Association with the devotees of the Lord, devotion to Hari, and the cultivation of forbearance are indeed extolled, yet, O Brahman, know that without true faith, all such actions are rendered fruitless, and for those who lack it, Hari remains distant. For those who act with hypocrisy, the Lord withdraws even further, and for those whose minds are empty of devotion, even in the midst of righteous deeds, Hari is farther still. Among those devoid of faith, the distance grows greatest of all. Such a person, though breathing, lives like the bellows of a blacksmith—moving with the breath of life, yet not truly alive within. O delight of the Brahmins, it is faith alone that brings success; without it, there can be none. Through faith, one attains the abode of Vishnu, that sacred realm which the sages themselves behold. Yet, the one who fixes his mind in meditation upon Hari reaches the supreme state, beyond even this. Hari is ever worshipped by those who follow the discipline of their own order, true to their dharma. He alone is to be known as fallen who is excluded from action, and he who has strayed from the discipline of his order is likewise called fallen. Even a learned person, if he has abandoned proper conduct, cannot purify others, O best of the twice-born. Sacrifices and the recitation of the Vedas offer no protection to one who has forsaken right conduct. Liberation is attained through proper conduct; indeed, what cannot be gained thereby? In the same way, among those devoted to Hari, it is devotion itself that is regarded as the true cause of attainment. Therefore, devotion is celebrated as the mother of all the worlds, and upon it all the righteous rely for their very life. There is none equal to such a devotee in all the three worlds, O son of Jananda. When Hari is pleased, knowledge arises within, and through that knowledge, liberation is attained. Association with such a devotee is gained only by those whose good deeds from previous lives have accumulated. Freed from faults such as desire, these saints are the teachers of the world. If one is blessed with their company, know that it is the fruit of merit earned in a past birth, for such association does not occur otherwise. The saints are like rays of noble speech, always dispelling the darkness within. For one who has their company, peace is everlasting. Now, what is the nature of the world of such saints? Tell me all of this in truth, for you alone are capable of describing it; there is no one superior to you. You are the one whom the Lord of the universe addressed after emerging from yogic sleep—the creator of the world, Shiva-Brahma, who possesses his own divine form. When the world had become a single ocean, and all that is movable and immovable was destroyed, the cosmos was adorned with bodies and forms born from countless lotuses. There, the god subtler than the subtle, who expands and contracts the cosmic egg, was present. Markandeya, remaining in that place, beheld the divine play of the Great Lord. O sage, we have heard that, in that time, only Hari remained. When everything was consumed by Hari, for what reason did he alone remain? Who among people would be slothful in drinking the nectar of Hari’s glory? In Shalagrama, that great holy place, a mighty ascetic performed austerities—fasting, endowed with forbearance, truthful, with senses subdued, self-restrained, devoted to the welfare of all beings, he performed the highest austerity.