In reverence, the devotee offered a heartfelt prayer to the Lord of gods, pleading, “O Lord, deliver the kings born in my lineage—and all those yet to be born—from the ocean of worldly suffering.” Overwhelmed by the weight of sin, afflicted by diseases that moved like water, and tormented by living beings, he confessed his distress, seeking divine intervention. “O Lord of the universe, reclining upon Śeṣa, extend your hand as support. Through this vow, O Lord of gods, grant me both enjoyment and liberation.” After such earnest prayers and respectfully bidding farewell to the deity, he presented all offerings, as well as appropriate gifts, to his teacher. He then satisfied the brāhmaṇas with gifts, dismissing them with honor, and, absorbed in meditation upon the Lord, ate with his relatives. Even one who is destitute, if he regularly observes the fast on the fourteenth day, is freed from the sins accumulated over seven births—there can be no doubt. Anyone who listens with devotion to this vow, which destroys sin, is absolved even from the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa, simply by hearing it. Those who recite this pure, supreme, and secret teaching attain all desires and the fruits of this vow. Whoever performs the ritual at the proper time—at midday, with whatever means possible—together with Līlāvatī and the sage, by the grace of Śrī Nṛsiṃha, worships with supreme devotion and attains eternal liberation. Whoever visits that sacred place and worships Śrī Nṛsiṃha always obtains the desired results by His grace. O Śrī Nṛsiṃha, of great form, difficult to approach even by Death, Lord of Bhairavas, destroyer of Hari’s distress, appearing as a child—I bow to you, to Śrī Nṛsiṃha in the form and appearance of a child. Salutations to the all-pervading, blissful one, who reveals his own true form, who is the self of all beings, the Lord of the universe, and the essence of sound. Homage to you, who dwell in the orb of the sun, ocean of compassion, who take the form of the twenty-four principles, and appear as Time, Rudra, and Fire. Salutations to you, who are the one form of the universe, the Man-Lion; to god Nṛsiṃha, conqueror of Vīrabhadra, who bore it upon his forehead. There are twelve blazing discs of the sun, measured precisely. There, especially, lies the holy river Sindhu, beautiful and most sacred. Near her stands a city, renowned as Maulistāna, always said to be built by the gods. There resides the great-souled Hārīta, and Līlāvatī also remains there—of this there is no doubt. Near the Sindhu river, an echo arises; but when the age of Kali arrives, foreigners and doers of evil will dwell there. Many will indeed live there—just as, at the birth of Nṛsiṃha, a wondrous and extraordinary sound arose. Whoever loudly calls out “Nṛsiṃha! Nṛsiṃha!” produces such an echo, O delight of the mountain. Whether a slayer of a Brahmin, a thief of gold, a drinker of liquor, or one who approaches his teacher’s wife—those who especially bathe in the Sindhu river are freed by the grace of Śrī Nṛsiṃha; there is no doubt. Those who dwell there for ten nights should be known as doers of virtuous deeds—my words are not false. In the Kali age, those who dwell there, whose classes are descended from twice-born ancestors, are to be regarded as outcastes, excluded from the Veda, by the best of gods, even though they appear as foreigners; they eat meat and always drink wine. Therefore, they are of unrighteous nature, most sinful—of this there is no doubt. Just as Brahmins without the twilight rites are outside the Veda, so are they. In that city, O queen of the gods, in the west, there is only one supreme and vast holy place, called Nṛsiṃha. Hearing of it, a man is instantly freed from sin—there is no doubt. Thus concludes the one hundred and seventy-fourth chapter of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, Uttarakhaṇḍa, within the section of fifty-five thousand verses, named “The Origin of Nṛsiṃha.” Śrī Bhagavān then spoke: “Thus the excellent story of the beginning has been told. Now, O Indirā, listen to the greatness of other chapters as well. In the southern direction, there was a city called Purandara, known among those who uphold the tradition. There, a man named Devaśarman was renowned. He honored guests according to tradition, was skilled in Vedic scriptures, arranged many sacrificial rites, and was always dear to ascetics. He satisfied the gods for a long time with offerings in the fire, yet that righteous soul did not attain absolute peace. Desiring the highest good, he served ascetics day after day, those steadfast in truth, with many proper observances. As he acted thus, with much time passing, someone freed from actions appeared on earth long ago. Free from desire for experience, his gaze fixed at the tip of his nose, his mind tranquil, he meditated on the supreme Brahman, full of bliss. Devaśarman approached him, took hold of his feet with reverence, and performed the proper guest-honoring rites as a learned man. With pure intent, he questioned that satisfied ascetic, bowing, about the state of nirvana for himself. The ascetic told him, in that ancient city, about Mitravan, the knower of self, the teacher of Ajapala. Having bowed and touched his feet, Devaśarman entered that splendid city, and in its northern region he saw a vast forest. It was beautiful, filled with many flowers swayed by the wind, fragrant, and its directions resounded with the song of intoxicated bees.