At the sacred land of Pushkara, giving charity is a difficult task, and even to reside there is exceedingly challenging. Yet, when a Brahmin well-versed in the Vedas journeys to the revered Jyestha Pushkara, his actions attain great spiritual merit. By simply bathing in those holy waters, such a Brahmin attains liberation; by performing the rites for his ancestors, he uplifts their souls. Even if a Brahmin merely visits Pushkara and offers worship at twilight, calling upon the place by name, his devotion bears fruit. If he continues this twilight worship at Pushkara for twelve years without fail, there can be no doubt—so it was proclaimed by Svayambhu, the self-born, in ancient times. For one who does so, the blemish associated with Savitri will not taint his lineage. And for the devoted wife who supports her husband in performing this twilight worship, if she pours water from a copper vessel, she too ascends to heaven. Such a soul, upon reaching the world of Brahma, remains there for the span of a day of Brahma—a period beyond ordinary comprehension. Even if one arrives at Pushkara alone, the twilight worship must be performed with proper order, using Pushkara’s water placed in an iron vessel. O best of kings, when one faces the southern direction and recites the sacred Gāyatrī mantra, the ancestors are deeply satisfied, their contentment lasting for twelve years. By offering a piṇḍa during the śrāddha rites, endless merit is bestowed upon the forefathers—merit that endures for a thousand ages. This is why the wise recognize the importance of marriage and the gathering of a wife, so that such sacred rites may be performed. Having reached a holy place, one should offer piṇḍas with the proper śrāddha rituals; in doing so, the sons of such a family will enjoy unbroken prosperity, abundant grain, and a flourishing lineage. There need be no doubt about this—such was the teaching of the Grandfather Brahmā. When the ancestors and the gods are satisfied in this way, the performer attains the same fruit as that of the great Agniṣṭoma sacrifice. Now, O king, listen as I tell you of the hermitages in this sacred region. Here, the sage Agastya once established his hermitage—a place revered as equal to the abodes of the gods themselves. In ages past, this land was also graced by the hermitage of the Seven Sages, honored by the gods, as well as the supreme hermitages of the Brahmarṣis and the Manus. At the foot of the sacrificial mountain, there lies a delightful city of the nāgas, and here too shines the wondrous power of Agastya, whose soul is immeasurable. Let me recount briefly the story of Agastya—listen with full attention, O Bhīṣma. In the Kṛta Yuga, when the world was young, the Dānavas, drunk with the desire for battle, rose up in tumult. Among them were the Kāleyas, fierce hosts who, seeking refuge in the mighty Vṛtra, prepared to destroy the gods. Troubled greatly by these threats, the gods went to Brahmā. With hands joined in reverence, they stood before the Supreme Lord, who spoke to them with compassion, “I know all that you desire, O gods, and I shall reveal to you the means by which Vṛtra may be slain. There is a great sage among men, Dadhīci, renowned for his pure and noble mind. Go to him together and humbly request a boon. For the welfare of the three worlds, ask him to give you his own bones. That righteous soul, pleased by your request, will abandon his body and bestow his bones upon you. From them, let a mighty and terrible thunderbolt be fashioned—a weapon both firm and divine, famed as the destroyer of great enemies. With that thunderbolt, Śatakratu—Indra—will slay Vṛtra. All this I have told you; therefore, act accordingly.” Thus instructed, the gods, having taken leave of the Grandfather, set out for the hermitage of Dadhīci, led by Indra, Śatakratu. On the far shore of the Sarasvatī, they entered a land lush with trees and creepers, the air alive with the buzzing of bees, as if resonant with the chanting of Sāma singers. The cries of living creatures mingled with the calls of male cuckoos and jīvaka birds, while buffaloes, boars, deer, and antelopes roamed freely. Elephants, both young and tusked, unafraid of tigers, wandered about with trunks and mouths wide open. All around, the air echoed with the playful sounds of animals and the mighty roars of lions and tigers. Peacocks, hidden in caves and mountain hollows, filled the groves with their most delightful cries. At last, the gods arrived at the hermitage of Dadhīci, a place as splendid as heaven itself. There they beheld Dadhīci, shining with the brilliance of the sun, radiant and four-armed like Lakṣmī. The gods bowed at his feet and, after prostrating themselves, each made the request as Brahmā had instructed. Dadhīci, greatly pleased, spoke tenderly to those foremost among the gods: “Today, O gods, I shall do what is for your good, or else I shall relinquish my own body.” Having spoken thus, the best of sages at once gave up his life. The gods, together with Indra, took his bones for their sacred purpose. Their forms radiant with joy, they approached Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine craftsman, seeking victory. Tvaṣṭṛ, hearing their request, joyfully and with great care fashioned a thunderbolt of immense and terrible power. Delighted, he said, “With this supreme weapon, O god, destroy today the terrible enemy of the gods. Then, having slain your foe and his host, rule happily over all of heaven, O Indra.” Thus addressed by Tvaṣṭṛ, Purandara—Indra—accepted the thunderbolt with joy and devotion. Armed with the thunderbolt and honored by the gods, Indra advanced toward Vṛtra, who stood blocking both heaven and earth, guarded on all sides by the mighty-bodied Kālakeyas, who were as formidable as mountains, their horns raised in defiance. A great and terrible battle erupted between the gods and the demons, shaking the worlds with its fury. Swords flashed and were hurled by heroic arms, filling the air with tumult as bodies fell. Heads rained down from the sky to the earth, O king, and the ground was covered with them, resembling a forest of palm trees.