Hearing those sorrowful words of the Brahman, Rāma was greatly sorry and sent for Vasishtha, Bāmadeva, his brothers, citizens and councillors. Thereupon having entered the apartment in the company of Vasishtha, eight Brahmans blessed the king Rāma, resembling a celestial, saying “May victory crown thee.” Mārkandeya, Maudgalya, Bāmadeva, Kashyapa, Kātyāyana, Javali, Gautama, and Narada—these eight leading Brāhmanas having taken their seats, Rāma, with folded hands, saluted them. And he showed due civilities towards his minister, citizens, Rishis and all others. Thereupon all the highly effulgent Rishis being accomodated with seats Rāma narrated duly before them the account of the Brāhmana and said. “This Brahman is waiting at the Palace-gate.” Hearing those words of the poorly king, Nārada, in the presence of all other Rishis, replied: — “Hear, king, why this boy hath met with untimely death. And hearing this, O descendant of Raghu, do thou settle what thou thinkest proper. O king, in the golden age, only the Brahmans used to engage in asceticism. At that age, save the Brāhmanas no other caste used to lead the life of an anchoret. And for this, the Brahmans were the highest caste, effulgent in asceticism, shorn of ignorance, above death and conversant with three ages. Thereupon at the end of the golden age, Brāhmana’s understanding became loose and the Tretā Yuga set in. At this age Kshatryas, gifted with the power acquired by pristine asceticism, were born. And those men, intent upon austere penances, that were born in the Tretā age, were more powerful and greater devotees than those in the former age. In the golden age the Brāhmanas were more powerful than the Kshatryas. But in the Tretā age the Brāhmanas and the Kshatryas were equally powerful. Thus in the Tretā age, not beholding prominence of the Brāhmanas greater than that of the Kshatryas, Manu and other religious leaders of the time composed the Sastra describing and setting in the four divisions of castes. In this wise the Tretā age was prolific with virtues of the four Varnas, and many pious sacrifices and was shorn of iniquities. But being attacked a little with iniquity, one portion of sin appeared on earth. And growing impious people lost their strength. And for houses and farms that were the property of the former age, people of the Tretā Yuga were possessed by envy, the outcome of the quality of darkness. And with the fading of impiety on earth during Tretā, the soiled sin of untruth appeared. And this iniquity stretching one footstep, the lease of people’s lives, for sins, became limited. And the sin of untruth descending on earth, people, to avoid the extinction of life in consequence thereof, became truthful and engaged in many pious observances. During the Tretā age the Brāhmanas and Kshatryas engaged in austere penances and the Vaisyas and Sudras engaged in serving them. And the greatest piety of the Vaisyas and Sudras at that time consisted of serving the Brāhmanas and Kshatryas and specially for the Sudras the highest religion was to serve people of all Varnas. O foremost of kings, at the end of the Tretā age, Vaisyas and Sudras being fully overpowered by the sin of untruth, the Brāhmanas and the Kshatryas also grew feeble. And the second foot of impiety being ushered into the world the Dwāpara age set in. O foremost of men, during this age two legs of piety being cut off, impiety and untruth multiplied. And in Yuga named Dwāpara the Vaisyas engaged in devout penances. In this wise in three ages the three Varnas gradually engaged in ascetic performances. The piety of asceticism by Yugas gradually became established in three Varnas. But, O foremost of men, in these three Yugas the Sudras were not entitled to the virtues of devout penances. O foremost of men, the degraded caste—the Sudras, during thy regime, have engaged in austere penances. And in the Kali Yuga asceticism shall be established in the Sudras. O king, even in the Dwāpara, devout penances for Sudras were considered as impiety, what to speak of the Tretā age. O king, one Sudra, under the influence of vicious understanding has begun devout penances within thy kingdom. And for that reason this boy hath met with death. Calamity sets in that kingdom where a vicious-minded person commits an iniquity and that vicious wight and the king forsooth speedily repair to hell. The king, who piously governeth his subjects, receiveth the sixth portion of their study, asceticism and good actions. While the king is entitled to the sixth portion of everything why should he not fully protect his subjects? Therefore, O chief of men, do thou bring all informations of thy kingdom. And be then studious to repress vices wherever thou shalt find them. And by that, O foremost of men, the piety of the subjects shall be increased, the lease of their life shall be prolonged and this boy shall regain his life.”