The pretas, those restless spirits, spoke to the Brahmin, revealing the nature of their existence with deep shame. “Listen to the kind of food we must consume, food despised by all creatures,” they said. “When you hear this, O Brahmin, you will surely reproach us again and again, for there is nothing more degrading.” They described their meals: Pretas feed in houses abandoned by cleanliness, places sullied with phlegm, urine, excrement, and the bodily filth of women. Their sustenance consists of what is burned by women, scattered, mixed with leftovers, and contaminated with filth. They eat food lacking purity of mind and modesty, devoid of offerings and ritual vows. Their meals are found in homes where elders are not honored, where women dominate, and where anger and greed prevail. One preta confessed, “Shame overwhelms me, dear one, as I speak of my food. Nothing could be worse than this.” With sorrow, the pretas implored the Brahmin, “You who are steadfast in vows, tell us how the preta state may be ended. How does one avoid becoming a preta?” The Brahmin replied with compassion, “By performing sacred vows—such as ekarātra, dvirātra, kṛcchra, cāndrāyaṇa, and others—regularly, a person does not become a preta. One who daily serves the sacred fires, whether three, five, or even just one, and who is compassionate to all beings, is spared from the preta state. He who remains equal in honor and dishonor, gold and clay, enemy and friend, does not become a preta. Those devoted to worshipping deities, guests, and teachers, and who delight in honoring their ancestors, are safe from this fate. “When the fourth lunar day falls with both white and red marks, one who performs śrāddha with faith on that day does not become a preta. He who has conquered anger, deliberates wisely, is free from thirst and attachment, possesses forgiveness, and is inclined to giving, does not become a preta. Revering cows, Brahmins, sacred places, mountains, rivers, and the worthy gods also protects one from this state.” The pretas then asked, “We have heard your teachings of dharma, O sage. But afflicted with sorrow, we ask: By what cause does one become a preta?” The Brahmin answered, “When a Brahmin eats food given by Shudras and dies with that food in his belly, he becomes a preta. One who abandons his mother, father, brothers, sister, or son without any fault in them, becomes a preta. Performing forbidden sacrifices, neglecting prescribed ones, or delighting in service to Shudras leads to the preta state. Those who steal deposits, betray friends, delight in Shudra food, destroy trust, or act deceitfully become pretas. Killers of Brahmins or cows, thieves, drinkers of liquor, violators of the teacher’s bed, abductors of land or maidens—all become pretas. One who receives common gifts and keeps them secretly, or who is devoted to atheistic thinking, also becomes a preta.” As the chief of Brahmins spoke these words, a drum sounded in the sky, and a rain of flowers fell upon the earth, showered by thousands of gods. The vimanas of the pretas appeared everywhere, drawn by the Brahmin’s discourse and the praise of virtue. The Brahmin advised, “Therefore, strive always to converse with the virtuous, O son of Ganga, if you desire the highest good, without fatigue. Whoever recites this account of the five pretas—the essence of all dharma—a hundred thousand times in his family, will not become a preta. Even those who hear it repeatedly, with utmost faith and devotion, are spared from the preta state.” Bhishma then asked, “Why is Pushkara praised in the sky? How is it attained here by sages devoted to dharma? By what means is it attained, and once attained, what fruit does it yield? Tell me all this, for I am curious.” Pulastya replied, “A multitude of sages from the southern region came to Pushkara for bathing, O king. Pushkara is situated in the sky. All the sages, devoted to pranayama, meditated on the supreme Brahman for twelve years. There, Brahma, the great sages, gods, and Indra assembled. The hidden sages spoke of disciplines that are exceedingly difficult. “Let the form of Pushkara be established by mantra, O twice-born. By reciting the three Rig verses ‘āpohiṣṭha,’ its presence is attained. Chanting the Aghamarṣaṇa brings fruitfulness; at the conclusion of the Brahmins’ words, all performed accordingly. Those Brahmins attained merit by following these instructions, but southern Brahmins are condemned in the scriptures of dharma. Others from Parvati’s region who honor the altar with śrāddha—because of this, O king, the separation has been established. “During Kartika, bathing at Pushkara bestows purity; together with Brahma, it grants merit to all. All castes who arrive there become recipients of merit, equal to Brahmins, except without the mantra. Whenever the Agneya constellation occurs during Kartika, that date is considered great—excellent for bathing and giving. Whenever the Yamya constellation occurs, that date too is highly meritorious, praised by ascetics. Whenever the Prajapatya constellation occurs on that date, O ruler of men, it is called the great Kartika, rare even for the gods.” Thus, the teachings were revealed, showing the path of virtue, the consequences of neglect, and the blessings of sacred places and practices.