"One further point, O king! There are countless exponents who go about discoursing on morals and spiritual matters on the basis of mere study; they do not have an iota of experience of what they preach. They have no faith in the authenticity of the various manifestations of divine glory which they dilate upon. Such exhortation is as ineffective as offerings of ghee made, not in flames but on a cold heap of ashes. It will not cure the mind of faults and failures."
"In your case, there is no fear of such ineffectiveness; Your heart is immersed in the uninterrupted flood of love for Shyamasundara (Krishna). Whoever listens to this narrative and imbibes the nectar of this story with a heart, bubbling over with divine yearning, unshakeable faith in God, and constant joy can attain the realisation of the self. This is beyond the realm of doubt. O king! This occasion, this text and this listener are all quite appropriate and excellent."
Saying, "O, how fortunate you are!" the sage Suka placed his hand on the head of the king in benediction; he caressed the thick curls of his hair. The king pleaded most humbly, "Master, you know too well that I have very little time before me". "Therefore", he continued with folded palms, "give me the highest guidance, and I shall get myself established in it, all these seven days. Give me the holy formula so that I can repeat it in the short time I have, and keep it fresh in memory and save myself".
The sage laughed. "Parikshith! Those who are intent on sensory pleasures spend their days in worry, in anxiety, in pain, grief and tears throughout a long period of life, they breed like birds and beasts; they eat good food and cast it away as urine and faeces. This is the purposeless life that most people lead. Can you call this, the process of living? Enormous numbers of living beings exist on the earth. Living is not enough; it has no value by itself, for itself. It is the motives, the feelings, the thoughts, the attitudes that prompt the day to day life that matters. If a person has divine qualities manifesting themselves as thoughts, feelings, etc., then he is alive. Instead, if a person defiles the holy encasement of his, (body) by utilising it for unholy purposes that cater to momentary happiness, thereby ignoring the all-knowing, all-powerful providence, it is to be condemned as a calculated denial of one's humanity. Take the case of a person who has fixed his mind on the Lotus feet of the Lord (Hari); it does not matter if he is short-lived. During that short period, he can make his life fruitful and auspicious. O king, to remove your doubt I shall tell you the beautiful story of a Rajarshi. Listen."
"In the solar dynasty there was once a ruler who was mighty in prowess, heroic on the field, prolific in charity, upright in character, and just in his dealings. He was named Khatvanga. He had no equal, no one who could challenge him. Meanwhile, the wicked Daityas and Danavas mustered their forces and went to war against the Devas (Gods); the Gods were afraid of being overwhelmed; they realised their weakness and came down to earth and sought help from king Khatvanga. The king was also longing for the adventure of battle; so, he collected his bow and arrows and riding his chariot, he proceeded to the scene of war. There he shook the hearts of the Daityas and Danavas by sheer terror of his valour. The enemy fled in panic, unable to withstand the terrific onslaught. Since it is immoral to subject a fleeing foe to hot pursuit, Khatvanga desisted from further clashes."
