After the sages had declared “No,” they departed from their assembly, their hearts full of devotion. As they left, they sang praises to the One who lies upon the Ocean of Milk—Viṣṇu, the divine bearer of the conch, discus, and mace—offering him many hymns of adoration. This Lord, they knew, is the knower of all worlds—he who perceives what is to come, what is being born, and who dwells hidden within all. At the end of time, he alone enters the three worlds, assuming wondrous and diverse forms. He is the imperishable, the eternal, the immeasurable—declared by the seers to be known through the Vedas. By seeking him, the wise attain their highest aim. To that true reality, that supreme refuge, the sages turned. They reflected on Viṣṇu, the source of all—the great elements and the world-principle itself. Even the yogis cannot find his form. So, the sages had come together to speak of these mysteries, seeking the truth from the very abode of the universe. They acknowledged: “You are the inner self of all embodied beings. You alone are everything, and all is contained within you, O Lord. Yet, because of your own wondrous power, none truly knows you, for you are ever hidden by your own nature.” At that moment, divine, bodiless speech—the mother of the world—spoke, revealing a secret: “Whichever of the two is first attained through austerity, devotion, and discipline—that one is said to be the elder and foremost.” Accepting this pronouncement, the revered sages, weary and inwardly exhausted, embraced supreme detachment and departed. They journeyed to Gautamī, the sole mother of all worlds, purifier of the three realms, intent on performing austerities with self-restraint. There, preparing to worship both the deity of water and of fire, those devoted to Agni and those to water gathered. Then, once more, the divine speech—Sarasvatī, mother of the Vedas—spoke to them: “Water is the source of fire, and by water, purity is attained. How, then, can there be worship of Agni without water? Both the worshippers of Agni and those devoted to water depend upon this. Wherever water is born, there one becomes qualified for action. Until then, a man who is impure is unfit for sacred deeds. Until one who knows the Veda bathes with faith in cold waters, he is not purified; thus, water is considered supreme, remembered as the mother. Therefore, water is superior to fire, especially as mothers are to be honored above all.” Hearing these words, the Veda-knowing sages made their decision: “Let the superiority belong to water.” The place where all this occurred, O Nārada, became renowned as a holy site of austerity, the site of the sages’ assembly. It is also called the holy site of Agni and is known as Sārasvata. Bathing and giving gifts there bestow all desires and bring auspiciousness. Within that sacred region are fourteen hundred holy sites, each bestowing merit; bathing and giving gifts there grant both heaven and liberation. It was there, where Sarasvatī dispelled the sages’ doubts, that the sacred river Gaṅgā also joined. Who could ever describe the greatness of that confluence? On the northern bank of the Gaṅgā lies a place renowned as Devatirtha. Listen now to its power, which destroys all sins. In days of old, there was a king named Arṣṭiṣeṇa, famed for all virtues. His queen, Jaya, was as radiant as Lakṣmī herself. Their son, Bhara, was wise, devoted to his father, skilled in archery and the Vedas, and accomplished in all arts. Bhara’s wife, the beautiful and renowned Suprabha, was well known throughout the land. When the time was right, King Arṣṭiṣeṇa entrusted the kingdom to his son. With his chief priest, the king undertook a sacred initiation and, on the banks of the Sarasvatī, prepared diligently for a great horse sacrifice. Surrounded by officiating priests and foremost sages devoted to the Vedas and scriptures, the king was consecrated near the Brahmins’ sacred fire. But Mithur, the powerful yet wicked lord of the Dānavas, seized the king, his wife, and his priest, disrupting the sacrifice. Swiftly, he carried them off to the lowest region of the underworld. When the noble king was taken and the sacrifice lost, the gods and all the officiating priests departed each to their own place. Only the priest’s son, Devapi, remained with the king. Seeing his mother but not his father, the boy was filled with wonder and distress. He asked his mother, “Mother, where has my father gone? I cannot live without him; tell me the truth.” He cried, “Fie upon the life of those deprived of their father, or those who act wickedly! If you do not tell me, mother, I will cast myself into water or fire.” His mother, the wife of the king and the priest, replied, “Your father was taken to the underworld by a Dānava, along with the king.” The boy pressed her: “Where was he taken, by whom, how, and for what reason? Who witnessed it? Tell me where the Dānava dwells.” She answered, “In the sacrificial hall, while the king was being consecrated with his wife and priest, the Daitya Mithur took them to the underworld, in the sight of the assembly of gods and in the presence of fire and Brahmins.” Hearing his mother’s words, Devapi pondered what should be done. “Shall I seek the gods, or fire, or the officiating priests, or the Asuras? Among these alone should I seek my father, nowhere else—this is my resolve.” Thus deciding, Devapi spoke to Bhara, the king’s son: “By austerity, celibacy, vows, and discipline, I must bring back all those who have been taken to the underworld. When a terrible defeat has occurred, if one does not make any effort to counter it, what is the use of such a wretched person’s life, whether living or dead? You should rule the entire earth, O Arṣṭiṣeṇa, just as a father does. My mother is to be protected by you, O king, until I return. When my task is accomplished, permit me to depart, O Bhara.” Thus addressed, Bhara considered everything carefully and replied, “Achieve success, go happily, do not indulge even a little in worry.