Bhīṣma, ever eager to deepen his understanding of sacred duties, humbly asked, “At what time of day should one perform the śrāddha rite? And in which holy places does performing śrāddha yield the greatest fruit, O twice-born one?” Pulastya, wise among sages, replied with gentle authority, “Among all holy places, Puṣkara is regarded as the most excellent. It stands as the cherished wish of all foremost brāhmaṇas. Whatever is given, offered in sacrifice, or recited there becomes infinite and certain in its reward; Puṣkara is ever dear to the ancestors and held as supreme by the sages. But Puṣkara is not alone in sanctity. There are other holy places, too: Nandā and Lalitā, radiant in their auspiciousness, and the city of Māyāpurī, renowned for its blessings. Mitrapada and the most excellent Kedāra also hold special merit. Gaṅgāsāgara, where the sacred Ganges meets the ocean, is said to be composed of all tīrthas, making it supremely auspicious. The holy lake of Brahmā and the pure waters of the Śatadru river are equally revered. There is the sacred region of Naimiṣa, which grants the fruit of all holy places. Here, the eternal Gaṅgā emerges into the Gomati, and the site is blessed with the presence of Yajñavarāha and the god of gods who bears the trident. In this land, the eighteen-armed Hara himself receives the gift of gold from devotees. It is in this very Naimiṣāraṇya that, in ancient times, the rim of the wheel of dharma was worn away by Nemi, marking it as a place frequented by all holy sites. Here, too, one may gain the vision of the god of gods and of Varāha. Whoever comes to this place, purified in soul, attains the city of Nārāyaṇa. Other holy places are also celebrated: Kokāmukha and Indramārga, and Pitṛtīrtha, which belongs to Brahmā of unmanifest birth. In the Puṣkara forest, the god Pitāmaha himself abides, and the supreme vision of Viṣṇu is found there, bestowing the fruit of liberation. The place called Kṛta is supremely meritorious, a destroyer of all sins, for here the primeval Nārasiṃha, Janārdana himself, once appeared. There is also a sacred ford named Ikṣumatī, which is especially auspicious for offerings to the ancestors. The forefathers are always satisfied at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā. Kurukṣetra is another supremely holy place, with its marked path and its ancestral ford that even now grants the fruit of all desires. The ancestral ford called Nīlakaṇṭha, the holy Bhadrasara, and the lake called Mānasā are all renowned for their sanctity. The rivers Mandākinī, Acchodā, Vipāśā, and Sarasvatī, as well as the place called Sarvamitrapada and Vaidyanātha, are known to yield great results. The sacred river Kṣiprā, the auspicious Kālañjara, the emergence of tīrthas, the emergence of Hara, Garbha-bheda, and the great shrine—all these are held in high esteem. Bhadreśvara, Viṣṇupada, and the very gateway of the Narmadā are also sacred. Sages declare that offering piṇḍa at Gayā is equivalent to offerings at all these places. These ancestral fords are celebrated for removing all sins; indeed, if even remembering them benefits the worlds, what greater merit accrues to those who actually perform śrāddha there? Oṃkāra is an ancestral ford, as are the waters of Kāverī and Kapilā, the confluence at Caṇḍavegā, and the source of the Amarakaṇṭaka. Bathing and performing rites here yield twice the merit of Kurukṣetra. The tīrtha called Śukla is renowned, as is the supreme Someśvara tīrtha, which destroys all diseases, is meritorious, and grants rewards a crore-fold greater, especially for śrāddha offerings, sacrifices, and recitations. There is also Kāyāvārohaṇa, the place of descent of the god of gods, Śūlin, a radiant manifestation in the auspicious abode of the Brāhmaṇas. This place, too, is supremely meritorious, as are the river Carmaṇvatī, Śūlatāpī, Payoṣṇī, and its confluence. Mahauṣadhī, Āraṇā, Nāgatīrtha-pravartinī, the holy river Mahāveṇā, and the great Śāla forest are all sacred. So, too, are the rivers Gomatī and Varuṇā, the supreme Hautāśana tīrtha, Bhairava, Bhṛgutuṅga, and the unrivaled Gaurī tīrtha. The tīrtha called Vaināyaka, the unique Vastreśvara, Pāpahara, and the holy river Vetravatī are all celebrated. The great liṅga Mahārudra, the mighty river Daśārṇā, Śatarudrā, Śatāhvā, and the city called Pitṛpada are all places of great merit. Aṅgāravāhikā, the two rivers called Nadau with their red waters, the sacred river Kālikā, and Pitara, an auspicious river—all these are considered ancestral holy places, praised for bathing and giving. Whatever offering is made here for ancestors is regarded as yielding infinite fruit. Śatāvaṭā, the river Jvālā, the river Śaradvī, Dvārakā—the holy place of Kṛṣṇa—and the northern Sarasvatī are all sanctified. The river Mālavatī, Girikarṇikā, Dhūtapāpa, and even the southern ocean are counted among the holy sites. Gokarṇa, Gajakarṇa, the auspicious river Cakra, Śrīśaila, Śākatīrtha, and Nārasiṃha are all sacred. Mahendra, a holy mountain, and the great river nearby are also places where offerings for ancestors are always remembered as yielding endless reward. Even seeing these holy places removes sins instantly—the sacred river Tuṅgabhadrā and Cakrarathī are such sites. Bhīmeśvara, Kṛṣṇaveṇā, Kāverī, the river Āṃjanā, the sacred Godāvarī, and the excellent Trisaṃdhyā are all revered. The holy place named Traiyaṃbaka, honored by all tīrthas, is where the blessed Bhīma himself, the three-eyed Lord, resides. Whatever offering is given for ancestors at all these places becomes multiplied a crore-fold; even remembering them dispels sins a hundredfold. Śrīparṇā, a sacred river, and the unrivaled Vyāsa holy place, Matsyanadī, Kārā, and Śivadhārā are all celebrated. Bhavatīrtha, renowned as a holy place, the eternal sacred tīrtha, Rāmeśvara, Veṇāpura, and Alaṃpura—these, too, are counted among the most auspicious places for honoring the ancestors. Thus, O king, the wise have extolled the sanctity of these tīrthas. To perform śrāddha at these places is to ensure the highest merit for oneself and the greatest satisfaction for one’s ancestors, for these sites are hallowed by the presence of gods, sages, and the very flow of dharma itself.