Seeing his revered teacher, Vedāyana, and his own younger brother lying asleep, Mukunda approached them gently. With great care, he awakened them, and, bowing low in respect, addressed his teacher, who appeared to him in a divine form. Mukunda spoke: “O Vedāyana, my honored teacher, I offer you my salutations, and blessings to my younger brother. My very bones have fallen here from the palace into this sacred place. After my death, I entered hell and suffered its consequences; but by the grace of this holy tirtha, I have now attained a divine state. I have come here to bow before you, teacher, who are yourself the embodiment of this sacred place. Now, I must depart—by this celestial chariot, I will ascend to the abode of the gods. Having paid my respects to you, to this holy tirtha, and to my brother whom I have seen, grant me permission, for I go now to heaven, the source of happiness.” Hearing these words from Mukunda, the teacher Vedāyana was astonished. He spoke to Mukunda, who was seated upon the shining aerial chariot: “Mukunda, tell me truthfully—after your death, to which world did you go, and from where do you now depart for heaven? What happened there, dear one? Who rules that world, what are its people like, and what is its law? Tell me everything.” Mukunda replied, “Teacher, I will tell you all that happened after my death. By the grace of this holy place, my memory has returned. When I was slain by that wicked barber, the fierce and terrible servants of Yama seized me. They had tawny eyes, red hair, dark bodies, protruding nails; they were short, with long feet, flat noses, and large teeth. ‘Let him be taken! Let him be taken by the command of Dharmaraja to the city of Samyamanī!’ they said to one another. With great anger, these tormentors bound me in cruel fetters and struck me with iron clubs, placing me in a body of suffering. They dragged me along a path of burning sand, and I cried out in torment, beaten again and again. They rebuked me harshly, saying, ‘Because you insulted your teacher, who speaks the unshakable Brahman, you have committed a grave offense. What will you do before Yama? You must see his dreadful face and endure the terrible fruit of your sin. Because of this very sin, O sinner, you have met with untimely death.’ So saying, they swiftly brought me to a distant place, many yojanas away. They took me to the city of Samyamanī, where King Yama himself resides. After bowing to Dharmaraja, they set me before him, saying, ‘This twice-born is a sinner.’ Seeing me, Dharmaraja addressed his assembly: ‘O assembly, listen attentively. When I was appointed to this office by Brahmā, the Grandfather of the worlds said to me: “You are the ruler of Samyamanī, the punisher of unrighteous men. Impose punishment according to the offense, O son of Canda. Whoever neglects his parents or insults his teacher—these two are great sinners and must be cast into hell by you. For as many years as there are tens of thousands, let each of them suffer in all the hells. For these two, O lord of the southern quarter, you must never show mercy.” Thus, by the command of Brahmā, I do not perform rites for one who insults his teacher or neglects his parents, O assembly.’ ‘This Brāhmaṇa has betrayed his teacher. Because of that betrayal, he has met with untimely death and, by my command, has been brought here by my servants, fit to be judged. O servants, first cast him into the terrible Raurava hell for ten thousand years; then, having brought him out, cast him elsewhere again. For just so long, this sinner who has neglected his teacher shall remain in all the hells, each for the allotted time, swiftly.’ O Vedāyana, my teacher, your servants, by Yama’s command, led me to the dreadful Raurava hell, bound me in fetters, and cast me down. There, I endured grievous and intense suffering—so severe that even a single moment seemed like an age. For thirty days I remained there, bearing that pain; on the thirty-first day, I departed from that place. When I fell among the fragments of bones at this most excellent of sacred fords, the sin arising from neglect of my teacher was instantly destroyed. By the grace of this holy place, I attained heaven, and I shall dwell happily there for as long as the fourteen Indras reign. In Yama’s city, the beings who dwell there are terrifying to sinners but enchanting to the righteous. They have faces of lions, elephants, boars, and cats; great fangs, swollen bellies, tawny hair, radiance, and long arms. By the grace of this sacred ford, when I became free from sin, I saw those beings in Yama’s abode as possessing divine forms. All of them spoke truthfully, were endowed with humility and good conduct, adorned with divine ornaments, and clothed in celestial garments. Thus, dear teacher, I have told you all you asked me. Now, grant me permission to go to the city of the Lord of the Immortals.” Hearing this, the ascetic Vedāyana listened to his disciple’s words, and, righteous of soul, questioned Mukunda again: “From childhood you have learned everything from me with the affection of a teacher, mastering the science of words and the Veda in all its steps. You have rendered service to me with devotion, O best of men. In you, O virtuous one, are found the qualities of the good, such as tranquility and self-restraint.