With great reverence and care, the ancient sage Parāśara imparted wisdom to his disciple Maitreya, recounting the teachings once given by the venerable Aurva to King Sagara. He spoke of the proper conduct for those who seek to live a righteous life. First, he explained the importance of a name: it should not be meaningless, inauspicious, harsh, or unwholesome. A name must be complete, free from reproach, and neither too long nor too short. It should avoid excessively heavy syllables, be easy to pronounce, and include a syllable from the sacred praṇava, the primordial sound. After receiving the necessary sacraments, a young man should, according to prescribed rules, pursue knowledge in the house of his teacher. Once he has acquired wisdom and given the teacher his due fee, if he desires to enter household life, he may take a wife. Alternatively, with prior resolve, he may remain a celibate for a time, serving his teacher or the teacher’s son and others. Or, by his own wish, he may become a forest-dweller or a renunciant, following whatever resolve he had previously made. If he chooses to marry, he should select a wife who is younger by one third of his own age, avoiding those whose hair is too scanty or too abundant, or whose complexion is too dark or tawny. He should not marry a woman whose limbs are naturally excessive or deficient, nor one who is impure, excessively hairy, born from a mixed caste, or afflicted with disease. He should avoid marrying a wicked woman, one who speaks harshly, is deformed from birth, is the mother of a son, has a beard or masculine features, or a manly appearance. He should not marry a woman with a harsh or hoarse voice, nor one with a thin or crow-like voice, nor one with eyes set too close or too round. Likewise, he should avoid marrying a woman whose shins are hairy, whose ankles are too prominent, whose cheeks are hollow, or who laughs excessively. A wise man should not marry a girl with excessively rough skin, reddish eyes like those of a pigeon, or with thick hands and feet. He should not choose a woman who is too short or too tall, whose eyebrows are joined, whose teeth are too widely spaced, or whose mouth is misshapen. A householder should marry a maiden from the fifth generation on the mother’s side and the seventh on the father’s side, following proper rule and law. There are eight recognized forms of marriage: Brāhma, Daiva, Ārṣa, Prājāpatya, Āsura, Gāndharva, Rākṣasa, and Paiśāca. Of these, only the form prescribed by the great sages for his own class should be performed, avoiding the others. Having obtained a wife who follows the same dharma, one should enter household life with her; this union, properly concealed, yields great fruit. Parāśara then addressed Maitreya’s questions about conduct, explaining that he had told him fully about the supreme good conduct, which leads to excellence for all who follow it. Maitreya, satisfied with the teachings about the heretical sects and others, asked to learn about the Nagras: who they are, their conduct, and how one acquires the designation of Nagra. Parāśara replied, “Whoever, out of delusion, abandons the injunctions of the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, though belonging to the three varṇas, is called a Nagra and considered sinful. The three Vedas are the protection of all the varṇas; when one abandons them, he becomes a Nagra—of this there is no doubt.” He then shared another account, as told by the wise Vasiṣṭha to Bhīṣma, concerning the connection of the city. Once, a celestial battle erupted between the gods and the asuras. In that conflict, the gods were defeated by the daityas led by Hṛāda. Seeking refuge, the gods went to the northern shore of the Milk Ocean and performed austerities there, desiring to worship Viṣṇu. At that time, they recited a hymn, hoping the Blessed One would speak the words by which Viṣṇu, Lord of the worlds, might be propitiated. They praised Viṣṇu, acknowledging that all beings arise from him and dissolve into him, and wondered who in the world could truly praise the Supreme Lord. Yet, though their strength was diminished by ignorance and desire, they sought liberation and praised him as far as his qualities could be grasped. They declared, “You are earth, water, fire, air, and space; you are the inner sense, the primordial matter, and the supreme spirit beyond them. O Soul of all beings, your one form is composed of both the manifest and the unmanifest. O Lord, that form of yours which first arose from the lotus of your navel for the benefit of the universe—to that Brahman-form we offer homage. As you manifest as Indra, the Sun, Rudra, the Vasus, the Aśvins, the Maruts, Soma, and others, so too do we; to that divine Self we offer homage. That form of yours, O Govinda, which is inclined to hypocrisy, ignorance, lacking patience and self-control—to that daitya-form we offer homage. That form of yours in which knowledge does not predominate, where the senses are sluggish, and which is greedy for sound and the like—to that yakṣa-form we offer homage. That terrible, cruel, and dark form of yours, full of illusion, O Supreme Person, which is the form of night-wanderers—to that form we offer homage. That form of yours, O Janārdana, which abides in heaven, is the abode of righteousness, and brings about the fruits of virtue—to that dharma-form we offer homage. That form of yours, called Siddha, which is mostly joyful, unattached, and moves freely wherever it wishes—to that siddha-form we offer homage. That form of yours, O Hari, which is exceedingly patient, fierce, and full of enjoyment, with a forked tongue—to that nāga-form we offer homage.” Thus, the gods praised the many forms of Viṣṇu, seeking his favor and blessing, and Parāśara faithfully shared these teachings, guiding Maitreya on the path of righteousness and devotion.