Once, it was proclaimed that at a certain sacred place, the merit earned by performing a single horse sacrifice or by bathing in its waters was equivalent to that of ten horse sacrifices. Upon hearing this, King Bhauvana, accompanied by the sage Kaśyapa, journeyed to the banks of the Gautamī river. There, he resolved to undertake the great horse sacrifice. When the grand ritual was both begun and completed, King Bhauvana prepared himself to give away the earth as a gift, as was the custom after such a sacrifice. As he honored the Brahmins, the officiating priests, and the masters of the assembly, a resounding voice echoed from the sky, addressing him as the best of kings: “O King, wishing to give the earth with its mountains, forests, and groves to the priest Kaśyapa, you have already given everything. Renounce the desire to give away land again and again; instead, give food, for in all three worlds, there is no virtue equal to the gift of food.” The voice continued, “Especially since you have performed this horse sacrifice with many gifts and with faith upon the bank of the Ganga, your duty is fulfilled—may good befall you. There is no need for further deliberation here.” Yet, the Earth herself spoke to Bhauvana, who still wished to give: “O universal sovereign, son of Vishvakarman, do not give me again and again. I keep sinking into the midst of the waters; therefore, I should not be given.” Alarmed, Bhauvana asked, “What then should be given?” Surrounded by Brahmins, the Earth replied, “Sesame, cows, wealth, grain—whatever is given on the bank of the Gautami is inexhaustible charity. What will you give me, O Bhauvana? Whoever gives even a single mouthful on the bank of the Ganga, by him I am wholly given; what more will you give me?” Hearing these words, King Bhauvana, the lord of the earth, accepted the guidance and, thinking “So be it,” gave abundant food to the Brahmins. From that time, that sacred place became renowned as the site of ten horse sacrifices; by bathing there, one obtains the fruit of ten ashvamedhas. Now, let me tell you of another sacred place called Paishacha, revered by those learned in the Vedas, situated on the southern bank of the Gautami. Beside the Brahmagiri mountain stands another mountain named Anjana. Upon this mountain, a celestial nymph, fallen by a curse, took residence. This nymph, named Anjana, had the form of a female monkey of the most splendid body. Her husband was Kesari, and another companion there was Adrika. Anjana, the wife of Kesari, had been transformed by a curse into the form of a cat, and she dwelt upon Anjana mountain. Kesari, renowned throughout the world, had gone to the southern ocean. During his absence, the great sage Agastya visited Anjana mountain. Both Anjana and Adrika worshipped the sage Agastya with devotion and joy, each according to her means. Pleased by their service, the blessed sage offered them a boon. Both requested, “O lord of sages, grant us sons.” Agastya granted their wish, saying, “You shall each have a son, strongest among all and benefactors of the worlds.” With that, the sage departed for the southern direction. Later, as Anjana and Adrika were singing, dancing, and laughing together on the mountain peak, they were seen by Vayu, the wind god, and Nirriti, the lord of spirits. Overcome by desire, these two deities swiftly approached the smiling women. The women prayed, “May we two become the bestowers of boons as husband and wife, O gods.” The gods agreed, saying, “So be it,” and vanished from the summit. Thus, Hanuman was born to Anjana and Vayu, and to Adrika and Nirriti was born Adri, the lord of the piśācas. However, both mothers lamented, “By the sage’s boon, two sons have been born, but our forms are deformed, our heads marred.” It was revealed that this was due to the curse of the lord of Shachi, and so they must be recognized as such. Then, the blessed Vayu and Nirriti declared, “By bathing and giving gifts at the Gautami, the curse will be lifted.” Having said this, both deities disappeared. Moved by affection for his brother Hanuman, Adri, in the form of a piśāca, took Anjana and bathed her in the sacred river. In the same way, Hanuman, taking the holy Ganga, swiftly led Adrika, still in the form of a cat, to the bank of the Gautami. From that time, that place became known as Piśāca and Añjana, where Brahma himself had once approached the mountain, bestowing all desires and auspiciousness. Fifty-three yojanas to the east lies a place called Mārjāra, from which flow Dhanumanta and Vṛṣākapi. There is also the sacred site called Phenāsaṅgama, bestower of all desires and auspiciousness, whose true nature and greatness are also celebrated. Now, listen, O Nārada, to the tale of another holy place known as Kṣudhātīrtha, famed for granting all desires to those who seek it. Once, there lived a sage named Kaṇva, devoted to austerity and foremost in Vedic knowledge, who wandered among hermitages tormented by hunger. He came upon the holy hermitage of Gautama, which was abundant with food and water, while he himself suffered from hunger and saw Gautama’s prosperity. Seeing this disparity, Kaṇva became detached. Gautama, the best of the twice-born, thought to himself, “I am steadfast in austerity. Therefore, though afflicted by hunger and suffering in body, I will not eat in Gautama’s dwelling, but will beg in a manner equal to all.” Resolving thus, the wise sage decided, “I shall go to the Gautamī Ganga and obtain wealth,” and so he made his way to the sacred river. Thus, these places and events upon the holy banks of the Gautamī Ganga became renowned for their sanctity, the merit of their gifts, and the stories of those who sought blessings and liberation there.