In the course of time, the teachings of the sages resounded: there is no sin as grave as slander, nor any delusion as powerful as intoxication. Attachment is the greatest snare, and association can be the deadliest poison. As the years passed, the noble sage Bāhu, afflicted by the burdens of old age in body and mind, grew aged. Eventually, disease consumed his arm, and he departed from this world. His wife, grief-stricken, lamented for a long time in many ways. At last, she resolved in her heart to follow her beloved husband. With solemn devotion, she placed his body upon the funeral pyre and began the rites herself. Through supreme meditation, the sage Aurva perceived all these events. The great souls, free from envy, see with the eye of wisdom. In time, the virtuous woman arrived in the presence of her beloved Bāhu. The noble sage Aurva spoke to her words rooted in righteousness: “Within your womb abides a universal monarch, a slayer of enemies. O queen, a woman in her period who mounts the pyre with the king’s son is seized by anxious thoughts. There is no expiation for a hypocrite, a reviler, or a destroyer of the unborn. Nor is there forgiveness for a betrayer of trust. All this sorrow that has arisen will surely come to peace.” Overwhelmed by intense grief, she wailed, embracing her husband’s feet. Aurva comforted her: “Do not weep, O queen; you will attain supreme prosperity. Therefore, abandoning grief, perform the actions appropriate for the time. Whether one is wicked or virtuous, death is the same for all. Whether in the city or elsewhere, misery here is excessive. I consider fate alone to be the cause; people are bound by its conditions. O lotus-faced one, all creatures must go under the sway of death. The ignorant spread rumors among beings, relying only on superficial causes. Perform your husband's duties with discernment, and remain steadfast. Bound by the fetter of karma, happiness here is but a semblance, filled with much suffering.” Freed from sorrow, the slender woman bowed and spoke to the great sage: “Trees do not bear fruit on earth merely for enjoyment. That very Viṣṇu, established in purity, abides where righteousness is upheld. That very Hari, lord of the worlds, has assumed the form of a man. The sages say he exists for the removal of all suffering. Where the sun shines, how can there be darkness?” She performed the funeral rites on the bank of the lake, as instructed by the sage. Having bowed to the noble Aurva, she attained the supreme abode. Those who are regarded by the great indeed reach the highest state. If a virtuous soul beholds it, he attains the supreme path. O Nārada, she served the sage together with her co-wife, offering daily service with devotion. Yet, in time, her mind became sinful regarding her co-wife’s prosperity. Gara, engaged in service to the sages, did not display his own power. He performed his duties, his actions shaped by worn-out merit. Thus, the story unfolds, revealing the interplay of fate, virtue, and sorrow, and the path to supreme peace through wisdom and devotion.