O Ganga, embodiment of the Supreme Brahman, I come to bathe in your pure, sanctifying waters—grant me, I pray, the fruits that have been extolled by the wise. With this intention, the devoted pilgrim, filled with wisdom and self-control, enters your sacred stream, O Mother of the world, keeping in his heart the remembrance of Ganga-Narayana. After bathing in your holy waters, he dries his body with a cloth, taking care not to leave his garments or the water used for bathing within your flowing current. He is mindful, O wise one, never to brush his teeth in your waters, for such an act, if done in ignorance, deprives him of the merit of bathing in you. Therefore, in the morning, he performs tooth-brushing and similar acts elsewhere, leaves behind the place where he spent the night, and then approaches you, O Ganga, for his sacred bath. He steps onto the external ground before entering your stream, knowing that without this, the full fruit of bathing in you is not gained. Having bathed, the wise one applies the clay from your banks at various places on his body. With a steady mind, he then performs tarpan and other prescribed rites. When he offers tarpan to his ancestors with your water, O Ganga, their souls are satisfied for hundreds of millions of years. Those who perform ancestral rites for their forefathers on your banks ensure that their ancestors remain content in the abode of the gods. Having completed the bathing rituals and observed a fast, the acts of charity, worship of the gods, and all other rites performed there never perish. After finishing the bathing rites and the fast, the devotee who has performed the five great sacrifices turns to worship you, O Ganga. With devotion, he bathes your image and the image of Shri Vishnu with divine coconut water. Because of the presence of your image, O Jahnavi, he pours coconut water into your stream, keeping you present in his heart. He offers divine fragrances, brightly shining lamps filled with clarified butter, sweet-scented incense, and a variety of delightful flowers. He brings well-ripened fruits, excellent offerings, water for washing the feet, arghya, water for sipping, and betel leaves mixed with khadira. With other distinguished offerings, as his devotion inspires, with hymns and offerings, he worships you, O Ganga, and Vishnu as well. Having worshipped the goddess and Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, he circumambulates them three times with devotion. Then, remaining fasting at the river’s edge the following day, he prays, “O daughter of Jahnu, I will eat; be my refuge, O sinless one.” Resolving thus, he spends the night awake at your bank, conquering sleep and filled with great joy in mind, action, and speech. If he is unable to remain completely fasting, he may subsist on fruits, but he does not eat prepared food nor does he cook a meal. In the morning, he worships you, O Ganga, and Vishnu once more, and then offers a gift to a Brahmin according to his means. He prays that all his worship and vigil performed before you may remain unbroken by your grace, O river goddess. Having spoken thus and bowed to you, the twice-born, after performing his daily rites, breaks his fast together with his relatives. Whoever observes such a holy fast on your banks, O Jahnavi, listen to the merit he gains. Freed from sins accumulated over countless births, he attains the form of Vishnu, reaches Vishnu’s city, and enjoys happiness with Vishnu Himself. For thousands of millions of aeons, he remains in Vishnu’s city, experiencing all manner of happiness that is exceedingly rare. Then, by the command of Narayana, he ascends to the world of Brahma, where he enjoys delights that even the gods find hard to attain. After spending his allotted time in Brahma’s world, when Brahma’s era ends, he mounts a splendid chariot and proceeds to Mahadeva, Shiva. There, he enjoys rare and marvelous happiness, attaining the state of Ganapati. Having dwelled in Shiva’s city for that period, the virtuous soul then goes to Indra’s world, shining like a second Vasava. There, seated together with Indra, he fulfills all his desires for hundreds of millions of aeons. Afterward, he journeys to the world of the Sun, dazzling like the Moon himself; there, in the presence of the Moon, he enjoys ambrosial delights for a long time. Eventually, he returns to earth and becomes a universal emperor, ruling the world for a long time and conquering all rival kings. At the end of his life, he attains a pleasant death in the Ganga herself; then, ascending a celestial chariot, he becomes renowned, shining with great glory. He then reaches the city of the Blessed Lord, a place difficult even for the gods to attain, where he enjoys all pleasures for four cycles of Manu. There, attaining supreme knowledge, he finally gains liberation, which is exceedingly hard to achieve. Such, indeed, is the path for one who undertakes the journey to the bank of Jahnavi by divine will. Even if he dies on the way, he certainly attains the supreme abode—there is no doubt. Hear now of a king named Satyadharma, righteous and gentle in speech, who lived on earth at the junction of the Treta and Dvapara ages. His queen was named Vijaya, beautiful, virtuous, and devoted to serving her husband. Together they enjoyed the blessings of earth for seven thousand years. Then, when their time had come, the king and his wife passed away together. Thereafter, both of them were seized by the terrifying attendants of Yama, the god of death.