Brahmā, the great creator, addressed the assembled gods and Dānavas with words of wisdom and restraint. He urged them to be patient, together with Rudra and the other deities, and counseled that when the great rite was completed at the end of the age, then, and only then, should they act as was proper. He reminded them that he had sent both the gods and these foremost Dānavas for a purpose, and whether the time called for peace or conflict, all should act accordingly when that moment arrived. Turning to the Dānavas, Brahmā spoke with authority: there must be no discord with the gods during his sacrifice. He commanded them to remain friendly and to support his sacred purpose. The Dānavas, showing deference to their Grandfather, agreed, promising to carry out his wishes faithfully. They assured him that the gods, being their descendants, had nothing to fear from them. Pleased by their response, Brahmā’s heart was gladdened. As the assembly stood, a host of sages arrived, drawn by news of the ancestral sacrifice. Keśava graciously accepted their worship. Rudra, the wielder of the Pināka bow, offered seats to the newcomers, and Vasiṣṭha, inspired by Brahmā, poured libations for them. After making offerings of cows and inquiring about their well-being, he allotted them a dwelling at Puṣkara, inviting them to remain in that sacred place. The sages, adorned with matted locks and deerskins, graced the beautiful lake, much like the gods themselves beautify the Ganges. Among them were shaven-headed ascetics in ochre robes, others with long beards, some with sparse teeth, and some with bulging eyes. There were those with great bodies or protruding eyes, some with long or deformed ears, and others with torn ears. Some had elongated or misshapen foreheads, their tendons and skin visible; the bellies of these purified ascetics were also exposed. Drawn by the sanctity of Puṣkara, radiant in all directions, many great souls—human tigers—gathered at its banks. Among them were the Vālakhilyas, some known for crushing stones, others for chewing mortar, and some for their rigorous purification practices. Some subsisted only on air, others on water, some on leaves, while many practiced various disciplines or lay on the bare ground. One day, as these ascetics gazed into the lake and saw their reflection, their faces became beautiful in an instant. Amazed, they looked at one another, wondering at this transformation. Thus, because their faces became beautiful upon seeing their reflection at this holy place, the ascetics named it “Face-viewing.” Having bathed and observed their disciplines, these sages became radiant, like the sons of the gods, endowed with incomparable virtues. All the forest-dwellers, glowing with spiritual energy, stood and divided the sacred space simply by their sacred threads. They performed agnihotra sacrifices and many other rites, their minds purified through austerity. Resolute, they declared, “We shall not seek another holy place; this lake is the greatest.” Thus, the twice-born named it “Great Puṣkara.” There, near the holy site, many hunchbacks were seen, astonishing all those who had gathered. After distributing various gifts and goods to the Brahmins, the twice-born heard of the eastern Sarasvati river and, eager to bathe, they journeyed there. The foremost holy places on the Sarasvati, crowded with groups of Brahmins, were adorned with jujube, inguda, kashmarya, plaksha, asvattha, and vibhitaka trees. The sacred groves also boasted pauloma, palasha, karira, pilu, syandana, kapittha, karavira, bilva, amlataka, atimukta, kanda, parijata, and kadamba trees, their fruits, leaves, and flowers swaying in the wind and water, along with the dantolukhalika. The region was further adorned by the presence of great sages, especially those who pounded with stones, and resounded with the chanting of scriptural self-study. Herds of deer roamed the forests, while those devoted to non-violence and supreme righteousness made the place resplendent. The area was known as Kanchana, the eastern Nanda, and Vishalaka. At Puṣkara, Sarasvati flowed in five streams as Brahmā’s grand assembly took place on earth. When the sacrificial enclosure was prepared, and the Brahmins and others had arrived, the auspicious day was proclaimed, and the rules of the gods were observed with precision. As the gods engaged in the sacred rite, and Brahmā himself was initiated, all his desires were fulfilled; the things he contemplated in his mind, skilled as he was in righteousness and wealth, indeed appeared before him. The twice-born attended Brahmā in every way; the gods and Gandharvas sang melodious hymns, and the Apsaras danced in joy. Divine instruments played splendidly, and the success of the sacrifice satisfied even the gods. All present were filled with wonder—how much more so would mortals be! Thus, the sacrifice at Puṣkara continued with Brahmā himself presiding. Then, O Bhishma, the sages, pleased by the auspicious events, addressed the river Sarasvati as Suprabha, and also as Sarasvati. Seeing Sarasvati, swift-flowing and radiant at Brahmā’s sacrifice, all the sages honored her as exceedingly great. Thus, this best of rivers, Sarasvati, at Puṣkara, arose for the sake of Brahmā and for the satisfaction of the wise. Sarasvati, with her five streams, made the holy even holier. Therefore, O king, she is called Suprabha, and also Sarasvati.