In the most sacred and pure of places, a debate had arisen between the followers of Śiva and those devoted to Viṣṇu. To resolve these disputes and establish harmony, the Supreme Person was addressed. “O Lord,” a great sage declared, “here, in this excellent field, I shall found a grand and exalted shrine to Śiva. I shall install Śaṅkara himself in this very place.” The Lord of the universe, hearing these words, replied to the sage with deep wisdom. “When you do this, people in this world will come to know Hari and Īśvara as one and the same—different forms of a single reality. This liṅga you establish will be a means of worship, and it will bring peace to all such divisions and debates. “By my command, O best of Brāhmaṇas, quickly build a temple to Śiva here. By the power of this act, you shall dwell forever in the realm of Śiva. Indeed, when Śiva is established, my own presence is established, too. There is truly no difference between us—one essence appearing as two. He who is called Rudra is himself Viṣṇu; and Viṣṇu is none other than Maheśvara. The difference is no greater than that between wind and space. “Those who are deluded fail to see that the one who bears Garuḍa on his banner is the same as the bull-bannered Lord, the slayer of Tripura, the three-eyed one. Therefore, O brāhmaṇa, establish a temple of Śiva that bears your name, and in the north, create a beautiful and sacred place for the Lord of the gods. “There will be a pond here, called Mārkaṇḍeya, which shall become renowned among men and will destroy all sins.” Having spoken thus, Janārdana, the all-pervading Lord, vanished from the sight of Mārkaṇḍeya, the best of sages. Now, let me explain the sacred procedures to be performed here, O twice-born. These are the rites of the five holy waters, and the rewards of bathing, giving, and beholding the deity. First, one should go to the Mārkaṇḍeya pond, face north, and, having purified oneself, immerse three times in its waters, reciting 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, with reverence, one prays: “Salutations to Śiva, the peaceful one, remover of all sins. I bathe, O Lord of gods—may my sins be destroyed.” After bathing up to the navel as prescribed, one should offer water mixed with sesame to the deities, sages, ancestors, and others, with a focused mind. Bathing and sipping water as the rite requires, one then goes to the temple of Śiva, enters the shrine, and circumambulates it three times. With the root mantra, the devotee worships the Lord of Mārkaṇḍeya and, using the Aghora mantra, bows and propitiates 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.” Whoever bathes in the Mārkaṇḍeya pond and beholds Śaṃkara obtains the merit of ten Aśvamedha sacrifices. Freed from all sins, he ascends to the world of Śiva, where he enjoys supreme pleasures until the end of the cosmic cycle. When he returns to this world, he is born as a learned brāhmaṇa, and in time, through the yoga of Śaṃkara, attains liberation. After this, one should go to the wish-fulfilling banyan tree, circumambulate it three times, and worship it with utmost devotion, reciting: “Om, salutations to the manifest one, 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 person who circumambulates and bows to this sacred banyan tree with devotion is instantly freed from sin, just as a serpent sheds its old skin. Even stepping into the shade of this tree frees one from the gravest sin, the killing of a Brāhmaṇa—what need to mention lesser sins? Seeing the supreme form of Viṣṇu, which arises from Krishna’s body and shines with the light of Brahman in the form of the banyan tree, and bowing to him, one attains a reward greater than a Rājasūya or Aśvamedha sacrifice and uplifts his entire lineage, ascending to the world of Viṣṇu. By bowing to Garuḍa, standing before Krishna, one is freed from all sins and proceeds to the city of Viṣṇu. Whoever beholds the banyan, Garuḍa, the Supreme Person, Saṅkarṣaṇa, and Subhadrā attains the highest state. Entering the temple of Viṣṇu, circumambulating it three times, and worshipping Saṅkarṣaṇa with one’s own mantra and deep devotion, one should propitiate him, offering salutations: “Salutations to you, Rāma who wields the plough; salutations to you, bearer of the pestle; salutations to you, beloved of Revatī; salutations to you, who are affectionate to devotees. Salutations to you, best among the strong; supporter of the earth; enemy of Pralamba—protect me, elder brother of Krishna.” Thus worshipping Ananta, unconquerable and adored by the gods, whose form is like the peak of Kailāsa and whose face shines more brilliantly than the moon, who wears blue garments, whose head is crowned with great serpent hoods, who is immensely strong, wields the plough, and is adorned with a single earring—a man who worships the son of Rohiṇī with devotion attains his desired reward, is freed from all sins, and reaches the world of Viṣṇu. There, he enjoys happiness until the end of the cosmic age and, when his merit is exhausted, returns to this world, born in the foremost family of yogis. Becoming a leading Brāhmaṇa, accomplished in all the meanings of the scriptures, he gains knowledge and ultimately attains the rare liberation. Having thus worshipped Halin (Saṅkarṣaṇa), the wise devotee should then worship Krishna himself, using the twelve-syllable mantra and a concentrated mind, continuing on the path to the highest realization.