At dawn, I journeyed to the sacred place and worshipped Hari with all the prescribed rituals, my heart intent on pleasing Vishnu. For this purpose, I had undertaken a vow of devotion. As events unfolded, I encountered a Brahma-rakshasa, an outcaste tormented by hunger. Hearing his desperate words, the rakshasa, his mouth wide open, questioned me: “Do you intend to return again?” Though I was a Chandala, stained by past deeds, I addressed the rakshasa: “Listen to my pledge, O Rakshasa, the reason I have come back. By the truth, I shall return again; if you believe in my word, then release me.” I declared, “By truth, sages devoted to Brahman have attained success. By truth, kings and women prevail; they have not spoken falsehood. By truth the sun shines; by truth the moon delights. If I do not return again, I shall attain the fate of those who have not bathed. I shall reach that fate, if I do not return again. I shall reach that fate, if I do not return again. I shall attain their fate, if I do not return again.” Hearing my steadfast words, the rakshasa spoke sweetly: “Go quickly, salutations to you.” He added, “He will sing again for me, established in devotion to me.” With reverence, I turned around, saying, “Salutations to Narayana.” The rakshasa spoke kindly to me, seeing my determination. Knowing me to be a corpse-eater, he said, “You should not die here.” But my agreement had already been made: I was to be eaten by the rakshasa. Then, the lotus-eyed one—Vishnu—spoke to me: “Do not go there, Chandala, where that sinful rakshasa is.” Yet, hearing these words, I remained firm in my vow. “I will not act as you speak to me,” I replied. “All the world is rooted in truth; the lineage is established in truth. I will never abandon it and become untruthful.” Thus, I remained steadfast in my vow of truth. Returning to the rakshasa, I declared, “I have arrived, O illustrious one; do not delay, eat. Eat these limbs of mine as you wish. Satisfy yourself; do what is truly beneficial for me.” The rakshasa then spoke sweet words to me, the outcaste, whose mind was thus resolved, though ignorant of proper conduct. He also spoke kindly to the Brahma-rakshasa: “Still, truth must always be spoken, O Brahma-rakshasa.” Again, he addressed me, the outcaste, unwavering in my vow: “Grant me the fruit of my singing, if you desire your own life.” Hearing these words, I replied, “Having said, ‘I will eat,’ what reward of singing do you desire from me?” The rakshasa responded, “Give me just one supreme merit from the singing.” Hearing this, I, greedy for the merit of song, listened intently to the rakshasa’s words.