A master of the Purāṇas, deeply versed in their meanings, once wove together a grand Purāṇa Saṃhitā—a tapestry composed of narratives, sub-narratives, songs, and ritual instructions. This sacred compilation was entrusted by the great sage Vyāsa to his renowned disciple, Sūta Romaharṣaṇa. Romaharṣaṇa, in turn, became the revered teacher of six disciples: Sumati, Agrivarja, Mitrayu, Shamsapayana, Akritavrana, and Savarni. Among these, Kashyapa, Savarni, and Shashapayana each composed their own Saṃhitās, while Romaharṣaṇa himself created another. These became the root texts, the foundational Samhitās, from which the wisdom of the Purāṇas branched forth in three primary streams. Through this fourfold division, O sage, the first and foremost among all the Purāṇas came to be known as the Brahma Purāṇa. Those learned in the Purāṇas declare that there are eighteen great Purāṇas: the Brahma, Padma, Vaishnava, Shaiva, and Bhagavata Purāṇas; then the Naradiya, Markandeya as the seventh, Agneya as the eighth, and Bhavishya as the ninth. The tenth is Brahmavaivarta, the eleventh is the Linga, followed by Varaha as the twelfth and Skanda as the thirteenth. The fourteenth is Vamana, fifteenth is Kurma, and finally, Matsya, Garuda, and Brahmanda are counted among the highest. In addition to these, sages have spoken of the Upapurāṇas, but these eighteen are the Mahāpurāṇas, O great sage. Within each of these are described the mysteries of creation and dissolution, the genealogies of gods and sages, the cycles of Manus, and the deeds of royal dynasties. O Maitreya, all that I have narrated to you about the Purāṇas is known as the Vaishnava Purāṇa, following in the tradition of the Padma. In the stories of creation, dissolution, genealogies, and the cycles of Manus, the blessed Lord Viṣṇu is celebrated in all, O noble one. The four Vedas, their auxiliary disciplines, the Mimāṃsā, the vast Nyāya, the Purāṇas, and the Dharma Śāstras—these fourteen are the principal sciences. To these are added Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gandharva, and Artha Śāstra, making a total of eighteen branches of knowledge. The Brahmarṣis are to be known as the first sages; from them arose the Devarṣis, and from them, the Rajarṣis—thus, three types of Rishi lineages were established. The branches and sub-branches of these traditions have been enumerated, as well as their creators and the causes for their divisions. In every Manvantara, these divisions are considered equal, with the Prājāpatya tradition and the eternal Vedas forming a threefold arrangement, O twice-born. Thus, O Maitreya, I have told you all you have asked; what more about the Vedas would you wish to hear? At this, the disciple replied: “O revered sage, all that I wished to know has been explained. Yet, there is one thing I wish to hear from you—please tell me of it.” The sage responded: “O great sage, the seven continents, the paths of the underworld, and the seven worlds—all these are contained within this cosmic egg. It is filled with living beings of every kind: gross and subtle, even subtler than the subtle, and grosser than the gross. O best of sages, there is not even an eighth part of a finger’s breadth in the universe where living beings, bound by the ties of karma, do not exist. All these beings, when their lifespans end, inevitably come under the sway of Yama, the lord of death, and are led to their respective destinations of reward or torment. Having experienced their results, even the gods themselves revolve through various wombs, taking birth again and again. Such is the conclusion of the scriptures. Now, I wish to hear about those who fall under Yama’s power. Tell me, O sinless one, what actions must a person perform so as not to come under his sway?” To this, Parāśara replied: “O sage, this very question was once asked by the noble Nakula, and the grandsire Bhīṣma answered him. Listen to what Bhīṣma said: ‘Once, my friend, the Brāhmaṇa Kāliṅgaka, who remembered his past births, came to me, and I questioned him. He described what had happened, what was happening, and what would happen—and all occurred just as he had foretold. I questioned him again and again, and his words were never found false. Once, I asked him the very question you now pose. Remembering the teachings he had received from a sage, Kāliṅgaka spoke to me of the supreme secret: the conversation that once took place between Yama and his messengers. Hear now what he told me. Yama, the lord of justice, seeing his own servant holding a noose, spoke softly in his ear: “Avoid those who have taken refuge in Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu). I am lord over all others, but not over Viṣṇu’s devotees.” “I, Yama, am appointed by the Creator, worshipped by the immortals, to oversee the welfare and suffering of the world. But I am not independent—I am under the authority of Hari and his teachers. Viṣṇu himself controls even my power of restraint.” “Just as gold, though shaped into bracelets, crowns, earrings, and other ornaments, remains one in essence, so too is Hari, though described in many forms—god, animal, human, and so on—always one.” “Just as earth, water, and atoms return to unity at the end of creation, so too do gods, animals, humans, and all beings merge into oneness through the eternal qualities of nature at the end.” “Whoever truly bows to the lotus feet of Hari, worshipped by hosts of immortals, is freed from all bonds of sin and attains liberation, just as clarified butter poured on fire disappears into the flame.” Hearing these words of Yama, the noose-bearer asked: “Tell me, O Lord of all beings, what is the fate of one devoted to Hari?” Yama replied: “The fate of the devotee is as his devotion.” “He who does not stray from the duties of his own class, whose mind is impartial toward friend and foe, who neither steals nor kills, whose mind is pure—know him to be a devotee of Viṣṇu.” “He whose heart is untainted by the impurity of the Kali age, whose pure mind is not clouded by delusion, who has installed Janārdana in his heart—know that such a man is ever devoted to Hari.”’ Thus, O Maitreya, was the secret revealed: that those who take refuge in Viṣṇu, who remain steadfast in virtue and devotion, transcend the reach of Yama and are led to liberation, freed from the bonds of karma and rebirth.