Having delivered his wise counsel, the sage vanished from sight, leaving his disciple astonished yet determined to follow the instruction with unwavering devotion. Over time, as the disciple wandered from hermitage to hermitage, his mind became purified and serene. Everywhere he went, he found peace: there was no suffering from the opposites of life, no hunger or thirst, nor any fear. Such was the state attained by the ascetic who recited the second chapter. Mitravan then spoke, "Thus addressed, I revealed the supreme story. With his gracious permission, I departed, accompanied by both the goat and the tiger." He advised, "Let one go to the stone slab and read the written chapter; by reciting it, the highest limit of austerity is reached. Therefore, O auspicious one, you too should always recite that chapter. By doing so, liberation will not be far from you." Thus instructed by his friend, Devaśarman offered worship and reverent bows before setting out for the city of Indra. There, at a certain temple, he met a knower of the Self. He first recounted all that had transpired and then recited the sacred chapter. Under the guidance of this knower, and with a heart made pure, he recited the chapter with deep devotion. At the end of the second month, Devaśarman attained the flawless, supreme state. Thus concludes the story of the second chapter. Now, O Indira, listen as I tell you of the greatness of the third. So ends the one hundred and seventy-sixth chapter in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the section on the greatness of the Gītā, within the dialogue of Satī and Īśvara, part of the grand fifty-five-thousand-verse collection. The Blessed Lord continued: "Now, O goddess, I will briefly speak of the greatness of the fifth chapter, honored throughout the world. Listen attentively, dear one. There lived a brāhmaṇa named Piṅgala in the city of Purukutsa. Born into a pure family, he was renowned among Vedic scholars. Yet, forsaking the scriptures and Vedas proper to his lineage, he became absorbed in music, devoting himself to playing the drum and other instruments. With skill in singing, dancing, and playing, he achieved great fame and entered the king’s palace. There, he remained with the king and, seducing the wives of others, enjoyed their company with undivided attention. Puffed up with pride, unrestrained, and always finding fault with others, he continued in this way privately. His wife, Aruṇā, was born in a low family. She, seeking her lover and considering all obstacles, met him in her own home at midnight. There, she killed him by severing his head and buried him in the ground. Thus, deprived of life, he went to the abode of Yama. After suffering in the unconquerable hells, Piṅgala was reborn as a vulture in a desolate forest. Aruṇā, too, afflicted by a disease of the anus, abandoned her beautiful body. She reached terrible hells, then was born as a parrot in that same forest, wandering in search of grains. The vulture, recalling his enmity, tore at the parrot with his sharp claws as she fell into a human skull filled with water. The vulture also struck her with his talons, and, separated from his mate, he too perished in the water of the skull. Both sank there, and the exceedingly cruel bird as well. The servants of Yama took them to the realm of the ancestors. Remembering their former evil deeds, they were filled with fear. Yama, seeing the repugnant acts of both, suddenly perceived that by their very bath at death, a great merit had arisen. Therefore, he permitted both to go to the worlds they desired, though their minds were burdened by the weight of their sins. Amazed, recalling their misdeeds, they approached and bowed before Vaivasvata, asking, "The evil we have done is truly blameworthy. Tell us, how have we attained the worlds desired by all?" Vaivasvata replied, "On the bank of the Ganges was an ascetic, foremost among knowers of Brahman. Alone, unattached, peaceful, free from passion and envy, he always recited the fifth chapter of the Gita. By the merit of his pure soul, even one more sinful, simply by hearing him, would give up the body and be purified. The water in that skull, sanctified by the Gita and by his touch, purified both your bodies and minds. Thus, you have become pure." "Therefore, go to those worlds that lie along the path of your desires, purified by the glory of the fifth chapter of the Gita." Thus instructed, both rejoiced, ascended a celestial vehicle, and went to the abode of Vishnu. So ends the one hundred and seventy-ninth chapter in the section on the Glory of the Gita, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the great Padma Purāṇa. Īśvara then said: "Now, O Bhavānī, I shall further declare the means for liberation from worldly existence. Listen carefully, O smiling one, to the fourteenth chapter of the Gita. On earth, the most excellent region is Kashmir, and its capital, Sarasvatī, is truly enchanting. There, the goddess of speech herself presides, granting the world of Brahma even to those who invoke her with Sāvitrī hymns, seated upon a swan. One should seek the service of Sarasvatī's lotus feet, adorned with saffron, where the directions themselves are honored by the pollen rising from the wings of swans." Thus, the tales of the glory of the Gita, and the greatness of sacred places and practices, are revealed for the welfare and liberation of all who listen with faith.