On being asked by the chief of the celestials, Vrihaspati, O mighty king declared four things capable of fructifying or occurring within a single day, viz., the resolve of the gods, the comprehensions of intelligent persons, the humility of learned men, and the destruction of the sinful. These four that are calculated to remove fear, bring on fear when they are improperly performed, viz., the Agni-hotra, the vow of silence, study, and sacrifice (in general).

In plain words: Vidura says that Brihaspati, teacher of the gods, named four things that can happen in a single day: what the gods decide, the understanding of clever people, the humility of the learned, and the downfall of wrongdoers. He adds that four religious practices that should remove fear—the fire offering (Agni-hotra), a vow of silence, study, and sacrifice—actually cause fear when done wrongly.