O wise sage, listen as the tale unfolds of one who, by his own actions, becomes the destroyer of himself and is counted among the foremost of sinners. The knowers of the Veda, in their wisdom, declare such a person to be the lowest of all beings. Imagine, O lord of sages, a man who abandons the wish-fulfilling cow and instead seeks the milk of a donkey—so great is his folly. Even Brahma and the other gods, O best of Brahmins, are filled with fear at the thought of losing their own enjoyments. For that which is difficult even for the gods to attain—bestowing the fruits of all actions—remains beyond the reach of many. Indeed, in all the three worlds, there is no one quite like such a person. Know this without doubt: Hari, the Supreme Lord, is hidden in human form. When one offers anything to Hari with true devotion, the fruit of that offering is remembered as imperishable. Therefore, one should dedicate all virtuous actions, saying, “May Hari be pleased with me.” He who is not greedy for the fruits of his actions attains the supreme state, and by renouncing according to his stage of life, he reaches the imperishable. But one who does not follow the proper conduct of his own stage of life is called fallen by the wise. Yet, O Narada, even such a person, if endowed with devotion, becomes pleasing to Vishnu. On the other hand, he who is bereft of devotion is cooked in dreadful hell until the end of the moon and stars. True knowledge is centered on Vāsudeva, and the righteous path too is centered on Him. From Brahma down to a blade of grass, all that exists is encompassed by Him—nothing exists separately or distinctly apart from Him. He alone pervades this wondrous universe; therefore, one should bow with reverence to that God of gods. Everything is accomplished through faith—Hari is pleased by faith. Actions performed without faith, O twice-born, do not succeed; they are but darkness. In the same way, devotion is the highest cause of all attainments and is regarded as the very life of all achievements. Relying on devotion, one should strive to accomplish all tasks, for desire is fulfilled by faith, and the faithful one attains liberation. O best of sages, the Blessed Lord Hari is not pleased by one who lacks devotion. Whatever is given without devotion, even if only to destroy one’s own wealth, is as fruitless as an oblation cast into ashes. Such acts do not yield the eternal results promised to people—they are all fruitless, O Brahman, if devoid of devotion. In such cases, the ignorant drink the poison of worldly existence. Even association with devotees, devotion to Hari, and forbearance, if without sincerity, are fruitless, O Brahman, and for such people, Hari remains far away. For those who perform actions falsely, for those whose minds lack devotion in righteous acts, and for those without faith—Hari is ever farther away. Such a one lives like a blacksmith’s bellows—breathing, yet not truly alive. Truly, O delight of the Brahmins, success comes only to those who have faith. Such a person attains the abode of Vishnu, which the sages behold. And he who is intent on meditating upon Hari attains the supreme state. Hari is always worshipped by one who follows the discipline of his own order. Thus, O sage, devotion and faith are the keys to all attainments, and Hari, the Lord of all, is pleased only by the sincerity of the heart.