Endowed with every auspicious mark and adorned in splendid ornaments, the Sun shines forth in beautiful form, bestowing boons and radiating peace, all encircled by a luminous halo. When the Sun rises, glowing with the hue of dense vermilion, the devotee beholds Him and, taking up a vessel, approaches the ground on their knees in reverence. With single-minded focus and restrained speech, the devotee places the vessel upon their head and, invoking the sacred three-syllabled mantra, offers arghya—water—to the Sun. For those who are not initiated, the offering is made simply with His name, but always with faith and a heart filled with devotion, for the Sun accepts and cherishes devotion above all. In the directions presided over by Fire, Nirṛti, Wind, Īśa, the East, and others, the devotee worships the heart, head, topknot, armor, eyes, and weapon of the Sun. After offering arghya, fragrance, incense, lamp, and food, the devotee recites prayers, praises, bows, and forms the proper hand gesture to respectfully dismiss the deity. Those who offer arghya to the Sun with controlled senses—Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, women, and restrained Shudras—by constant devotion and a purified inner self, enjoy their desired pleasures and ultimately attain the supreme state. All who take refuge in Bhāskara, the god who traverses the sky and is the lamp of the three worlds, become recipients of happiness. It is taught that until the prescribed offering of water is given to Bhāskara, one should not worship Viṣṇu or Śaṃkara, the lords of the gods. Therefore, with effort and purity, one should daily offer water to Āditya, accompanied by delightful flowers and fragrances. Whoever, after bathing and with a pure mind, offers such water to Āditya on the seventh day attains their desired result. The sick are freed from illness, the seeker of wealth gains riches, the seeker of knowledge attains learning, and the seeker of sons is blessed with progeny. Whatever desire a wise person contemplates while offering water to Sūrya, he fully attains the fruit of that very desire. After bathing in the ocean, offering water to Sūrya and bowing, whether man or woman, one obtains the fruit of all desires. Following this, with flowers and controlled speech, one enters the temple of Sūrya, worships Bhānu, and circumambulates three times. O best of sages, one should worship Koṇārka with supreme devotion, with fragrances, flowers, lamps, incense, and offerings of food. With prostrations like a staff, cries of victory, and hymns, the thousand-rayed lord of the world is thus worshipped. A person who performs these acts obtains the fruit of ten Aśvamedha sacrifices, becomes free from all sins, and, youthful, attains a divine body. O twice-born, such a devotee uplifts seven generations before and after and ascends in a radiant, wish-fulfilling chariot resembling the sun. Praised by Gandharvas, he reaches the world of the sun and enjoys excellent pleasures there until the end of the cosmic cycle. When his merit is exhausted, he is born again in the noble family of yogins, becomes a brāhmaṇa versed in the four Vedas, devoted to his own duty and pure. Having attained the yoga of Vivasvat, he then obtains liberation. In the month of Caitra, during the bright fortnight, is the pilgrimage called Damanabhañjikā. Whoever performs there what was previously described attains those fruits, whether at sunrise, at the solstice, or at the equinox. O twice-born, on the day of the sun, on the lunar day, or at the time of a festival, those who undertake the pilgrimage there with faith and controlled senses ascend in a radiant chariot to the world of the sun and dwell there on the great bank of the lord of rivers. He is known as Rāmeśvara, the bestower of all desired fruits. Those who behold that enemy of desire, after bathing properly in the great ocean, with fragrances, flowers, incense, lamps, excellent offerings of food, prostrations, hymns, songs, and delightful music, those great souls attain fully the fruit of the Rājasūya and likewise the fruit of the Aśvamedha, and also supreme accomplishment. In a celestial chariot born of desire, adorned with networks of bells and praised by Gandharvas, they go to the world of Śiva. There, until the end of the cosmic flood, enjoying delightful pleasures, when their merit is exhausted, they return here and become masters of the four Vedas. Having established themselves in the yoga of Śaṅkara, they then attain liberation—especially those who give up their life in that field of the Sun. Such a soul, having reached the world of the Sun, delights in heaven like a god; then, regaining human birth, becomes a righteous king. By attaining the yoga of the Sun, one then obtains liberation. Thus, O best of sages, the exceedingly rare field has been described, which, on the shore of the ocean at Koṇārka, bestows both enjoyment and liberation. Hearing this, the listeners—addressing the best of gods—declare: "We have heard, O best of gods, what you have recounted—the supreme field of Bhāskara, which grants both enjoyment and liberation. Yet, we do not attain satisfaction, hearing your bliss-giving tale, holy and born from your lips, which destroys the sins of the Sun. Therefore, O best of gods, tell us, O foremost of speakers, what is the fruit of worshipping the gods and what is the fruit of giving, O Lord. In prostration, salutation, circumambulation, offering of lamps and incense, and in the act of sweeping—what merit is there? And what merit is there in fasting, in eating only at night, and what kind of arghya is prescribed, and where is it offered?" Thus, the story continues, as the seekers yearn to learn the merits of every sacred act and offering, eager to follow the path of devotion and attain the fruits of worship.