Let me tell you of the sacred Śeṣa-tīrtha, renowned as the bestower of all desires. Listen as I recount its wondrous origin. Long ago, Śeṣa, the great serpent and lord of Rasātala, descended into that netherworld, accompanied by all the other serpents. But there, the Daityas and Dānavas—the mighty clans of demons who had also made Rasātala their abode—rose up against Śeṣa. They expelled him from his own realm, causing him deep distress. In his sorrow, Śeṣa came to me and spoke, “You have granted Rasātala to both the demons and to me, yet they refuse me any place. I have come to you for refuge.” Moved by his plea, I said to the serpent, “Go to the river Gautamī. There, by sincerely praising Mahādeva, you will obtain your heart’s desire.” For truly, there is none in the three worlds who grants wishes as he does. Obeying my words, Śeṣa bathed with devotion in the sacred waters of the Gaṅgā, then, with joined palms, he offered heartfelt praise to the Lord of the Gods: “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 the moon, sun, fire, and water, salutations. Always, salutations to you of all forms, you who are Time itself. Protect, O Śaṅkara, Lord of all, O Lord of Soma, all-pervading one, Lord of the world—grant me my heart’s desire.” Pleased by this devotion, Maheśvara granted Śeṣa the boons he sought, and empowered him to destroy the enemies of the gods—the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas. Śiva gave Śeṣa a trident, saying, “With this, destroy the foremost of your enemies,” and instructed him and his serpent kin in the use of this divine weapon. Armed with the trident, Śeṣa returned to Rasātala. There, in fierce battle, he slew his foes—the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas—wielding the weapon granted by Śiva. Victorious, Śeṣa journeyed back along the path he had come, returning to the presence of his Lord, Hara. At the very place where the god emerged from Rasātala, a cave appeared. From the floor of that cave, the supremely holy waters of the Gaṅgā began to flow forth. This water became the sacred Gaṅgā, and its confluence before the god formed a wide and holy pool. There, Śeṣa performed a great sacrifice, in a place where fire ever resides. The waters became warm, and the confluence with the Gaṅgā was established. Having worshipped the God of gods, the illustrious and now contented serpent received from Śiva the netherworld he desired, and so returned to his rightful realm. From that time, the place has been called Nāgatīrtha, the sacred site of the serpents—a holy place that bestows all desires, destroys disease and poverty, and grants long life and prosperity. Bathing and giving in charity there brings liberation; even those who simply listen to or remember its story with devotion attain its blessings. O best of sages, at this sacred place where Śeṣa is lord and Śiva bestows his power, there are hundreds of holy sites among the twenty-one tīrthas, each a giver of every prosperity. Now, let me tell you of another holy place—Mahānala, also called Vaḍavānala—where the great fire is the deity and the river is known as Vaḍavā. Once, in the sacred forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, the sages performed a great sacrificial session, a rite so powerful that it subdued Death itself. While the sacrifice continued, Death remained present but powerless, and in those days, no living being—whether stationary or moving—died; only animals perished. Thus, mortals attained a state of immortality. As a result, heaven became empty and the world grew overfilled, for death was disregarded. The gods, troubled by this imbalance, spoke to the demons: “Go, destroy that great sacrifice of the sages.” The demons replied, “We will destroy the sacrifice, but what benefit shall we gain? Nothing arises without a cause.” The gods promised, “Half the sacrifice shall be yours as well.” Thus, the demons agreed and hastened to the place where the sages’ great session was underway, intent on its destruction. The sages, aware of this threat, turned to Death and asked, “What shall we do? The demons, destroyers of sacrifice, have come at the gods’ command.” After consulting with Death, all the residents of Naimiṣāraṇya, along with Death’s conqueror, left their hermitages. Taking only the sacred fire, they abandoned their possessions and hurried to the Gautamī river to complete the sacrifice. There, after bathing, they approached the great Lord for protection, and with joined palms, they praised the Lord of the gods: “He who playfully created this universe, the creator and ordainer of the three worlds, of universal form and beyond existence and non-existence—to that Lord of Soma we take refuge. I seek refuge in Śaṃkara, the Lord of the gods, who by mere will destroys, protects, and creates all things. I seek refuge in Śaṃkara, the god of great fire, vast in form, adorned with the great serpent, who bears the mighty form.” Then the blessed Lord spoke, “May you have satisfaction, O Mṛtyu.” The sages pleaded, “O Lord of the gods, terrible fear has arisen from the Rākṣasas; protect the sacrifice and us until the rite is completed.” Thus, the blessed three-eyed, bull-bannered Lord acted, joining with Mṛtyu as ally, so that the sages’ sacrifice reached completion. The immortals arrived in due order to claim their shares of the offerings, and the hosts of sages, together with Mṛtyu, addressed them, their hearts still stirred by the events that had transpired. Such are the glories of these holy tīrthas, where divine intervention, sacrifice, and devotion bring about the fulfillment of every wish, the destruction of evil, and the granting of prosperity and liberation.