The figure that emerged out of the sacrificial fire confessed that it was actually a ghost (brahma rakshasa). Since Vasu had committed the sin of killing a brahamana (the sage), the ghost had entered Vasu’s body. It was the ghost which had given him the pain in the stomach as a punishment.

Since Vasu had uttered the name of Narayana at the time of dying, Narayana’s attendants had come to take him away to heaven. These attendants gave the ghost such a thrashing that he was forced to leave Vasu’s body. Vasu spent many years happily in heaven.

After years passed, Vasu was again born as the king of Kashmir. The brahma rakshasa once again entered Vasu’s body. But when Vasu performed a sacrifice and uttered the name of Pundarikaksha, the ghost had to leave Vasu’s body again. But this time, the sins of the ghost were washed away on hearing the sacred hymns that Vasu chanted. The brahma rakshasa became a righteous person.

Vasu rewarded the brahma rakshasa with a boon. The ghost, after all, deserved a boon since it had reminded Vasu of his earlier lives. The boon was that the brahma rakshasa would be born as a hunter so righteous that he would be known as dharma vyadha, or the righteous hunter.After granting the boon, Vasu left for the heavenly abode of Narayana.