When the sacred enclosure for the great sacrifice was prepared, Brahmins and other revered guests assembled from near and far. On an auspicious day, as proclaimed by the learned, all the prescribed rites of the gods were meticulously observed. The gods themselves took part in the ritual, and Brahma, the Grandfather of all beings, was duly initiated to preside over the sacrifice. As Brahma conducted the ceremony, every desire that arose in his mind—rooted in righteousness and prosperity—was instantly fulfilled. Whatever he contemplated, the fruits of virtue and wealth, appeared before him as if summoned by his very thoughts. The twice-born priests attended to every task, moving here and there, ensuring the flawless flow of the ritual. The gods and Gandharvas sang melodious hymns, while the celestial Apsaras danced in joy. Divine instruments resounded splendidly through the air, and the success of the sacrifice brought satisfaction even to the gods themselves. All who witnessed this marvel—gods and humans alike—were filled with wonder, for the event at Pushkara, with Brahma himself present, was truly extraordinary. In their delight, the assembled sages addressed the sacred river goddess as Suprabha and Sarasvati, recognizing her auspicious presence. Flowing swiftly and radiantly, Sarasvati graced Brahma’s sacrifice, and all the sages beheld her as exceedingly great. Thus, at Pushkara, the best of rivers, Sarasvati, arose for the sake of Brahma and to bring satisfaction to the wise. Splitting into five streams, Sarasvati made the already holy place even holier. She was called Suprabha and Sarasvati by all who revered her. In that sacred place, peaceful sages gathered, each upholding different teachings, yet all united in remembering Sarasvati. Invoked by the devotion and love of these great sacrificial seers, the blessed river Sarasvati appeared in the eastern direction. Honored by the sages, she became known as the Eastern-flowing One. Now, O King, listen to another wondrous tale from that land. It is said that the brahmin Maṅkaṇaka was once wounded by a blade of kuśa grass. From the wound on his hand, to everyone’s astonishment, sugarcane juice began to flow instead of blood. Overjoyed at this miracle, Maṅkaṇaka started to dance, and as he did, the entire world—everything movable and immovable—was swept up in his radiance and danced with him. The gods, led by Indra, and all the ascetic sages looked on, amazed. Learning of this, Brahma declared that such dancing should not continue unchecked. At his command, Rudra was sent to address the sage. Rudra approached Maṅkaṇaka and said, “You must not dance so fiercely; you should stop.” Seeing the sage overwhelmed with joy, Rudra asked, “O best of brahmins, for what reason are you dancing? As you dance, the whole world dances with you.” Though thus restrained, Maṅkaṇaka continued his dance and replied, “Do you not see, O god, that sugarcane juice flows from my hand? Seeing this, I am filled with great joy and cannot help but dance.” The god smiled at the sage, who was deluded by his own wonder, and said, “O brahmin, I am not amazed by this; look at me here.” The sage, curious about who had addressed him, meditated and then struck his own thumb with his fingertip. From the wound, instead of sugarcane juice, white ash as pure as snow emerged. Seeing this, Maṅkaṇaka was humbled and, ashamed, fell at Rudra’s feet. He declared, “I consider no one greater than you, O Rudra. You, O wielder of the trident, are the refuge of the moving and unmoving universe. The wise declare that all this was created by you, and at the end of the age, all again enters into you. Even the gods cannot fully comprehend you—how could I? In you are seen all the gods, even Brahma and the others. You alone are the creator and cause of all the gods; by your grace, all the gods here become fearless.” Having thus praised the great god, the sage bowed and said, “O Lord, by your grace, my austerity is not diminished here.” Pleased, Rudra replied, “May your austerity increase a thousandfold, O Brahmin, by my grace. I shall dwell always in the east here with you, especially in this field of the highly sacred Sarasvati.” Rudra then blessed the place, saying, “There is nothing difficult to obtain in this world or the next for one who abandons his body on the northern bank of the Sarasvati. One devoted to recitation on the eastern shore does not die here again; having bathed, he attains the abundant fruit of a horse-sacrifice. The ascetic who emaciates his body by disciplines and fasts, subsisting on water, air, or leaves, and those who sleep on the ground or practice other vows—whatever disciplines and vows the best of twice-born performs—he attains the supreme state of Brahman with a purified body. And whatever is given at this sacred place, even a morsel of sesame or gold, is equal to a gift of Mount Meru, as the Lord of Creatures declared long ago.” Rudra continued, “Those who perform ancestral rites at this sacred place, accompanied by twenty-one generations, will go to heaven. The ancestors, satisfied by a single ball of rice at this holy site, will be delivered to the world of Brahma by their own son, and, freed from desire, will proceed on the path of liberation.” Now, O King, listen to the ancient origin of the Sarasvati as it truly was, as spoken of by all the gods together with the Vasus in days of old.