There is a sacred and ancient lake, renowned as Pushkara, which is celebrated among holy places for bestowing great merit upon perfected Vaikhanasa ascetics and sages. Among all rivers, Sarasvati is considered the most sacred, for she flows into the vast ocean, and at her banks resides the primordial god—the great yogi Madhusudana himself. This holy site is also famed as Adi-Varaha, worshipped by the gods. Even those of degraded birth who reach this ancestral place are uplifted, for it is said that anyone who bathes at the holy site of this great soul does not enter a womb again. Especially during the auspicious month of Kartika, those who approach Pushkara are blessed with imperishable merit. The very remembrance of Pushkara, morning and evening with folded hands, purifies one as if all holy places had been visited. O Kaurava, whatever sins have arisen since birth—whether of men or women—are all destroyed merely by bathing at Pushkara. Just as the grandsire is foremost among the Asuras, so is Pushkara regarded as foremost among holy places. One who beholds Pushkara and remains disciplined and pure there for ten years attains the fruit of all sacrifices and reaches the world of Brahma. Indeed, one who worships the Agnihotra for a hundred years and one who spends a single month of Kartika at Pushkara are considered equal in merit, for at Pushkara, sacrifice, austerity, charity, and even dwelling are exceedingly difficult. A Brahmin learned in the Vedas who goes to Jyestha Pushkara and bathes there attains liberation; by offering ancestral rites, he uplifts his forefathers. Even a Brahmin who merely visits and worships at twilight for twelve years at Pushkara is assured of this merit, as spoken by Svayambhu in ancient times. The fault of Savitri does not arise in the lineage of one who performs twilight worship, and the wife who supports her husband in this act, offering water in a copper vessel, ascends to heaven. Such a couple reaches Brahma’s world and remains there for a day of Brahma. Even if one goes alone, twilight worship should be performed properly, using Pushkara water in an iron vessel. O best of kings, when one faces south and recites the Gāyatrī, the ancestors are satisfied for twelve years. By offering a piṇḍa in the śrāddha rite, one bestows endless merit upon the ancestors, lasting a thousand ages—thus, the wise undertake marriage for the sake of continuing these rites. Having gone to a sacred place, one should offer piṇḍas with proper śrāddha rites; their sons will enjoy unbroken wealth, grain, and lineage. There should be no doubt about this, for it was declared by the Grandfather himself: after satisfying the ancestors and gods, one gains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice. Now, let me tell you about the hermitages of this holy region. Listen attentively, O king. Here, the great sage Agastya established a hermitage, esteemed as equal to the gods. Long ago, this land was also home to the hermitage of the Seven Sages, honored by the gods, as well as the supreme hermitages of the Brahmarṣis and Manus. At the foot of the sacrificial mountain lies a delightful city of the nāgas, and here too is found the wondrous power of Agastya, whose soul is immeasurable. Let me briefly recount his story. In the ancient Kṛta Yuga, O Bhīṣma, the Dānavas—intoxicated by war—arose in great might. Among them were the Kāleyas, exceedingly fierce, who, taking refuge in Vṛtra, prepared to destroy the gods. Troubled, the gods approached Brahmā. With joined hands, they stood before the Supreme Lord, who spoke to them, “I know all, O gods, and what you wish to accomplish. I will 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. For the welfare of the three worlds, request him to give his own bones. He will abandon his body and bestow his bones. From these, let a mighty and terrible thunderbolt be fashioned—a weapon famed as the lightning bolt, destroyer of great enemies. With that thunderbolt, Śatakratu will slay Vṛtra. All this I have told you; therefore, let everything be done accordingly.” Thus instructed, the gods took leave of the Grandfather and set out for Dadhīci’s hermitage, led by Śatakratu. On the far shore of the Sarasvatī, amidst groves thick with trees and creepers, the air buzzed with bees as if filled with the chanting of Sāma hymns. The cries of living beings mingled with the calls of cuckoos and jīvaka birds, and buffaloes, boars, deer, and antelopes wandered freely. Elephants and tuskers, unafraid of tigers, roamed about, their trunks and mouths wide open. The area resounded with the playful calls of animals and the mighty roars of lions and tigers. Peacocks, hidden in caves and mountain hollows, filled the groves with their delightful cries. Arriving at Dadhīci’s hermitage, which shone with the splendor of heaven itself, the gods beheld Dadhīci, radiant as the sun, blazing with divine light, four-armed like Lakṣmī. The gods bowed at his feet, and after prostrating themselves, each requested the boon as Brahmā had instructed.