Narada, the great sage and son of Brahma, was filled with a deep yearning to know: “How may I discern which among the many forms is truly the Supreme Lord Narayana?” With this question weighing on his heart, he entered into profound meditation upon the Supreme God. For a full thousand years, measured not by mortal reckoning but by the divine calendar, Narada’s mind remained fixed upon the Lord. At last, the Supreme Being was pleased with Narada’s unwavering devotion and appeared before him, radiant and gracious. With a compassionate smile, the Lord addressed Narada: “O son of Brahma, ask of me whatever boon you desire, great sage, and I shall grant it.” Narada, his heart brimming with devotion, bowed and said: “O Lord of the world, Achyuta, I have meditated upon you for a thousand years. If you are truly pleased with me, then tell me, I pray—by what means may you be attained?” The Lord of gods replied, “O Narada, those twice-born who worship me by reciting the Purusha Sukta or by following the original Samhita shall surely attain me. If the Vedic scriptures are lost or unavailable, people may approach me by the path laid out in the Pancharatra; through that way too, they shall reach me. The Pancharatra is prescribed for Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas, but it is not to be heard or practiced by Shudras and others.” He continued, “This I declared in the ancient kalpa: if even one among thousands accepts the Pancharatra, and at the end of his actions becomes my devotee, then the Pancharatra will dwell in his heart always. But those dominated by royal pride and darkness, O best of the twice-born, will turn away from my command. In the Krita, Treta, and Dvapara yugas, those established in sattva will attain me, but in the Kali age, rajas and tamas will predominate.” The Lord then bestowed another boon: “Narada, by my grace, you shall know all of this Pancharatra, my exceedingly rare scripture—there is no doubt. Know that I am attained only through the Veda, the Pancharatra, devotion, and sacrifice—not otherwise, even in ten million years, dear one.” Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord, Supreme Ruler, vanished from Narada’s sight, and Narada, his heart full, ascended to heaven. At this point, Bhadrāśva, a seeker of wisdom, approached and asked, “O Lord, who are the two women, one white and one black, said to be distinct in this world, O Keśava? Who is the auspicious one called both white and black? And who is that man who becomes one and then sevenfold? Who is the twice-bodied, six-headed, twelvefold lord? What is the union of husband and wife, and the eating after sunrise? Why is this world so vast, O best of Brahmanas?” Agastya, the sage, replied: “The two women, one white and one black, are sisters—night, who is said to be of two colors, representing truth and untruth. The man who, being one, is born sevenfold is the ocean, existing as one in seven forms. The lord who is twelvefold, with two bodies and six faces, is the year itself—the two bodies are its two courses, and the six mouths are the six seasons. The union of husband and wife is day and night; from their union arose the sun and moon, and from them, O best of kings, this world came forth. Know that Viṣṇu, the supreme god, is the source of all, and one who does not perform Vedic rites cannot behold the Supreme Lord.” Bhadrāśva then inquired further: “O sage, how is the supreme and non-supreme god Viṣṇu, who pervades all, to be understood in each of the four ages? What will be the conduct of the castes in each age? And what of the purity of Brāhmaṇas when there is intermixture with other women?” Agastya answered: “In the Krita age, the earth is enjoyed by the gods through Vedic rites. In the Treta age, those who perform sacrifices, along with the gods, enjoy the earth. In the Dvapara age, when sattva and rajas predominate, as long as the king who is the son of Dharma reigns, order is maintained. But then, darkness will prevail in the form of Kali, and in that age, the twice-born will stray from their path. Kings, Vaishyas, and Shudras will mostly be of low birth, lacking truth and purity. The twice-born will approach the unapproachable, speak falsehoods, abandon the Vedic path, and marry within and outside their lineage. Kings, greedy and deceitful, will harm Brahmins; outcastes will assume the status of Vaishyas and revel in trade; Shudras will grow proud and arrogant. Brahmins will become all-consuming, lacking purity, and will even justify drinking liquor, forsaking truthfulness and cleanliness. Then, the world will decline, and the duties of the social orders will be destroyed.” Bhadrāśva pressed on: “If a Brahmin or even a Kshatriya commits intercourse with a forbidden woman, or a Shudra does so, how may he be purified? And which women are considered forbidden?” Agastya replied: “A Brahmin may marry four kinds of women, a Kshatriya three, a Vaishya two, and a Shudra only one. For a Kshatriya, the wife of a Brahmin is forbidden; for a Vaishya, the wife of a Kshatriya is forbidden; for a Shudra, the wife of a Vaishya is forbidden. Manu has declared that a woman of a higher class is forbidden to a man of a lower class. Mother, maternal aunt, mother-in-law, brother’s wife, daughter-in-law, daughter, friend’s wife, and a woman of one’s own lineage are all forbidden. The wife or daughter of a king, and women such as washerwomen and others, are also forbidden; intercourse with such women is sinful.” He continued, “For a Brahmin, union with a woman outside his caste brings great impurity; for others, purification is achieved by performing a hundred breath-control exercises. Even if a Brahmin accumulates sin through association with mixed castes, by reciting the Gayatri with ten Pranava syllables and performing three hundred breath-control exercises, he is freed even from the sin of killing a Brahmin—how much more so from lesser sins.” Thus did the sages speak, illuminating the ways of the ages, the nature of purity and sin, and the means by which the Supreme Lord may be attained.