The fierce rakshasis, their minds wild with hunger, began to speak among themselves about the brahmin before them. One, eyes gleaming, declared, “Once I have drunk his blood, I will regain my life!” Another, eyeing the elephant-faced man, sneered, “How much substance can this one truly possess?” A third, tiger-faced, grumbled, “Even for me, there does not seem to be enough to drink.” Then Rathacakra, one of their number, spoke up, “Listen to my words: I will make earrings and a girdle from his intestines.” Another added, “I will make dice for the gaming hall from his teeth, blackened and polished together.” Yet another remarked, “He is skilled in the game of sixteen dice in the gambling hall.” Having thus spoken among themselves, their hunger and cruelty aroused, all the rakshasis rushed at the twice-born brahmin. Their mouths gaped wide, tongues lolling, and their arms shone like great pillars as they advanced. Seeing this terrifying sight, the brahmin was seized with fear. Yet, O King, he quickly protected himself on all sides with Vedic mantras, as prescribed in the scriptures. The demonesses, though of terrible might, found themselves unable to draw closer; they stood at a distance, repelled by the brahmin’s brilliance and the power of his mantras. Amazed, they called out, “Who are you, standing here? From where have you come? Tell us!” But as they gazed upon him, their minds were soothed. “By seeing you, our minds find peace; what fruit, O brahmin, would not come from touching your feet? Therefore, place your lotus-like foot on our heads.” Hearing their words, the sage Haridatta’s son replied, “Having performed sacred baths at holy places, I, a brahmin, have come here. Now I am on my way to Pushkara. What do you wish of me? Ask for whatever you desire; if I am able, I will grant it.” The rakshasis replied, “O best of brahmins, tell us at which holy places you have bathed. All those are sacred and can liberate even those of evil birth. Our suffering from thirst and hunger is exceedingly harsh.” The brahmin began to recount his sacred journey: “From the hermitage at Avanti, I went to the city of Hari; from there to Dvaraka, where I bathed in the water born of Soma. Then I reached the holy place called Prabhasa, on the shore of the ocean; from there, I bathed at the Setu, the supremely pure causeway. After that, I came to the greatly sacred Kishkindha, where Vali, lord of the monkeys, was slain by Rama. I then traveled to the monastery on the banks of the Sarasvati and Narmada, where Bhāratī is revered by all. “From there, I entered Veṇī in the southern region, where I saw the cities of Śiva-Kāñcī and Viṣṇu-Kāñcī—places where, upon death, a creature is born as Śiva or Viṣṇu. From there, I reached Utkala, where Hari and Īśvara reside, who directly grant the four aims of life and are desired by devotees. After worshipping them properly and offering the prescribed food, having received their grace, I went to the confluence of the Ganges and the ocean. There, I satisfied the gods, sages, and ancestors according to the rites. “Where the Ganges emerged with a hundred mouths, I arrived there; then, going to Gayā, I offered oblations as prescribed. To the ancestors, I offered tulasi flowers, sandalwood, and water in worship. Next, I went to Kośalā and the Sarayū, whose waters are carried by the wind. There, I was purified by the touch of all the people at the sacred ford called Gopratāra, rare even for the gods. There, I performed bathing and other rites as prescribed; then, I reached Kāśī, the royal city of Umāpati. “I bowed to Lord Viśveśvara and to Bindumādhava, and bathed with devotion at Maṇikarṇikā and at the well of knowledge. I stayed there for three nights, then returned to Prayāga, where Prajāpati is manifest on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Pauṣa. In the month of Māgha, I bathed at dawn; then, from there, I went to Naimiṣa, on the bank of the Gomati, where all sacred fords exist by their own power. From there, I reached Mathurā, where the place called Viśrānti is found. “Near that, there is the supreme sacred ford called Asikuṇḍa, as well as Kṛṣṇagaṅgā, Dhruvā, Akrūra, Keśikālīya, and other holy fords. There is the Yamunā, greatly sacred and granting all desires; on both her banks are twelve forests, resplendent with wealth—majestic, traversed by the gods, and fulfilling all purposes. Those who bathe and drink there are not born again. “Then, I arrived at the supremely sacred Hastināpura, where the Ganges, the best of rivers, arose from the lotus feet of Śrīpati. From there, I went to the abode of Nārāyaṇa, situated in the Himalayas; having seen Mādhava, I arrived at Kedāra. There, having worshipped the Lord of the Universe and again drunk the water of the Hamsa, I came to the greatly sacred Haridvara on the bank of the Jahnavi. There, after bathing and satisfying the ancestors, gods, and sages, I arrived at Kurukshetra, where the eastern Sarasvati flows. There too, with controlled senses, I performed all the rites, and after worshipping the lotus feet of the Lord of Shri, I set out for Pushkara. “While on the way, my friend named Vimala met me, coming from the holy place of Indraprastha to Vraja. By him, a twice-born, I was again led to the place of the Rakshasi; then, turning back from the holy place, I returned to Shakraprastha, the giver of all wishes. There is the sacred Dvaraka, constructed by Vishnu himself; there, Vishnu was seen directly, in human form, as declared by his words. There, both he and I bathed for the sake of attaining devotion to Vishnu; that devotion was granted to me and to him by Vishnu in the form of Krishna. There, I heard the voice of Hari, but did not see his form; from that place I obtained devotion, and then I went towards Pushkara.” Thus, the brahmin recounted his sacred pilgrimages, shining with the merit and sanctity of his journey, as the rakshasis listened in awe.