By the grace of the sacred land of Kosala, even those considered sinful have attained the highest state of divinity. It is a place that fulfills every desire and should never be abandoned, for its power is such that even I, though burdened by faults, reached heaven because of it. Nārada then spoke: The sinful barber, condemned by birth, ascended to heaven in a celestial chariot, solely through the blessing of this holy place. Nearby, ascetics from the south, having become mendicants, remained at the site. Their minds were fixed upon the lotus feet of Govinda, and they were witness to His glory. Among them was a foremost Brahmin, whose faith in the sanctity of the place was unwavering. Having witnessed its greatness, he cast the bones of his parents into the sacred waters. At that very moment, his parents, transformed into divine forms, ascended a splendid celestial chariot and appeared before all assembled. In the hearing of the people, they spoke to their son: “Dear child, may you live long, blessed with wealth, grain, and happiness.” They continued, “Because you have granted us liberation, you too shall attain release—this is no falsehood. The fruit a son gains by offering rice-balls in the Ganges, and the destiny attained by ancestors there, is obtained here simply by casting bones.” Thus concludes the chapter named “The Story of Mukunda,” part of the Glory of the Yamunā in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa. Nārada continued, addressing King Śibi: “Hear, O King, as I describe the supreme glory of Kāśī, which brings merit, fame, and long life. On the bank of Indraprastha, in the sacred age of Kṛta, stood a single Śiṃśapā tree. On that tree lived a lone crow who had built its nest, and beneath, in a hollow, dwelled a great serpent. One day, the crow’s mate laid two eggs in the nest and departed, never to return. The crow, devoted, cared for the eggs atop the Śiṃśapā tree. Then, one night, a fierce storm struck, uprooting the tree from its base. As the tree fell, both the crow and the serpent beneath were crushed and lost their lives. Remarkably, the Śiṃśapā tree, the crow, and the serpent all took on divine forms, ascending three celestial chariots and traveling to the abode of Śrīpati. King Śibi, astonished, asked, ‘O divine sage, by what merit did those three attain the city that grants liberation? Who were they formerly? Please tell me everything.’ Nārada replied: In Kurujāṅgala lived a Brahmin named Śravaṇa, his wife Kuḍā, and his brother-in-law Kuraṇṭaka. Śravaṇa, who always ate without bathing and indulged in sweet morsels, was reborn as a village crow due to this fault. Kuraṇṭaka, his brother, was a fierce atheist who blasphemed the gods and destroyed the path of scripture and tradition; he became a black snake. Kuḍā, sharing both faults, became the serpent Kundā, attaining a state of immobility and dual nature. This, O king, was their previous birth. Their merit arose when, returning from another village, they saw a milk-giving cow fallen into a well, belonging to a traveler. Without prompting, they rescued her, and Kundā spoke approvingly. By this act, the three attained a rare death and ascended to Vaikuṇṭha in Kāśī, the city of Viśveśvarī, on the bank of Indraprastha. Kāśī, the city of Maheśa, grants happiness in Vaikuṇṭha to those who die there, the abode of Hari. Thus, O king, I have told you the supreme glory of Kāśī. If you wish to hear more, tell me. King Śibiru then said, ‘Sage, you have spoken of three fields of Maheśa: Kāśī, Śivakāñcī, and Gokarṇa. You have described the greatness of Kāśī; please tell me of Gokarṇa and Śivakāñcī.’ Nārada replied: Gokarṇa is a Śaiva field, supremely pure. If a man dies there, he becomes Śiva—there is no doubt. Whether on land, in water, or in the sky, if a creature dies there, Śiva, lord of Kailāsa’s peak, appears and rejoices. At Gokarṇa, there is no rebirth for one who dies; together with Śiva, he will attain liberation. Let me describe the greatness of Gokarṇa as I heard from Brahmā. Near Prayāga, within one cow’s length of the sacred place, stands the boundary mountain, auspicious to behold. There lived a Bhilla named Karkaṭa, very cruel, whose wife Jarā had killed five husbands. This old woman, mixing poison, prepared a sixth sweetmeat to kill, as advised by her sister. The great-souled Bhilla, with his wife before him, set out to kill the girl; the crab was exceedingly fierce. When the Bhilla, sword in hand, approached to kill her, she, realizing his intent, quickly fled. Frightened and desperate to save her own life, she ran into the forest, pursued by the crab. Thus, the glory and sanctity of these holy places and their stories are revealed, showing how even the most unlikely souls may find liberation by their merit and by the grace of the sacred land.