Listen closely to the wondrous tale woven in these sacred verses, for they reveal the glory of Ganga and the holy city of Kashi, and the unity of the divine forms. The merit gained by countless acts of charity and ritual cannot compare, not even to a sixteenth part, with the merit earned by bathing with a single drop of the sacred Ganga. Even those who merely touch her waters are freed from their sins; how much greater, then, is the liberation of one who bathes in her embrace! The deity, revered by sages, deserves even more devotion from ordinary people. In that very place, beneath half the altar, shines a divine eye, a mystery to be known. What more can be said? Ganga grants those who worship her a resemblance to Vishnu himself. Mounted upon celestial vehicles, the blessed souls reach the supreme abode. They lift up thousands along with themselves, journeying truly to the world of Vishnu. The divine presence stands in all the sacred fields—there is no doubt. By the mere touch of my body, one becomes equal to the gods. Indeed, the earth born of Ganga leads to the form of the Imperishable. Yet, devotion to the proclaimer of dharma is exceedingly rare among men. But one who possesses such devotion, and who takes the root-born on his head, attains the abode of Vishnu. Even one who merely desires in this way will also reach that supreme abode. Not even Vishnu himself is able to grant more; what then can others accomplish with many words? For indeed, people may still fall to hell, even while staying at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna. Likewise, devotion to Tulasi and to the one who proclaims the glories of Hari brings freedom from all sins and entry into the world of Vishnu. Freed from all sins, one may also reach the world of the Sun. The transits of Aries, Taurus, and Capricorn purify the entire world. Rivers such as Tungabhadra, Kaveri, Kalindi, and Bahuda are sacred as well, but among all these holy places, Ganga is remembered as the foremost. Just as these rivers purify, so too does the all-pervading Ganga destroy all sins. She is the purifier of all; why, then, do people not serve her? Varanasi, renowned and attended by all the gods, stands as the crown jewel. For those who have heard the scriptures, Kashi has been repeatedly praised. Those who come here, shaking off all their sins, go to the world of Shiva. Even those burdened with many sins attain a state free from affliction. They too, freed from sin, may reach the Shaiva state. One who becomes the sole sovereign of earth and reaches Kashi obtains liberation. For those who even utter the name of Kashi, the four aims of life—dharma, artha, kama, and moksha—are not far off. By merely seeing the lord there, people attain the highest state. He purifies the world through acts such as bathing and drinking, leading it to Indra’s city. The greatness of his form as the liṅga cannot be fully described. There is no difference between the forms of Vishnu and Shiva; only those of misguided intellect create division. Those immersed in the ocean of ignorance, the sinful ones, make distinctions. At the end of the age, Hari is said to assume the form of Rudra. He creates with the form of Brahma, and at the end, Hara dissolves these three. Those who create division come to the most terrible hell. But one who recognizes this unity attains supreme bliss; this is the essence of the scriptures. Janardana, the lord, is always present there in the form of the liṅga. Such is the sacred narrative of the Ganga, Kashi, and the unity of the divine, as revealed in these verses.