Then, by the will of the divine, a curse was pronounced upon the assembled brāhmaṇas: “You shall be deprived of the Vedas. With matted hair, fallen from the path of sacrifice, you will indulge with the wives of others. You will be devoted to prostitutes and gambling, bereft of father and mother, and you shall have neither sons, nor ancestral wealth, nor knowledge remaining with you. All of you will become deluded, deprived of your senses, subsisting on fierce alms and living off the food of others. You shall sustain yourselves without possessiveness and be devoid of righteousness. Yet, for those brāhmaṇas who showed compassion to me—even as I appeared before you as a madman—their wealth, sons, servants, maidservants, means of livelihood, and women born in their lineage shall remain, if only I am pleased.” Having thus given both curse and boon, the Lord vanished from their sight. When the god departed, the brāhmaṇas realized he was none other than Śaṃkara, the great master. Though they searched diligently for him, they could not see him again. Resolute, they observed their vows and made their way to the sacred Puṣkara forest. There, after bathing in the chief lake, they recited the Śatarudriya hymn. As their recitation concluded, a divine voice spoke to them from the sky: “I have not spoken falsehood, not even among the free; when discipline is restored, I will again grant you well-being. Those brāhmaṇas who are peaceful, self-controlled, and steadfastly devoted to me—their Veda, wealth, and lineage will not be cut off. Those who are devoted to Agnihotra, steadfast in their devotion to Janārdana, who worship Brahmā and the radiant sun—no misfortune will befall those whose minds are established in equanimity.” Having spoken thus, the voice fell silent. Receiving this boon with favor from the great Lord of gods, all the brāhmaṇas together journeyed to the abode of the divine grandfather, Brahmā. Standing before Virinchi, they pleased him with united chants and prayers. Satisfied, Brahmā said to them, “Let a boon be chosen from me.” Delighted by his words, the foremost of the twice-born asked one another, “What boon should we request, O Brāhmaṇas, now that the grandfather is pleased?” They prayed: “May the fire rituals, the Vedas, the various scriptures, and the worlds of progeny—may all these arise for us through your granting of boons.” As the brāhmaṇas spoke thus, anger arose among them, and contention broke out: “Who are you? Who are the best among us? We are the foremost, and so are others.” Thus, the brāhmaṇas argued, saying, “Not so, not so,” to one another. Observing their anger, Brahmā addressed them: “Because you stood outside the assembly in three groups, therefore, O twice-born, let there be among you one rootless bush. Those who stood indifferent shall remain indifferent; those armed, girded with swords, who stood ready to fight—let the third group of brāhmaṇas be called the Kauśiki. This entire place, divided in three ways, shall belong to you all. Those who are called ‘people’ from outside by the word ‘world’—this place is not to be known to them; Viṣṇu will surely protect it. What I have given will be lasting and unbroken.” Having spoken thus, Brahmā gazed upon the completion of the proceedings. United, though still filled with anger and resentment, the brāhmaṇas continued to honor guests and remained devoted to the study of the Vedas. This supreme field, called Puṣkara, is thus named after Brahmā; the peaceful twice-born who dwell there are known as residents of the field. For them, nothing is difficult to obtain in the world of Brahmā, whether at Kokāmukha, Kurukṣetra, or at the assembly of sages in Naimisha; at Vārāṇasī, Prabhāsa, and likewise at Badarikāśrama; at the gateway of the Ganges, at Prayāga, and at the confluence of the Ganges and the ocean; at Rudrakoṭi, at Virūpākṣa, and also in the forest of Mitra—in all these sacred places, the accomplishment that takes twelve years is attained by men in six months, O best of kings. But at Puṣkara, if one’s mind is set on celibacy, there is no doubt such accomplishment is achieved. Of all sacred places, it is the supreme; of all fields, it is the highest; always worshipped by the worthy, with devotion, by the grandfather himself. Now, I shall recount further the debate between Savitri and Brahmā, as it was experienced—a great exchange made in jest. When Savitri departed, all the divine women assembled. The renowned wife of Viṣṇu, born from the fame of Bhrigu, was among them. Lakṣmī, ever invited, arrived there swiftly; Madira, greatly fortunate, and Yoganidra, bestower of prosperity, also came. Śrī, who dwells in lotuses; Bhūti; Kīrti; wise Śraddhā; Pushti and Tushti, bestowers of nourishment—all these goddesses gathered there. Sati, daughter of Daksha, known as Uma and Parvati—the auspicious one, famed for her beauty in the three worlds, the bestower of good fortune to women—joined them. Jaya and Vijaya, Madhuchhanda, Amaravati, Supriya, Janakanta—all these entered the auspicious mansion of Savitri. Together with Gauri, adorned and splendidly dressed, Puloma’s daughter and Shakra’s wife arrived, accompanied by the Apsaras. Svaha and Svadha came, Dhumorna the beautiful-faced, Yakshi and Rakshasi, and Gauri, possessor of great wealth. Manojava, wife of Vayu; Riddhi, beloved of Kubera; and the daughters of the gods arrived, as did the wives of the Dānavas and their beloveds. The noble wives of the seven sages, the noble women of the rishis, sisters and daughters, and groups of Vidyadhari maidens likewise gathered there. Thus, the divine assembly was complete, resplendent with the presence of all illustrious goddesses and noble women.