After the sacrificial cow had been killed, the details of the event were explained precisely to the sage. Everything was recounted properly to Keśidhvaja, ensuring nothing was left unclear. Once Keśidhvaja, that great soul, understood the entire matter, he gave his permission for the next steps. The sacrifice was then performed meticulously, following each step as prescribed. When the ritual concluded, the performer bathed, marking its completion. All the officiating priests were honored, and every member of the assembly received due respect. Just as the events concerning the world of mortals had been recounted, so too were these actions described. As he reflected on all that had transpired, the king began to prepare for his departure. He mounted his chariot and proceeded on his way. When Khāṇḍikya saw him approaching once more, weapon in hand, the king spoke to him, saying, “Khāṇḍikya, I have not come to harm you—do not be angry. The sacrifice has been properly completed, thanks to your instruction.” Hearing this, Khāṇḍikya consulted his ministers. They advised him, “Ask him for the elephant, all of it, without remainder.” Khāṇḍikya laughed and replied, “This, O ministers, is indeed the means for your own benefit here.” With these words, he approached King Keśidhvaja. When Keśidhvaja responded, “So be it,” Khāṇḍikya then said, “If you will give me the teacher’s fee, why did you not ask for my kingdom, free from obstacles?” Keśidhvaja was then told, “Understand why I did not ask for it from you. The duty of kṣatriyas is the protection of their subjects. Where I am powerless, there is no fault of mine if you act wrongly. My desire for sovereignty is simply to gain a share of birth and fortune. Requesting from fellow kṣatriyas is not considered righteous by the virtuous. The learned, whose minds are drawn by attachment, covet kingship. I, however, seek to cross over death by knowledge and thus act accordingly.” He continued, “Therefore, by fortune, your mind has attained discernment and wonder. That understanding which sees the self in the non-self, and regards what is not one’s own as one’s own—such is the nature of delusion. The embodied soul, enveloped in darkness, dwells in a body composed of the five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth, each existing separately. Whatever is enjoyed by the body—house, land, and so forth—extends also to sons, grandsons, and all who come from that body. A person acts for the enjoyment of all bodies, just as a clay house is smeared with clay and cow-dung.” “The body, composed of five enjoyments, is delighted by pleasures of fivefold nature. Traversing the path of transmigration through countless births, one accumulates dust upon the soul. But, O gentle one, when this dust is washed away by the warm water of knowledge, and the fatigue of delusion subsides, the mind becomes clear and tranquil. This self is composed of liberation, made of knowledge, and is pure. Just as water does not mix with fire, yet touches the vessel, so too does the self remain untouched by the impurities of the body.” Thus, the story unfolds, revealing the wisdom and clarity that arises when knowledge dispels delusion, and the soul attains its true, liberated nature.