O Brahmin, listen as I recount the wondrous results for those whose bodies are seen torn apart—perhaps by wild beasts or the elements. Such souls, in heaven, are forever embraced by celestial maidens of radiant beauty, reclining upon divine couches. Though their earthly remains may have been surrounded by ants, insects, or flies, their fate is transformed: if their bones are seen fallen in the sacred Gaṅgā, the fruit they receive is inexhaustible. In the heavenly realms, hosts of gods adorned with jeweled crowns come forward to honor them. The very dust from their feet is scattered in heaven, and they dwell there with the glory of Śakra, king of the gods, for a long time. Even if a person’s body enters the Gaṅgā against their will—perhaps by accident or fate—they are freed from all sins and become one with Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord. Wherever embers are seen floating in the Gaṅgā’s waters, each ember grants a stay in heaven for hundreds of aeons, equal to their number. All other merits may one day be exhausted, but the merit of a body falling into the Gaṅgā is never spent. Truly, what more can be said? The greatness of one who surrenders their body to the Gaṅgā is beyond full comprehension. Even a single touch of the Gaṅgā’s waters, with devotion and feeling, destroys heaps of terrible sins. Such a person crosses the dreadful ocean of worldly existence and reaches the far shore of supreme satisfaction, as if ferried in a boat. At this, Jaimini, filled with wonder, beseeches his teacher: “Once again, O revered one, tell me of the Gaṅgā’s supreme glory. The nectar of her story is so sweet—I long to hear it again.” Vyāsa, pleased by Jaimini’s devotion, replies: “Gladly will I tell you again, for you are devoted to the Gaṅgā. Truly blessed are the feet of those who walk along the banks of Jahnavi, the Gaṅgā. Blessed are those ears that hear the roar of her waves, that tongue which tastes her sweet water. Those eyes that behold her beautiful waves, that forehead marked by her sacred water—these are praised. Those hands that worship Hari on her banks, and the body purified in her clear waters—these are truly fruitful. O best of the twice-born, a body that falls on her banks grants the fruits of all four aims of life. All ancestors dwelling in heaven come to the banks of Jahnavi, rejoicing. They say, ‘We performed great merit in the past to attain such a good fate! Now, because of our son’s actions, our satisfaction is inexhaustible, for he has offered these Gaṅgā waters to us. By these offerings, we shall reach the supreme abode, which even the gods find hard to attain. All these offerings in the Gaṅgā will never be exhausted.’ If any ancestors are suffering in hell, tormented by all manner of pains, they are freed when they see their descendant come to the Gaṅgā’s banks. They say, ‘Whatever sins we committed that brought us to this torment—all will be destroyed by our son’s grace. We shall be freed from all unbearable suffering and attain the highest state.’ But if a mortal, after setting out for the Gaṅgā, returns home out of delusion, all his ancestors lose hope, just as the departed do if he brings offerings, engages in worldly pleasures, or rides on swings, horses, or elephants. One should avoid wearing shoes or carrying an umbrella on the journey to the Gaṅgā, nor should he think the hardship and fatigue of the road too difficult. He should not long for the comforts of home or imagine bathing in the Gaṅgā there, nor should he speak falsehoods or associate with heretics. He must avoid eating twice, quarrelling, slandering, greed, pride, anger, and envy during his pilgrimage. Excessive laughter and sorrow should also be set aside; he should imagine himself as one sleeping on a simple cot or lying on the ground. While traveling, he should recite the auspicious names of the Gaṅgā and the greatness of goddess Jahnavi, destroyer of all sins. He should speak of her as the giver of happiness and liberation: ‘O Gaṅgā, goddess, mother of the world, grant me your vision.’ With gentle words, he should ease his fatigue: ‘Alas, how have I left my home, or how have I come here?’ But if he complains of fatigue—‘Where is my bed, where is my wife, where is my dear home? I sleep on the ground in the wilderness; what will happen to my wealth and possessions? When will I return home?’—such thoughts deprive him of the full merit of bathing in the Gaṅgā. This journey is prescribed to reach her bank, not to be troubled by thoughts of home. With humility, he should pray: ‘By your grace, O best of rivers, may I attain success without obstacles!’ Especially at the time of the journey, he should recite this prayer. Jaimini, one should go forth joyfully from home, accompanied by Vaiṣṇavas, neither too quickly nor too slowly. During the journey, the wise should perform no other acts. At Prayāga, on the Gaṅgā’s bank, even business and other activities diminish one’s merit. Whatever sins have been accumulated over many births, whether small or great, are destroyed by the grace of goddess Gaṅgā. With this understanding, the wise, supremely pleased, should proceed to her bank. And upon seeing mother Gaṅgā, he should joyfully declare: ‘Today my birth is fruitful, and my life has been well lived.