O King, listen attentively to the grave consequences of sinful actions. The sin incurred by certain deeds is as severe as the killing of a fetus, and its aftermath is truly dreadful. For example, those who consume the remnants of food found in water suffer a terrible fate: they are tormented in intensely boiling oil, writhing in agony. Similarly, anyone who destroys sacred wood or sandalwood is destined to endure the same punishment. Furthermore, the theft of sacred property brings suffering not only after death but even in this very life. Now, hear as I tell you of the fate that awaits one who gives false testimony: in this world, such a person will witness the destruction of his own sons and will himself meet a violent end. Those mortals who are excessively lustful or who spread false rumors will face a unique torment. For sixty thousand years, they are sprinkled with caustic brine, and after this period, they are cast down by elephants, much as the wind brings down even the strongest. Consider also, O lord of men, the one who does not approach his own wife at the proper season, or who, though able, fails to restrain another engaged in improper conduct. Those who make it their business to count and report the sins of the wicked to others, or who falsely accuse an innocent person, also incur great sin. In such cases, half the sin of those who are slandered is transferred away from them. The consequences for these wrongdoers are severe: they are tormented among trees with sword-like leaves and are reborn on earth with defective limbs. Their state is most dreadful and painful, and they are forced to subsist on phlegm. For such individuals, there is no expiation, even if they perform thousands of acts of atonement. Such a person is reborn in a Chandala womb and is destined to eat cow flesh. After enduring all the torments, this Chandala state persists for ten births. To atone for such a sin, one must undertake a vow equal to that prescribed for killing a Brahmin. Still, the thief is sent to hell, while the one whose property was stolen receives the result of the act. O King, one who reviles ascetics is reborn as a stone and then must experience all the torments in succession, forced to eat the food of dogs. Now hear of the fate of those who destroy flower gardens: after death, they become beings made of excrement for twenty-one kalpas. Those who destroy, burn, or plunder villages, those who eat leftovers, those who betray friends, those who abandon the ancestral and divine rites, and those who turn away from the path of the Vedas—all these, O King, face many kinds of torments. Thus, there are countless torments for evil-doers. Yet, O King, along with the punishments for the wicked, there are also duties for the righteous. For all these sins, as prescribed by the ordinances of Dharma Shastra, proper atonements must be performed in the presence of the Lord of the Lotus. The holy Ganga, the sacred Tulasi, association with the virtuous, and the praise of Hari—these all grant the fruits of good deeds when offered to Vishnu. Whether the act is regular, occasional, or motivated by desire, and whatever else leads to liberation, it is devotion to Hari, supreme among men, that destroys all sins. O best of kings, know that devotion itself is of the nature of tamas, rajas, and sattva. That which is tamasic is considered the lowest, for it arises from wickedness. Tamasic devotion, O Lord of the world, is not directed to Narayana but elsewhere, and it is regarded as middling.