Once, Veda found himself reflecting on the strange ways in which people find satisfaction—some are pleased with mere clay, others with even the company of the wicked. In this world of such unpredictable preferences, he thought, surely I must be mad to wish for anything at all; perhaps I should cast a stone upon my own head in regret. When Veda expressed these thoughts, the Supreme Lord laughed gently and said, “Wait until tomorrow, then cast the stone upon my head.” Accepting the Lord’s words, Veda set the stone aside and calmed his anger, replying, “Very well, I shall do it tomorrow.” The next morning, as was his daily practice, Veda bathed and performed his rituals with devotion. But as he approached the liṅga to begin his worship, he saw something dreadful—a terrible wound, streaming with blood, had appeared on the head of the liṅga. Astonished and bewildered, Veda wondered aloud, “What is this strange sight upon the liṅga’s head? For whom has such an ominous sign arisen, and what does it foretell?” Seeking to purify and heal, Veda washed the liṅga’s head with clay, cow dung, sacred kuśa grass, and water from the holy Ganges. After cleansing, he resumed his worship as usual. At that very moment, a hunter—now freed from his sins—arrived at the shrine. Suddenly, within the liṅga, Veda beheld the head of Śaṅkara himself, wounded and covered in blood. Overwhelmed by this vision, the hunter cried out in wonder, “What is this marvel before me?” Stricken with remorse at the sight of the Lord’s injury, the hunter, unable to bear the pain of what had occurred, pierced himself again and again with sharp arrows—a hundred times, a thousand times—punishing himself for the Lord’s suffering. Who, indeed, could witness the Lord’s disfigurement and endure it with a noble heart? The hunter reproached himself repeatedly: “Alas, what terrible fate has come upon me! Oh, cruel destiny, this has happened while I still live!” Seeing the hunter’s anguished act, Mahādeva was greatly moved. Then the Lord spoke to Veda, the best among those who know the Vedas: “See the hunter, O great-minded one—he is filled with devotion and sincerity. But you, you have only touched my head with clay, kuśa grass, or water. By the hunter’s act, even my very self has been offered. Wherever there is true devotion, love, strength, or discernment, I grant boons first to such a one, and only afterwards to you, O best of the twice-born.” With these words, the great Lord Maheśvara offered the hunter a boon and invited him to choose. The hunter bowed before the Lord of gods and requested: “May I receive your nirmālya—the sacred remnants of your worship. May a holy place be named after me, and may that place grant the fruit of all sacrifices merely by being remembered.” The Lord of the gods replied, “So be it.” Thus, that most excellent sacred place became known as Bhillatirtha, a site where all accumulated sins are destroyed. It became a source of great devotion at the feet of glorious Mahadeva, bestowing both worldly enjoyment and ultimate liberation through bathing, offering, and other sacred acts. Even the Vedas, it is said, were granted various boons there by Shiva. This place is also known as Cakshus-tirtha, the sacred site that bestows beauty and good fortune, where the Lord of Yogis resides on the southern bank of the Gautami river. Nearby, atop a mountain, stood the city called Bhauvana, where once ruled King Bhauvana, a monarch devoted to the duties of a warrior. In that excellent city lived a Brahmin named Vriddhakaushika, whose son, Gautama, was famed as the foremost knower of the Vedas. Yet, due to a fault in his mother’s mind, Gautama’s nature became contrary. He had a friend—a merchant named Manikuṇḍala. The friendship between the Brahmin and the merchant was uneven: one was wealthy, the other poor, yet each always sought the other’s welfare. One day, Gautama spoke privately and with affection to Manikuṇḍala: “Let us go forth to seek wealth, even to distant mountains and oceans. Youth is wasted without the means for happiness; how can there be happiness without wealth? Alas, shame on the man who is poor.” Manikuṇḍala replied, “I already possess much wealth, earned by my father. O best of Brahmins, what need have I for more?” But the Brahmin pressed further, saying, “Who among those who know righteousness, wealth, knowledge, and desire is ever truly satisfied? For those with bodies, only the attainment of excellence is praiseworthy, my friend.” He continued, “Those who live by their own effort are truly fortunate; those content with what is given by others live wretched lives. That son is praised in the world and honored by his ancestors who does not even speak of desiring his father’s wealth. The son who, relying on his own strength, acquires wealth, is accomplished in the world—he should not touch his father’s riches. The son who earns wealth himself and gives it to his father or relatives—know him to be a true son; the other is merely born from the womb.” Hearing these words, Manikuṇḍala was filled with desire and accepted them as true. He quickly gathered his jewels and presented his own wealth to Gautama. With that money, the two friends journeyed together through many lands, enjoying themselves as they pleased. “We will take the wealth and riches and then return home,” said the merchant truthfully. But the Brahmin harbored deceit in his heart. The merchant, with sinful intent, did not truly recognize the Brahmin’s nature; neither knew the other’s true parentage, yet they traveled together, addressing each other as friends. As they journeyed from land to land in search of wealth, the Brahmin began to covet the riches held by the merchant. He thought, “By whatever means necessary, I will gather that wealth. There are thousands of delightful cities on earth, filled with women as lovely as goddesses, ready to fulfill every desire—what should I do?” He mused further, “If, having obtained wealth through effort, it is given to women, they enjoy it always; truly, such a life is fruitful. Adorned by courtesans, delighting in dance and song, how shall I enjoy the merchant’s wealth that has come into my hands?” Thus, the story unfolds, weaving together devotion, destiny, friendship, and the desires that stir the hearts of men.