In the ancient times, the wise Parāśara imparted sacred guidance on the conduct of householders and the path of righteous living. He spoke of the qualities to be considered when entering marriage, instructing that a man should avoid choosing a wife whose shins are hairy, whose ankles are overly prominent, whose cheeks are hollow, or who laughs excessively. Further, a discerning man should not marry a maiden with excessively rough skin, eyes red like those of a pigeon, or with thick hands and feet. He should also refrain from marrying a woman who is either too short or too tall, whose eyebrows are joined, whose teeth are widely spaced, or whose mouth is misshapen. Parāśara emphasized that a householder ought to marry a maiden whose lineage is pure—specifically, from the fifth generation on the mother’s side and the seventh on the father’s side—according to proper rule and law. He then described the eight recognized forms of marriage: Brāhma, Daiva, Ārṣa, Prājāpatya, Āsura, Gāndharva, Rākṣasa, and Paiśāca. Of these, each man should perform only that form of marriage prescribed for his class by the great sages, avoiding the others. Upon obtaining a wife who follows the same dharma, one should enter household life together with her; this union, properly concealed and observed, bears great fruit. Thus did the venerable Aurva instruct the great-souled Sagara when he inquired sincerely about the conduct of the virtuous, Parāśara told Maitreya. “I too have explained all this in detail, O twice-born, about the highest conduct; for who, by following it, does not attain excellence?” Maitreya, eager for deeper knowledge, then asked, “O venerable one, I have understood about the six heretical sects and others, and those such as the Udākyas. But I wish to know about the Nagras. Who is a Nagra? What is their conduct? How does a man come to be called a Nagra? Please reveal to me the true nature of a Nagra, as only you, best of the righteous, can do.” Parāśara replied, “Whoever, out of ignorance or delusion, abandons the injunctions of the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, though belonging to the three varṇas, is called a Nagra and is considered sinful. The three Vedas are the protection of all the varṇas, O twice-born. When one abandons them, he becomes a Nagra—of this there is no doubt.” He continued, “Now, listen to another account, which the wise Vasiṣṭha, our ancestor, once told to the great Bhīṣma. I too have heard this from him, as he spoke about the connection of the city, just as you have asked me now. “Once, O twice-born, there was a great celestial battle between the gods and the asuras. In that fierce 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 this hymn: ‘Today, the Blessed One will speak the words by which Viṣṇu, Lord of the worlds, may be propitiated; may Viṣṇu be pleased by them. From whom all beings arise, and in whom they all dissolve—who in this world is capable of praising that Supreme Lord? Yet, though our strength is diminished by ignorance and desire, we who seek liberation will praise you only as far as your qualities can be grasped. You are earth, water, fire, air, and space; you are the inner sense, the primordial matter, and the supreme spirit beyond them all. O Soul of all beings, this one form of yours 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. That form of yours, O Viṣṇu, which is awakened, peaceful, faultless, and free from sin—the form of a seer—to that form we offer homage. That form of yours, O Lotus-eyed One, which at the end of the aeon devours all beings that are enveloped—to that time-form we offer homage. Homage to that Rudra-self, who, having devoured all beings, including gods and others without distinction, dances at the end in that very form. O Janārdana, homage to that form of yours, the soul of man, which, through the activity of rajas, is the agent of all actions. Homage to that form of yours, O all-pervading one, which is tamasic, associated with twenty-eight forms, wandering outside the path, the soul of beasts. Homage to that principal self, whose form is a limb of sacrifice, the means for the accomplishment of the world, and which divides trees and others. Homage to that universal self, whose form is the origin of all—animals, humans, gods, the sky, sound, and so forth. Homage to the cause of causes, to that primal form of yours, which is beyond all, distinct from matter, intellect, and the rest, and is not comparable to anything else. O Lord, we bow to that form of yours, pure, supremely pure, seen by the highest seers, which is free from whiteness, length, density, and other qualities, and beyond the reach of attributes. We bow to that form, the essence of Brahman, which is unborn and imperishable, present in our bodies, in other bodies, and in all beings, and apart from which nothing else exists.’ Thus, in their time of need, the gods praised the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, recognizing his many forms, his all-pervading presence, and his transcendence beyond all that is manifest and unmanifest. Their hymn was an expression of the highest devotion, acknowledging Viṣṇu as the source, sustainer, and ultimate end of all that exists.