In the age of Kali, when the great Vedic sacrifices have become difficult for most to perform, a wondrous compassion is shown: those who sincerely desire heaven, yet are unable to undertake grand rites like the Agnistoma or Ashvamedha, may attain their full fruits simply through heartfelt praise, hymns, and sacred words. Even if, through negligence or haste, one has failed to properly observe the daily Sandhya ritual, there is hope. For if Sandhya is performed here with true devotion, its merit is fulfilled not just for this life, but for all births—such is its power, even for the speaker himself. Elsewhere, people may pursue intense austerities and deep meditation, even from afar and with little love. Yet, the dust of Triveni is illustrious, and to Prayaga—the peerless king of holy places, shining with its self-manifest mark—one must bow, for it stands above all, the best among immortals. Reflecting on the journey of life, one may ask: What austerities have we truly performed? What sacrifices have we offered, what gifts given to the worthy, what worship rendered to the many gods? Which sacred places have we served, or which Brahmin families have we honored? By which of these is the eternal city of Shiva—the city of auspiciousness, the royal capital—attained? By great fortune, one may find themselves in that wondrous city of Shiva, the destroyer of countless sins, the ferry across the ocean of worldly existence. There, the good reap the highest fruit, the stains of the family are washed away, and the self is made whole. What else remains to be attained, when this stands above all? A living person in this place beholds a hundred thousand auspicious sights, and this is no idle boast. Even Kashi, so famed, may not be reached by the body and senses, for life is fleeting. And yet, even the immortals cannot count the sacred lingas found in the divine Kashi—some ancient, some hidden, some revealed, all accomplished. To all these, one must bow with joined hands. In this holy confluence, what fear can there be from the path of sin, or what joy from countless good deeds? What pride arises from study, or sorrow from dullness and error? What arrogance from wealth, what pain from poverty, or even from food? For after bathing in the sacred waters of Shri Manikarnika and beholding Lord Vishveshvara, all these are transcended. Even with little prosperity or health, with only a slender frame and the strength that comes from encouragement and pure love, the city of Gadadhara can be attained—though it is beyond the reach of desire or dreams. This city grants immediate liberation. Neither one’s own form, nor the strength of past achievements, nor family ties, nor any fixed measure, nor even sleep or suffering—none of these alone suffice. The attainment of Gaya, Prayaga, Yamuna, and Kashi, the supreme confluence, is difficult. The great fruit is won only by the favor of Shri Sharada. He who, even if remembered from afar at the time of the ancestral rites, grants liberation to the ancestors—such is Shri Gadadhara, who dwells in Gaya, and to him one bows. The journey to these sacred places is arduous, filled with dangers from wild beasts, thieves, thorns, and serpents. Yet, having crossed this difficult path, one arrives and, with humility, begs for blessings. O Karpari, O illustrious Gadadhara by the water, every day I long to see you. But how is it, O Gadadhara, that though you are the all-pervading Self, and though the gods are pleased by the offering of śrāddha at Gaya, you remain indifferent, as if unconcerned with the world? Is this utter mercilessness, or the power of the age of Kali? Or is it perhaps a long-standing observance of virtue among people, or your own inclination for service? By your grace, O Gadadhara, I have completed the śrāddha. Permit me, O Lord, to return home. At the time of śrāddha, one should always recite the hymn for the four deities, which grants the reward of heaven. Whoever recites it while bathing gains further merit. By bathing, hearing, reciting, and chanting, one’s act becomes equal to visiting all holy places. O twice-born, by hearing the hymn of Prayaga, Ganga, and Yamuna, all faults arising from actions are destroyed. Then Mahadeva spoke to Narada: “Listen, and I will tell you the greatness of the origin of Tulasi. Hearing this, one is freed from sin and from the cycle of birth and death. Every part of Tulasi—leaf, flower, fruit, root, branch, bark, and stem—even its soil—is purifying. Those whose bodies are burned with fire made from Tulasi wood, and who have Tulasi wood placed on their body after death, gain liberation. Even the one who performs the cremation is freed from sin, especially if, at the time of death, there is remembrance or chanting of Hari. If the cremation is done with Tulasi wood, there is no return to this world for that person—even if only one piece of Tulasi is among a hundred pieces of wood. At the time of burning, liberation is attained, even for one with millions of accumulated sins. Bathing with Ganga water makes one’s merits even more meritorious. Logs mixed with Tulasi wood become meritorious; as long as the funeral pyre burns with Tulasi wood, the sins of millions of ages are burned away. Even seeing a person being burned with Tulasi wood fire brings merit. The attendants of Vishnu come to take him, and not the servants of Yama; freed from countless births, he goes to Janardana. Those burned with Tulasi wood fire are honored by the gods, who, seated in their celestial vehicles, shower them with flowers. The apsarās dance, the singers sing, and seeing that soul, Vishnu is pleased, together with Shambhu. Taking him by the hand, Shauri leads him home and, in the presence of the dwellers of heaven, removes all his sins. A great festival is held, with cries of victory, wherever the fire of Tulasi wood burns with clarified butter. Whether in the fire chamber or at the cremation ground, the sins of men are burned away. Brahmanas who perform oblations with Tulasi wood fire, or sprinkle sesame seeds, obtain the fruit of the Agnistoma sacrifice. Whoever offers to Hari incense made from Tulasi wood attains merit equal to that of Indra and gains the fruit of giving a hundred cows. If one cooks food for offering using a fire of Tulasi wood, that food, when given to Keshava, becomes as valuable as Mount Meru. Whoever lights a lamp for Hari with fire from Tulasi wood obtains the merit of a hundred thousand lamps. No Vaishnava on earth is equal to the one who offers Krishna sandalwood made from Tulasi wood. Such a person becomes the object of Vishnu’s compassion. By anointing Hari daily with sandalwood made from Tulasi wood, with devotion, one delights in the presence of Hari. He who worships Vishnu with his body anointed with Tulasi paste obtains the fruit of giving a hundred cows in a single day, an act equal to a hundred days of worship. As long as sandalwood made from Tulasi wood remains in the temple for Krishna’s anointing, the merit obtained is immense. The merit of giving eight measures of sesame is the same fruit bestowed by the grace of the discus-bearing Lord. Whoever offers to the ancestors a ball containing Tulasi grants satisfaction to each ancestor, leaf by leaf, lasting a hundred years. Such is the greatness of these holy places and the sanctity of Tulasi, as revealed by the wise and compassionate Lord, guiding all beings to liberation and blessedness.