives only what is meant for them, goes only where they are destined, and experiences only what is allotted—whether joy or sorrow. Thus, what is destined will come to pass, and lamentation serves no purpose. Just as flowers and fruits do not ripen before their time, so too do past actions yield results only at their appointed hour. Neither character, family, learning, knowledge, virtues, nor purity of lineage alone bring results; it is only the fortunes earned through austerity in previous lives that bear fruit at the proper time, just as trees yield their harvest in season. Where death is destined, the slayer appears; where prosperity is destined, wealth arrives—each drawn by the force of their own actions. The karma performed in the past follows the doer closely, just as a calf finds its own mother among a thousand cows. Thus, the actions one has performed pursue the doer; O deluded one, enjoy the good you have earned—why grieve? As the actions performed in one life, whether good or bad, so too do they follow the soul into another birth. A base person sees the smallest faults in others, even as tiny as a mustard seed, yet ignores his own, even when they are as large as a bilva fruit. Those who are attached to passion, hatred, and similar emotions find happiness nowhere; true happiness, I see, lies where there is contentment. Where there is attachment, there is fear; attachment is the very vessel of suffering. All sorrows have their root in attachment; when it is abandoned, great happiness is found. This body is indeed the abode of both suffering and happiness; life and body are born together at birth. All that depends on others brings suffering; all that is under one’s own control is happiness. Know this as the true mark of happiness and suffering. After happiness comes suffering, and after suffering, happiness follows; thus, happiness and suffering revolve among people like a wheel. What is past is gone; if it remains, it is far away. One should live in the present and not be afflicted by sorrow. Sūta then spoke: No one is truly anyone’s friend, nor anyone’s enemy; friendships and enmities arise only because of specific causes. Who first created the two-syllable word “friend,” which serves as a refuge from grief and fear, a vessel of love and trust, and a source of pride more precious than jewels? By uttering even once the two-syllable word “Hari,” one is girded with protection that leads toward liberation. There is not such trust in mother, wife, brother, or son as there is in a friend who is of one’s own nature. If one desires lasting affection, three faults must be avoided: gambling, lending money, and secretly seeking another’s wife.