The sixth king, having shared in the merit of his deeds, ascended a celestial chariot and departed for the heavenly realms. Such is the power of this story: simply by hearing it, one is freed from the bonds of sin, from the endless cycle of birth and death. The listener, too, attains the full measure of merit that arises from creating a sacred pond. Now, let me tell you of the merit gained by one who undertakes such acts for the sake of Śiva or Hari. For three aeons, such a person surely abides at the feet of Viṣṇu—of this there is no doubt. The measure of merit thus gained is vast; listen to its details. After dwelling at Viṣṇu’s feet for three cycles of creation, the soul attains the radiant city of Brahma. Then, in the next birth, one is born into a family of yogis, endowed with compassion. The merit increases with the care and devotion shown: whoever constructs with wood receives a reward twice as great; if the work is done with crystal or stone, the result is tenfold. Those who protect a temple, pond, or village, or who serve the temple by plastering, sprinkling, and decorating—whether they are paid for their labor or moved by virtue—are blessed. The reward for constructing a reservoir is said to be half of that for a lake. The merit for digging a well is a hundred times greater than that for a canal, yet the result of both is ultimately declared to be the same by the lotus-born Brahma. Those learned in the Vedas affirm that the earthly reward for both well and canal is equal, and if a poor man constructs a well, his merit is proclaimed to be the same. He attains the realm of Brahma, accompanied by three generations of his family. Even standing in the shade of such a well for half a moment leads one to heaven. Those who create ponds or villages are honored together with Hari himself. Listen further to the merit of those who perform such acts for the sake of the gods: they enjoy heaven for as many years as there are tens of millions in their lineage and reach the abode of Brahma, the eternal lord of the ages. For a full hundred ages, they dwell in the abode of Nārāyaṇa. Now, hear the merit gained by offering the nectar-like water of the Gaṅgā: the one whose deeds are thus celebrated rejoices, intoxicated with the delight of Viṣṇu. All sins—even the most grievous, such as the killing of a brāhmaṇa—are destroyed. Such a soul dwells with the Lord who abides in the Milk Ocean, for as long as the moon and stars endure. He goes to the abode of Brahma, accompanied by three generations of his lineage, and remains in Viṣṇu’s mansion until the dissolution of all beings. He rejoices in Viṣṇu’s temple along with twenty-one generations of his family, and once he attains Viṣṇu’s world, there is no return. In the Vaiṣṇava realm, he delights with tens of thousands of his lineage, and in Viṣṇu’s city, with hundreds of thousands. O King, with millions of his family, he attains union with Hari; indeed, he attains union with Viṣṇu, together with countless hundreds of thousands. Such is the glory and the boundless reward of these sacred acts.