The royal couple, united as tradition prescribed, performed all the sacred worship and rites in honor of Lord Vishnu, O best of the twice-born. As time passed, King Sapatrajit eventually departed from this world, and his devoted queen, upholding the ancient custom, ascended the funeral pyre to join her husband, the ruler, in death. Yet, because of a transgression—the king’s conversation with a heretic while fasting—he was reborn as a dog. The virtuous queen, the noble daughter of the king of Kashi, was born again as well, this time with the memory of her past life intact. She possessed all knowledge, was honored for her auspicious qualities, and shone with virtue. Her father wished to arrange her marriage, but she, guided by her own will and wisdom, gently prevented him from proceeding with the wedding. With her divine insight, she perceived her former husband’s soul now inhabiting the body of a dog in the city of Vidiśā. Resolute, she journeyed there and beheld him in his new, humble form. Seeing her beloved, now a dog, she approached him with reverence and offered him excellent food, honoring him as before. The dog, delighted by the delicious offerings, behaved according to his nature, yet spoke many flattering words to her. The young maiden, embarrassed by his praise, bowed respectfully and addressed her beloved, now born of lowly birth, reminding him gently: “O great king, do you remember the gentle conduct that led you to this dog’s womb and now causes you to flatter me?” She continued, “After your conversation with the heretic and your bath at the holy place, you attained this degraded birth. Do you not recall, O lord?” Hearing her words, the dog-king reflected deeply and, after a long contemplation, attained rare dispassion. Filled with despair, he left the city, wandered into the desert, and there, casting off his dog’s body, was born again—this time as a jackal. Two years passed, and the queen, perceiving his new form with her divine vision, recognized him as a jackal. She journeyed to the mountain called Kolahala to see him. There, beholding her husband in the body of a jackal, she addressed him once more: “O king, do you remember what I told you when you were a dog—your former deeds and your association with heretical speech?” Again, reminded of his past by her words, he realized the truth. After some time, he gave up food and abandoned his jackal body. He was then born as a wolf. The faultless queen sought him out in the lonely forest and reminded him once more of his previous deeds: “O fortunate one, you are not a wolf; you are King Shatadhanu. Having been a dog, then a jackal, you now have attained the state of a wolf.” Thus reminded, he abandoned the wolf’s body, and his soul entered the form of a vulture. The queen, steadfast in her purpose, found him again and instructed him: “O king, recall who you truly are—your soul—now behaving as a vulture. This fault, arising from heretical speech, has led you to this vulture birth.” In his next birth, he became a crow. The slender maiden, perceiving him through her divine power, addressed her husband: “All the rulers of the earth who once offered you tribute have now become your food, O lord, as you have taken the form of a crow.” In that very form, reminded once more by her words, the king abandoned his life and was reborn as a peacock. The auspicious queen followed him, taking birth as a peahen, always content with the food suitable to their kind. Later, King Janaka performed a great horse-sacrifice, and at the concluding ablution, he purified the peacock-king. There, the slender-limbed queen and King Janaka both reminded him of his successive births—as dog, jackal, and so on. Recalling the sequence of his incarnations, the king abandoned his peacock body and was born as the son of the great-souled Janaka himself. When the time came, the queen urged her father regarding her marriage, and the king arranged for her svayamvara. At the ceremony, she chose him, her beloved, as her husband, and once again, the devoted lady served him as her lord. He, the delight of kings, enjoyed life with her, and when his father passed away, he ruled the Videha kingdom. He performed many sacrifices, gave gifts to those who sought them, begot sons, and fought his enemies. Having enjoyed his kingdom justly and protected the earth, the king gave up his life in battle, upholding righteousness. Once more, his virtuous-eyed wife ascended the funeral pyre after him, as before, with joy and in accordance with the sacred rites. Thereafter, the king, together with the princess, attained worlds beyond those of Indra—everlasting realms that fulfill all desires. Having attained this incomparable and exceedingly rare state of marital union in heaven and having received the fruits of his merit and purification, O best of the twice-born, he reached that blessed state. Thus, O twice-born, I have described the consequences of associating with heretics, as well as the greatness of the Ashvamedha sacrifice and the Avabhritha bath. Therefore, one should avoid conversation and contact with sinful heretics, especially during rituals, the commencement of sacrifices, and particularly when initiated. If, due to ritual neglect, a person is born for even one month, the wise should purify themselves by looking at the sun, even from simply seeing such a one. What, then, can be said of those who have completely abandoned the three Vedas, who eat food from others, who are sinful, and who oppose the teachings of the Vedas?