Hearing the earnest words of the gods, the sage Maitrāvaruṇi addressed them, asking, “For what purpose have you come? What boon do you desire from me?” In response, the assembled gods spoke with reverence: “O divine sage, O great soul, we seek a wondrous boon—let us drink the ocean. If you accomplish this, and the great ocean is entirely drunk up, then together we will destroy the force of the Kāleyas, our enemies, along with their kin.” Moved by their request, the sage replied, “So be it. I will fulfill your wish, which brings happiness to the worlds.” Having thus spoken, Maitrāvaruṇi, accompanied by ascetic sages perfected in austerity and the gods themselves, journeyed to the ocean, the vast treasury of waters. Drawn by the promise of a marvelous event, humans, serpents, gandharvas, yakshas, and kimpurushas followed the great-souled sage, eager to witness what would unfold. Together, they beheld the ocean, roaring fiercely, its waves seeming to dance and leap about, driven by the wind. The ocean appeared to laugh with masses of foam, stumble through its channels, and was filled with myriad aquatic creatures and flocks of diverse birds. The gods, along with Agastya, gandharvas, mighty serpents, and illustrious sages, sat by the great ocean, awaiting the momentous act. At the shore, the divine sage Varuni addressed the gathered gods and sages. Desiring to protect the ocean, the eminent sage Agastya declared, “For the welfare of the worlds, I shall drink the abode of Varuna.” He urged the gods to make their arrangements swiftly, and then Maitrāvaruṇi proceeded ahead. With righteous anger, Agastya drank the ocean as all the worlds watched. The gods, including Indra, were struck with utmost wonder and honored him with praises: “You are our protector and creator, the sustainer of the worlds; by your grace, the universe attains its highest state.” The great-souled Agastya, honored by the gods, amidst the singing of the chief gandharvas and showered with divine flowers, rendered the great ocean devoid of water. Seeing the ocean made dry, the gods were filled with exceeding delight. Seizing their divine, excellent weapons, they slew the danavas, undaunted in spirit. Though the danavas were mighty, swift, and roaring, they could not withstand the force of the powerful celestials. The battle raged tumultuously for a moment, the danavas fighting with terrifying cries, but ultimately, they were destroyed, their previous power diminished by the austerities of sages with purified minds. The slain danavas, adorned with golden ornaments, earrings, and armlets, lay resplendent, like blossoming kimshuka trees. Some of the surviving danavas, foremost among the sons of Kālaya, tore open the earth goddess and took refuge in the realm beneath the earth. Seeing their enemies vanquished, the gods praised the foremost among sages with many words, saying, “By your grace, O highly fortunate one, the worlds have attained great happiness; and by your power, the mighty and terrible Kālīyas have been destroyed. O great sage, replenisher of the worlds, restore the ocean; release again into it the water that you drank.” Thus addressed, the venerable sage replied, “That water has already been digested by me; let another means be considered. For the purpose of filling the ocean, let effort be undertaken by all of you.” Hearing these words of the steadfast seer, the gods were astonished and disheartened. After mutually taking leave and bowing to the eminent sage, all the people and brahmins departed as they had come; the gods, along with Viṣṇu, followed the Grandfather, Brahmā. For the purpose of filling the ocean, they deliberated among themselves, joining their palms and discussing how the sea might be replenished. Then Brahmā, the Grandfather of the worlds, addressed them: “Go, all you gods, as you wish, as you desire. In due course of time, the ocean will return to its natural state. But King Bhagiratha, making his ancestors the cause, will again fill the ocean with the stream of the Ganges.” At Brahmā’s command, the gods and the best of sages departed. The blessed Brahmā, pleased, spoke to Agastya, the eminent sage: “By you, the task of the gods—the destruction of the Dānavas—has been accomplished. Because the gods have been delivered by you, O sage, I am indeed pleased; ask for whatever boon you desire, I shall grant it.” With deep reverence, Agastya replied, “O god, this task for the gods has been accomplished by me while residing here. May my hermitage become the foremost of all hermitages; and as you have declared, O Lord, so shall it be—of this there is no doubt.” Brahmā then proclaimed: “Those men who, after making pilgrimage to Puṣkara, come here, and those who bathe in these pools and offer libations to the ancestors and gods, and also perform worship of the gods here—all these acts yield inexhaustible merit. Those who offer arghya, whether great or small, and cakes of rice and barley, will give them to the foremost brahmins; their dwelling will be in heaven; by their śrāddha, the ancestors will be satisfied until the cosmic dissolution. Whoever, even with roots, fruits, or tubers, satisfies a sage, reaching the abode of the Seven Sages, will rejoice for countless ages.” Thus, the sage’s deed was celebrated, the gods were fulfilled, and the sacred place was established as a source of merit for all who come with reverence.