Bhīṣma, the wise and revered elder, spoke with deep reverence for the grace bestowed by Brahmā, the god of gods, the beneficent one. He explained that the highest forms of dharma are those rooted in righteous conduct, especially when performed with devotion in sacred places. Those who are steadfast in their own virtuous ways—who have conquered anger and mastered their senses—are able to attain the world of Brahmā. To Bhīṣma, this was no surprise, for such self-mastery is the true path to the highest realms. He went on to say that even the twice-born, the brāhmaṇas, attain other heavenly worlds without the need for severe observances like the Padma fast. Then, Bhīṣma raised a profound question: what of those who, by birth or circumstance, are not traditionally associated with ascetic practices—women, foreigners, Śūdras, birds, cattle, wild animals, and those who are mute, dull, blind, or deaf, those lacking in austerity and discipline? What is the fate of such beings who dwell at the sacred site of Puṣkara? The answer was clear and wondrous: whoever dies at Puṣkara—be they women, foreigners, Śūdras, cattle, birds, or wild animals—are granted entry to Brahmā’s world. They attain divine forms and ride in radiant aerial chariots that shine like the sun. These blessed souls are adorned with celestial retinues, golden banners, splendid stairways of gold and diamond, and pillars studded with jewels. In that realm, they enjoy all pleasures, surrounded by wish-fulfilling beings and countless companions. The great-souled, by the merit of their deeds, reach Brahmā’s world and other realms they desire. When their time in Brahmā’s world is complete, they descend in due order to the islands of the earth. Those twice-born who return are reborn into great and prosperous families, enjoying wealth and status. Others, who enter the wombs of animals—serpents, insects, ants—are also transformed by the sanctity of Puṣkara. Indeed, all beings—whether born on land, in water, from sweat, from eggs, or from the womb, with or without desire—who die in the forests of Puṣkara are transported to Brahmā’s world, radiant as the sun in their aerial chariots. Especially in the dark age of Kali, when people are driven by sin, there is no other way in this world to attain dharma and heaven as surely as by residing at Puṣkara and worshiping Brahmā. In this age, those who dwell at Puṣkara fulfill their highest aims, while others, lacking such merit, find their efforts fruitless. Bhīṣma further explained that even if a man, overcome by desire and anger, commits sins at night through thought, word, or deed, he is freed from those sins if, in the morning, he approaches the Grandsire at Puṣkara and purifies himself at sunrise in the presence of the sun. By meditating with full concentration and practicing union with Brahman, one removes all sin; seeing Brahma at midday grants release from wrongdoing. Should a person err between midday and sunset, even then, a vision of Brahma during the evening Sandhya purifies him. Even those who enjoy the pleasures of the senses—sound and other delights—if they reside at Puṣkara, devoted to Brahma and established in austerity, are held equal to those who subsist only on air, even if they eat delicious food three times a day. The power of this sacred place grants great enjoyments to those of virtuous deeds who reside there. Just as there is no body of water equal to the vast ocean, so too, there is no sacred place on earth equal to Puṣkara. The Pushkara forest surpasses all other holy sites in its qualities. Bhīṣma then spoke of the gods themselves—Indra and the rest, along with Vishnu, Ganesha, Kumara, Revanta, and the Sun—who are ever satisfied by the austerities, self-restraint, and worship performed by the virtuous at Pushkara. The goddess Shivaduti and the ever-auspicious maiden are also pleased by such deeds. He emphasized that even if one performs great vows, fasts, and rituals elsewhere, the twice-born who simply reside without effort in the chief Pushkara forest attain the fulfillment of all desires and reach the supreme, imperishable state, equal to that of Brahmā himself. The merit gained at Pushkara in the Krita age required twelve years; in the Treta, one year; in the Dvapara, a month; but in the Kali age, a mere day and night suffices. This was the teaching Brahmā himself once declared to Bhīṣma. There is no field upon this earth greater than Pushkara; thus, one should strive with all effort to take refuge in this sacred forest. Whether a householder, a celibate student, a forest-dweller, or a mendicant, whoever acts according to their prescribed duties attains the highest state. In any stage of life, those who properly observe dharma, free from desire and hatred, are honored in the next world. Here, at the crossroads of Pushkara, the ladder to Brahman is established. By relying on this ladder, one is honored in Brahmā’s world. A celibate student, free from envy, should spend a quarter of his life with his teacher or the teacher’s son, becoming skilled in righteousness and wealth. He must study under the teacher, apart from ritual duties, and, when called, offer the prescribed gifts, seeking refuge with the teacher. In the teacher’s house, the student should be the last to lie down and the first to rise, always performing whatever service or duty is required. Having completed all tasks, he should remain by the teacher’s side, ready for any service, skilled in every task. He should be pure, capable, endowed with virtues, and speak only when asked or to reply, always watching the teacher attentively with controlled senses. He must not eat or drink before the teacher, nor sit while the teacher stands, nor lie down while the teacher is awake. With both hands outstretched, he should gently touch the teacher’s feet—right hand to right foot, left hand to left foot—applying a gentle pressure in reverence. Thus, Bhīṣma described the supreme merit and the noble conduct associated with Pushkara, the field of Brahmā, and the path to the highest realms for all beings who seek refuge there.