Hear now the sacred teaching, as it was spoken. Only he is truly fallen who is excluded from righteous action; and one who strays from the discipline of his own order is likewise called fallen. Even if a person is learned, if he has abandoned proper conduct, he cannot purify others, O best of the twice-born. Rituals, sacrifices, and even the recitation of the Vedas cannot protect one who has forsaken right conduct. Indeed, it is through proper conduct that liberation is attained—what, indeed, cannot be achieved by right conduct? In the same way, among those devoted to Hari, it is devotion itself that is regarded as the true cause of all attainment. Thus, devotion is praised as the mother of all worlds, for it is upon devotion that all the righteous depend for their very existence. There is none in the three worlds equal to the one who is truly devoted, O son of Jananda. When such a devotee is pleased, true knowledge arises; and through that knowledge, liberation is gained. The good fortune of associating with such a devotee comes only to those whose past actions have earned them great merit. Freed from faults such as desire, these saints become teachers of the world. If one finds such association, let it be known as the fruit of merit accumulated in previous births. Only by such merit does one gain the company of the virtuous; it cannot happen otherwise. These saints are like rays of noble speech, ever dispelling the darkness within. For one who gains their association, peace is everlasting. “Tell me, then,” the seeker asks, “what is the nature of their world? Reveal it all to me, in truth, for you alone are capable of describing these things—there is none superior to you.” Now listen to the ancient tale: The one whom the Lord of the universe addressed, awakening him from yogic sleep, was the creator of the world—Shiva-Brahma, who possesses his own unique form. When the world had become but a single ocean, and all things, both moving and unmoving, were destroyed, the god—subtler than the subtle, who expands and contracts the cosmic egg—remained, adorned with countless forms born from lotuses. Markandeya, the great sage, remained there and beheld the wondrous play of the Supreme Lord. “O sage,” the seekers ask, “we have heard that in the beginning, only Hari remained. When everything was consumed by Hari, why was he alone left? Who among people would be slothful in drinking the nectar of Hari’s glory?” In the holy place of Shalagrama, the great ascetic performed severe austerities—fasting, full of forbearance, truthful, his senses subdued, self-restrained, and ever devoted to the welfare of all beings. Thus, he performed the highest austerity, seeking refuge in the flawless Supreme Lord, Narayana. They praised the Lord of gods, the lotus-naveled, the teacher of the world, with these words: “O Lord, protect us who have taken refuge in you, frightened by the power of Mrikandu’s austerity! Victory to you, who are the very form of the world! Victory to you, cause of the cosmic egg! Salutations to you, Lord of the worlds! Salutations to you, witness of all creation! Salutations to you, whose form is meditation and who are the fruit of meditation! Salutations to you, source of the earth and embodiment of consciousness! Salutations to you, formless one, whose true form is your own, yet who takes on many forms! Repeated salutations to Krishna, to Govinda, for the welfare of the world. Salutations to the one who appears as the Sun and in many other forms, who accepts the offerings of oblations and ancestral rites.” Thus, in reverence and devotion, the story unfolds—revealing the path of conduct, the power of devotion, and the glory of the Supreme Lord.