The venerable sage Agastya, in conversation with Bhadrāśva and others, spoke of profound truths revealed by the Supreme Lord Himself. Addressing Nārada, the Lord explained, “In the Krita, Treta, and Dvapara yugas, those whose hearts are established in sattva, the quality of goodness, will surely reach Me. But in Kali Yuga, the qualities of rajas and tamas—passion and darkness—will predominate.” Then, bestowing a special grace, the Lord told Nārada, “I grant you another boon: by My favor, you shall know the entirety of the Pañcarātra, My exceedingly rare scripture. Have no doubt of this. Know, O twice-born sage, that I am to be attained only through the Veda, the Pañcarātra, devotion, and sacrifice—not otherwise, even in ten million years.” Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord, the Supreme Ruler, vanished from Nārada’s sight, and Nārada too ascended to heaven. Later, Bhadrāśva approached with questions for the wise sage Agastya. “O Lord,” he asked, “who are the two women, one white and one black, said to be separate in the world, O Keśava? Who is this auspicious one called white and black? And who is that man who becomes one and then sevenfold? Who is that twice-bodied, six-headed, twelvefold lord? What is the meaning of the union of husband and wife, and the eating after sunrise? Why is this world so vast?” Agastya replied, “The two women, one white and one black, are said to be sisters; night is declared to be the woman 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; the two bodies are the two courses, and the six mouths are the six seasons—thus is the year remembered. The union of husband and wife is day and night; from them, the sun and moon arose, and from them, O best of kings, this world came forth. That Viṣṇu, the supreme god, is to be known, O best of kings. Without Vedic rites, none can behold the Supreme Lord.” Bhadrāśva then inquired further, “O sage, how should the supreme and non-supreme Viṣṇu, who pervades all, 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 explained, “In the Krita age, the earth is enjoyed by the gods through Vedic rites. In the Treta age, it is enjoyed by those who perform sacrifices and by the gods. In the Dvāpara age, when sattva and rajas are predominant, the earth endures as long as the king who is the son of Dharma exists. Then, darkness will prevail in the form of Kali. In that Kali age, the twice-born will stray from their own path. Kings, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras will mostly be of low birth, devoid of truth and purity. The twice-born will approach the unapproachable, speak falsehood, be excluded from the Vedic path, and marry within and outside their own lineage. Kings, greedy for wealth and deceitful, will harm Brāhmaṇas; even outcastes will assume the status of Vaiśyas, delighting in trade, and those of Śūdra birth will become proud and arrogant. Brahmins will become all-consuming, devoid of purity, declaring that drinking liquor is permitted, lacking truthfulness and cleanliness. Then the world will perish, 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—by what means is he purified? And which women are considered forbidden?” Agastya replied, “A Brahmin may go to four kinds of women, a Kshatriya to three, a Vaishya to two, and a Shudra to only one. The wife of a Brahmin is forbidden for a Kshatriya; the wife of a Kshatriya is forbidden for a Vaishya, and the wife of a Vaishya for a Shudra. 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, as well as the wife or daughter of a king, and women such as washerwomen, are all forbidden. Intercourse with such women is sinful. For a Brahmin, intercourse with a woman outside his caste brings grave impurity; for others, purification is achieved by performing a hundred breath-control exercises. Even after a long time, whatever sin is accumulated by a Brahmin through association with mixed castes can be removed—by reciting the Gayatri with ten Pranava syllables and performing three hundred breath-control exercises, one is freed even from the sin of killing a Brahmin, how much more so from lesser sins. Or, if a foremost Brahmin knows the Supreme Self, even if he has committed hundreds of sins, he is not tainted. Remembering Viṣṇu, reciting the Veda, giving gifts, and worshipping Hari—a Brahmin remains pure, and can even save others who are opposed. All this I have told you, O king, as you asked; what is described in detail by Manu and others, I have summarized for you.” Bhadrāśva, ever eager to know more, said, “O blessed one, whatever has occurred in your body, O best of twice-born, you who are long-lived—please tell me that, O noble one.” Agastya answered, “This body of mine, O king, is filled with many wonders; it has endured through many cycles of creation and has been purified by Vedic knowledge. I have wandered over the whole earth and have gone to Ilāvṛta, the great region beside Mount Meru. There I saw a beautiful lake and, on its shore, a great hermitage. There I beheld an ascetic, weakened by fasting, reduced to skin and bones, wearing only bark garments. Seeing him, I wondered, ‘Who is this, O foremost of rulers?’ To gain his trust and understanding, I considered what should be done. As I was reflecting thus, the great sage addressed me, saying, ‘Stay, stay! Remain here, I will offer you hospitality.’ Hearing his words, I entered the hut and beheld the sage, shining as if ablaze with radiance.