Indra, wounded by harsh words and the weapons of his enemy, was filled with anguish and resolved to act for his foe’s destruction. Turning to the Lord of the worlds, he pleaded, “Grant me victory over my enemy. Bestow upon me the strength that destroys adversaries and anything else that will bring about their end. Having suffered defeat, I long only for their downfall, so I may regain fame and the glory of triumph.” Śiva, hearing Indra’s plea, responded, “Your enemy cannot be slain by me alone. Therefore, you must join with Viṣṇu, the imperishable Hari, and together—with your wife Paulomī—worship Janārdana, Nārāyaṇa, the sole refuge of the three worlds, with undistracted mind.” Śiva assured Indra, “From this worship, you will obtain what is dear to you, both from me and from Hari.” The blessed Maheśvara, the prime creator, continued, “Wherever mantras, austerity, or the discipline of yoga are practiced at a confluence, sages know such places grant success. How much more so at the confluence of the Gautamī and Sindhu rivers, in mountain caves, or at the meeting of rivers?” Śiva spoke of the southern bank of the Gaṅgā, where Āpastamba, the lord of sages, dwelt, his intellect fixed on Mukunda’s feet. “I too attained satisfaction there, O slayer of enemies. Therefore, you and your wife should please Gadādhara.” Following this counsel, Indra, along with Āpastamba, bathed with devotion at the sacred confluence on the southern bank of the Gaṅgā and praised the god. At the confluence of the Phenā and the Gaṅgā, Indra propitiated Janārdana with various Vedic mantras and austerity. Pleased, Viṣṇu appeared and asked, “What should be given?” Indra replied, “Grant me a destroyer of enemies.” Blessed Hari said, “Consider it given.” By the grace of Śiva and Viṣṇu of the Gaṅgā, this boon was fulfilled. From the waters, a person was born, bearing the forms of both Śiva and Viṣṇu, holding a discus and a trident. This being descended to the netherworld and slew the demon—Indra’s enemy—with a mighty thunderbolt. He became Indra’s friend, known as Abjaka, the Vṛṣākapi. Though dwelling in heaven, Indra always followed Vṛṣākapi. When Śacī, his wife, saw his attachment elsewhere, she spoke to him with a mixture of anger and affection. Śatakratu, smiling, replied, “O Indrāṇī, I have no refuge except for my friend Vṛṣākapi, whose water or offering is always dear to Agni. Dearest, I will not go anywhere else; I swear by your very self. Therefore, do not speak to me with suspicion, O beautiful one. You are my beloved, faithful in dharma and mantra, my companion, noble and blessed with children; who else but you is dear to me?” He continued, “Therefore, by your instruction, having reached the Gaṅgā, the great river, by the grace of the god of gods, Viṣṇu, wielder of the discus, and by the grace of Śiva, of Vṛṣākapi, and of my friend born from water—the lotus-stemmed one renowned in the worlds—this has come to me. O fortunate one, I have crossed over suffering; here I am Indra, steadfast. What could be impossible where a wife follows the mind of her husband?” Indra reflected, “Liberation is difficult for us, but among the three aims of life, the wife alone is the highest friend, seeking the welfare of both worlds. If she is of good family, speaks sweetly, devoted to her husband, beautiful, endowed with virtues, and equal in fortune and adversity, what is impossible for her in the three worlds? Therefore, O lovely one, by your wisdom this good fortune has come to me; and what you have declared must be done—there is nothing else for me.” He declared, “In the next world and in righteousness, nothing equals a true son; and for a man in distress here, there is no remedy like a wife. For attaining the supreme state and for liberation from sin, there is nothing like the Ganga. Listen further, O beautiful-faced one. For attaining righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation, and for freedom from sin, there is no means here like the knowledge of the non-difference of Shiva and Vishnu. Therefore, O virtuous one, by your understanding, all that was in your mind has been obtained by the grace of Shiva, Vishnu, and Ganga.” Indra’s position was now secure, thanks to the strength of his friend; Vṛṣākapi, born from the waters, was his companion. He told his wife, “You are my dear friend always; none is dearer to me. Among holy places, Gautami Ganga is foremost; among the gods, Hari and Shankara. Therefore, by their grace, I have obtained all that I desired, and this holy place, renowned throughout the three worlds, brings me delight.” Indra resolved, “I shall request this from all the gods in order; let the sages, Ganga, and Hari and Shankara give their consent.” At the two holy places, Indreśvara and Abjaka, the gods are present—Shankara at one, Janardana at the other. Vishnu himself, as Trivikrama, purifies the Dandaka forest, and the holy places within grant all merit. Here, by merely bathing, even the most sinful attain liberation; sinners are freed from sin, and the righteous also attain liberation. For them, the highest liberation is with their ancestors, five generations back. Those who give even a little sesame here to those who ask find their gift inexhaustible, granting desires and liberation, prosperity, fame, longevity, health, and increased merit. Those who, having learned the story of Viṣṇu and Śaṃbhu and the liberation-granting power of bathing here, listen to or recite the greatness of this holy place, become worthy of merit. Here itself, they attain the remembrance that destroys all heaps of sins of Śiva and Viṣṇu, which sages with controlled senses and minds earnestly desire.