O sage, know that the land called Bhārata is renowned as the giver of all the fruits of actions. In this sacred realm, the results of one's deeds are enjoyed according to the order prescribed—be it through enjoyment, land, or wealth. Yet, these fruits, once experienced, are eventually exhausted, and elsewhere too, creatures partake of their effects. However, the great merit accumulated here, when pure and auspicious, is imperishable. O best of Brahmins, we may wonder: when, by such great merit, shall we attain the supreme state? It is then that we reach the Lord of the universe, dwelling in eternal bliss and freed from all affliction. O Nārada, in all the three worlds, there is none equal to Him. Even the highest beings, whether pure or impure, are known to the gods, but the Supreme stands above all. Indeed, one who partakes of the sacred remnants left by the devotees attains the supreme abode of Vishnu. He who is devoted to nonviolence and similar virtues, who is ever peaceful, is worthy of reverence even from the greatest of the gods. One who acts always for the welfare of all beings is remembered and worshipped by the gods themselves. The one who is free from envy, pure, and skillful, too, is honored by the lords of the gods. He who is devoted to the discourse of the Vedas is recognized as the purifier of the fallen. And what more need be said of one who sees everything as Brahman? Such a person transcends the distinction between self and others. He who is free from possessions is also to be honored by the gods, O Nārada. One who is devoted to the welfare of others is worshipped not only by the gods but even by the demons. Even those who keep company with the virtuous are worthy of reverence by the best of the gods. Yet, if one establishes a connection with us in the land of Bhārata and then turns away, he alone is truly wicked and deluded—there is none as senseless as he. Such a person, abandoning a pot of nectar, seeks instead a vessel of poison. He becomes the destroyer of his own self, the foremost among sinners, O sage. The knowers of the Veda declare him the lowest of all, O lord of sages. Like one who abandons the wish-fulfilling cow and seeks the milk of a donkey, he forsakes the highest for the lowest. Even Brahmā and the other gods, O best of Brahmins, fear the loss of their own enjoyments. That which is difficult even for the gods to obtain, which grants the fruits of all actions—such is the opportunity before those in Bhārata. There is no one like the one who forsakes this in all the three worlds. Hari Himself is concealed in human form—of this, there is no doubt. When one offers to Hari with devotion, the fruit of that act is remembered as imperishable. One should dedicate all virtuous actions with the thought, "May Hari be pleased with me." He who is not greedy for the fruits of action attains the supreme state. By renouncing according to one's stage of life, one reaches the imperishable state. But the one who neglects proper conduct in his own stage of life is called fallen by the wise. Yet, for a person endowed with devotion, O Nārada, Vishnu is pleased. But the one who is fallen is cooked in dreadful hell until the end of the moon and stars. True knowledge is centered on Vāsudeva, and the path is centered on Vāsudeva. From Brahmā down to a blade of grass, everything exists only because of Him; apart from Vāsudeva, nothing exists in a distinct form. He alone is this universe; besides Him, nothing else exists. By Him, this wondrous world is pervaded. One should bow to that God of gods with deep reverence. Everything is accomplished through faith; Hari is pleased by faith. Actions performed without faith, O twice-born, do not succeed—they are mere darkness.