Let me tell you the sacred tale as revealed in the ancient scriptures. There was a time when the blessed Gaṇeśa, the Remover of Obstacles, delighted his mother with streams of dance, melodious song, and every manner of pleasing entertainment. Satisfied and joyful, his mother’s heart overflowed with love for her son. To that Gaṇeśa, the wise seek refuge, for he is the source of blessings. Ever prosperous through the favor of the gods, by means of battle against the asuras, through hymns, salutations, and powerful mantras, and by the grace of his father, Gaṇeśa stands as the bestower of success. He once opposed the ancient enemies in fierce combat, and, pleased by his valor, his father himself worshipped him. Once more, Gaṇeśa brought about freedom from all obstacles, securing victory for the gods. Thus, the hosts of gods praised Gaṇeśa, the Lord of Obstacles, who then addressed them once more: “From me,” he declared, “freedom from obstacles shall arise in this sacrifice performed by the foe of the asuras.” When the gods’ sacrifice was completed, Gaṇeśa spoke again, blessing them: “Those who, with devotion and self-restraint, praise me with this hymn shall never know poverty or suffering. Those who, with devotion and diligence, perform ablutions and charitable giving here—know that all their undertakings will succeed.” At that very moment, the gods replied, “So be it.” When the sacrifice had ended, the gods returned to their own heavenly abodes. From that time onward, that sacred place was renowned as being free from obstacles, a site that grants all desires and destroys every impediment for those who visit. This place is known as Śeṣa-tīrtha, the bestower of all desires. Hear now its story as it was revealed. Śeṣa, the great serpent and lord of Rasātala, entered his realm, surrounded by all his serpent kin. Yet the demons—the offspring of Daityas and Dānavas—who had entered Rasātala, expelled the lord of serpents from his own domain. Distressed and seeking help, Śeṣa approached me and spoke: “You have given Rasātala to both the demons and to me, yet they will not grant me a place. Therefore, I have come to you for refuge.” I answered the serpent, “Go to the Gautamī. There, by praising Mahādeva, you will obtain your heart’s desire. None in the three worlds grants boons as he does.” Prompted by my words, the serpent bathed in the sacred Gaṅgā with great effort, joined his palms, and praised the Lord of the gods, uttering: “Salutations to the Lord of the three worlds, the destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice, the prime creator; salutations to you, who embody the three worlds. Salutations to the thousand-headed one, to the agent of dissolution; to you whose forms are moon, sun, fire, and water, salutations. Salutations always to you of all forms, to you who are time itself; protect, O Śaṅkara, Lord of all, protect, O Lord of Soma, all-pervading one, Lord of the world. Grant me my heart’s desire.” Pleased, Maheśvara granted the serpent the boons he desired—for the destruction of the enemies of the gods, the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas. Śiva gave Śeṣa a mighty trident, saying, “With this, destroy your foremost enemies,” and instructed him in its use. Thus armed, Śeṣa returned to Rasātala and, wielding the trident, slew the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas in battle. Having fulfilled his purpose, the serpent returned to the place where Lord Hara, Śeṣa’s lord, resided. By the path he had come, the serpent king went to see the god. Where the god emerged from Rasātala, a cave appeared, and from its floor, the supremely holy waters of the Ganges flowed forth. That water became the Gaṅgā, and at its confluence, before the god, there was a wide pool. There, the serpent performed a sacrifice where fire always resides, and thus the water became warm, and the confluence with the Ganges was established. Having worshipped the god of gods, the illustrious and pleased serpent obtained from Śiva the desired netherworld and returned to that realm. From that time, that sacred place has been called Nāgatīrtha, bestower of all desires, holy, and destroyer of disease and poverty. It is a holy site, conferring long life and prosperity, and grants liberation through bathing and giving. Whoever listens to, recites, or even remembers this story with devotion attains the same blessings. O best of sages, at that sacred place where Śeṣa is lord and Śiva grants power, there are hundreds of holy sites among the twenty-one tīrthas, all bestowing every form of prosperity. Now, hear of another sacred place, known as Mahānala, also called Vaḍavānala, where the great fire is the deity and the river is called Vaḍavā. I will tell you of this holy site, which removes the faults of death and old age. Long ago, in Naimiṣāraṇya, the sages performed a great sacrificial session. Engaged in deep austerities, the sages subdued death itself; while the sacrificial session was ongoing, death, thus subdued, remained present, powerless. At that time, no one died—whether stationary or moving beings—except for animals; mortals had attained immortality. Then, as heaven emptied and the world became overfilled, and death was disregarded, the gods spoke to the demons: “Go, destroy that great sacrifice of the sages.” Hearing this command, the demons replied, “We will destroy that sacrifice, but what benefit will come to us? Nowhere does anything ever arise without a cause.” The gods answered, “Half the sacrifice shall be yours as well.” Thus assured, the demons went to the great session of the sages, intent on destroying it as instructed by the gods. Knowing this, the sages turned to Death and said, “What shall we do? The demons, destroyers of the sacrifice, have come by the command of the gods.” Thus unfolds the sacred narrative, revealing the power of devotion, the blessings of the gods, and the sanctity of these holy places.