Following the advice of Gautama, the noble descendant of Bhṛgu made his way to the sacred Gaṅgā river. There, he bathed and purified himself thoroughly. With a heart cleansed and full of devotion, the young boy began to offer his praises to the Lord. He spoke humbly, “O Lord who bears the crescent moon, I am but a child, my mind still childish and unskilled in the ways of praise. I know nothing of the proper words or worship—salutations to you. My teacher has abandoned me, leaving me friendless and alone; you alone are my Lord in every way, O Lord of the universe—salutations to you. You are the teacher of those who possess teachers, the greatest among the great; while I am but a small, insignificant child, O all-pervading one—salutations to you. For the sake of knowledge, O Lord of the gods, I do not know your path; please look upon me with compassion, O witness of the world—salutations to you.” Pleased by such sincere praise, the Lord of the gods appeared before him. “Choose a boon as you wish,” the Lord said kindly, “whatever is difficult even for the gods to obtain, I shall grant you.” With hands joined and a noble mind, the poet Śukra addressed the Lord, “The knowledge which is not accessible even to Brahmā and the sages—that knowledge, O Lord, I request from you; you are my teacher and deity.” Hearing this, the best of the gods granted to Śukra the mṛtasaṃjīvinī knowledge, the secret of restoring life, which was unknown even to the gods themselves. For when Śaṃkara is pleased, what knowledge could remain out of reach? Having obtained this great wisdom, Śukra returned to his father and teacher. Honored for his newfound knowledge, he became the revered teacher of the Daityas. Later, for another reason and at another time, Kaca, the son of Bṛhaspati, also received this knowledge from the poet. From Kaca, Bṛhaspati himself, and then the gods, each separately, obtained the great mṛtajīvinī knowledge. The very spot where the poet had received this wisdom, worshipping Maheśvara with devotion and knowledge on the northern bank of the Gautamī river, became known as Śukra-tīrtha. The mṛtasaṃjīvinī tīrtha is said to increase lifespan and health; any bathing or giving there bestows inexhaustible merit. There is also a sacred place known as Indra’s Tīrtha, which destroys the sin of killing a Brahmin. Even remembering it dispels countless sins and afflictions. In ancient times, after Indra, the lord of Śacī, slew Vṛtra, the terrible sin of Brahmahatyā (killing a Brahmin) began to follow him. Seeing this dreadful sin, even Hari (Viṣṇu) was struck with fear. Indra, tormented, fled here and there, but the sin followed him wherever he went. He entered a great lake and hid within a lotus stalk, assuming the form of a thread, and thus dwelled there. Yet even on the shore of the lake, the sin persisted for a divine thousand years. Meanwhile, the gods found themselves without their king. The gods gathered and deliberated how Indra might be restored. I myself spoke to them, designating a place for the sin to be left behind. “For Indra’s purification, let him be consecrated in the Gautamī. Where he is anointed, his soul will be cleansed, and he will become Indra again.” Resolving thus, they all hurried to the Gautamī. There, the lord of the gods bathed, accompanied by the other gods and sages. As they prepared to consecrate Indra, Gautama, angered, spoke sternly: “They wish to consecrate sinful Mahendra, who lay with his teacher’s wife. I could reduce you all to ashes at once—let the enemies of the demons depart quickly!” Hearing Gautama’s words, the gods left the Gautamī with haste, taking Indra with them to the Narmadā river. On the northern bank, they prepared once again for the consecration. But as they began, the venerable sage Māṇḍavya declared, “If the consecration takes place, I will reduce him to ashes.” The immortals honored Māṇḍavya with reasonings and praises, seeking his permission. They said, “O sage, wherever this thousand-eyed Indra is consecrated, a most terrible obstacle arises. Please bring peace to that, O auspicious one; be gracious and grant a boon. In the place where we remove the impurity, grant many boons. We will all give gifts in that land; you should permit it, in the place where the consecration of the lord of gods will occur. That place will grant all desires to men, be endowed with grains, trees, and fruits; there will never be lack of rain nor famine.” The best of sages, Māṇḍavya, honored by the world, agreed. There, the consecration was performed, and the impurity was removed. When the gods and sages spoke thus, that region became known as Mālava, after the installation of the lord of the gods and the birth of the pure one. Bringing the sacred waters of the Gautamī Gaṅgā, they consecrated Indra for merit; the gods, the sages, I myself, and Viṣṇu all participated. Vasiṣṭha, Gautama, Agastya, Atri, Kaśyapa, and many other sages, gods, yakṣas, and serpents were present. They performed the bathing and consecration with that holy water; again, I and the husband of Śacī used water from a water-pot. Consecrated with that water, the river became holy; it was sprinkled, and thus, the Gaṅgā was joined there. The confluence became renowned, always frequented by sages, and from that time onward, that sacred confluence is known as a holy tīrtha, a place of great spiritual merit.