King Shveta, overwhelmed by the endless cycle of worldly existence, bowed his head before Govinda and cried out, “O Govinda, save me from this saṃsāra! Only you, O Puṇḍarīkākṣa, can rescue me from this unfathomable ocean of delusion—there is no other savior but you.” Thus praised by King Shveta in that renowned and sacred field of Puruṣottama, the God of gods—Hari, the teacher of the world—was moved by the king’s devotion. After deep contemplation, surrounded by all the gods, Hari appeared before the king. His form was wondrous: he shone like a dark rain cloud, his eyes wide as lotus petals, wisdom radiating from his countenance. At his fingertips glimmered the Sudarshana discus, and in his left hand he held the mighty Panchajanya conch. His body gleamed with the purity of the milk ocean, radiant like the moon. Upon his banner soared the king of birds, and in his hands he bore the mace, bow, and sword. The Lord spoke, his voice resounding with grace: “Well done, O king! Your mind is noble. Ask for whatever you desire. Blessings to you, I am pleased with you, O sinless one.” Hearing these divine words, sweet as nectar, King Shveta’s mind became wholly absorbed in Hari. Bowing deeply, he spoke with reverence: “If I am truly your devotee, O Lord, grant me the highest boon—the imperishable Vaishnava abode, which lies above even Brahma’s realm. I long to reach that pure, stainless place, free from the bonds of worldly existence, by your grace, O Lord of the world. Grant me that supreme, delightful realm, untouched by affliction, which even the gods, sages, and accomplished yogis cannot attain.” Hari replied with compassion, “You shall attain the supreme state, enjoy the nectar of sovereignty, and, surpassing all worlds, reach my own realm. Your fame, O king of kings, will spread through all three worlds, and my presence shall always remain here with you. All gods and demons will sing of you as Shvetaganga. Even a single blade of grass touched by Shvetaganga’s water will be praised.” He continued, “Those devoted to me who touch these waters with focused minds will attain heaven. Whoever approaches this image named Madhava, shining like the moon—resembling conch and cow’s milk, destroying all sins—and bows to her with devotion, whose eyes are like lotuses, will leave all worlds behind and be honored in my realm, surrounded by divine maidens for the span of a Manvantara. Praised by Gandharvas, served sweetly, he will enjoy pleasures as he wishes, together with my own.” “And if he falls from there and returns to earth, he will be born as a human, a Brahmin learned in the Vedas, prosperous, enjoying pleasures and a long life, rich in elephants, horses, chariots, vehicles, wealth, and grain. He will be pure, handsome, fortunate, surrounded by sons and grandsons. Having again attained the Supreme Person—whether at the banyan tree or the ocean—abandoning his body and remembering Hari, he will reach the peaceful state.” King Shveta beheld the white Mādhava and, nearby, the fish-formed Mādhava—who, in the waters of the primeval ocean, had once assumed the form of a red fish. This incarnation, established in the netherworld to recover the Vedas, had thoroughly contemplated the earth and remained at that very place. By bowing and becoming devoted to this first incarnation—the fish-formed Mādhava—one is freed from all suffering, and attains the supreme abode where Lord Hari himself resides. When the time comes, he returns here and becomes a king on earth. Approaching the calf-form Mādhava, a man becomes invincible, generous, joyful, a performer of sacrifices, a devotee of Viṣṇu, and steadfast in truth. Having attained union with Hari, he then achieves liberation. Thus is the greatness of the fish-formed Mādhava, by seeing whom, O best of sages, one attains all desires. The sages then asked, “O Lord, tell us about the purification performed at Varuṇa’s abode—about bathing, giving gifts, and its complete merit.” The Lord replied, “Hear, O best of sages, the proper method of purification. By performing it with devotion and single-minded focus, one attains the highest merit. Bathing in the Mārkaṇḍeya pool, especially on the fourteenth day, is highly praised and destroys all sins. Likewise, bathing in the ocean is always praised; especially on the full moon, it yields the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.” He continued, “The Mārkaṇḍeya banyan, the Kṛṣṇa tree, the Rauhiṇeya, the great ocean, and the lake of Indradyumna—these are remembered as the five holy sites. When the full moon of the month of Jyeṣṭha occurs under the Jyeṣṭhā constellation, one should especially go to the supreme and auspicious king of holy places.” “With body, speech, and mind purified, intent on that alone, with no other thoughts, free from all dualities, passionless, and without envy, at the delightful wish-fulfilling banyan tree, after bathing, one should circumambulate Janārdana three times with full concentration. By seeing him, one is freed from the sins accumulated over seven births, attains abundant merit, and, O twice-born, reaches the desired state.” “I will now declare his names and the measure of his form in each age, as they are known in the different yugas beginning with Kṛta: The Banyan, the Lord of the Banyan, the Kṛṣṇa, the Ancient Person—these are the celebrated names of the banyan in the different ages.” “The wish-fulfilling tree’s measure at the beginning of the Kṛta age was a yojana less a quarter, half a yojana, and half of that. Having bowed to that banyan tree with the prescribed mantra, one should proceed facing south for three hundred dhanvantaras. There, where Viṣṇu is seen, is the delightful gateway to heaven—a sacred piece of wood drawn from the ocean, endowed with all virtues.” Thus did the Lord reveal the glory of these sacred places and forms, the path of devotion, and the rewards awaiting the faithful.