Long ago, it is said, there lived a Brahmin of unwavering discipline, steadfast in his vows. He dedicated himself to self-study and sacrifice, ever devoted to his duties, and was deeply skilled in the practice of yoga. All his actions were performed with the hope of attaining the world of Brahma. In time, his mind grew inclined toward undertaking a pilgrimage to holy places. Following the prescribed path, he set out toward the direction where the sun rises. In his journey, he traveled to the northern peaks and to Manmathura as well, visiting all the sacred waters. There, he bathed and became purified. After performing worship and offering salutations at each holy site, he would resume his journey onward. One day, his path led him into a forest thick with thorns, deserted and eerily silent. Standing there, his heart was touched by a trace of fear, and he opened his eyes wide to take in his surroundings. Before him appeared beings of terrible form. Gathering his composure, the Brahmin spoke to them gently, “Who are you, beings of such fearsome appearance?” He continued, “You seem always to remain in one place—where do you go? You appear constantly afflicted by hunger and thirst, always suffering greatly. All of you seem to lack understanding and discernment, surrounded by confusion. You do not know the sky, nor the earth, nor even the day. This journey toward the sunrise does not seem desirable to you. Tell me, who are the swift one, the restrainer, and the fifth, the scribe? How did these names arise for those who have departed and for their deeds? And why are you all nameless?” The Brahmin went on, “I always eat what is fresh and give what is stale to the twice-born. Is this the reason for your condition?” The beings replied, “Because of this, O twice-born, one among us is called the ‘giver of stale food.’ For the same reason, another is called ‘needle-pointed.’ The swift one is so named because of his nature. The restrainer is called so for mounting up with an anxious mind. Among us, the most sinful is the scribe, and for that reason he bears that name. The swift one becomes lame, then his face turns needle-like. Another, with large testicles and dried limbs, is born evil.” They continued, “If you have faith in hearing, ask whatever else you wish to know. For all living beings on earth subsist on food.” The Brahmin then said, “I wish to hear truthfully about your food as well. Listen to ours, O you who are devoted to compassion for all creatures.” The beings responded, “That which you constantly revile upon hearing, always and again, is what we partake. In houses abandoned by purity, the departed ones indeed feed. Where teachers are not honored, and where households are ruled by women, where there is constant quarrel—there, among the reviled twice-born and those born in contemptible families, we partake. We feed on the food of those who are established but perform wicked deeds. This is even more sinful—the food of those with evil actions.” The Brahmin then asked, “Tell me, O ascetic, how does one not become a departed spirit?” The beings answered, “By fasting for one or three nights, or by performing difficult rites like the Chandrayana, one is purified. One who is devoted to vows and remains pure does not become a departed spirit. One who always honors ascetics, who is compassionate to all beings, who delights in worshiping the ancestors, who is endowed with forgiveness and generosity, who is devoted to fasting, and who always worships the gods—such a one does not become a departed spirit. From you, O Brahmin, we have heard who does not become a departed spirit.