Whether a devotee’s conduct is good or bad, I bow to them again and again with deepest reverence. The devotees of Hari are to be worshipped, for they remove all sins, and Govinda himself lifts those who seek him from the difficult ocean of worldly existence. To anyone who contemplates the holy name of Hari, I offer ceaseless salutations, for in their hands rests liberation—a state so rare that even accomplished yogis struggle to attain it. For those who speak of Hari and those who listen, all sins are destroyed. There lived a devotee named Jayadhvaja, renowned for his unwavering devotion to Narayana. He delighted in the giving of lamps and was ever compassionate toward all beings. Jayadhvaja constructed a temple for Vishnu, adorning it with a profusion of flowers, and was especially devoted to the offering of lamps—an act that made him beloved by Hari. Constantly engaged in humble salutations, he was dear to all devotees of Hari. Seeing Jayadhvaja’s noble deeds, wonder arose among those who witnessed his life. Among them was Vītihotra, a Brahmin accomplished in the Vedas and their branches, who approached Jayadhvaja with respectful inquiry. “Among those devoted to Vishnu, you are foremost, O best of the Bharatas,” Vītihotra said. “Tell me, O greatly fortunate one, what result do you know from these deeds? You are always engaged in the auspicious cleaning of Vishnu’s house. Yet, O blessed soul, why do you devote yourself so earnestly to these two acts? If you care for me, reveal to me the most secret matter.” Jayadhvaja, humbling himself and bowing with joined palms, replied, “Because of the memory carried from my birth, I know something that will astonish all who hear it. Listen, O Brahmin. Once there was a Brahmin named Raivata, learned in the Vedas and their branches. Yet, his conduct was harsh and slanderous, and he sold things unfit for trade. Poverty and suffering overtook him—his body wasted away, and disease afflicted him. Tormented by breathlessness and coughing, he died on the banks of the Narmada. His wife, devoted only to her own desires, was abandoned by her kin. Raivata himself was ever engaged in great sins, harboring enmity toward Brahmins. He slew many cows, Brahmins, and countless deer and birds. Addicted to liquor, he would often block the roads. Once, inflamed by desire, he set out to enjoy a woman and spent the night with her for pleasure. O Brahmin, as many grains of dust as were swept up in that place, so too was a lamp placed there for their enjoyment. Yet, this happened in the house of Vishnu. While they were there, the city guards arrived, and both were slain. Those city protectors departed, but Raivata and the woman, adorned with crowns, earrings, and garlands of forest flowers, ascended a divine aerial chariot endowed with every enjoyment. There they remained for a full hundred ages of Brahma. Then, by the arrangement of the gods, in due course, I was born again on earth. By that very act of offering a lamp, O Achyuta, I gained prosperity and a kingdom free from trouble. As for those who perform such acts with devotion, their merit is beyond my knowing—I cannot grasp its limit.