O King, listen with reverence to the glories of sacred Pushkara, the holy place where, at the three junctions of the day, the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sadhyas, and the hosts of Maruts are ever present. There too gather the Gandharvas and Apsaras, who constantly attend upon the Lord. This is the place where gods, after performing intense austerities, as well as the demons and the Brahma sages, endowed with divine yoga and great merit, assemble. Even those who simply cherish in their minds a desire for Pushkara, the wise say, are cleansed of all sins and find delight in the heavenly realms. At this supremely sacred site, the ancestor—honored by gods and demons alike—resides in supreme contentment. Here, the gods, led by sages, attained perfection and great merit. Whoever bathes at Pushkara with devotion to ancestors and gods, it is said by the wise, receives ten times the merit of performing the great Ashvamedha sacrifice. If one but feeds a single Brahmin within the Pushkara forest, it is as if a crore are satisfied and honored by that act, and such a person enjoys happiness both in this world and the next. Whatever one uses for sustenance—be it vegetables, roots, or fruits—should be offered to a Brahmin with faith and a pure heart, free from envy. By this very act, one attains the fruit of a horse sacrifice, regardless of whether he is a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra. The sacred ancestral lake called Pushkara is renowned as the holy place granting merit to the perfected Vaikhanasa ascetics and sages. Sarasvati, the most sacred river who flows to the great ocean, is found here, and the primordial god, the great yogi Madhusudana, resides at this spot. This place is famed as Adi-Varaha, worshipped by the gods themselves. Even those of degraded castes who reach this ancestral holy place—if they bathe at this sacred site of the great soul—are freed from rebirth. Especially during the month of Kartika, whoever approaches Pushkara, it is heard, receives imperishable merit. Simply remembering Pushkara at dawn and dusk with folded hands purifies one as if visiting all holy places, and any sin acquired from birth—whether by women or men—is destroyed by bathing here. Just as the grandsire is foremost among the Asuras, so is Pushkara regarded as the foremost among holy places. Having seen Pushkara, one remains disciplined and pure for ten years, attaining the fruit of all sacrifices and reaching the world of Brahma. Whoever worships the Agnihotra for a hundred years gains the same merit as one who dwells at Pushkara for a single month of Kartika. Yet, sacrifice, austerity, charity, and even dwelling at Pushkara are considered exceedingly difficult. A Brahmin learned in the Vedas, upon reaching Jyestha Pushkara and bathing there, attains liberation; by offering ancestral rites, he uplifts his forefathers. Even a Brahmin who merely visits and worships at twilight by name, if he continues this worship for twelve years, there is no doubt about his merit—this was declared by Svayambhu in ancient times. The fault of Savitri does not arise in his lineage, and the wife who supports her husband in twilight worship, pouring water from a copper vessel, ascends to heaven. Reaching Brahma's world, such a soul remains there for a day of Brahma. Even if one travels alone, twilight worship should be performed in due order, using Pushkara water placed in an iron vessel. When one faces south and recites the Gayatri, the ancestors are supremely satisfied for twelve years. By offering a piṇḍa in the śrāddha rite, one bestows endless merit upon the ancestors, lasting for a thousand ages; for this reason, the wise take a wife, so that the lineage may continue and the ancestors be honored. Having gone to a sacred place, the wise offer piṇḍas with proper śrāddha rites, ensuring that their sons will enjoy unbroken wealth, grain, and lineage. There should be no doubt about this, for so has the Grandfather declared. After satisfying the ancestors and the gods, one attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice. Now, O King, hear also of the hermitages. Here, Agastya established a hermitage, esteemed as equal to the gods. In ancient times, the Seven Sages had their hermitage here, honored by the gods, as did the Brahmarṣis and Manus, who established their supreme hermitage. At the foot of the sacrificial mountain, there is a delightful city of the nāgas, and wondrous indeed is the power of Agastya, whose soul is immeasurable. Listen now, O Bhishma, to the story of his greatness. In the Kṛta Yuga, the Dānavas, intoxicated by the prospect of war, arose in great numbers. Among them were the Kāleyas, exceedingly fierce, who, taking refuge in Vṛtra, prepared to destroy the gods. Troubled and fearing destruction, the gods approached Brahmā, standing before the Supreme Lord with hands joined in reverence. Brahmā spoke to them: "I know all, O gods, and what you wish to accomplish. I shall tell you the means by which you shall slay Vṛtra. There is a great sage named Dadhīci, renowned for his noble mind. Go to him together and ask him for a boon. That righteous soul will grant it to you with a pleased heart; you must all address him, desiring victory. For the welfare of the three worlds, ask him to give his own bones; he will abandon his body and bestow his bones upon you.