Agastya, the revered sage, spoke solemnly of a time when Brahmins, abandoning purity and truthfulness, would become all-consuming and declare even the drinking of liquor to be acceptable, forsaking the standards of cleanliness and honesty that once defined them. As these noble qualities faded, Agastya warned, the world itself would decline, and the sacred duties of each social order would be destroyed. Hearing these words, Bhadrāśva inquired further: “O venerable one, if a Brahmin or Kshatriya were to engage in forbidden relations, or even a Shudra—how might such a person be purified? And which women are considered forbidden? Please explain this to me.” Agastya replied, “A Brahmin may unite with four kinds of women, a Kshatriya with three, a Vaishya with two, and a Shudra only with one. The wife of a Brahmin is forbidden to a Kshatriya, the wife of a Kshatriya is forbidden to a Vaishya, and the wife of a Vaishya is forbidden to a Shudra. As Manu has declared, a woman of a higher class is forbidden to a man of a lower class. “Furthermore, certain women are always forbidden: one’s own mother, maternal aunt, mother-in-law, brother’s wife, daughter-in-law, daughter, friend’s wife, and a woman of one’s own lineage. Also forbidden are the wife or daughter of a king, as well as women such as washerwomen and others of similar standing. Intercourse with any of these is declared sinful. “For a Brahmin, union with a woman outside his caste brings grave impurity. For others, purification may be achieved by performing a hundred breath-control exercises. Yet, even after a long time, whatever sin a Brahmin accumulates through association with mixed castes can be removed: by reciting the Gayatri mantra with ten Pranava syllables and performing three hundred breath-control exercises, one may be freed even from the sin of killing a Brahmin—how much more so from lesser sins. “Moreover, if a foremost Brahmin knows the Supreme Self, even if he has committed hundreds of sins, he is not tainted. By remembering Vishnu, 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, O best of kings.” Bhadrāśva then asked, “O blessed one, tell me of the wonders that have occurred in your own body, O noble sage.” Agastya replied, “O king, this body of mine 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 even gone to Ilāvṛta, the great region beside Mount Meru. “There, I came upon a beautiful lake and, on its shore, a great hermitage. I saw an ascetic weakened by fasting, reduced to skin and bones, clothed only in bark garments. Seeing him, I wondered, ‘Who is this sage?’ and pondered how I might win his trust and understanding. “As I reflected thus, the great sage called out to me, ‘Stay, stay! Remain here; I will offer you hospitality.’ Hearing his words, I entered the hut and saw him shining with a radiance like fire. As I stood before him, he uttered a humkāra—a powerful sound—and from the earth, five maidens emerged from the netherworld. One brought a golden seat and offered it to me; another gave me water in her hands; a third washed my feet; and the remaining two stood at my sides, each holding a fan. “Then, again, the ascetic uttered a humkāra. From that sound, a golden basin, a yojana across, appeared, and a makara leapt into the lake. Into this basin, hundreds of auspicious maidens arrived, bearing golden pitchers. The sage said to me, ‘All this has been prepared for your bath, O Brahmin; you should enter this basin and bathe.’ “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 soon rose up and beheld a world never seen before. Before me was a vast, excellent city with broad avenues thronged by pure-hearted people, attended by the wise and self-realized, by ancient kings established in righteousness. “It was a formidable place, inaccessible to the ordinary world, deep in the nethermost region, filled with white-clad men holding nooses, and surrounded by groups of elephants and horses. Lakes covered with lotuses and water-lilies abounded, crowded with birds; the hum of bees on lotus leaves filled the air with melody. On the banks stood houses like the peaks of Kailāsa, adorned with precious lotuses, inhabited by the blessed and revered by twice-born sages and even gods. “Lotuses, heavy with bees, swayed constantly. In the waters, twice-born ones with melodious voices recited wondrous Vedic mantras. Their bodies were adorned with garlands of white lotuses, their garments were fine, and birds flocked everywhere. In many lakes, these twice-born performed the ancient rites of sacrifice. “As I wandered among those lakes, I saw groups of celestial maidens and daughters of the Vidyādharas who had come to bathe. Then, I came upon another beautiful lake with pure water. On its bank, I saw a hut just as before. Entering, I saw the ascetic standing there. I greeted him, and he smiled, his power beyond compare. “He said, ‘O best of Brahmins, do you not recognize me, though you have seen me before? Why do you look upon this world as if deluded? This world, unseen even by the gods, has been revealed to you by me, out of affection. Behold, O great sage, the wealth of my world: rivers flowing with curds and milk, and lakes filled with clarified butter.