From the illustrious lineage of Sagara arose his son, Aṃśumān, who undertook the sacred mission of bringing the Ganges to earth. In time, Aṃśumān’s son was born—Bhagīratha, a man of profound wisdom and deep devotion. With unwavering resolve, Bhagīratha performed intense austerities for a hundred thousand years, his heart set on the single purpose of bringing the holy Ganges to liberate his ancestors. During his long penance, Bhagīratha beheld a wondrous vision: a radiant youth with two arms, holding a flute and dressed as a cowherd. This was none other than the Supreme Brahman, manifest by his own will—complete, sovereign, unattached, and witness-like, transcending all qualities and the bounds of nature. This divine form, purified by the fire of knowledge, was established in Śuka, adorned with dazzling jeweled ornaments. By the playful grace of this Supreme, Bhagīratha attained the boon he so desired, becoming the savior of his lineage. With deep reverence, a celestial goddess approached him, bowing low with hands joined, her body thrilled with devotion as she sang divine praises. Having paid her respects, she departed, her heart full of gratitude. Then, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke these words: “By my command, let all the sons of Sagara be purified. They now possess divine forms, riding in celestial chariots. Having completed the enjoyment of the fruits of their actions through many births, their cycle is ended. As the scriptures declare, by the mere touch and wind of the Ganges, their bodies are dissolved and they are liberated. “On the sacred day of Mausalā, for those who bathe in the Ganges, all sins—even the gravest, such as the slaying of a Brahmin—are destroyed. Such is the power of bathing on this day. Some declare, O goddess, that the results are exactly as the scriptures have proclaimed. Yet listen, O beautiful one, to the merits of bathing on ordinary days: on the day of the sun’s transit, the merit is thirty times greater; during Uttarayana, the merit increases tenfold; on Akshaya day, the merit is equal, though this is not established in the Vedas. Even on an ordinary day, bathing with meditation yields a hundred times the usual merit. “On the bright seventh day of Magha, and on Bhishma Ashtami, the merit is yet greater. On the rare day of Nanda, it is doubled; and on Varuni, the merit is equal to Nanda, while previously it is four times greater. On these special days, the merit of bathing reaches ten million times that of an ordinary bath. Even at the time of partial sunrise, the merit is a hundredfold. “Vaishnavas, those devoted to Vishnu and liberated while living, are beyond desire for results. When the supreme Vishnu-mantra is received in the ear from the mouth of the guru, not only the recipient but a hundred ancestors before and after, as well as relatives—a sister, brother, nephew, maternal uncle—the guru, the giver of knowledge, friends, and companions, are all uplifted together by this act alone. “By touching such a Vaishnava, the holy places of Bharat become purified. The very spot touched by their feet becomes a sacred site. Vaishnavas, who always partake only of offerings, purify all sacred waters by their presence. Their sins flee as serpents flee before Garuḍa, and they are ever protected by the Sudarśana disc of Vishnu.” Thus, the blessings of devotion, sacred action, and the grace of the divine flow forth, sanctifying all who seek liberation and purity.