Nārada spoke, his voice gentle yet filled with awe, “O King, know that Gokarṇa is a sacred realm dedicated solely to Śiva, supremely pure and sanctified. There is no doubt: if a person dies in Gokarṇa, he becomes one with Śiva himself. This is the greatness of that holy place—whether one meets death on land, in water, or even in the sky above Gokarṇa, Śiva, the Lord of Kailāsa’s peak, appears before the departing soul and rejoices. At Gokarṇa, O King, there is no return to the cycle of birth and death for one who passes away there. That soul, united with Śiva, ultimately attains liberation. Listen as I recount to you the glory of Gokarṇa, as I once heard it from the very lips of Brahmā himself. Near Prayāga, within a distance of a single cow’s length from the great holy site, there stands a boundary mountain, auspicious to behold. In that region lived a Bhilla named Karkaṭa, notorious for his cruelty. His wife, Jarā, was infamous as well, for she had already taken the lives of five husbands. Intent on further wickedness, the old woman mixed poison and prepared a sixth sweetmeat, plotting to kill once more, as she had learned from her sister. O King, the great-souled Bhilla, with his wife before him, set out to kill a young girl; the crab, Karkaṭa, was exceedingly fierce. When the Bhilla, sword in hand, approached to slay her, the girl, perceiving the deadly intent, fled in terror. Desperate to save her life, she dashed into the forest, with the furious Bhilla in pursuit. There, at the very site of Gokarṇa, the man seized her. With his sword, he cut off her head and cast her body into the water. He then returned to his dwelling at Gokarṇa, and the old woman, sinful though she was, met her end at that sacred place. O King, I myself once dwelled on the peak of Kailāsa, as a companion to Pārvatī. I have now told you the supreme glory of Gokarṇa. Next, I will describe to you the sacred greatness of Śivakāñcī, which stands by the riverbank at Indraprastha. That supreme state which is attained by men at Gokarṇa, I have described to you. Here, the glorious Mahādeva himself worshipped Viṣṇu, Lord of all the gods. Having worshipped him, Mahādeva attained the kingship of devotees and true knowledge. Therefore, O sons of Brahmā, we all worship that great Lord. We worship him always, seeking true devotion and knowledge. Here, too, the demon Bāṇa worshipped the great Lord. Fasting for a hundred years, desiring to become Śiva’s own attendant, Bāṇa pleased the blessed Lord, who granted him that very role. And I myself, Nārada, became the guardian of this city. O King, this city was once the abode of the great-souled Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, pleased by Śiva’s austerity, gave the city to him. In this city, a wondrous event once took place. There was a righteous Brahmin named Heramba, devoted wholly to Śiva in body, mind, and speech. This blessed Brahmin journeyed to the holy places of Śiva, and in time, came to Śivakāñcī. Enchanted by the sacredness of the place, he did not wish to leave. Later, while there, Heramba gave up his life in the water. At that moment, the hosts of the glorious Mahādeva came to receive him. They brought the mountain Kailāsa at his command. Then, from Hari’s Vaikuṇṭha, Viṣṇu’s hosts arrived, intent on seizing the Brahmin by force. A great battle erupted between the hosts of Hari and Śarva. In that celestial battle, neither side could claim victory. Then Viṣṇu himself descended from Vaikuṇṭha, seated upon Garuḍa. From Kailāsa, Maheśa, the upholder of the three worlds, arrived riding his bull. The two Lords of the universe beheld each other and smiled. As they watched the great battle unfolding in the sky, Viṣṇu restrained both his own hosts and the Śaiva hosts, halting the conflict in heaven. He placed the twice-born Heramba upon Garuḍa, and together with Śiva and their hosts, journeyed to Śiva’s abode. Along the way, the gods honored and praised them. Arriving at that sacred place, Mahādeva showed Heramba its beauty. Honored there by Mahādeva, Heramba departed from Kailāsa. With supreme devotion, Mādhava (Viṣṇu) then returned to Vaikuṇṭha. By the grace of this holy place, Heramba, greatly fortunate, obtained a vision of Govinda and rejoiced in the presence of Hara (Śiva). Thus, O King, I have told you the glory of Śivakāñcī. Now, listen with full attention to the tale of the holy place called the Seven Fords. This sacred site, O great king, bestows the fruits of the four aims of life—dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. By merely seeing, touching, meditating upon, or even remembering this place, one is blessed, as was practiced here by Vasiṣṭha and other great sages. Here, for the purpose of creation, the great sages performed severe austerities. Marīci, devoted to righteousness, performed bathing rites here, desiring a son. By his devotion, he obtained Kaśyapa, an excellent son. Atri, too, through his austerities, pleased the foremost of the gods and received three sons: Soma, Durvāsas, and Datta. Aṅgiras, devoted to righteousness, by the grace of this holy place, obtained sons, from whom the Aṅgirasa Brāhmaṇas were born. Pulaha also obtained a virtuous son here, Dambholi. Thus is the sacredness of these holy places, where the blessings of the gods and the fruits of devotion are abundantly bestowed.