With deep reverence, he gazed upon the Goddess before him, beholding her as the very embodiment of Brahman. The vision of her sacred form alone dissolved the burdens of his great sins, accumulated over countless lifetimes. Overwhelmed by the grace he had received, he declared that the sins of millions of births had been utterly destroyed. Then, in profound humility, he cast himself fully upon the earth. Filled with devotion, he bowed to the divine Jahnavi, the sacred Ganga. Near her flowing stream, he joined his hands in prayer and, his heart brimming with joy, recited the mantra with deep faith: “O Ganga, Goddess, Mother of the world, I touch the water that has washed your holy feet. Please forgive my offenses. Your pure waters, O auspicious one, are the stairway to heaven’s ascent.” Again and again, he touched her feet, offering repeated obeisance to Ganga, the divine Mother. With devotion, he placed her sacred water upon his head. Preparing to bathe, the wise devotee entered the stream, chanting “Ganga.” He smeared his body with the smooth, sin-destroying mud of her banks, praying, “O Mother, remove my sins.” As he anointed himself with Ganga’s mud and chanted her name, he immersed himself in her purifying waters, following the prescribed rituals. He took clay once more, reciting the appropriate mantra, and bathed with unwavering devotion, invoking: “O Ganga, embodiment of Brahman, I perform this sacred bath in your pure waters. Grant me the fruit that has been declared.” Remembering Ganga-Narayana, he bathed as instructed, honoring Ganga, Mother of the world, by his own free will. After bathing, he dried his body with a cloth, taking care not to leave his garments or the used water in Ganga’s stream. He observed the sacred etiquette, refraining from brushing his teeth in her waters, for such acts, even if done in ignorance, would forfeit the merit of bathing in Ganga. Instead, he performed his morning ablutions elsewhere, then left his night’s dwelling to enter Ganga for his bath. He made sure not to step onto the external ground during his bath, for only then would he receive the full benefit of Ganga’s grace. Having completed his bath, he applied Ganga’s clay to various parts of his body and, with a steady mind, performed tarpan and other rites as prescribed. When he offered tarpan to his ancestors with Ganga’s water, his forefathers were satisfied for hundreds of millions of years. Indeed, those who perform ancestral rites on the banks of Ganga ensure that their ancestors dwell content in the celestial realms. After observing the fast and completing the bathing rituals, he engaged in acts of charity, worship of the gods, and other meritorious deeds, knowing that such acts performed there would never perish. Once he had completed the five great sacrifices and observed his fast, he worshipped the Goddess Ganga. With devotion, he bathed the images of both the goddess Ganga and Shri Vishnu with divine coconut water. Remembering Jahnavi in his heart, he poured the coconut water into her sacred stream. He offered divine fragrances, brightly shining lamps filled with clarified butter, incense of pleasant scent, and a variety of delightful flowers. He presented ripe fruits, excellent offerings, water for washing the feet, arghya, water for sipping, and betel leaves mixed with khadira, along with other distinguished gifts according to his devotion. With hymns and offerings, he worshipped Ganga and Vishnu with all his heart. Having completed the worship, he circumambulated the deities three times with devotion. Fasting through the night at the river’s edge, he proclaimed, “O daughter of Jahnu, I will eat; be my refuge, O sinless one.” Thus resolved, he remained awake through the night, conquering sleep, his mind, actions, and words dedicated to the goddess, filled with great joy. If he was unable to fast completely, he subsisted on fruits only, refraining from cooked food or preparing a meal. At dawn, he worshipped Ganga and Vishnu again and, as his means allowed, made a gift to a Brahmin. He prayed, “May all the worship and vigil performed before you, O river goddess, remain unbroken by your grace.” Having spoken thus and bowed to her, the twice-born, having completed his daily rites, broke his fast together with his relatives. Whoever observes such a holy fast on the bank of Jahnavi, listen to the merit he gains: Freed from sins accumulated over many births, he attains the form of Vishnu and enters Vishnu’s city, enjoying happiness in the presence of the Lord. For thousands of millions of aeons, he remains there, experiencing rare and supreme bliss. By the command of Narayana, he then ascends to the world of Brahma, where he enjoys happiness that even the gods find difficult to obtain. When Brahma’s time ends, he mounts a splendid chariot and proceeds to the abode of Mahadeva. There, he delights in rare joys and attains the state of Ganapati. After dwelling in Shiva’s city for the allotted time, the virtuous soul ascends to Indra’s world, shining like a second Vasava, enjoying the fruits of his devotion and purity. Thus is the glory of bathing and worship on the sacred banks of Ganga, as revealed in the ancient scripture.