With a heart full of longing, Pururavas approached his mother, expressing his deepest desires. He wished for the highest form of manhood, the supreme kingdom, and the consecration of her sons—most especially herself. He yearned to give gifts, perform sacrifices, and contemplate the path of liberation, hoping to accomplish all these noble aims through the grace of her son. Turning to his mother, Pururavas asked earnestly for guidance: “Tell me, by what means may manhood be attained? Is it through austerity or some other way? Please, speak the truth to me.” His mother counseled him wisely, “Go, son, and ask your father, Budha, as is proper. He knows all and will instruct you for your benefit.” Obedient to his mother’s words, Pururavas went directly to his father Budha, bowed reverently, and spoke of both his mother’s wishes and his own. Budha, full of wisdom, replied, “I know Ila, your ancestor; I know of Ila’s rebirth, the entry into the forest of Uma, and the command of Shambhu. Therefore, only by the grace of Shambhu and the favor of Uma can the curse be lifted, son—only by worshipping them, not otherwise.” Pururavas then asked, “Father, how may I see that god, or the mother Shiva? Is it through pilgrimage or austerity? Tell me first.” Budha instructed him, “Go to Gautamī, son. There, Shiva always resides, glorious, together with Uma, destroyer of curses and bestower of boons.” Upon hearing this, Pururavas became joyful. The wise prince went to Gautamī, to the sacred Ganges, the purifier of the three worlds, to perform austerities. Desiring manhood and urged by his mother, he hastened to carry out penance, bowing to the mountain Himavat, to his mother, father, and teacher. Ila, son of Soma, followed his son as he went, and together they all reached Gautamī from the great mountain Himavat. There, after bathing and performing austerities, they offered supreme praise. Listen to the sequence of their worship to Bhava, the god of gods: Budha praised first, then Ila, and then Pururavas, the son, praised Gauri, the goddess, and Shankara. Those two, whose forms are naturally golden, worshipped Skanda and Ganesha with saffron from their own bodies, seeking refuge in those worthy deities. They prayed, “May those two Shankaras, whom embodied beings contemplate when afflicted by the threefold suffering of worldly existence and who grant supreme bliss, be my shelter. I am afflicted, my mind tormented; there is no other protector from distress, O god, than your two supremely holy feet—may those two, worthy of refuge, be my shelter. From whom all this arises and into whom, at the end, everything dissolves; Gauri and Hara, the refuge of the world, the essence of the universe—may they be my shelter. Those two feet, which at the great festival among the assembly of gods were grasped by Shiva out of affection at the request of the Daughter of the Mountain—may those feet, worthy of refuge, be my shelter.” Then, the divine couple spoke: “Tell me, what boon do you desire? I will grant it to you. You have accomplished your purpose. Blessings to you! Even for the gods, this is difficult to achieve.” They pleaded, “O Lady of the Gods, Queen of the Devas, King Ila entered the forest without your permission. Please forgive this, and you are able to restore his manhood.” The goddess replied, “So be it,” in accord with the will of Bhava. The blessed Lord, ever devoted to the words of the Goddess, then declared, “By the act of anointing here, this king shall regain his manhood.” From the body of Budha’s wife, after she had bathed, water flowed forth, along with the dance, song, and beauty acquired by the Yakshini. All that entered into the waters of the Ganga through streams of water; and from those dances, songs, and good fortune, these rivers came into being. The holy rivers, having joined the Ganga, became three sacred confluences; bathing and giving gifts there bestow the reward of the sovereignty of the gods. Thus, Ila, having regained manhood by the grace of Gauri and Shambhu, performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice for the attainment of great prosperity. That best of kings summoned the priest Vasistha, his wife, sons, ministers, army, and treasury. At that time, he established a fourfold army and kingdom in Dandaka, and that city became known as Ila. He installed his sons born previously—who continued the Solar dynasty—on the throne, and later anointed Aila out of affection. This illustrious king, originator of the Lunar dynasty, became the eldest and best among all the wise. There, O sage, the auspicious sacrifices of King Ila were performed, where he regained manhood and where his sons assembled. O Narada, where the rivers, endowed with the good fortune and auspiciousness of the dance and song given by the Yakshini, joined the Ganga—there, O dear one, were sixteen thousand auspicious holy places on both banks, where Shambhu, Lord of Ila, resides. Bathing and giving gifts there bestow the fruit of all sacrifices. It is known as Cakra-tirtha, the destroyer of brahminicide and other sins, where the Lord of the Disc, the god, obtained the discus, and where Hari did so. Where Vishnu himself stood, desiring the discus, and worshipped Shankara, the Lord—there that holy place is called Cakra-tirtha. By merely hearing this, one is freed from all sins. When Daksha’s sacrifice commenced and the gods assembled together, Daksha, corrupted in mind, failed to invite Shiva, Sharva, the great Lord, and thus defiled the gods. When Daksha’s daughter heard the words explaining the reason for the lack of invitation, and when Ahalya spoke of it, the queen of the gods became enraged. She declared, “I could destroy my father for this sin; I could never forgive it, having heard these words of blame spoken by my father against my husband.” Thus unfolds the tale of Ila, Pururavas, and the sacred confluences, the restoration of manhood, the origin of holy places, and the divine drama of gods and mortals, all sanctified by the grace of Shiva and Uma.