Brahma, the revered Pitamaha, sat in deep contemplation and soon recalled, in his mind’s eye, all that had transpired long ago in the sacred Daru forest. Rising from his seat, he joined his palms in reverence, bowed to the great Bhava, and turned to address the sages who dwelled in that holy place. He rebuked them gently yet firmly: “Shame upon you, who have reached the end of your lives, yet have missed the supreme and incomparable treasure. You Brahmins, deprived of good fortune, have acted in vain. The one whom you beheld in the Daru forest, bearing the linga and appearing to you as deformed, is, in truth, the supreme Lord himself. “O twice-born, householders must never look down upon guests—whether they appear deformed or beautiful, unclean or unlearned. In the past, even Death and Time were conquered on earth by the foremost Brahmin, Sudarshana, simply through his unwavering worship of guests. For those who neglect this sacred duty, there is no crossing over—no liberation—for householders or even the most excellent Brahmins. The worship of guests purifies one’s very self on earth. “In the days of old, Sudarshana, while living as a householder in the city of Jayā, made a solemn vow to his devoted wife. He said to her, ‘O virtuous one, beautiful and fortunate, listen well: never, at any time, should you disregard a guest who enters our home. Every guest is, in truth, a direct manifestation of the bearer of the Pināka—Lord Shiva himself. Therefore, after offering to the guest, you must honor him as you would honor your own self.’ “Distressed and helpless, Sudarshana’s devoted wife wept and spoke to her husband, ‘Master, what is this you ask of me?’ But Sudarshana replied, ‘Everything should be given, noble one, to Shiva; for Shiva himself is the guest.’ “Thus instructed by her husband, the devoted wife accepted his words as if they were the remnants of a sacred offering. She resolved to act accordingly, determined to uphold their faith. In order to test their devotion, Dharma himself took on the form of a distinguished Brahmin and came to their house. The sinless wife welcomed him with water for washing his feet and other offerings, honoring him as tradition prescribed. “Once he had been duly honored, Dharma, in the guise of the Brahmin, asked, ‘O blessed one, where is your wise husband, Sudarshana?’ He then said, ‘With sufficient food and drink, O noble lady, you should also offer yourself to me.’ Remembering her husband’s command, the modest woman, eyes downcast, trembled and pondered what she should do. “Obeying her husband’s words, she was about to offer herself to the guest when Sudarshana, the wise sage, returned to the doorway and called out, ‘Come, come, O blessed one, where have you gone?’ At that moment, the guest addressed Sudarshana directly, ‘Today, Sudarshana, I am here with your wife for union; tell me, what should be done now?’ “Sudarshana replied without hesitation, ‘O best of Brahmins, the act of love is complete; I am satisfied.’ Hearing these words, Dharma, the king of righteousness, revealed his true divine form, shining with splendor. He granted them whatever they desired, declaring, ‘O best of Brahmins, she has not been enjoyed by me, not even in thought. I have not touched her; I came only to test your faith. By your virtue, Sudarshana, death itself has been conquered by Dharma alone.’ “With these words—‘Ah, the power of his austerity!’—Dharma departed. Therefore, all guests must always be honored with such devotion. “What more need be said, O best of twice-born? Those who lack fortune should quickly seek refuge in Shankara alone.” When the sages heard these words of Brahma, they were filled with distress, their eyes troubled. Bowing to Brahma, they spoke: “O greatly fortunate one, our lives are disregarded, and our women are distraught. We have seen Mahadeva, the blameless one, yet in our ignorance, we reviled him. He who is all-pervading, the wielder of the trident, bearer of the bow Pināka, the blue-red one—we have cursed him, but our curse was powerless in the presence of his glory. “O Lord of the gods, tell us, we pray, the path of renunciation by which we may once again behold the Lord of gods, fierce, formidable, and matted-haired.” Brahma then explained, “First, one must study the Vedas with faith under a teacher, always reflecting on their meaning, and vow to follow the duties of a sage. Or, after completing the period of Vedic study, or after twelve years, having bathed, taken a wife, and begotten virtuous sons, the sage should divide his property among his sons according to their proper means of livelihood. He should perform sacrifices such as the Agniṣṭoma to the Lord of sacrifice. “Having fulfilled these duties, the sage should retire to the forest and worship the Supreme Self, living there for twelve years, or even just a single year, sustained by fire alone. Alternatively, he may stay for twelve fortnights, or even twelve days, subsisting only on milk, remaining peaceful, and worshiping all the gods. “After performing these sacrifices, he should offer the sacrificial vessels into the fire with mantras, place the earthen ones in water, and give the metallic ones to his teacher. He should give all his wealth to the Brahmins without reservation, bow down to his teacher, and, detached from the world, renounce everything. “Cutting off his hair and the sacred tuft, discarding his sacred thread, he should offer five oblations into water, saying ‘bhūḥ svāhā.’ Thereafter, the ascetic should live in this way, seeking liberation by the grace of Shiva—by vows, by fasting, or even subsisting only on water.” Thus, Brahma instructed the sages in the ancient and sacred path, so that, purified and steadfast, they might once again behold the supreme Lord.