Thinking deeply upon his situation and recalling his revered teacher, the wise hunter sought refuge in the sacred river Devikā. With humility, he addressed the river, saying, “O holy river, I am but a hunter, a sinner, and a slayer of brahmins. Yet, O goddess, remembering you, I have come for refuge—please protect me.” He continued, “I do not know the proper deity, nor the mantras, nor the correct way to worship. All I do is meditate upon the feet of my teacher, O auspicious one, and I see them ever before me. O best of rivers, have compassion on me as I am; swiftly bring water here so the sage may wash.” Moved by the hunter’s plea, the sin-destroying river Devikā responded. She flowed directly to the place where the steadfast sage Durvāsas was staying. The river goddess herself washed the sage’s feet and, becoming a swift current, made her way to the hunter’s hermitage. Witnessing this extraordinary event, Durvāsas was filled with amazement. After washing his hands and feet, the sage, with devotion, partook of food, sipping water and eating with supreme delight, wise as he was. Then, seeing the hunter emaciated and weakened by hunger, Durvāsas spoke kindly to him: “Let the study of the Vedas, all their collections, the knowledge of Brahman, and the Purāṇas become directly manifest to you.” Thus, Durvāsas granted him a boon, saying, “You shall become the sage named Satyatapas, foremost among ascetics.” Receiving this blessing, the hunter humbly asked the eminent sage, “O Brāhmaṇa, how can I, who was a hunter, teach the Vedas?” Durvāsas replied, “Today, O noble one, your former body, which endured without food, has departed. Now, you possess a body made of austerity, distinct and pure—there can be no doubt. Your previous knowledge is gone; now you are pure and imperishable. Know yourself as having a pure body; your former body is separate. Therefore, the Vedas and the scriptures will shine clearly for you, O sage.” Satyatapas then asked, “O Lord, you have spoken of two bodies. Please tell me their distinction, O best knower of Brahman.” Durvāsas answered, “Not two, but three bodies must be spoken of; it is otherwise. For all living beings, there are three bodies that form the basis of experience. The first is called the state of unrighteousness, lacking discernment; the second, endowed with vows, is known as supremely righteous. The third, which is beyond the senses, is for the experience of both righteousness and unrighteousness. The wise declare this threefold division: suffering, enjoyment of righteousness, and ordinary enjoyment—these are the three kinds. “The state that existed before, when the being was a killer, that body is called sinful. Now, by performing auspicious acts, austerity, and sincerity, you have established another body, one of righteousness. By this, you are certainly able to know the Vedas and Purāṇas. “When the eightfold group is transformed in a person, he is said to have three states. Having gone beyond the eightfold group, and established in the three, always auspicious, he becomes steady in the self, endowed with firm resolve. When the five, again and again, abandon the five, and even the five, then, following the single path, a man attains the eternal Brahman.” Satyatapas asked, “O Lord, if knowledge does not arise in the body, by what means can the Supreme Brahman be realized?” Durvāsas replied, “Ritual acts are rooted in knowledge, and knowledge likewise arises from ritual acts; there is no difference between the two, just as between two stones. Among Brahmins and others, ritual acts are described as fourfold; among them, three perform the Vedic rites regularly, while the fourth serves the three—this is the action prescribed by the Veda. By steadfastly following these duties, devotion to Brahman becomes pleasing; surely, liberation comes to one devoted to the teachings of the Veda.” Satyatapas then inquired, “O great sage, this Supreme Brahman you have described—even great yogis do not know its form. It is without name, without lineage, formless, and beyond form—how can Brahman, which is beyond all designations, be known? Tell me its designation as established in the Vedic path.” Durvāsas answered, “That Supreme Brahman, spoken of in the Vedas and Purāṇas, is the god with lotus eyes, Nārāyaṇa himself, the Supreme. He, the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, Hari, is attained through various sacrifices, offerings, and gifts, O best of men.” Satyatapas asked further, “O Lord, sometimes sacrifices are performed with great wealth by priests learned in the Vedas and by the virtuous; yet even then, Hari is attained only with difficulty. Without wealth, it is not possible to give gifts; even when wealth is present, those attached to their families lack the inclination. How, then, can such a person attain liberation? Hari is indeed difficult to attain in every way. By what means may the eternal God be attained with little effort? Please tell me what is suitable for all classes.” Durvāsas replied, “I will tell you the supreme secret—a mystery created by the gods—which was performed by the Earth when she was sinking into the netherworld. When the earth was submerged in the waters, she went to the netherworld. That auspicious goddess, the supporter of beings, worshipped the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa with fasting, vows, and various disciplines. “After a long time, the Lord with the Garuda banner, pleased with her, lifted her up and restored her to her place; that imperishable one did so.” Satyatapas then asked, “O great sage, what was the fast observed by the Earth? What were the vows? Please tell me.” Durvāsas explained, “When, in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, on the tenth day, a self-controlled person, having worshipped the gods and performed the fire ritual as prescribed—wearing clean clothes, with a serene mind, having eaten well-prepared sacrificial food, and after walking five steps, one should again wash the feet. Taking a stick of about eight finger-breadths, made from a milk-bearing tree, one should use it as a tooth-cleaner, and then carefully perform ācamana, the ritual sipping of water. After touching all the doors and meditating for a long time on Janārdana, who holds the conch, discus, and mace, who wears a crown and yellow garments…” Thus, Durvāsas began to reveal the sacred observance by which even the Earth herself had won the grace of the Supreme Lord.