The noble ladies, recalling their days of boundless joy—adorned with divine garlands and fragrant ointments, united with their husband, the Lord of all worlds, limitless and undefeated—stood before the sage, eager for answers. Their hearts brimmed with questions about the wondrous city, its houses that sparkled with jewels, the people of Dvārakā, and the godlike youths who dwelled there. With deep distress, they pleaded, “O Lord, we have been seized by bandits and torn from our rightful duties. In this plight, please be our refuge.” They addressed the Brahmin, reminding him, “You were once taught by the wise Keśava. Why, after attaining union with the Lord, have we now become courtesans?” Seeking guidance, they asked, “O possessor of austerities, reveal to us the duty of courtesans.” The sages Dālbhya and Caikitāyana prepared to explain further. The sage recounted a memory: “Once, while you all played in the waters of Lake Mānasa, the sage Nārada approached you. You, daughters of the fire-god, had been Apsarases in a former life. Out of pride, you did not honor him, but instead questioned the knower of yoga, asking, ‘How can Nārāyaṇa become our husband? Teach us.’” He continued, “Because of this, you received both a boon and a curse. By offering a double bed during the months of Madhu and Mādhava, and by presenting golden vessels on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight, Nārāyaṇa will surely become your husband in another birth. Yet, because you envied my beauty and fortune, did not bow to me, and questioned me, you will soon be separated, carried off by thieves, and will become courtesans.” Thus, by the curse of Nārada and the wise Keśava, the women, overwhelmed by desire, had become courtesans. The sage urged them to listen as he explained their new duty. He spoke of a time when gods and demons battled fiercely, and hundreds of gods, Dānavas, Asuras, Daityas, and Rākṣasas fell. Among them were thousands of women—some married, some taken by force—whom the Lord of the gods addressed. He instructed, “Now, dwell according to the duty of courtesans in the king’s palace, O noble ladies, devoted to worship, and also in the temples of the gods. Kings and their sons are your equals; you will prosper according to your abilities. Whoever comes to your house, having paid the proper fee, should be served with care—except those who are deceitful.” He continued, “On auspicious days for gods and ancestors, give cows, land, gold, and grain as you are able. Carry out the words of the Brahmins. Any other vow I instruct you to perform should be done without hesitation.” He revealed, “Those who know the Veda say this is enough to cross worldly existence: when, on a solar day, the hand is in Puṣya or Punarvasu, a woman should bathe with all herbs. Then she will become a witness even for the god of five arrows, and should worship the lotus-eyed one with recitations of Kāma’s names.” He described the worship: “I honor the feet for desire, the shanks for delusion, the genitals as the treasury of Kāma, and the perineum for delight—homage to you, beloved one. The navel is the ocean of pleasure, the left side and belly likewise; the heart belongs to the Lord of hearts, and the breasts bring delight. The throat is for longing, Vaikuṇṭha for transcendence, the mouth for bliss; the left side is for the flower-bow, the right for the flower-arrow. The mind is for worship, the crown for sovereignty, the hair for playfulness. One should worship the whole body as the embodiment of the Lord of gods.” He offered reverence: “Homage to Śiva, the peaceful one, bearer of noose and goad, wielder of the mace, clad in yellow garments, and holding conch and discus. Homage to Nārāyaṇa, who is the soul of Kāma; homage to all tranquility, affection, pleasure, and prosperity.” He instructed, “Thus, having worshipped the Lord of gods, whose essence is desire, with fragrances, garlands, incense, and offerings, the woman should proceed. Then, she should invite a Brahmin learned in the Vedas, a knower of dharma, and worship him, whose limbs are without defect, with fragrances, flowers, and other offerings.” “She should give him a prastha of rice from Śāli grain, with a vessel of ghee, saying, ‘May Mādhava be pleased with this.’ She should provide whatever food he desires, thinking, ‘This is Kāma for the sake of pleasure.’ Whatever the foremost Brahmin wishes, the woman should do, dedicating herself with all her being, smiling and speaking sweetly.” He explained, “On Sundays, perform these rites and give a prastha of rice for thirteen months. When the thirteenth month arrives, present the Brahmin with a special bed, furnished with all accessories: a pillow, a fine sheet, a lamp, shoes, parasol, and seat. Decorate it with your co-wife, using gold rings, fine garments, bracelets, incense, garlands, and ointments.” “She should place Kāma, with his consort, upon a jar of jaggery, seated on a copper vessel, covered with a cloth adorned with golden eyes. With bronze vessels and a sugarcane staff, she should also give, using the prescribed mantra, a single milch cow.” She should pray, “Just as I see no difference between Kāma and Keśava, may I always attain all desires from Viṣṇu. As the lotus never leaves your body, O Keśava, so may my body remain with me, O Lord of gods, O Master.” Finally, as the best of Brahmins receives the golden image, he should recite the Vedic mantra: “Who is this? For whom is this given?” Thus, the sage instructed the noble ladies, guiding them through the duties and rites that would lead them, even as courtesans, toward fulfillment and the grace of the Lord.