Then, O best of sages, the Supreme Lord spoke: “I swiftly expelled you from my mouth; I have told you this truth, and know that my true nature is difficult even for gods and demons to comprehend. Until the blessed Lord Brahmā, great in his austerities, awakens to awareness, you, O most excellent sage, may dwell here with confidence and happiness. But when the Grandfather of all worlds arises, I alone, O best of the twice-born, will create all beings and forms. Space, earth, fire, wind, and water—indeed, everything that exists in this world, whether moving or unmoving—will be created here by me.” Having thus spoken, O sages, Mādhava addressed the sage once more, his voice deep as thunder, after a thousand ages had passed: “O sage, tell me truly for what purpose you praised me. Choose the best boon, for I shall grant it to you without delay. You are long-lived among the gods, devoted to me, steadfast in your vows; therefore, O foremost of Brāhmaṇas, you shall again obtain long life.” Hearing these auspicious words and beholding the Lord, the sage at once bowed low, offering his obeisance, and spoke: “O Lord of gods, I have seen your supreme form, O best of Brāhmaṇas; truly, all delusion has departed upon beholding you, O Hari. By your grace, O Lord, I desire only this: the welfare of the worlds and the pacification of all disputes. For the refutation of debates between Śaivas and Bhāgavatas, in this most sacred, pure, and excellent field, O Supreme Person, grant me this boon. Here, O God, I shall establish a great and supreme shrine of Śiva, and likewise, I shall install Śaṅkara in your place. Then, in this world, people will know Hari and Īśvara as one form.” The Lord of the universe replied to that great sage: “This supreme god, the cause and Lord of the worlds—this liṅga is to be worshipped, for the pacification of all disputes. By my command, O best of Brāhmaṇas, quickly establish a temple of Śiva; by its power, you shall abide eternally in the realm of Śiva. When Śiva is established, O sage, my own establishment is accomplished; there is truly no difference between us—one essence appearing as two. He who is Rudra is himself Viṣṇu; he who is Viṣṇu is Maheśvara. There is no difference between the two, just as there is no difference between wind and space. Deluded, people do not recognize that he who bears the banner of Garuḍa is the same as he who bears the bull-banner—the slayer of Tripura, the three-eyed one. Therefore, O brāhmaṇa, establish a temple of Śiva bearing your name; in the north, create a beautiful sacred place for the Lord of gods. The pond named Mārkaṇḍeya will become renowned among men, O best of the twice-born, and it will destroy all sins.” Having spoken thus, the all-pervading Janārdana vanished that very moment before the sage Mārkaṇḍeya. Now, O twice-born, I shall explain the procedure of the five sacred waters, and the fruits gained by bathing, giving, and beholding the deity. Going to the Mārkaṇḍeya pond, facing north, pure in body and mind, a man should immerse himself three times in the water and recite this mantra: “O slayer of Bhaga’s eye, O enemy of Tripura, I bow to you—rescue me, who am sunk in the ocean of worldly existence, seized by sin, and unconscious.” Then, “Salutations to Śiva, the peaceful one, the remover of all sins; I bathe, O Lord of gods—may my sin be destroyed.” Having bathed up to the navel, as prescribed, one should satisfy the deities, sages, ancestors, and others with water mixed with sesame, focusing the mind. After this, having bathed and sipped water in the proper way, one should go to the temple of Śiva, enter the shrine, and circumambulate it three times. With the root mantra, worship the Lord of Mārkaṇḍeya, O brāhmaṇas, and with the Aghora mantra, bow down and propitiate him: “O three-eyed one, salutations to you; salutations to you, O wearer of the moon. Protect me, O Virūpākṣa, O great god, salutations to you.” Having thus bathed in the Mārkaṇḍeya pond and seen Śaṃkara, a man obtains the merit of ten Aśvamedha sacrifices. Freed from all sins, he goes to the world of Śiva, and there, enjoying excellent pleasures, remains until the cosmic dissolution. Returning to this world, he becomes a learned brāhmaṇa; attaining the yoga of Śaṃkara, he then achieves liberation. Afterwards, going to the wish-fulfilling tree, circumambulating it three times, he should worship that banyan tree with supreme devotion, reciting: “Om, salutations to the manifest form, to the maker of the great dissolution, to the one seated on the great rasa, to the banyan tree—salutations to you. You are immortal always, O Banyan tree, the abode of Hari. Remove my sin, O wish-fulfilling tree; I bow to you.” A man who, with devotion, circumambulates and bows to the wish-fulfilling banyan is instantly freed from sin, just as a serpent sheds its old skin. By stepping into the shade of that wish-fulfilling tree, O twice-born, a man is freed from the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa—what need to speak of other sins? Seeing the supreme form of Viṣṇu, arising from Krishna’s body and radiant with Brahman’s light, in the shape of a banyan tree, and bowing to him, O twice-born, he attains a reward greater than that of a Rājasūya or Aśvamedha sacrifice, uplifts his entire lineage, and goes to the world of Viṣṇu. By bowing to Garuḍa, who stands before Krishna, one becomes freed from all sins and then proceeds to the city of Viṣṇu.