The sage Agastya spoke to the king, recounting the origins of the world and the ways of the ages. He explained that the union of husband and wife is like day and night; from their coming together arose the sun and the moon, and from them, O best of kings, this entire world was born. Agastya then declared: Know that Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, is the one to be realized. Without the observance of Vedic rites, one cannot behold this Supreme Being. At this, Bhadrāśva, eager for knowledge, asked: “O revered sage, how is this all-pervading Viṣṇu—who is both supreme and non-supreme—understood in each of the four ages? What will be the conduct of the castes in each era? And what becomes of the purity of Brāhmaṇas when there is mingling with other women?” Agastya replied: “In the Kṛta age, the earth is enjoyed by the gods through Vedic rites. In the Tretā age, too, it is enjoyed by those who perform sacrifices and by the gods. In the Dvāpara age, when the qualities of sattva and rajas are predominant, the earth is sustained as long as the king, born of Dharma, exists. But then, darkness will descend in the form of Kali. In this Kali age, the twice-born will stray from their own path. Kings, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras will mostly be of low birth, lacking truth and purity. “In that time, the twice-born will approach the unapproachable, speak falsehoods, abandon 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 and delight in trade, while those of Śūdra birth will become proud and arrogant. Brāhmaṇas will become all-consuming, devoid of purity, and will wrongly declare that drinking liquor is permitted, abandoning truthfulness and cleanliness. Then, the world will fall into ruin, and the duties of the social orders will be destroyed.” Bhadrāśva then asked, “If a Brāhmaṇa, or even a Kṣatriya, commits intercourse with a forbidden woman, or a Śūdra does so, by what means is he purified? And which women are considered forbidden?” Agastya answered: “A Brāhmaṇa may go to four kinds of women, a Kṣatriya to three, a Vaiśya to two, and a Śūdra only to one. The wife of a Brāhmaṇa is forbidden to a Kṣatriya, the wife of a Kṣatriya is forbidden to a Vaiśya, and the wife of a Vaiśya is forbidden to a Śūdra. Manu has declared that a woman of a higher class is forbidden to a man of a lower class. “Furthermore, one’s 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 considered forbidden. Intercourse with such women is sinful. “For a Brāhmaṇa, union 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 Brāhmaṇa through association with mixed castes can be removed by reciting the Gāyatrī with ten Pranava syllables and performing three hundred breath-control exercises. This can free one even from the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa—how much more so from lesser sins. “Or, if a foremost Brāhmaṇa knows the Supreme Self, even if he has committed hundreds of sins, he is not tainted. By remembering Viṣṇu, reciting the Veda, giving gifts, and worshipping Hari, a Brāhmaṇa 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.” Then, Bhadrāśva inquired: “O blessed one, whatever has occurred in your body, O best of the twice-born, you who are long-lived—please tell me that, O noble one.” Agastya replied: “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 visited Ilāvṛta, that great region beside Mount Meru. “There, I saw a beautiful lake, and on its shore stood a great hermitage. There, I beheld an ascetic weakened by fasting, reduced to skin and bones, wearing only garments of bark. 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 reflected, the great sage addressed me: ‘Stay, stay! Remain here, I will offer you hospitality.’ Hearing these words, I entered his hut and beheld the sage, shining as if ablaze with radiance. “Seeing me standing on the ground, the sage uttered a humkāra—a deep, resonant sound—and from that sound, five maidens broke through the earth and emerged from the netherworld. One brought a golden seat and offered it to me; another gave me water held in her hands. A third took hold of my feet and began to wash them, while the other two stood at my sides, each holding a fan. “Once again, the great ascetic uttered a humkāra. From that sound, a golden basin, a yojana in width, appeared, and a makara leapt into the lake. In that basin, hundreds of auspicious maidens carrying golden pitchers arrived. Seeing this, the sage spoke to me: ‘All this has been prepared for your bath, O Brāhmaṇa; you should enter this basin and bathe, O noble one.’ “Following his instruction, I entered the basin in the lake, and as I did so, the basin sank beneath the water. Thinking myself submerged, I then rose up and beheld a world never seen before—a vast and excellent city, with broad avenues thronged by pure-hearted people, attended by the wise and self-realized, and by ancient kings established in righteousness. It was a formidable place, inaccessible to the course of worldly life, situated deep in the nethermost region, filled with white-clad men holding nooses, and surrounded by various groups of elephants and horses.