Kārttikeya, the son of Śiva, listened to the Kṛttikās and agreed to their request, saying, “All of you should go to the sacred river Gautamī, bathe there, and worship Maheśvara, the great Lord.” He assured them, “I too will come to that place, and after that, I shall proceed to the abode of the gods.” Following his words, the Kṛttikās went to the holy waters of the Gaṅgā and the Gautamī, where they performed their ablutions and worshipped the Lord of the gods with devotion. By Kārttikeya’s instruction and the grace of the Supreme Lord, the Kṛttikās, having completed their worship, proceeded to the celestial realms. From that time onward, that sacred place became known as Kṛttikā-tīrtha. It is said that whoever bathes there during the auspicious conjunction of the star Kārttikā with the month of Kārttikā attains the fruit of all sacrifices and becomes a righteous, prosperous king. Even by merely remembering or hearing of that holy tīrtha, one is freed from all sins and blessed with long life. Now, O sage, listen to the tale of the Daśāśvamedhika tīrtha—the holy place where, by merely hearing its name, one obtains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice. In ancient times, Viśvarūpa, the illustrious and powerful son of Viśvakarman, had a son named Bhauvana, who was mighty and renowned. Kaśyapa, master of all knowledge, served as his priest. Bhauvana, desiring to perform ten horse sacrifices at once, approached his revered teacher Kaśyapa and asked, “Where should I offer these sacrifices to the gods?” Kaśyapa replied, “O best of kings, establish your sacrificial ground wherever the foremost of Brahmins have begun great rituals.” Following this counsel, groups of seers became officiating priests in the sacred enclosure, and under Kaśyapa’s guidance, ten horse sacrifices were commenced simultaneously. These sacrifices were brought nearly to completion, but the king became anxious, sensing something amiss. Leaving that sacrificial ground, he attempted to begin the rituals anew elsewhere. Yet, as before, obstacles and faults emerged, and the sacrifices remained incomplete. Troubled, the king spoke to his teacher, “Perhaps due to faults of place, time, myself, or even you, the ten horse sacrifices have not been fulfilled.” Distressed, Bhauvana and Kaśyapa went to Saṃvarta, the elder brother of the lord of hymns, and beseeched him, “Venerable one, where can ten horse sacrifices performed together reach completion? Please tell us the place and the teacher who can guide us.” Saṃvarta, after meditating deeply, said, “Go to Brahmā, the supreme teacher; he will reveal the place to you.” Bhauvana, accompanied by Kaśyapa, then came to Brahmā and recounted all that had transpired concerning the teacher and the place. Brahmā addressed his son Bhauvana and Kaśyapa, “Go to the Gautamī river, O king of kings. That land is sanctified by countless sacrifices. Kaśyapa, master of the Vedas, is the foremost teacher there; by his grace and by the sanctity of the Gautamī, you will attain blessings.” He continued, “With even a single horse sacrifice or simply by bathing there, the merit of ten horse sacrifices will be achieved.” Hearing this, King Bhauvana journeyed with Kaśyapa to the banks of the Gautamī and began the great horse sacrifice. When the sacrifice was completed, the king prepared to offer the earth itself in charity. At that moment, as he honored the Brahmins and the assembled priests, a divine voice resounded from the sky, addressing the king, “O king, you wish to give the earth with its mountains, forests, and groves to your priest Kaśyapa, but you have already given everything. Instead of offering land again, give food, which brings the greatest merit. In all the three worlds, there is no virtue equal to the gift of food. Especially since you have performed this horse sacrifice with many gifts and with faith on the bank of the Ganga, your duty is fulfilled—may good befall you; there is no need for further deliberation.” Still, the Earth herself spoke to Bhauvana, who was eager to give, saying, “O universal sovereign, son of Viśvakarman, do not give me again and again; I keep sinking into the waters and should not be given.” Bhauvana, now fearful, asked, “What then should I give?” The Earth, surrounded by Brahmins, replied, “Sesame, cows, wealth, grain—whatever is given on the bank of the Gautamī is inexhaustible charity. What will you give me, O Bhauvana? Whoever gives even a single mouthful of food on the bank of the Ganga, by him I am wholly given. What more will you give me, O Bhauvana?” Hearing these words, Bhauvana, lord of the earth, accepted her counsel and distributed abundant food to the Brahmins. From that time, that sacred place became known as the site of ten horse sacrifices. Bathing there grants the merit of ten ashvamedha rituals. Now, let me tell you of another sacred place, Paishacha, honored by the learned in the Vedas. It lies on the southern bank of the Gautamī, beside the Brahmagiri mountain. There is a mountain named Anjana, and upon that mountain, a celestial nymph, who had fallen by a curse, resided. There was one named Anjana, a female monkey of the most beautiful form; her husband was Kesari, and another companion was called Adrika. Anjana, the wife of Kesari, once a celestial nymph, had become a cat by the best of bodies due to a curse and dwelt upon Anjana mountain. Kesari, renowned throughout the world, journeyed to the southern ocean, and during his absence, the great sage Agastya came to Anjana mountain. Both Anjana and Adrika, with devotion and joy, worshipped the great sage Agastya, each according to her own custom.