At the time of lunar or solar eclipses, those who, in my presence and with self-restraint, offer with devotion to Vishnu—the supporter of the earth—are truly wise. And whoever gives beautiful cows with calves at the renowned confluence, O best of twice-born, attains whatever merit is gained there. Thus, bathing, giving, and other acts performed with devotion at the Godavari, the great river worshipped by the world, bestow immense merit. Therefore, the Godavari will become as sacred as the Ganga, led by you, destroying all sins and granting every desire. I have heard this, O Mother, from Shiva himself as he spoke to Gautama; for this reason, Shambhu is ever established in the Ganga. Who can turn away that ocean of compassion, O Mother? Yet, sometimes humans are prevented by the bonds of obstacles. Bound by these, they do not approach even the nearby Godavari, nor do they bow to Shiva, nor remember or praise him. Therefore, Mother, I shall act for your satisfaction; if there is hardship in restraint, forgive my words. From then on, the Lord of obstacles creates some hindrance for humans, but whoever worships him proceeds without obstruction. Yet, disregarding obstacles, whoever approaches the Godavari with devotion becomes fulfilled in this world, with nothing left undone. Many obstacles arise for those wishing to leave their homes, but if one places his head at her feet and reaches the Ganga, what fruit does he not obtain? Who can describe her power, even Sadashiva himself? I have briefly spoken of it, following the words of history. Whatever means exist among all moving and unmoving beings for dharma, artha, kama, and moksha—all of that is found here, fully detailed, in this Itihasa. What is declared in the Vedas, the entire secret of the shruti, and the true cause—all this is named here; this Purana, filled with many dharmas, has always been rightly seen and spoken for the welfare of the worlds. Whoever listens to or recites even a verse or a line of this with devotion, or utters the words 'Ganga, Ganga,' attains merit. This Ganga Purana, excellent and supreme, is capable of destroying the stains of Kali, bestows all accomplishments, is auspicious and holy, worthy of worship in the world, and grants the desired fruits. Well done, Gautama! Blessings to you. Who else is equal to you, who has brought this Gautami Ganga to Dandakaranya? Whoever says 'Ganga, Ganga,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and goes to Vishnu's world. Three crore and half a crore tirthas in the three worlds come together to bathe in the Ganga when the Sun is in Leo and Jupiter is guru. Bathing in the Bhagirathi for sixty thousand years, or bathing once in the Godavari when the Sun is in Leo and Jupiter is exalted—O son, this Gautami, wherever she may be by my command, will always grant liberation to all people through bathing. The fruit obtained by performing a thousand ashvamedha sacrifices and a hundred vajapeya rituals is attained simply by hearing this. O Narada, in whose house this Purana, spoken by Brahma, is kept, there is no fear for him from the age of Kali. This supreme Purana should be told to anyone who is faithful, peaceful, a devotee of Vishnu, and a great soul. It should be recited, for it grants enjoyment and liberation, destroys sin, and by merely hearing it, a person becomes fulfilled. Whoever writes this book and gives it to a brahmana, freed from all sins, does not enter the womb again. Even after hearing these stories of the Lord, the listeners were not yet satisfied. They requested, “You should again speak the supreme secret in full. You have not fully described the infinite Vasudeva; we wish to hear, O Deva, tell us in detail.” The sage replied, “O best of sages, I will declare the very essence, the highest essence, the greatness of infinite Vasudeva, which is rare on earth. In the beginning of the kalpa, O brahmanas, I, born from the unmanifest, summoned Visvakarman and spoke these words: ‘O foremost among divine craftsmen, Visvakarman, chief of artisans, create on earth an image of Vasudeva made of stone.’ Seeing this image, made according to proper rites, devotees—together with Indra and other humans—will recognize the great danger from the Daityas and Rakshasas. Having reached heaven and the peak of Mount Sumeru, and having long worshipped Vasudeva, they dwell there free from fear. Hearing my words, Visvakarman at once made a pure image, holding the conch, discus, and mace. It was endowed with all auspicious marks, with eyes like a blooming lotus, adorned with the Srivatsa mark, exceedingly powerful, and the best of images. Its chest was adorned with a garland of forest flowers, wearing a crown and armlets, clothed in yellow garments, with broad shoulders, and decorated with earrings. Thus, that divine image, at that time, was established by me with secret mantras, at the proper time for installation, in ancient days. At that time, Shakra, king of the gods, together with the celestial beings, went to Brahma's abode, ascending the excellent elephant. Having repeatedly worshipped the image with baths and offerings, Shakra honored that image and then returned to his own city. Having worshipped it for a long time, with restrained speech, body, and mind, he overcame the cruel Asuras, beginning with Vritra and led by Namuchi.