Kuvalayāśva, a hero of great renown, was brought before his father, and Ritadhvaja, his companion, bowed reverently at the feet of the serpent king. The king of serpents, filled with affection, raised Ritadhvaja up and embraced him tightly, inhaling the scent of his head as a gesture of blessing, and said, “May you live long, dear child. Having conquered your enemies, serve your parents well! Even when you are absent, the virtues of the blessed are always spoken of.” He continued, praising the uncommon qualities displayed by Ritadhvaja and his own sons, and wished that Ritadhvaja would grow further in virtue through his thoughts, words, and deeds. The serpent king reflected on the nature of virtue, saying, “The life of a virtuous person is truly praiseworthy; one without virtue is as though dead, even while living. The virtuous bring joy to their parents and cause distress to their adversaries. By acting for his own good and earning the trust of the people, a virtuous person pleases the gods, ancestors, brahmins, friends, those seeking help, and the afflicted. Relatives too desire the long life of the virtuous; those who refrain from slander and are compassionate to the unfortunate—such a virtuous one’s birth is fruitful for all who seek refuge in times of distress.” Jaḍa, observing this, narrated that after speaking these words to his heroic son, the serpent king addressed him again, for he wished to honor Kuvalayāśva with worship. The king performed the proper sequence of rites—bathing and other rituals—and then enjoyed honey-drinking and other pleasures, as well as food, just as he wished. Afterwards, Kuvalayāśva and the serpent king, their hearts rejoicing in festive conversation, spent a short while together, delighted in spirit. With the silent approval of his father, the son of Śatrujita followed the noble-minded serpent king’s requests precisely. The lord of the great serpents, truthful and self-controlled, gathered with his sons and the princes, and together they partook of food and honey, enjoying the pleasures appropriate to the occasion. Later, Alarka asked, “What is the duty of those who follow the householder’s path? What bondage arises from neglecting action, and what elevation comes from performing it? What brings benefit to people, and what should be avoided by one living in a household? Please explain properly how these things are to be done.” Madālasā replied warmly, “Child, by embracing the life of a householder, a man sustains the entire world; through this path, he conquers realms and attains his desired aims. Ancestors, sages, gods, beings, humans, worms, insects, flying creatures, birds, animals, and demons—all depend on the householder, and thus they are satisfied. They look to him, wondering, ‘Will he give to us or not?’ This, my child, is the cow of threefold form, the very foundation of all existence. In her, the universe is established, and she is regarded as the cause of all. Her back is the Ṛgveda, her middle the Yajurveda, her mouth and head the Sāmaveda; her horns are sacrifice and charity, her body the hymns of the good. Her dung and urine are peace and nourishment, her limbs are the castes and orders of society; as long as she is sustained, the worlds endure and do not diminish. The utterances ‘svāhā’, ‘svadhā’, ‘vaṣaṭ’, and ‘hanta’ are each represented by one of her four breasts. The gods drink the breast of ‘svāhā’, the ancestors drink the breast of ‘svadhā’, and the sages, along with gods, spirits, and demons, drink the breast of ‘vaṣaṭ’. Humans continually drink the breast of ‘hanta’. Thus, O calf, this cow, composed of the three Vedas, nourishes all beings. The person who destroys these, who commits extreme evil, sinks into the deepest darkness and gloom. But the man who, together with his own calves and the gods and others, lets this cow drink at the proper time, attains heaven. Therefore, O son, a human must daily nourish the gods, sages, ancestors, humans, and beings, just as he nourishes his own body. Purified and protected, one should attentively perform offerings to the gods, sages, ancestors, and Prajapati and the others at the proper time. After worshipping the gods with fragrant flowers, a man should make offerings to fire and give the prescribed portions. Within the house, he should offer to Brahma and the Visvedevas; for Dhanvantari, he should place the offering in the northeast. In the east, he should offer to Indra; in the south, to Yama; in the west, to Varuna; and in the north, to Soma. He should give offerings to Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ at the door of the house; outside, to Aryaman; and all around, to the household deities. Offerings should be placed in the open for night-wandering beings and spirits, and for the ancestors, offerings should be made while facing south. The householder, intent and focused, should then take water for purification. The wise man should place the offerings at the designated spots, invoking the respective deities, and thus, after making the household offering, he remains pure. For the nourishment of all beings, he should respectfully release food, scattering it on the ground for dogs, outcasts, and birds. This is known as the Vaiśvadeva rite, performed both in the evening and morning; after purification, the wise man should inspect the door. He should observe the eighth part of the hour, and if a guest arrives, he should honor the guest with food and water. According to his ability, he should worship the guest with fragrance, flowers, and so forth; but he should not treat a friend or a resident of the same village as a guest. A person whose family and name are unknown, who arrives at that time hungry, weary, begging, and possessing nothing—such a one is called a Brahmin guest. The wise should honor him to the best of their ability, and a learned person should not ask his lineage, school, or study. Thus, the duties and virtues of the householder are revealed, sustaining the world and nourishing all beings through righteous action, reverence, and compassion.