In this world, a person who follows the right path finds happiness here and, after death, attains the eternal. The ways to this fulfillment, as revealed by the wise, are fourfold, each leading to its own attainment. Whoever contemplates and observes this profound greatness also reaches the eternal. Those who truly know Brahman declare that everything arises from dharma. This power, O best of the twice-born, is Brahmanic in nature—without beginning and without end. Therefore, one should practice karma-yoga, the yoga of action, together with knowledge. When knowledge comes first, it leads to renunciation; otherwise, one remains engaged in worldly action. Thus, renunciation should be pursued, for without it, one is destined to be born again. Straightforwardness, freedom from envy, and journeys to holy places are virtues to be cultivated. Worship of the deities, and especially honoring the Brahmins, are also to be upheld. Manu has declared these as the essential dharma for the four varṇas. For kṣatriyas who stand firm in battle and do not flee, the station of Indra is attained. Those of the śūdra class who live by service reach the Gandharva realm. Their prescribed place is with those who dwell in the company of their teacher. The householder’s station is called prājāpatya, as proclaimed by the self-born. This station is also known as Hiraṇyagarbha, from which there is no return. The abode of bliss and lordship—this is the highest state, the supreme goal. Though four āśramas, or stages of life, are taught, for yogins only one is recognized. The yogi who sits unmoving in meditation is a renunciant; there is no fifth state. He who observes the vow of brahmacharya, whether as an upakurvāṇa or a naiṣṭhika, is devoted to the essence of Brahman. The upakurvāṇa is so named, while the naiṣṭhika maintains the vow until death. The practitioner who supports his family is the householder. The one who wanders alone, detached from all, is a seeker of liberation. He who is dedicated to self-study in the forest is regarded as an ascetic. The one who abides in the forest-dweller stage is a renunciant. The mendicant who pursues knowledge is called a supreme renunciant. One endowed with true vision is both a yogi and a mendicant. Among renouncers of action, there are three kinds, all known as supreme renunciants. The one established in the highest yoga is said to be in the third and final stage of life, where supreme contemplation is declared to be the culmination. Nowhere in the Vedic scriptures is a fifth āśrama recognized. In the beginning, the all-pervading Self spoke to Daksha and the others, commanding them to create various beings. Thus, they created all beings, starting with the gods and humans. I, indeed, protect this world, while the wielder of the trident—Shiva—will dissolve it at the end. From the interplay of rajas, sattva, and tamas, the Supreme Self arises. The Supreme Lords bow to one another and merge in playful union. O twice-born, know that three forms of meditation always reside in Rudra. The second of these is meditation on the imperishable aspect of the god Brahman. By his own will, that Lord divides himself and abides as the inner ruler within all beings. The Supreme Person, beyond even the unmanifest, ultimately attains the state of Brahman.