Smiling with the bliss of infinite yoga, the Lord danced again and again, his joy radiating throughout creation. Then, with grace and purpose, he entered the sacred city of the gods, Varanasi, renowned among all places. Meanwhile, a woman, overcome with sorrow, cried out in anguish—“Alas!”—and, together with Nada, descended into the netherworld, burdened by grief. At this time, Shankara, the compassionate Lord, placed the god at the head of the divine hosts, giving him a position of honor. Declaring, “Let him be alive,” the ocean of mercy restored the god to life and entrusted him to Vishnu. For those who seek refuge here, sins are swiftly destroyed, both in this world and the next. By satisfying the ancestors and the gods, even the grave sin of killing a Brahmin can be washed away. At the end of one’s earthly life, the Lord promises to grant supreme knowledge—the highest state attainable. Then, surrounded by the lords of his attendants, the Lord vanished in an instant. He swiftly reached his own abode and assumed his supreme, radiant form. There, at Kapalamocana—the sacred ford beloved of Sthanu (Shiva)—auspiciousness reigns. Those who bathe or worship here are freed from sins committed by speech, mind, or body. When the fire of penance, ignited within by her, burns away impurity, even the best among the twice-born is freed. With offerings of milk, ghee, or water, one is further purified from sin. To expiate the sin of Brahmin-slaying, one should undertake a vow of atonement, humbly seeking guidance: declaring his own deed, he must approach a revered teacher and say, “Instruct me, O revered one.” Both a thief and a Brahmin may be purified—either by execution or, alternatively, by severe austerity. This may mean facing a sharp weapon from both sides, or even an iron rod. By openly admitting, “I am guilty of this act; instruct me,” the sinner expiates his wrongdoing. If the king fails to punish such a person, the king himself incurs the guilt of the thief. A twice-born, donning bark garments, should observe the vow for Brahmin-slaying in the solitude of the forest. Alternatively, he may give to Brahmins an amount of gold equal to his own weight. If a Brahmin steals gold, to remove that sin he must embrace a heated, glowing iron image of a woman, standing still and upright, facing south, without moving or bending. By lying down below, practicing discipline, one who has violated the teacher’s bed is freed from that transgression. Or, by bathing at the end of an Ashvamedha sacrifice, a man attains purification. He may also roam about, standing or sitting, and approach water three times a day, or perform the Chandrayana vow four or five times to remove the sin. For association with the sinful for six months, only half the penance is required. Alternatively, by journeying to holy places on earth, one achieves expiation. If a Brahmin, following his own desires, has intercourse with forbidden women, he should enter blazing fire, meditating on the god Kapardin (Shiva), or he should burn his own body at holy places of pilgrimage, or with deliberate intent, enter a bright, blazing fire—such is the prescribed rule. If one transgresses with his sister’s daughter, he must perform the Kṛcchra and Atikṛcchra penances, meditating on the supreme god, the source of the universe, without beginning or end. With full concentration, he should perform the Chandrayana vow four or five times. Similarly, if one approaches his maternal uncle’s daughter, he should undertake the Chandrayana vow. Thus, through sincere confession, penance, and devotion, one attains purification and is freed from even the gravest of sins, by the grace of the Supreme Lord.