What value is there in austerities or vows for those who lack devotion to Viṣṇu? For it is devotion that gives true meaning to such practices. Those mortals who reach the imperishable abode—known through the teachings of Vedānta and praised as the very physician for the disease of worldly existence—are indeed blessed. Remembering that supreme, unchanging light-form, a person approaches his dearest friend, seeking refuge and companionship in the highest. Now, let us turn to the path of Yama, the journey after death, which is said to be extremely difficult. This path brings happiness to the virtuous, but strikes terror into the hearts of the sinful. The ancient sages have described in detail the vast expanse of this path. Men who are devoid of righteousness, greatly afflicted, proceed along it in misery. The sinners, wailing and distressed, must travel its entire length, suffering all the while. Along the way, Yama’s attendants strike them with whips and weapons. In some places, there are blazing fires; elsewhere, sharp-edged stones lie in wait. There are deep, pitch-dark caves and dense thickets of piercing thorns. The ground is scattered with gravel and clods, and thorns as sharp as needles. In some regions, wild beasts roar ferociously; in others, fevers rage and intensify. The sinners cry out, weep, and wither away from their suffering. Struck from behind by weapons and even by the words of the scriptures, they are driven forward. They carry burdens of iron, their heads bowed in shame and exhaustion. Some must even bear heavy loads with their ears. There are those who are swollen excessively, and others whose eyes are umbrella-like—grotesque reminders of their deeds. They are tormented by regret for all their actions, both those done knowingly and unknowingly. But for those who have lived virtuously, the journey is entirely different. Those endowed with great happiness proceed to the abode of righteousness. Givers of ghee, honey, and milk, O best of the twice-born, find their way there. Those who give vegetables, who eat rice pudding, and those who bear lamps to illuminate the directions—all are blessed. One who gives away a city is praised by the immortals as he travels this path. He who gives land or a house goes in an aerial chariot, resplendent and filled with every wealth. The giver of horses, vehicles, or elephants, O best of twice-born, is honored in the same way. The giver of oxen, O foremost of sages, departs riding in a chariot. A man who gives betel leaves goes, delighted, to the abode of Dharma, his soul fully satisfied and honored by the dwellers of heaven. He journeys with great happiness among the foremost of the twice-born and Brahmins, riding in an aerial chariot endowed with all enjoyments. Even one who recites the Purāṇas is praised by the best of sages as he proceeds. Yama himself, at times, is seen as four-faced and bearing the conch, discus, mace, and sword—a reminder of the awe-inspiring and terrifying suffering that awaits in hell. Truly, the suffering of hell is dreadful. Consider this, O wise one: He who, having obtained the rare gift of human birth, does not perform good deeds—what becomes of him? Having attained impermanent humanity, if one does not strive for the eternal, his opportunity is squandered. The human body, after all, is a form of torment, defiled by impurities and the like. Among all living beings, those endowed with intelligence are the best. Among Brahmins, the learned are best; among the learned, those of firm understanding. And even among those who speak of Brahman, the one who is without possessiveness is considered the highest. Therefore, with every effort, one should pursue the collection of righteousness, for it is this alone that brings true fulfillment and liberation.