There once lived a righteous Brahmin named Heramba, whose heart, body, and speech were ever devoted to the worship of Shiva. Blessed indeed was he, for his life was a constant offering to the great Lord. One day, Heramba set out on a pilgrimage to the sacred shrines of Shiva, seeking to deepen his devotion and purify his soul. In time, his journey brought him to Shivakanchi, a place of great spiritual beauty and power. Enchanted by its holiness, Heramba, wise and steadfast, chose never to leave this sacred ground. It was at Shivakanchi, immersed in its sanctity, that Heramba eventually gave up his life while in the waters there. At that moment, the divine hosts of Shiva, the glorious Mahadeva, came to receive this foremost of Brahmins. In their reverence for him, they even brought the mountain Kailasa at his command. As Heramba was being honored in this way, the hosts from Hari’s Vaikuntha arrived, intent on claiming the virtuous Brahmin for themselves. A great conflict arose between the followers of Vishnu and the hosts of Shiva, each determined to take Heramba to their own Lord. The battle raged fiercely, yet neither side could claim victory nor suffered defeat. Then, Vishnu himself descended from Vaikuntha, seated majestically upon Garuda. At the same time, Mahesha, the upholder of the three worlds, came from Kailasa, riding his bull. When the two Lords of the universe beheld one another, they smiled, recognizing each other’s greatness. As they watched their hosts wage battle in the sky, Vishnu intervened, restraining both his own followers and those of Shiva from further fighting. Placing the twice-born Heramba upon Garuda, Vishnu, along with Shiva and their respective hosts, journeyed together to Shiva’s abode. Along the way, the gods honored and praised Heramba, who was led by Mahadeva into the wondrous realm of Kailasa. There, Mahadeva revealed the beauty of his abode to the Brahmin and honored him greatly. After this, Heramba departed from Kailasa. With supreme devotion, Vishnu then returned to Vaikuntha, and Heramba, now greatly fortunate, by the grace of Shivakanchi, beheld Govinda and rejoiced in the presence of Hara. Such, O King, is the glory of Shivakanchi. Now, listen further to the tale of another sacred place, the Seven Fords, which bestows the fruits of dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. Merely by seeing, touching, meditating upon, or even remembering this holy site, one gains immense merit. Here, great sages like Vasistha and others practiced severe austerities for the sake of creation. Marichi, devoted to righteousness, performed sacred bathing rites here to obtain a son and was blessed with Kashyapa, an excellent child. Atri, too, pleased the foremost of the gods through his penance and received three sons—Soma, Durvasa, and Datta. Angiras, steadfast in his spiritual practice, obtained sons by the grace of this holy place, and from them were born the Angirasa Brahmins. Pulaha was granted a virtuous son, Dambholi, and Agastya was born here as a result of immersion in these sacred waters. Pulastya, too, obtained a son through his austerities. Kubera, the greatly fortunate friend of the Lord of Uma, was born here, and Kratu was blessed with thousands of Valakhilya sons. By the sanctity of this place, all those who maintained celibacy obtained children, and even the great ascetic Vasistha was granted sons such as Raja and others. Thus, O best of kings, the greatness of this holy site has been described, though there are countless other sacred places whose full glory cannot be recounted, not even in tens of thousands of years—places such as Kapila’s hermitage, Kedara, Prabhasa, and many more. Having narrated these glories, the eminent sage Narada, foremost among ascetics, departed through the sky, singing the praises of Narayana. King Shibi of the Ushinara lineage, having heard from the sages about the greatness of Indraprastha, felt fulfilled in his heart. He bathed at Indraprastha according to the proper rites, performed all the prescribed ceremonies, and returned to his city content. Thus, O mighty one, the greatness of Indraprastha, purifier of people and sacred place upon the banks of the Yamuna, has been described. In the age of Kali, those lacking faith will fail to honor this place, though it is the crest-jewel among all sacred sites. The merit gained by hearing the eighteen Puranas and the Mahabharata arises from the greatness of Indraprastha. The fruits of ritual bathing at dawn during the auspicious month of Magha are also bestowed upon those who faithfully listen to its glories. Whoever hears of this greatness with faith satisfies his ancestors, the gods, and the sages. The merit of performing the most difficult vows—Kricchra, Atikricchra, Paraka, and Chandrayana—is attained simply by hearing of this place’s greatness, as is the fruit of all great sacrifices, including the Ashvamedha. Suta now speaks: Thus, O Shaunaka, King Yudhishthira, having heard from Saubhari the greatness of Indraprastha, went to Hastinapura. After dismissing his noble brothers led by Duryodhana, he journeyed to holy Indraprastha, intent upon performing the Rajasuya sacrifice. Coming from Dvaraka, the king worshipped Govinda, his family deity, with the Rajasuya rite. This sacred place grants liberation—even to one who curses it, it brings benefit. Knowing this, Hari slew Shishupala there. Yet even Shishupala, by dying at this most holy place, attained union with Krishna, the bestower of all blessings.