On the shore of a sacred lake, Indra’s sin lingered for a divine thousand years, and during this time, the gods found themselves bereft of their king. Troubled by Indra’s absence, the gods gathered together to deliberate how their lord might be restored. At that moment, I spoke to them, suggesting a suitable place for Indra’s sin to be transferred. To purify Indra, I proposed that he be consecrated in the Gautamī river. There, where he would be anointed, his soul would be cleansed, and he could regain his position as Indra. Resolving to follow this counsel, the gods, accompanied by sages, swiftly went to the Gautamī. There, the lord of the gods bathed, surrounded by his divine companions and wise sages. All assembled, eager to consecrate Indra, beloved of Śacī. But as the anointing was about to begin, Gautama, filled with anger, spoke: “They seek to consecrate sinful Mahendra, who lay with his teacher’s wife. I could reduce all of them to ashes at once—let the enemies of the demons depart quickly.” Hearing Gautama’s words, the gods abandoned the Gautamī and, taking Indra with haste, proceeded to the Narmadā river. On the northern bank of the Narmadā, they gathered for the consecration. As Indra was about to be anointed, the venerable sage Māṇḍavya intervened, declaring, “If you consecrate him here, I will reduce him to ashes.” The immortals honored Māṇḍavya, offering reasonings and praises to appease him. Wherever this thousand-eyed Indra was to be consecrated, a terrible obstacle arose. The gods pleaded, “Bring peace to this, O auspicious one; be gracious and grant a boon. In the place where we remove the impurity, grant many blessings. 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 rich in grains, trees, and fruits; there will never be lack of rain nor famine.” Honored by the world, Māṇḍavya agreed. There, the consecration was performed, and Indra’s impurity was removed. After the installation of Indra and the birth of the pure one, that region became known as Mālava. Bringing the Gautamī Gaṅgā, they consecrated Indra for merit; the gods, sages, myself, and even Viṣṇu participated. Vasiṣṭha, Gautama, Agastya, Atri, and Kaśyapa, along with other sages, gods, yakṣas, and serpents, were all present. They performed the bathing and consecration with that holy water. Again, I and Indra, husband of Śacī, used water from a water-pot. Consecrated thus, the river became holy; it was sprinkled, and the Gaṅgā was joined there. The confluence became renowned, always frequented by sages, and from that time, this sacred confluence was called a holy tīrtha. At the confluence of the sprinkled river, the sacred place was named ‘Indra’s,’ where seven thousand auspicious tīrthas existed. Bathing and giving gifts in those places, especially at the confluence, made all such acts imperishable, needing no further deliberation. Whoever recites or hears this account of merit is freed from all sins arising from mind, speech, and bodily actions. Now, let me speak of the Paulastya tīrtha, which bestows all accomplishments upon people and has the power to restore lost kingdoms. Long ago, the lord of the northern quarter, endowed with prosperity and accomplishment, was the king of Laṅkā, the eldest son of Viśravas. His brothers were powerful and radiant: Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa, and Vibhīṣaṇa, rivals to one another. They too were sons of Viśravas, born of a rākṣasī, and thus were rākṣasas. With the aerial chariot granted by me, the lord of wealth journeyed with his brothers. He always came to me, devoted, and approached me. But Rāvaṇa’s mother, angered, spoke to her sons: “I will die and not live, sons, because of disfigurement; the gods and the demons were rival brothers to each other. Desiring mutual destruction, driven by the urge for victory and supremacy, such beings are not truly men, nor capable, nor seekers of victory. Whoever accepts rivalry, his life is meaningless.” Hearing their mother’s words, the three brothers went to the forest for austerity and undertook great penance. From me, these three rākṣasas obtained boons, as did their maternal uncle Marīca and their maternal grandfather. Then, at his mother’s urging, the eldest brother asked for Lanka. Because of the mother’s fault, great enmity arose between the brothers, due to the nature of the demons. Afterwards, a battle broke out between the two brothers, reminiscent of the wars between gods and demons. Ravana conquered his elder brother, the peaceful Lord of Wealth, in that fight. Ravana seized the Pushpaka chariot, the city of Lanka, and everything else, proclaiming his victory throughout the three worlds, among all beings moving and unmoving. He declared, “Whoever gives refuge to my brother shall be put to death by me.” Driven out by his brother, Vaisravana found no shelter anywhere. He then went to his grandfather Pulastya, bowed, and spoke: “Driven out by my wicked brother, what should I do? Tell me where I might find refuge or sanctuary, whether by fate or at a holy place.” Pulastya replied, “Go to the Gautami Ganga, my son, and praise the great god Maheshvara there. In the midst of the waters of the Ganga, Ravana will not be able to enter. You will obtain auspicious success; do this together with me.” Thus, the story unfolds, revealing the sacred power of holy places and the enduring merit of acts performed there, as well as the guidance and refuge found through devotion and the wisdom of the sages.