Led by Bṛhaspati, the assembled gods departed, their eyes falling upon a vast lake where golden lotuses bloomed in profusion. There, they offered praises to the king of the gods, Indra, knowing that only through awakening by his teacher would Indra arise. At Bṛhaspati's touch, Indra emerged from the lotus bud, his face dejected and his form altered, shame casting his eyes downward. With humility, Indra grasped the feet of his elder and teacher, pleading, "Protect me, O Bṛhaspati! Tell me the expiation for my sin!" Hearing Indra’s words, the wise Bṛhaspati replied, "Listen, O lord of the gods. I shall tell you a means to destroy sin: simply by bathing at Prayāga, you are freed from sin in that very moment." Encouraged, Indra was told, "You will be released from your demerit just by this; let us go there together." So, accompanied by his priest, Indra—the subduer of Bala—arrived at Prayāga. There, Indra bathed at the white and black fords, and was instantly freed from his sins. Bṛhaspati, pleased with his disciple, granted him a boon: "By merely bathing at Prayāga, your sin is destroyed, O sinless one. O Śakra, with your sins gone, by my grace, you will swiftly receive a thousand yonis and a thousand eyes." By the word of the Brāhmaṇa, Indra, lord of Śacī, shone with splendor. With a thousand eyes, his mind became serene, like a lake filled with lotuses. Honored by all the attendants and sages, and praised by the Gandharvas, Indra returned to Amarāvatī. Thus, at Prayāga, the subduer of Pāka was instantly freed from sin. The story continued: "You too, O blessed one, should go to Prayāga, revered by the gods, for the instant destruction of sin and surely for attaining heaven." Hearing these words and the auspicious tale, she—seized by urgency—bowed at once to the feet of the Brāhmaṇa. She abandoned all her relatives, the house of servants and maids, and all pleasures, as one would cast off poison. Seeing her body perishing in an instant, I departed, tormented by the dreadful inner fire of the ocean of hell. With a heart afflicted by the beast of a corpse, I went and bathed at the white and black fords during the month of Māgha. "Hear, O aged night-wanderer, the greatness of that bath: in three days, my sins were destroyed; in twenty-seven days, the merit I gained brought me divinity. I delighted on Kailāsa as the dear friend of Girijā. By the power of Prayāga, I was born with memory of my past life. Remembering the greatness of Prayāga, I go there every Māgha." "Thus, O Rākṣasa, all that you, amazed in mind, asked, I have told you fully—my story—for your delight. Now, for my delight, tell me your own story, O Rākṣasa: by what deed were you born so deformed and terribly frightening? With a beard, long fangs, a flesh-eater in the mountain caves—" The Rākṣasa spoke: "He gives what is desired, receives, speaks secrets, asks—indeed, O gentle one, the virtuous rejoice, and all that is established in you; surely, O woman with beautiful eyes, you are honored by them, I believe. O auspicious one, you will promptly bring about the remedy for this cruel deed; therefore, I will tell you, O gentle lady, the wrongdoing I myself have committed. By revealing one's sorrow to the virtuous, one then becomes entirely happy; listen, O woman with lovely hips, I am a master of the Rig Veda, learned in Vedic lore, from Kashi." "Long ago, I was born as a foremost Brahmin in a great and pure lineage. Among sinful kings, Shudras, and also the people, in Varanasi, I accepted wicked gifts—a terrible act. Though forbidden many times, I repeatedly took them, much reviled. I did not even refuse wicked gifts from a Chandala, and there, with a deluded mind, I committed other sins—there is no evil deed which I did not do." "Hear also, O fair-complexioned one, another fault concerning the sacred field: in Avimukta, even the smallest sin becomes as weighty as Mount Meru; in that birth, I accumulated no merit at all. Then, after a long time, I died there itself, O lovely one; by the power of Avimukta, I did not go to hell. It is said that one who dies in Avimukta, however sinful, does not go to hell; but any sin committed there becomes firm, like a thunderbolt." "Because of that sin, fixed like a thunderbolt, my birth became demonic. A fierce, exceedingly cruel, sinful existence arose for me in the snowy mountains. Twice I was born in the lineage of vultures, previously thrice as a tiger, twice as a serpent; once as an owl, then as a wild boar thereafter. This, O radiant lady, is my tenth birth as a rakshasa; thousands of years have passed in my births." "O gentle one, there is no remedy for me from this ocean of sorrow. Here, O beautiful-browed one, I have made three yojanas devoid of living beings. I have destroyed many innocent creatures; because of that deed, my mind is constantly tormented. My mind, sprinkled with the nectar of seeing you, has found coolness. A holy place bears fruit in time, but the company of the virtuous does so immediately." "Therefore, O beautiful-browed one, the wise praise association with the virtuous. All this, my heart's sorrow, I have told you. Rare is the virtuous person whose own self is not afflicted; you know what is proper here, so I will say nothing further. Thinking, 'How can I cross this ocean of sorrow?'—the company of the virtuous is the support and sustenance for all.